Day: June 12, 2017

Twelve things you should know about Erin HillsTwelve things you should know about Erin Hills

Did you play in the 2011 U.S. Amateur? If not (and we’re assuming you didn’t), then you probably don’t know much about Erin Hills, which becomes a big-boy course this week as the site for the 117th U.S. Open. To get you up-to-speed on this first-time U.S. Open venue, here are a dozen things you should know. 1. It’s not a links course If you call Erin Hills a “linksâ€� course, you will get your hand slapped and be denied bratwurst, cheese and Old Milwaukee beer for the rest of the week. So please, don’t say it. Don’t even think it. The three course architects are very adamant on this topic. They want you to call Erin Hills a “heartlandâ€� course. “We want to make sure that distinction is made,â€� Dana Fry told usopen.com. “A heartland course is in between a parkland course and a links.â€� The USGA is backing them up on this. Here’s Executive Director Mike Davis: “Folks, it’s not a links course … Yes, there are fescues out there. Yes, it’s windy. Yes, there aren’t a lot of trees. But that’s where it stops.â€� And yet … 2. Shinnecock of the Midwest Shinnecock Hills is the links-style course on Long Island, New York, that has hosted the U.S. Open four times, and will be the host course next year for a fifth time (and also a sixth time in 2026). Evidently, it’s the course that Erin Hills most favorably compares to, according to people who should know – like Wisconsin native Steve Stricker. “A lot of the holes remind me of Shinnecock,â€� he told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Some holes just have that U.S. Open look. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in our state.â€� Even Davis said he thought of Shinnecock Hills the first time he visited the Erin Hills site in 2004 – two months after the U.S. Open, which was played at, yes, Shinnecock Hills. He told the Journal-Sentinel that he recalled thinking, “This is spectacular. This looks like Shinnecock Hills on steroids.â€� In a heartland type of way, of course. 3. First U.S. Open in Wisconsin
 Of the first 116 U.S. Opens, 65 were held in the Great Lakes region – 18 in New York, 17 in Pennsylvania, 13 in Illinois, seven in Ohio, six in Michigan and four in Minnesota. This will be the first U.S. Open held in Wisconsin, a state that boasts of 700,000 golfers among its 5.7 million residents. “They’ve waited a long time for this chance,â€� said USGA president Diana Murphy. Wisconsin has hosted 13 other USGA championships, including the aforementioned 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills won by Kelly Kraft. After this week, Indiana will be the only Great Lakes state to not host a U.S. Open – although it has hosted a Women’s Open and a Senior Open. 4. Kettle Moraine If you aren’t already familiar with this term, then get ready – you’ll likely hear it referenced multiple times this week. It’s the region in Wisconsin where Erin Hills is located. The USGA’s educational video on the topic, with multiple geoscience professors describing the action, defines Moraine as an “irregular mass of unstratified glacial driftâ€� and Kettle is a “deep kettle-shaped depression in a glacial drift.â€� The Green Bay Lobe glacier collided with the Lake Michigan Lobe glacial 30,000 years ago, then receded to eventually form the rolling, undulating terrain with the small depressions on which Erin Hills was built. It’s all very science-y and a bit challenging to understand, but you’ll feel smarter just knowing the term. 5. Par 72 Hey, someone snuck in a couple of extra par 5s when we weren’t looking. For the first time in 25 years – and just the ninth time since World War II — the U.S. Open scorecard is at par 72. The last time came at Pebble Beach in 1992, when the 502-yard second hole was still played as a par 5. Since then, the U.S. Open has generally been played at par 70, with Pebble Beach adjusted to par 71 the last two times it hosted the event. Erin Hills actually played to a par-73 in 2009 after some alterations to the course but switched back to par 72 the next year. The USGA’s Davis said the organization never contemplated reducing that number at Erin Hills, noting that to change any of the par 5s to par 4s “would really compromise the great architectureâ€� of those holes. 6. Avoid the bunkers There are 138 of them. Unlike bunkers at most courses, there are almost no flat bottoms. “Relative to most U.S. Opens,â€� said Davis, “there are really hazards.â€� TOUR pros who normally don’t mind finding bunkers if they miss a green will now have to suffer the consequences of a endless variety of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies. “You’re going to see shots this year out of the bunker that you’ve never seen before, and comments from pros that you’ve never heard before either – some of which won’t be complimentary,â€� Michael Hurdzan, one of Erin Hills’ architects, told usopen.com. He added that players may face a restricted backswing or be unable to go at the pin from the bunker, instead having to choose a long iron to play sideways. The par-3 ninth has the toughest set of bunkers, including one with a narrow curlicue. If a ball winds up there, players may not even have a shot at the green, much less the pin. “Lots of nooks and crannies where a ball could get where you’re uncomfortable,â€� Davis said. 7. Wide fairways Just guessing here, but driving accuracy may be the least important stat this week. Davis said the fairways are considerably wider than most U.S. Open courses, thus marginalizing whatever rough exists at Erin Hills. “If you were to pace off the width and compare it to, say, a Winged Foot or Pebble Beach or Oakmont, I dare say they’re 50 percent wider – and in some cases they’re easily double the width,â€� he said. Fairway undulations and slopes offer some defense; Davis said the fairways have a “lot of movementâ€� to them. The key for players will not be finding the fairway, but finding the right spot in the fairway to set up the most advantageous angles for the second shots. “I’ve played a lot of golf there with good players,â€� architect Dana Fry told usopen.com, “and they’ve consistently said that the hardest thing about the golf course is the lines and angles of tee shots.â€� Part of this challenge is due to … 8. Semi-blind shots Thanks to all those glacier collisions, the course has a significant amount of bumps and mounds – enough to make it tough to see the pin flag or the putting surface or landing area on a fairly significant amount of shots. Said Davis: “There are a lot of semi-blind shots out there, at least shots where you don’t quite see where you’re hitting to, and sometimes there’s a completely blind tee shot where you cannot see where your ball is going to land. Other times you get a little peek. Sometimes you’re hitting into greens and you don’t see the whole green. [Or] you don’t see any of the green. Maybe you see the top half of a flagstick.â€� He added that the imagination of players will be tested, along with a knowledge of the course and a commitment on those blind shots. 9. Longest U.S. Open course? A few days ago, the USGA noted the official yardage for Erin Hills – 7,741 yards. That would make it the longest in the tournament’s 117 years – if it’s played at that length. Davis said last month the scorecard yardage would be 7,692, and the length will definitely vary each round depending on the setup. For now, the longest course played in the U.S. Open is Chambers Bay, which was set up in the second round two years ago at 7,695 yards. But even if Erin Hills surpasses that number or falls just short, the course may not necessarily seem that long, given that there are four par 5s (with upwards of 50-yard variances on each of those holes). Chambers Bay had just two par 5s. Said Davis: “If you think taking 300 to 450 yards off that, now all of a sudden you actually get to a point – assuming this is a bouncy golf course – where I actually think Erin Hills will be a little bit shorter in terms of how it feels to a player than some of the Opens we go to.â€� In addition, the par 3s are not outrageous at Erin Hills; the sixth hole could be set up at 236 yards, with none of the other three longer than 215. Last year at Oakmont, thee of the par 3s were 250-plus yards. 10. Puttapalooza Remember the good ol’ days when U.S. Open greens were diabolical, with Stimpmeter readings that rivaled Mach 1 numbers? It sounds like Erin Hills will offer more humane conditions. The hybrid bentgrass greens are reported to be smoother than any recent U.S. Open, and the green sizes are also slightly larger and fairly void of significant contours. Plus, with closely mown surrounds at every green, players might have the choice of putter from off the green. So … no turtle-back greens like Pinehurst, no tiny greens like Pebble Beach, and no lightning-fast greens like Oakmont. “We’re going to see a lot of putts made at this U.S. Open,â€� Davis said. “… When you hit a putt, if you get it on the right line, the right speed, it will go in here.â€� Or as Fry said: “There are no goofy greens on this golf course.â€� 11. Let’s get flexible Erin Hills could play differently off the tee in each of the four rounds, thanks to the flexibility the architects embedded with their design. Every hole except the par-4 11th has at least two different teeing grounds the USGA can choose from, with the par-5 18th with four grounds. Depending on the yardage, the drive zone may be different, and bunkers may come into play one round and be a non-factor in another. Plus, the par-4 15th will likely be drivable in at least one round (at 288 yards). Davis said the USGA will “showcaseâ€� the flexibility in order to prevent having the same tee shot for all four rounds. 12. Six-hole shootout The last six holes on Sunday could provide a frantic finish. There are two par 5s (holes 14 and 18), two par 4s (15 and 17) and two par 3s (13 and 16). And as mentioned earlier, the USGA has the option of making the 15th drivable. Par 72 courses such as TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National have shown that having two par 5s on the back side can produce fireworks down the stretch. The USGA hopes for the same thing. “I think the story is really going to be these last five or six holes,â€� Davis said. “… You’re going to see some swings on the leaderboard.â€�

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Now who’s the best player without a major?Now who’s the best player without a major?

Dustin Johnson? Crossed his name off the list a year ago. Henrik Stenson followed the next month. A scant two weeks later, it was Jimmy Walker’s turn. Sergio Garcia, some had feared, had become a permanent resident on the list. But in April, he finally bid adieu. Best player without a major. Those four had either been atop the list or at least in the discussion, each having spent time inside the world’s top 10 list without benefit of major success (albeit Stenson and Garcia have each won THE PLAYERS Championship, which some consider … well, you be the judge). But thanks to their respective wins in the last 12 months, they’ve gracefully bowed out, more than willing to let others carry the torch — or shoulder the burden, depending on your perspective – starting at this week’s U.S. Open. Consider it an unprecedented string of success for the list … and we’re not even including 2015, when Jordan Spieth and Jason Day won their first majors. There was a seven-major stretch in the late 1950s when Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper and Gary Player all won their first majors, but each of those future World Golf Hall of Famers was still in his 20s at the time, still relatively unscarred. Casper was making just his seventh major start when he won; Palmer and Player were at nine each. Compare that to Garcia, who won in his 74th major start. Or Stenson’s 41 or Johnson’s 25 or Walker’s 18. Plus, these four were older – in their 30s, or in the case of Stenson, 40. Of course, that’s the thing about the list. Not only is it unofficial, the definition is a bit murky. Zach Johnson never considered himself on the list. He was still in the growing phase of his career and had never contended in a major prior to his 2007 Masters win, the first of his two major victories. “I don’t know if there’s an age parameter,â€� Zach said when asked to define the list. “If we’re talking rookies or 2-3 years out of the gate, that’s hard to say. I’m not suggesting they’re flashes in the pan, but to me, that best to never win is a connotation or description of an individual that’s been out here for a long time and put himself in position a lot but never came through. “Does that make sense? I don’t know what the age is, but I think it’s more of an experience factor.â€� Still, it’s difficult to avoid factoring in a player’s current world ranking, regardless of his age or experience. Should Hideki Matsuyama, ranked No. 4, not be on the list simply because he’s 25? Erin Hills will be his 19th major appearance, one more than when Walker won the PGA Championship last year. “Certainly to be considered one of the top guys to not have won a major means you’re one of the top guys. It also means you’ve not won a major,â€� said Matt Kuchar, who’s most definitely on the list. “I think at some point kind of everybody has been on that list, every great player is on it until they win their first.â€� But do players actually like being on the list? Some do; others want nothing to do with it. Younger players see it as a promise of things to come; the grizzled vets wonder if it reflects their shortcomings. Perhaps another way to look at the list – it’s a positive to be on it until it becomes a negative. “You never want to be on that list, you never want to be the top player that hasn’t won the major,â€� said Patrick Reed, whose name has certainly been under consideration the last few years. “It’s one of those things that to be able to make it in the Hall of Fame, to be able to be a household name and that kind of thing, I would think you do need to have a major underneath your belt.â€� You never want to be on that list, you never want to be the top player that hasn’t won the major. Charley Hoffman was in contention through three rounds at the Masters this year, and he’s won four times on TOUR. But he isn’t on the list, nor does he necessarily want the expectations that come with being on it. “I wouldn’t put my name in that category. It’s not a place I don’t put a lot of stress on,â€� he said. “That’s why I play all right at the Masters. I wouldn’t say I don’t care but it’s not like someone is picking me to win that week.â€� “Obviously I would love to be in that conversation because that means you need one, you want one. I think the more pressure I put on myself at the major championship, the worse I tend to play.â€� On the flip side, Ryan Palmer – like Hoffman, a multiple winner on TOUR but with a spotty record in majors – would love to elevate his game and be considered for the list. “If you’re considered one of the best players without a major, you’ve done some pretty good things in this game and had some pretty good success,â€� Palmer said. “I don’t look at it as a negative thing being the best player not to win a major. I know Sergio had so many close calls, and I know it was pretty cool to finally see him breakthrough and win, that’s for sure.â€� So now that Garcia, DJ, Stenson and Walker are off the list, who belongs at the top? “Still gotta say Westwood, right?â€� said Zach Johnson. Certainly, Lee Westwood and Garcia have spent much of their careers as 1 and 1A on the list. With Sergio out of the mix, it’s easy to consider the 44-year-old Englishman as the leader in the clubhouse. He’s been the European Tour’s Player of the Year three times, he’s played on 10 Ryder Cup teams, he’s won 39 golf tournaments on five continents, and he’s a former World No. 1, having held that position for 22 weeks. The only other player to have been No. 1 and not won a major is Luke Donald. Plus, Westwood has been in contention many times to cross his name off the list. Of his 76 major starts, he has 11 top-5s, including three runner-up finishes. “Majors are the only thing missing,â€� Westwood once said a few years ago. “Maybe I’ll never win one. Maybe I will. I could. I’ve got no answer to that. Keep working hard and trying to get myself into the position. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.â€� A few years ago, Steve Stricker’s name would have been more prominent. During the 2009 FedExCup Playoffs, he rose to world No. 2 and won three events that season. But at age 50 and playing a reduced schedule, he’s five years past the age of the oldest first-time major winner (Jerry Barber, who was 45 when he claimed the 1961 PGA). History is against him this week. Still, after qualifying as a sectional medalist, he could ride the emotion of playing the first U.S. Open held in his home state of Wisconsin. If it happens, he’ll be the feel-good story of the year. Soon after Garcia’s win in April, the best-player-without-a-major question was posed to Kuchar, another familiar name up for consideration. His seven TOUR wins includes a PLAYERS Championship and a World Golf Championship. He’s a consistent top-10 machine, arguably the best on TOUR in that category in recent years, and he has eight top 10s in his 45 major starts. Oh, and he won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics last year behind two major winners in Justin Rose and Stenson. The 38-year-old Kuchar contemplated his answer for a few seconds before responding. “It’s funny,â€� he said. “I’ve not run through who the other names would be, but I’d certainly think I would be one of those guys, sure.â€� There’s one other thing he’s also sure of. “I’m hoping that I can get off that list sometime quickly,â€� he said. “Sometime soon.â€� Perhaps, he hopes, as soon as this week. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION Depending on the criteria, here’s an unofficial list of the active Best Players Without a Major. IF WORLD RANKINGS MATTER … Players without a major currently ranked inside the world Top 10: Hideki Matsuyama (4th), Alex Noren (8th), Rickie Fowler (9th), Jon Rahm (10th). IF EXPERIENCE MATTERS … A few players with 45 or more major starts without a win: Lee Westwood (76 starts), Steve Stricker (68), Luke Donald (53), Paul Casey (52), Matt Kuchar (45). FYI: Donald is not in the field at Erin Hills. IF FEDEXCUPS MATTER … Three players in the U.S. Open field have won FedExCup titles but not a major: Bill Haas (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2012), Billy Horschel (2014). IF AGE IS NO FACTOR … These players have plenty of time to break through: Si Woo Kim (age 21), Justin Thomas (age 24), Thomas Pieters (age 25), Tyrrell Hatton (age 25) IF THE EYE TEST MATTERS … A few names (but certainly not all) who just seem like they have the game to win a major: Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Branden Grace. 

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Making of US Open course: Death, intrigue shadow Erin HillsMaking of US Open course: Death, intrigue shadow Erin Hills

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