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A20 SPORTS
Wednesday 23 May 2018
Column: US Open has a new way of presenting old courses
Continued from Page 18 row that you had fairway
bunkers 10 yards out in the
He remembers a U.S. Open rough. That doesn’t make
with narrow fairways, thick sense.”
rough and firm, fast green. He referenced the 1950s,
The ultimate test, he called when Joe Dey was running
it. the USGA and Richard Tufts
“I’m old-fashioned,” Nick- was the president, and
laus concluded. “I happen there was a blueprint for
to like what I grew up on.” the U.S. Open.
Nicklaus played two U.S. “It didn’t matter if it was
Opens at Shinnecock Hills, Oakland Hills or Winged
and he might not recognize Foot,” Davis said. “There
much beyond the magnifi- would be fairways a cer-
cent, century-old views. tain width, thick rough, fast
The fairways are 15 yards greens.”
wider on certain holes But it was the toughest test
compared with the previ- in golf. More times than
ous three Opens on the not, it was about survival.
William Flynn design, allow- In this Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, file photo, Looking south from the 16th fairway, the sun sets on the The U.S. Open is not big on
ing slightly errant shots to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, in Southampton, N.Y. slogans — there is no name
roll into bunkers that were Associated Press attached to the silver tro-
put there for a reason. And last held at Shinnecock have been restored to their to be a half-shot penalty, phy. Davis says the “tough-
while the course has been in 2004, the real change original size. if not more. But around est test in golf” was a label
lengthened by about 450 when the discussion turns to The rough off the fairway the greens? Gone. That’s from years back, although
yards since the Open was “bigger” is the greens. They is thick and dense enough largely replaced by closely the USGA certainly didn’t
mown areas that will send frown on it. He has never
the ball 20 yards or farther heard anyone at the USGA
away — for really bad talk about protecting par,
shots, far away enough to but a winning score at or
find mangled grass. above par seems to bring
The history and old-school smiles.
look of Shinnecock will The ultimate test?
make it feel like a tradition- Davis once denounced
al U.S. Open. such an idea at Congres-
Mike Davis, the chief ex- sional on the eve of the
ecutive of the USGA, likes 2011 U.S. Open.
to think in different terms. “I think what we’ve stated
One message from Mon- over the years is that we
day’s preview of the 118th want it to be a very dif-
U.S. Open was a stronger ficult challenge,” he said
effort to stay true to the ar- that day. “But I’m not sure
chitecture. In other words, we’ve ever used the ulti-
allow the course to play mate challenge. Maybe
the way the architect in- somebody else has, but
tended and remain what I don’t believe the USGA
the USGA endlessly calls has.”
the “ultimate test.” And then it did.
Davis conceded that the Diana Murphy first publicly
identity of the U.S. Open mentioned it at Oakmont
is more closely linked to two years ago, and it has
the historic nature of the become a popular phrase
course more than how it is among the blue blazers
set up. since then. Jeff Hall, the US-
“Jack played it more as a GA’s managing director of
cookie-cutter setup,” Davis rules and competition, ex-
said. “What we’ve tried to plained the notion of “ulti-
do is more respectful to ar- mate test” as shot-making,
chitecture, so we’ve done course management and
that here. In ‘04, some of resolve both physically and
these fairways were so nar- mentally.q
