U.S. Open Art Is Different, Too

Many things are different about this year's U.S. Open Championship(s). Pinehurst No. 2 has been altered so completely it might as well be a new golf course.  The USGA has scheduled the Women's Open for the week immediately following the Men's--on the same course. And, while this year marks the seventh consecutive time that artist Lee Wybranski has painted the official commemorative poster for the U.S. Open Championship, but it’s different from any other he has produced.

Wybranski had to create a poster that honors the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open, since the USGA is staging both national championships over consecutive weeks on the same golf course—Pinehurst’s famed Course No. 2, which was designed by legendary architect Donald Ross and has hosted numerous important events since opening in 1907.

“This one was a little bit different, that’s for sure,” says Wybranski, who has painted the official poster for the U.S. Open since 2008 and is also working on posters for this year’s British Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and PGA Championship at Valhalla.

“I had to approach it differently. The idea was to focus on the historic nature of holding the two championships back to back. The USGA has never done that before, and whether or not they ever do it again, this will have been the first. I’m excited to be involved.”

There’s something else very different about this poster from the others Wybranski has created for the USGA: The golf course is not featured. “There’s been a lot of interest in the restoration of the golf course, but to appeal to the largest number of fans, we went with other elements that speak more to the iconic nature of Pinehurst,” says Wybranski. “Those would be the famous ‘Putter Boy’ sundial and the clubhouse. They set the scene for where we are, placed behind those two magnificent championship trophies. Tying it all together is the American flag, which frames the scene perfectly.

“I’m very pleased with how this poster turned out,” says Wybranski.

Wybranski will be in Pinehurst for nearly three weeks, starting the week before the U.S. Open and through both championships, signing copies of the poster for sale in the USGA’s merchandise pavilion. The poster is also for sale on USGAshop.com.

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

US Women's Open Qualifying Goes International This Year

The USGA will introduce international qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open Championship this year. The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open will be conducted June 19-22 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

“The USGA has long been committed to presenting the U.S. Women’s Open as the premier event in international women’s golf,” said USGA President Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. “With the addition of international qualifying, we are happy to expand the championship field to include more of the very best players from across the globe. We extend many thanks to our friends and partners around the world for their efforts in helping us accomplish this mission.”

Fourteen foreign-born players have won the U.S. Women’s Open a total of 18 times, including two-time and defending champion Inbee Park, of the Republic of Korea. Fay Crocker, of Uruguay, won the 1955 U.S. Women’s Open, becoming the first international winner in championship history. In recent years, international players have dominated the leader board, taking seven of the last nine championships and 13 of the last 19. Players from Korea have won five of the last six championships.

Officials from the China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Association, the Korea Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour will conduct international qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be held at four sites on Monday, May 19. Asia will have three qualifying sites – CGA Nanshan International Training Centre (Garden Course) in the People’s Republic of China, Higashi Nagoya Country Club in Japan and Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Korea. Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England will host European qualifying.

Also, effective in 2014, the USGA Handicap Index® limit for the U.S. Women’s Open has been lowered to 2.4 from 4.4. The change comes in recognition of the rapid and tremendous growth of women’s amateur golf, and will serve to strengthen the 69th U.S. Women’s Open field.
The Handicap Index limit was set at 4.4 for the 1972 U.S. Women’s Open, and has remained unchanged. Since then, more than 350 amateur golfers have qualified for the championship, including future winners Paula Creamer, Kathy (Baker) Guadagnino, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Murle Lindstrom, Hilary Lunke, Inbee Park, Annika Sorenstam and Hollis Stacy. Four amateurs have finished second: Nancy Lopez (1975); Jenny Chuasiriporn (1998, in a playoff); and Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel (2005). Catherine Lacoste (1967) is the only amateur player to win the Women’s Open.

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

2014 USGA Championship Schedule

Pinehurst will host the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships in consecutive weeks in June on recently restored Pinehurst No. 2. It's the first time the two championships have been scheduled back to back and the USGA picked a fabulous venue for it. They also chose Bobby Jones's home club, the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, GA, for the the U.S. Amateur while St. Louis Country Club will host the 38th Curtis Cup Match.

“The USGA is excited to have an excellent group of courses to conduct our 2014 championships,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “The historic nature of playing both Opens in consecutive weeks on a revered course sets the tone for the season. The list of venues crisscrosses the United States and reflects our commitment to bring USGA national championships to as many regions of the country as possible.”

Pinehurst No. 2 will host the 114th U.S. Open on June 12-15 and the 69th U.S. Women’s Open on June 19-22, thereby becoming the only course to have hosted the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur. Payne Stewart (1999) and Michael Campbell (2005) won the two previous U.S. Opens on the course, which is generally considered to be the greatest work by architect Donald Ross.

Atlanta Athletic Club, the home club of five-time Amateur champion Bob Jones, will host the 114th U.S. Amateur on Aug. 11-17. The club has previously hosted five USGA championships. For the first time in a century, the U.S. Women’s Amateur returns to Nassau Country Club, in Glen Cove, NY, on Aug. 4-10, for the 114th playing of the championship. Katherine Harley Jackson won the second of her two Women’s Amateur titles at the Long Island course in 1914.

The Curtis Cup Match, the biennial competition between women’s amateur teams from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland, will open the championship season on June 6-8 at St. Louis Country Club. The club has hosted five USGA championships, including the 1947 U.S. Open.

The state of Oklahoma will host a U.S. Senior Open for the first time when the 2014 championship is played at Oak Tree National from July 10-13. Oak Tree was the site for the 1984 U.S. Amateur (won by Oklahoma resident Scott Verplank, who turns 50 on July 9 and will be eligible for his first U.S. Senior Open).

The U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links will both be conducted by the USGA for the last time in 2014, with both scheduled for July 14-19. The APL will be held at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, KS, while The Home Course, in DuPont, WA, is the Women’s APL site.

Overall, there are 13 USGA national championships, as well as the Curtis Cup Match and USGA Men’s State Team, on the 2014 schedule. In addition, Japan will host the World Amateur Team and Women’s World Amateur Team Championships in September – events which are co-sponsored by the International Golf Federation, the USGA and The R&A.

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships will debut in 2015, with sectional qualifying for the championships to be conducted starting in August 2014.

Just in case you want to book your flights early, here's the 2014 USGA Championship Schedule:

• Curtis Cup Match, St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., June 6-8
• U.S. Open, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, Village of Pinehurst, N.C., June 12-15
• U.S. Women’s Open, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, Village of Pinehurst, N.C., June 19-22
• U.S. Senior Open, Oak Tree National, Edmond, Okla., July 10-13
• U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, The Home Course, DuPont, Wash., July 14-19
• U.S. Amateur Public Links, Sand Creek Station Golf Course, Newton, Kan., July 14-19
• U.S. Girls’ Junior, Forest Highlands Golf Club, Flagstaff, Ariz., July 21-26
• U.S. Junior Amateur, The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas, July 21-26
• U.S. Women’s Amateur, Nassau Country Club, Glen Cove, N.Y., Aug. 4-10
• U.S. Amateur, Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Ga., Aug. 11-17
• U.S. Mid-Amateur, Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa., Sept. 6-11
• U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, Harbour Trees Golf Club, Noblesville, Ind., Sept. 6-11
• U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, N.J., Sept. 13-18
• U.S. Senior Amateur, Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif., Sept. 13-18
• USGA Men’s State Team, French Lick Resort (Pete Dye Course), French Lick, Ind., Sept. 30-Oct. 2 (International)
• Women’s World Amateur Team, Karuizawa Golf, Karuizawa, Japan, Sept. 3-6
• World Amateur Team, Karuizawa Golf, Karuizawa, Japan, Sept. 11-14

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

Grand Slam This Week?

No modern golfer--man or woman--has won more than three major championships in a single season. That record may well fall this week when Inbee Park tees it up in the Ricoh Women's British Open at St. Andrews. It's her chance to make an indelible stamp in the record books.

It's also a good reason for me to offer "Grand Slam" free on Amazon! The offer is good for today only (and you don't need a Kindle to read it!), so order now.

The 24-year-old South Korean won the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Championship, and the US Women's Open, making her only the second woman to have captured three Grand Slam events in the same season--Babe Zaharias is the only other one. But no one has ever won four majors, and that's what will drive the excitement at this week's tournament.

It couldn't happen at a more fitting venue, either.  Her fluid, controlled swing and astounding putting prowess should play well at St. Andrews. And what a boon a Grand Slam would be for the LPGA Tour!

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

Plan Your Golf Week Around the US Women's Open

It's a great week for golf on Long Island. Tickets for the 68th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Sebonack Golf Club on June 24–30 are still available. You can get them online at www.2013uswomensopen.com.

Ticket options range in price from $20 to $200. All tickets include free parking and free shuttle transportation to and from the admission gate. Daily grounds tickets are also available for practice and championship rounds. Championship-round tickets are $40 per day (Thursday–Sunday) and practice-round tickets cost $20 per day (Monday–Wednesday).

Priced at $100, the 4-Pack includes four good-any-one-day grounds tickets. This is the most flexible option, allowing for tickets to be divided up throughout the week or all used on the same day.

Nicklaus Pavilion tickets provide access to the championship grounds and to an air-conditioned tented facility between the first and second fairways with upscale food and beverages available for purchase. The pavilion is named for Jack Nicklaus, 18-time major champion and co-designer, along with Tom Doak, of Sebonack Golf Club. Daily tickets to the Nicklaus Pavilion are available for $65, while a Nicklaus Pavilion package, which includes seven individual daily tickets (Monday–Sunday), is priced at $200.

Also available is the Weekly Ticket Package, which includes one ticket for each day of the championship (Monday–Sunday) at $125, with access to the grounds and grandstands.

Practice rounds will be held Monday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 26. Tee times will begin at approximately 6:45 a.m. and play will continue through the early evening, with admission gates opening at 6:30 a.m.

First- and second-round play will begin at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, and Friday, June 28, with the gates opening at 6:30 a.m. Third- and fourth-round play will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30, with the admissions gates opening at 7 a.m. Play will continue until approximately 6 p.m., followed immediately by the trophy presentation on the 18th green.

Throughout championship week, youths 17 and under will receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Youngsters will also receive front-row seating in all on-course grandstands.

There will be two special junior clinics during championship week. On Tuesday, June 25, a clinic hosted by 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer and Today show host Matt Lauer will be held at 2 p.m. on the Sebonack Golf Club practice range. Creamer and Lauer will discuss their backgrounds and love for the game of golf, followed by a display of trick shots and challenges.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Dennis Walters Golf Show will take place at 3 p.m., also on the Sebonack driving range. Paralyzed from the waist down, Dennis Walters dazzles with an array of trick shots while sitting in his wheelchair. His dog, Bucky, also plays a prominent role in the show, as he barks out the correct answers to Dennis’s golf trivia questions. Admission to both clinics is free to all ticket holders.

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