U S Open Returns To Winged Foot

18th Hole, Winged Foot West Course, photo courtesy of the club.

The big news in Mamaroneck, NY, is the announcement by the USGA that Winged Foot Golf Club will host the 2020 U.S. Open. It will be the sixth time the club has held the event and the 20th U.S. Open to be played in the state of New York.

"We're thrilled to bring the U.S. Open back to this outstanding club," said Tom O'Toole, Jr., USGA VP and Championship Committee chairman. "Winged Foot offers a spectacular setting in a dynamic market and has justifiably earned its reputation as one of the premier U.S. Open venues in the nation."

The last time the U.S. Open was held at Winged Foot was 2006, when Phil Mickelson suffered a traumatic collapse on the 18th hole to hand the trophy to Australian Geoff Ogilvy.

At one point, Winged Foot had offered to host the tournament in 2015, but withdrew that proposal after the membership complained of being deprived of the use of both of their golf courses for an inordinate amount of time. The U.S. Open is held on the West Course, but the East Course was closed for a year to accommodate parking, corporate tents, a driving range, and other tournament facilities and the subsequent renovation of the turf. The members are currently considering a plan by Gil Hanse to refresh the East Course.

"We have always had a good relationship with the U.S.G.A. and our decision to withdraw from consideration for 2015 didn't alter that," said club president John Schneider. "We felt a longer interval would serve everyone better." 2020 was the next open date, with the championship scheduled for Merion this year, Pinehurst in 2014, Chambers Bay (Seattle) in 2015, Oakmont in 2016, Erin Hills (Milwaukee) for 2017, Shinnecock for 2018, and Pebble Beach in 2019.

Winged Foot celebrates its centennial in 2023, but that year will certainly have numerous other events scheduled. Given the club's contributions to the amateur game, a Walker Cup would be a good choice, but that year will be a Great Britain/Ireland location. There's always the U.S. Amateur, though. Of course, it might be better to aim for a reprise of the U.S. Open in 2029, marking the 100th anniversary for Bobby Jones' epic win over Al Espinosa in a playoff in 1929.

US Open Trophy
with putter used by Billy Casper
and sand wedge from Hale Irwin's win at Winged Foot

Regardless of what the future holds, Winged Foot's place in the history of the game is assured. Besides the Jones victory in the U.S. Open, Billy Casper won the championship in 1959, Hale Irwin in 1974, and Fuzzy Zoeller in 1984 in yet another playoff.  Davis Love III won the PGA Championship at Winged Foot in 1997.

A.W. Tillinghast designed two excellent courses at Winged Foot. The West Course is better known and also hosted the U.S. Amateur Championships in 1940 and 2004 in addition to the Walker Cup in 1949, but the East is an equally difficult test. It held the U.S. Women’s Open in 1957 and 1972. The first USGA Senior Open was also held on the East Course. It was won by Roberto DeVicenzo in 1980.

It may be a little early to order tickets, but mark your calendar for June 18-21, 2020, the dates for the next U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Congressional Dissected In U.S. Open Preview

The place to see what the pros will face at Congressional in this week's U.S. Open is NBCSports.MSNBC.com, where Brian Crowell provides hole-by-hole commentary on the course.

In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.

David Barrett Talks About Ben Hogan and the Miracle At Merion

In an exclusive interview, David Barrett, author of Miracle At Merion, talks about how he came to write the book and what Ben Hogan's story means to him:

DD: Tell me what your book is about.
It is the comprehensive story of the 1950 U.S. Open, one of the greatest events in golf history. To give the story depth, it goes into the background of the players involved and of life on the PGA tour at the time. Most prominently, of course, there is the story of Ben Hogan’s comeback from severe injuries suffered in a 1949 car-bus crash. The narrative of the book starts with Hogan’s victory at the 1948 U.S. Open, hits some key events in the two years leading up to the 1950 U.S. Open, and then gives a detailed account of the championship that proved Hogan was really back.

DD: What drew you to this story?
The touchstone is the inspirational story of Hogan’s comeback and the aura of Hogan in general. I also liked the idea of telling a detailed story about one of the game’s most historic championships. What actually sealed it, for me, was how many other great stories there were. Hogan wasn’t even the only player in the three-way playoff whose career nearly ended because of a crash. Lloyd Mangrum severely injured his shoulder when his Jeep turned over on him during World War II action in France, and was told he might not play golf again. Less heroically, Mangrum missed the first part of the 1950 season after reinjuring the same shoulder in a fight with a neighbor. The third man in the playoff, George Fazio, grew up in suburban Philadelphia, near where the championship was held, and had a scrap-metal business on the side. The tournament was nearly won by a player (Joe Kirkwood Jr.) who spent half his time as an actor, portraying boxer Joe Palooka on the big screen. The list goes on. It was also a chance to document the latter part of the hardscrabble, small-money era in pro golf before Arnold Palmer and television changed the landscape.

DD: What did you learn about Hogan in your research that surprised you?
Not too much about the man himself, since I had read his biographies. One interesting detail I learned was that when he first tried the West Coast part of the tour as a 19-year-old, he ended up subsisting for three days on some oranges he bought for 60 cents. Regarding his comeback, I didn’t fully appreciate that when he headed to California for the Los Angeles Open in 1950 he wasn’t sure if he was going to play or just make an appearance—at that point, he had only played three rounds of golf since his recovery.

There were some surprises about Hogan and the 1950 U.S. Open. For example, on the Saturday and Sunday before the Open, he played in a Pro-Celebrity Tournament in Washington, D.C. Another surprise is that, contrary to his reputation for precision, he actually sprayed the ball around in the third round and only remained in contention thanks to some good scrambling (he even hit a drive out of bounds). He did have putting woes in the final round, to such an extent that his brother, back in Fort Worth, sent him another putter via an airplane pilot friend. The putter arrived at Merion moments before the start of the playoff—but as he didn’t have a chance to warm up with it, Hogan didn’t use it.

DD: How did the accident change him as a person? As a golfer?
Hogan was genuinely moved by the outpouring of support he received from the general public after his accident—there were boxes and boxes of letters at the hospital. Before the accident, he was so grimly focused when he was on the course that he barely noticed the gallery. But at the U.S. Open playoff, Shirley Povich wrote in the Washington Post, “[Hogan] was gallery-conscious, and they liked it. For the first time in his career, he was probably trying to win for the gallery as well as for Hogan.”

As a golfer, there were comments from several observers after his first couple of tournaments back that he had changed his swing to account for less leg action. However, Hogan never talked about a significant post-accident swing change, nor, eventually, did commentators. The main difference was that, due to poor circulation in his legs, he had to limit his play severely. He entered 10 events in his comeback year of 1950, but found that even that was too many and halved that number in following years. But focusing on the big events might have helped him in the major championships—he won six of his nine majors after coming back from the crash.

DD: What’s the biggest difference between the U.S. Open as it was played at Merion in 1950 and today’s tournament?
There were no corporate tents then. Indeed, the idea that in the future there would be something called “corporate tents” at a U.S. Open would have been a hard concept to explain. No merchandise tent either. And a lot fewer people. Ticket records showed less than 10,000 sold for the final day. There was not a single grandstand on the course, nor were the fairways roped off.

There was no national television, but my research revealed the little-known fact that there was a two-hour television broadcast seen in select cities. Even in those cities, a lot of people didn’t have televisions. Whereas today the U.S. Open is viewed by millions, in 1950 it was seen only by thousands live—many of whom didn’t have a good view—and probably only thousands on the tube—watching a limited broadcast, with one camera behind the 18th green. There was a large radio audience, however.

DD: These events took place 60 years ago—why is the story relevant today?
It’s relevant because Hogan’s comeback victory at Merion is part of the fabric of the history of the game. It will be remembered for as long as the U.S. Open is played. And it’s relevant because Hogan still resonates. In fact, mine is not the only book about Ben Hogan to come out this fall.

DD: You’ve covered golf for many years. Are there any parallels to Hogan’s story in today’s game?
There will always be stories of golfers coming back from injury, though Hogan’s tale will be tough to top. Steve Jones won the 1996 U.S. Open after missing more than a year with a thumb injury that was not life-threatening but was career-threatening. And, interestingly, he credited reading Curt Sampson’s biography Hogan just before that Open for inspiring him.

As far as winning a U.S. Open on bad wheels, Tiger Woods in 2008 might have topped Hogan. Woods had severe ligament damage and a hairline fracture; his doctor advised him not to play on a leg needing major surgery that would cause an eight-and-a-half-month absence from the game as soon as that Open ended. But as far as Tiger coming back from a car accident, there’s no comparison there!

Read my review of Miracle At Merion posted yesterday.

Dave Donelson, author of The Dynamic Manager's Guides a how-to book for business owners and managers.

Miracle At Merion Brings Hogan's Story To Life

In 2008, the world watched agog as Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open on the 91st hole while struggling with a fractured left knee. In the excitement of the moment, little was said about a similar feat of physical endurance and mental strength by Ben Hogan in his epic victory at the 1950 U.S. Open, otherwise known as The Miracle at Merion.

Golf writer David Barrett, who has covered 25 U.S. Opens, presents a thorough and rounded account of Ben Hogan's comeback from a near-fatal car wreck to win the most coveted trophy in the sport. The astonishing story of how Hogan survived a head-on crash with a speeding Greyhound bus, fought through months of life-threatening surgery and painful therapy, then returned to the PGA Tour a year later has been told many times, but Barrett gives the reader both a wide view of the events and people surrounding the story as well as an incisive account of how Hogan the individual was changed by it.

Of particular interest are Barrett's portraits of Hogan's compatriots. Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, and Cary Middlecoff are among the giants of the game with whom Hogan competed. Barrett shows the reader how their careers meshed with Hogan's and, even more importantly, he reveals them not just as golfers but as human beings--just like he does Ben Hogan.

The book also gives a great look at the PGA Tour of Hogan's day. About the only thing today's tour has in common with Hogan's is the use of a little white ball and a four-and-a-quarter-inch hole. Among the many differences, of course, is money. Tiger Woods earned $1,350,000 for his victory in 2008; Hogan's check in 1950 was for a whopping $4,000. The Miracle at Merion brings both Hogan's historic win and the professional game of the era vibrantly to life.

Barrett is first and foremost a journalist, which gives this book a gravitas lacking in many other books on the sport. He not only made extensive use of the USGA archives in Far Hills, NJ, but visited Merion Golf Club itself and conferred at length with the club historian John Capers and archivist Wayne Morrison. He also interviewed many people who were on hand at Merion in 1950 and checked and double-checked media reports of the day--finding several interesting contradictions. The result is a book that deserves a place in the bookcase of any serious student of golf.

Tomorrow, I'll post an exclusive interview with author David Barrett.

Dave Donelson, author of The Dynamic Manager's Guide To Advertising: How To Grow Your Business With Ads That Work a how-to book for business owners and managers.

U.S. Open Won By Qualifier Lucas Glover

One of the great but overlooked stories of the 2009 U.S. Open is that three of the top four finishers all got into the event through the sectional qualifying tournaments. Lucas Glover, the winner, played his way into the tournament by shooting 133 in the qualifier at Columbus, Ohio, as did runner-up Ricky Barnes.

Barnes, who led after the first two rounds, has been playing on the Nationwide Tour. David Duval, who tied for second, was also a qualifier, having rebuilt what looks to be a promising game after years in the cellar recouping from a precipitous drop from his British Open win in 2001.

The last time a qualifier won the tournament was New Zealander Michael Campbell in 2005. Steven Jones did it in 1996, which was the first time in 20 years. In other words, Glover is one of only three qualifiers to win the U.S. Open since about the time Tiger Woods was born.

A record number of golfers entered the U.S. Open this year, according to the USGA. 9,023 players entered the qualifying tournaments. Entries were received from golfers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 71 foreign countries.

The stellar performance by qualifiers is particularly apropos at Bethpage, where top tour pros and weekend hackers are equally welcome to play.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

A U.S. Open Green With Teeth

Another significant change the USGA has made to the course setup for this year's U.S. Open is to strive for consistent green speeds over all four days of the tournament. In my opinion, this will improve scoring as well, since the players will not have to make daily adjustments as greens get faster during later rounds as has been the case in the past. The weather, of course, is going to make it harder for the goals to be achieved, but the principle remains the same.

Mike Davis, USGA senior director for Rules and Competitions, said this morning:

Last night, after six days of trying, we finally reached the lower end of our desired range – an average of 14 feet on the Stimpmeter. With the rain overnight and early Thursday, the greens have likely slowed to the low- to mid-13 range.

That's still pretty speedy. As a note of comparison, the faster greens at most private clubs will peak out around 11, with an occasional masochist greens committee chairman who presses the superintendent to push them up to 12 or 13. Most public and resort courses will register closer to 8 or 9.

Most of the greens at Bethpage aren't particularly severe. Unlike Winged Foot, they lack the huge undulations and steep slopes that make putting a hit-or-miss proposition much of the time. That's one reason the USGA is pushing the envelope with speed this year.

There are exceptions, however. The eighth hole slopes significantly from back to front and the extension of the green toward the pond in front, coupled with a shaved bank, will make putts above the hole a real test of nerves. Eleven has a substantial false front, too, and seventeen is split by a ridge that can keep things interesting.

Nothing compares with the fifteenth green, however. Without question it's already the toughest hole on the course, requiring a laser-accurate drive to stay in the fairway followed by a second shot to a blind putting surface perched fifty feet above the player's head. The green is brutal, with a six-foot drop from back to front exacerbated by tiering. According to the NY Times, only three percent of the green's surface is level enough for a hole. Check out their graphics for a great overview of the hole.

I've putted (and chipped) from above the hole under normal conditions and can guarantee it's no fun. Honestly, I can't imagine doing that at U.S. Open speeds.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

US Open Holes To Watch

As I wrote earlier, this year's US Open at Bethpage Black will be a substantially easier scoring event for the pros than the 2002 tournament. Here are a few holes where you're going to see lower numbers, especially from big hitters:

Number 6 - 408 Yards Par 4 - The hole is short under normal conditions, but will play much shorter this year. As traditionally laid out, you had to play a conservative shot to a tiny landing area on top of the hill between two fairway bunkers, leaving a short iron to the green that's 50 feet below the driving area. Hit anything longer off the tee and you were in the rough that covered the hillside to prevent balls rolling down to the bottom fairway. The USGA did away with that rough for the Open this year, which will allow a tee shot over the left fairway bunker to catch that slope and roll down to within flip-wedge distance to the green. It won't have to be a driver, either, since the carry is only about 270 yards from the back of the back tee. I can envision some bigger hitters going with a driver, though, and making the greenside bunkers, which aren't particularly punitive by Bethpage standards.

Number 7 - 525 Yards Par 4 - The USGA is touting this as the longest par 4 in US Open history and, at 525 yards, it sure looks like it on the scorecard. Again, though, the hole won't play that long especially since the tees may be moved up to encourage more risk-taking. Even from the back, a 300-yard drive will clear the dog leg and leave less than 200 yards to the green. The USGA has actually widened the fairway to encourage players to challenge the oak trees that guard the right side. Count on that happening a lot. Even a player that doesn't cut the dog leg will be left with a mid- to short-iron.


Number 9 - 460 Yards Par 4 - This was the easiest hole in 2002 and, despite a new tee some 40 yards back and a new bunker off the fairway to the left, I still don't think it will pose problems for the big boomers. They'll be able to carry that bunker, possibly with something less than a driver, and leave themselves a wedge to one of the easiest greens on the course.

Number 13 - 605 Yards Par 5 - The new tee and new deep bunkers left of the driving zone will make this a harder hole for everyone but those guys who hit 320 yard drives with regularity--which includes an awful lot of players in the US Open field. The green will be reachable in two by those guys, with the vaunted cross bunkers not a factor for them (or really for anyone else). There is a bunker that appears to guard the approach to the green that should make someone think twice about trying to reach on the second shot, but it's actually 30 yards in front of the putting surface, so running the ball onto the green will happen fairly often. Even the player who lays up for some reason will have an easy third shot that should set up plenty of birdies. There is no real punishment for taking a chance here, so players who shoot par will have definitely lost a shot to the field.

For a really good overview of the entire course--with expert commentary by my friend Brian Crowell--check out the NBC flyover videos. Brian and I may be friends, but we definitely have a few differences of opinion!

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Lost At The Open

The famous "difficult course" sign on the first tee at the Black might also apply to the freeways on Long Island. I went bright and early to Bethpage this morning to pick up my media credentials, managing to beat most of the crowd and avoiding the lines, probably for the last time this week.

It was fun watching a little of today's practice rounds. I also hung around the practice tee for awhile, then went over to the practice green, where at least half the spectators on the course were gathered to watch Tiger. He wasn't practicing, you understand, just standing there chatting with Steve Williams and Hank Haney and a couple of guys I didn't recognize. As far as the crowd was concerned, though, he was putting on a show. You could see them just drooling for him to walk along the fence and shake a hand or two, which was the furthest thing from his mind, of course.

I had to get home, however, so I walked back to catch the shuttle to the media parking lot where I'd left my car. Considering how far away it was from the course, I might as well have parked at home. When I asked one of the helpful USGA volunteers where to catch the shuttle, they directed me to a trailer. When I told the even-more helpful volunteer inside where I wanted to go, she hopped right to the task, called a driver over, and handed him the keys to a courtesy car!

The volunteer driver, an older man from Farmingdale, drove over an orange traffic cone in his eagerness to be of service, told me he knew exactly where I had parked, and we were off.

As we left Bethpage State Park, nothing looked familiar to me, but the driver assured me he knew where he was going, so I sat back to enjoy the ride. Thirty chat-filled and wrong-way minutes later, we pulled into the wrong hotel parking lot. Finally, I convinced him to follow the directions I'd been trying to give him all along. Eventually we got there.

Next time, I'll wait for the shuttle.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

U.S. Open Hopefuls Vie In Westchester

Only those with a ticket can get into Bethpage to see the U.S. Open, but you can get a good taste for free Monday, June 8, at the Sectional Qualifiers. The drama is just as intense and the golf just as good as top players vie for slots in the big show. In my neighborhood (literally), Old Oaks and Century host the qualifying rounds in Purchase, NY. There are some interesting players in the field whose names will be familiar to Westchester golfers.

2008 NY State Open winner Rob Labritz, Director of Golf at GlenArbor will compete here along with Mike Diffley, head pro at Pelham CC, and Ben Hoffhine, head pro at Wykagyl. Also playing is Gregory Bisconti of St. Andrew's, Anthony Casalino from Willow Ridge, and Keith Dicciani of Metropolis. An amateur of note in the field is 2007 Carter Cup champion Max Buckley of Rye, N.Y.

Andrew Svoboda of Larchmont, NY, finished 71st at last year’s U.S. Open after getting into the field as an alternate. He was a semifinalist at the 2004 U.S. Amateur and also played in the 2006 U.S. Open. Both of those events were at Winged Foot, where his parents are members and where he has won the club championship.

Michael Allen of Scottsdale, AZ, recently won the 2009 Senior PGA Championship in his first start as a 50-and-over player. He has played in five U.S. Opens, tying for 12th in 2001. He is a former assistant pro at Winged Foot.

Andrew Giuliani of New York City, the son of former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former member of the Duke University golf team, earned the final qualifying spot at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn.

Brad Faxon is a member of the PGA Tour who has played in 20 U.S. Opens. His best finishes came in 1989 and 1994, when he tied for 33rd. He played on the victorious 1983 USA Walker Cup team.

French-born Jean Van de Velde of Dubai has played in two U.S. Opens, including a 45th-place finish in 2002 at Bethpage. He is best known for his runner-up finish at the 1999 British Open. Other prominent Tour professionals in the field include Mathias Gronberg of Sweden and Scott Dunlap.

Former Met Junior champion Michael Quagliano of White Plains, N.Y., will attempt to qualify on June 8 in Memphis, Tenn.

The field of 77 players will compete over 36 holes of stroke play for one of four spots in the championship. The event is open to the public and spectators are welcome at both clubs. Food service will be available.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

USGA Softens Bethpage for US Open

This year's U.S. Open at Bethpage Black may be played on a kinder, gentler course, according to comments I heard during yesterday's presentation by Mike Davis, USGA Senior Director of Rules and Competitions. Players and casual fans should love the result but I'm not so sure it's going to uphold the U.S. Open tradition of being the toughest tournament of the year.

Numerous changes in the set up for the Black Course will be made for this year's event, with most of them making it easier than it played in 2002 when Tiger Woods won his second Open trophy. The course has been lengthened by 212 yards through the addition of several new tees, but Davis said it wasn't likely it will play the full 7,426 yards at any time since the USGA plans to move the tee markers from day to day--in some cases by as much as 100 yards--to encourage more "risk and reward" scenarios.

Another major change will be the use of graduated rough, which was introduced to the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006. An intermediate swath of short rough--well under two inches--will line each fairway. The first cut, which will generally be around 2 and 1/2 inches deep, will extend some 20 feet on either side of that, with the more punitive 4- to 6-inch shag coming further out. The purpose is to give the players at least a shot at the green if they miss the fairway. During the press conference, Tiger Woods remarked

"In 2002, if you hit the ball in the rough, majority of the time, you could not get to the green. You had to lay up and try and make par with the wedge game. The graduated rough, I'm sure you could get some balls to the green...."

On top of the shorter rough, the fairways themselves are going to be wider than 2002, averaging 29 yards.

The lengthening of several holes is intended to bring more of Tillinghast's bunkers into play, but that remains to be seen. Even from the new tee on the ninth hole, it's only 285 to carry the bunkers at the dog leg. That may be a mighty blow for Rocco Mediate, but I suspect you'll see plenty of three woods off the tee there to keep from blowing through the fairway.

The seventh hole has a new tee, too, making it the longest par four in U.S. Open history at 525 yards (it typically plays as a par 5). The cross bunker should still be easily carried off the tee, however, and the USGA, in keeping with its apparent newly-found love for birdies, is widening the fairway on the hole substantially to encourage players to fade one around the dogleg so they can short-iron their approach into the green.

A subtle but significant change in the way the course plays from day to day throughout the tournament will also make it easier, at least in my opinion. In past years, the USGA toughened the course as the week progressed, letting the rough grow, the greens harden, and often raising the speed of the greens on Saturday and Sunday. This year, the goal is to keep conditions the same throughout the week, grooming the rough daily depending on the weather and maintaining a speedy 14 on the Stimpmeter for the duration. That means the players will have to make fewer adjustments from day to day in their putting stroke and, given the relatively non-severe contours of most of the Black course's greens, they should be sinking more putts on Sunday since they'll have had three days of consistent practice.

There are a few changes that should make a difference, notably on two of the par threes. The green on the eighth hole has been brought down to the pond, making for some interesting pin placements. The hole itself will play anywhere from 135 to 230 yards, depending on the tee location, which will be adjusted to encourage players to take the risk. The fourteenth green has also been enlarged (although not expressly for the tournament). Davis said,

"we have got three great hole locations that we never had in 2002, two in the back tier, and in the front there's a front left lobe that is really dynamic that will be probably a pitching wedge, but a tough one, at that."

The USGA's goal with all these changes, at least according to the official line, is to give the players a fair test of golf, rewarding good shots and punishing bad ones. It appears to me that the real goal this year is to give the fans a scoring spectacular. Not a birdie fest necessarily, but a tournament with plenty of fireworks to give the always-vocal NY fans something to scream about.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Swing Tips From the U.S. Open

Brian Crowell, analyst for NBC Sports and Head Pro at GlenArbor in Bedford, NY, made some cogent observations (as always) about the golf swings of two fascinating players during the Wrap Up Show following the second round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

He pointed out how Phil Mickelson adapts his swing to play a wedge out of the high rough--a place where he spent much of the first two rounds.

Brian also critiqued Rocco Mediate's unorthodox address position and talked about how it compares with what's considered ideal alignment at address.

I've seen Brian on the lesson tee at GlenArbor, and can guarantee that he knows whereof he speaks.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Andrew Svoboda Fun at Torrey Pines

Andrew Svoboda of Larchmont, NY, gave me a prescient comment in an interview last year that previewed his winning attitude about playing in the U.S. Open this year at Torrey Pines. Andy slipped into the field as a last-minute replacement for Brett Wetterich, who withdrew because of a wrist injury.

I had interviewed him for an article about what it takes to succeed in the game, drawing on his experience as a four-time Winged Food club champion who now plays on the Hooters Tour. He qualified for the 2006 Open at his home course, but failed that year to make the cut.

During my interview with the 28-year-old Andy, he offered some wise words about playing good golf. “Learning the game at an early age helps," he said. "If someone takes up golf when they’re in their twenties or later, it’s hard to devote the time to it. Playing once a week makes it hard to get better.”

The solution? “You should just relax and have fun out there.”

Svoboda is having some fun at Torrey Pines. His opening round 77 was a little disappointing, but he roared back Friday with a 71, putting him into the weekend play tied with Masters Champion Trevor Immelman. How much fun is that?

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Brian Crowell Analysis Is U.S. Open Winner

Even if you watched every second of the day's play at Torrey Pines, you'll get a great second look with some good insightful commentary provided by my friend Brian Crowell on NBC's online U.S. Open Wrapup. It's only Brian's second year in the analyst's chair, but his commentary is as pointed and on-target as Johnny Miller's.

In analyzing Phil Mickelson's first round, for example, Brian expressed astonishment that the number two player in the world announced before the championship that he was aiming for an even-par opening round. Brian observed, "Having one of these guys come out here shooting for par really threw me." As he pointed out, even under U.S. Open conditions, a player like Mickelson should certainly at least try to go low.

Brian also pointed out that Lefty's strategy of carrying a strong three-wood instead of a driver so he could stay in the narrow fairways at Torrey Pines evidently didn't work very well; he only hit six of them. With 33 putts, his vaunted flat stick play didn't live up to its reputation either, Brain observed.

The NBC U.S. Open Wrapup goes live online around 10 PM Eastern following each day's round. Brian (whom I know from GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford, NY), works with show host Bill Patrick and commentator Jennifer Mills.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Westchester Amateur at Torrey Pines

Michael Quagliano picked up a golf club when he was six and a half and declared that he intended to play the game, according to his father Steve. This week, he’s playing in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, one of eight amateurs in the field.

I interviewed Michael and his parents, Steve and Jean Quagliano, in 2004 as the then-seventeen-year-old was packing to leave his parents' Ardsley, NY, home to begin his freshman year on a full golf scholarship at Duke University in Durham, NC. Michael is a three-time Metropolitan PGA Junior Player of the Year, won the 2008 Met Junior, 2002 MGA/MetLife Boys Championship, and the 2007 Westchester Amateur. Around the time he turned old enough for a driver’s license, he barely missed qualifying to play with the pros by just one stroke at the 2003 Buick Classic at Westchester Country Club. He’s the captain of the golf team at Duke, where he’ll be a senior this year.

I’m avidly following his blog from Torrey Pines, (as told to Dan Berger) where he’s playing his first major championship. Looking back at what I wrote after my interview with him four years ago, I don’t think this will be his last.

"For me," said Michael, "most importantly it's the practice schedule and the work ethic." Michael is a serious person whose bespectacled face is that of a young man whose favorite subject in school is economics, the dismal science. He knows who Alan Greenspan is, even though he confesses to being like the rest of us and not understanding every word the man says. Michael believes in setting goals and working hard to achieve them. He likes to win, too--a lot. "The thrill of competition for me is definitely knowing that you've achieved something and done well, and it also doesn't hurt to know that both you and the other person know that you have prepared better or simply performed better."

Wolfgang Mozart had his father Leopold. Michael Quagliano has Steve, who rowed and coached on the US Olympic team and organizes Michael's career. "Michael's team is fairly large," Steve said. "It's not just Michael and his mommy and daddy. It's Dr. Tom Crawford, director of physiology, Dr. Jonathan Katz, sports psychologist, Dr. Karen Dolan, nutritionist, Carl Alexander, his swing coach, and Jim O'Mara, who's kind of a family mentor. I kind of manage each area and try to hold them together and use what we need to move forward." When I wrote the original article, Alexander was head pro at Glen Arbor Country Club, where Michael is a special junior intern member. O'Mara, Michael's first golf instructor, is Director of Golf at the TPC Golf Course in Boston.

Steve also works out the tournament schedule and arranges trips to the Titleist golf equipment factory where Michael is fitted with custom-made clubs provided at no cost by the company much as they do for PGA tour pros (strictly in accordance with NCAA rules, of course).

One of the biggest roles played by the parents is traveling companion, a job which is tiring and time-consuming, but one which has rewards of its own. Jean Quagliano said, "I wouldn't say that I'm sacrificing anything; I would say that it actually strengthened and enriched our relationship. Think about it: there aren't that many things that would put you together so much like that."
"There are way too many things to achieve and way too many records that have to be broken by someone," Michael says with a steady gaze. "If you like what you're doing and you want that, then there's really no end to it."

Another fun tidbit from the small-world-of-golf department: Dave Gagnon, who will be caddying for Michael at Torrey Pines, is a teaching pro at GlenArbor that I’ve known for several years. My best wishes to both.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Bethpage Black From Inside The Ropes

If you haven't read it yet, pick up John Feinstein's Open: Inside the Ropes at Bethpage Black sometime before the US Open comes back to the course in 2009. As a golf writer who's played dozens of munis as well as some of the great courses around the world (including the Black), I greatly appreciated the way Feinstein captured the essence of the course. It's really unlike other Open venues I've seen and played and he describes it perfectly. It was also very instructive to learn what the USGA and the Bethpage staff went through to get the course into shape.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

A Golf Book For True Aficianados

Golf Courses of the US Open, David Barrett; Abrams

Winged Foot’s West Course is just one of the 50 elite courses profiled by White Plains, NY golf writer David Barrett in this stunning large-format volume. Barrett was features editor of Golf Magazine for 18 years and knows whereof he writes. In addition to Pebble Beach, Oakmont, and Pinehurst #2, Barrett also introduces the golf-addicted reader to some lesser-known sites from the early history of the tournament such as Myopia Hunt Club and Inwood Country Club.

Barrett’s narrative includes an immense amount of detail about each course’s history and design as well as numerous anecdotes about the great (and not-so-great) players of the game. There’s also a foreword by Rees Jones, who is known as the “Open Doctor” for his architectural work on many US Open courses.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo