USGA Takes Down Some Of Erin Hills' Fescue Rough, Rory Says "Really?"

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As I note in this item for Golfweek.com, the USGA agronomist is suggesting this is not motivated by player complaints, but instead by the possibility of upcoming rains causing dense fescues to lay over.

"It would be unplayable," USGA agronomist Darin Brevard told Golfdom.

While a case could be made that the grasses were already unplayable in spots, allowing them to have gotten to such a point of density is another matter. At a course where the meticulous maintenance attention-to-detail is so utterly impressive, it's hard to understand how the prairie grasses were allowed to get so dense.

Either way, as my item notes, Rory was not pleased. But I'm happy for the marshals who may have fewer lost ball scares on the holes effected. And it's not like the 4-inches of dense fescue left behind will be a cakewalk.

ShackHouse 38: Mark Loomis And The 2017 U.S. Open

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Mark Loomis, the producer behind Fox's USGA coverage joins the ShackHouse to discuss all that goes into a U.S. Open production, Erin Hills, his career in sports broadcasting, Keith Jackson and the state of televised golf. I think you'll find the conversation engaging!

Before Loomis, House and I set up the U.S. Open, Erin Hills and the players we think...might...might contend this week. It's a tough one to handicap, but that doesn't stop these two degenerates from helping you allocating your capital.

And in case you missed it, we interviewed USGA Executive Director Mike Davis on last week's issue as part of the runup to the U.S. Open.

As always, you can subscribe on iTunes and or just refresh your device subscription page.

Here is The Ringer's show page.

Same deal with Soundcloud for the show, and Episode 38 is here to listen to right now.

ShackHouse is brought to you by Callaway, makers of the Epic Driver that is now part of Callaway's very groovy Customs program along with Chrome Softs and other fun stuff. Check it out just in time with Father's Day, or, if you just want to enjoy some fun customization practice play with the new Customs features. It's wonderfully therapeutic!

The ShackHouse wedge above was created in the program and, as noted in the show, promo code HOUSE25 will get you $25 off a custom wedge purchase for the next two weeks.

Here is the Callaway Father's Day Gift Guide.

Here is the embed, though as always we recommend you subscribe wherever fine podcasts are streamed!

Kevin Na's Rant & The Lush Native Swath Of Erin Hills Rough

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I can't fault Kevin Na entirely for his rant about the Erin Hills natives. The fescue grasses are beautifully managed throughout a property that is pretty stunningly maintained. The grasses are sparse where they'd naturally be thin and more dense where water collects.

So to see the native grasses clearly receiving fairway irrigation overspray is not generally a shocker. We see it all too often on prairie courses. But the decision not to manage (trim) these crucial areas just off the primary cut is a risky one given how severe they are (to the point of the natives leaning over). A herd of goats or some refined thinning practices could have alienated what will be a potential lost ball issue.

That said, Na's suggestion that players should be handling setup is a frightening one!

Here is what he posted on Instagram:

Here are some photos I Tweeted yesterday:

And a video that may require hitting the link as Twitter video embeds are acting strange.

Eye On Design: The U.S. Open On Modern Links Courses

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Enthusiasm for this U.S. Open isn’t exactly off the charts and I’m guilty of having shared that sensibility given a new venue and a major championship return to this market in less than two years. However, on Sunday (we hope…) the U.S. Open Trophy will be awarded along with the Jack Nicklaus Gold Medal and the history books will not remember this was played at 13-year-old inland, Irish-inspired, treeless, 350-acre course.

For all of the fun holes, beautiful bunkering and other cool features, Erin Hills has much going against it due in large part to just how browned out and bizarre Chambers Bay looked in 2015. That’s it's Tacoma, Washington counterpart in what was, at one time, the USGA’s effort to introduce new (public) venues into their unofficial rota.

I’ve heard much consternation about these non-traditional U.S. Open venues and the awarding of this championship to such relatively untested layouts for a variety of reasons. They all have some merit but also ignore the need to work in new venues too. Whether it’s their lack of history, architectural scale or minimalist brand name cache, the concern is understandable. But as we know, so many venues that once hosted U.S. Open's can no longer do so because today's players are linebackers, tri-athletes and overall mega-jocks armed with equipment that the USGA and R&A say hasn't done a thing for them over the last decade!

I digress.

There is also the legitimate concern that within the Grand Slam scheme of things, an Erin Hills or Chambers Bay skews things toward the creative links-lover and away from the U.S. Open’s test as one of supreme patience and precision. 

So before I get a post up with some images and things to look for this week, consider this Eye On Design where I bat around these issues in the grand scheme of things with the U.S.G.A. bringing America’s national championship 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee. Hopefully I offer a few thoughts for your inevitable 19th Hole debates this week. (PS - here is the list of future U.S. Open venues noted in the piece.)

 

Video: Erin Hills Eighteenth Hole Flyover

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At 637 yards with 25 bunkers this one won't be listed anytime soon as an example of sustainable golf, but it sure will make for a fascinating finishing hole to the 2017 U.S. Open.

Both the USGA flyover and the Erin Hills version give a sense of just how exposed this green appears, but with massive grandstands around the green, will that make depth perception a little easier? Or will the whole thing become incredibly imposing.

Either way, after what I saw today in my first walk around here in a decade, I'm not sure if this hole will be very tempting if played from a forward tee, assuming things are firm and fast. The fall off behind the green is so severe that players would be wise not to fire too directly here with a fairway wood if given the opportunity. We shall see!

 

Davis Love III To Loop For Dru Love In 2017 U.S. Open

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Davis Love is going from a successful cart driving stint to luggage handler this week for son Dru, reports Doug Ferguson.

''I'm excited for him,'' Love said Sunday afternoon as he watched from some 300 yards away as his son, who goes by ''Dru,'' teed off during a practice round with Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk. ''I've played with a bunch of 19- and 20-year-olds. But it makes me feel old that he's playing.''

Before you say the Loves have a case of the presumptuous, Ferguson says the opportunity only arises after publication of the Official World Golf Ranking on Monday where only one player is expected to move into the top 60 and therefore this week's U.S. Open at Erin Hills. This will leave five spots for Sectional Qualifying alternates and Ferguson says Dru Love's qualifier is fifth on the priority list.

2017 U.S. Open App Ready & Ideally Suited For Long Bus Rides

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(Assuming you get any reception.)

In my limited tapping and swiping around the 2017 U.S. Open app seems quick and easy to find things, with less focus placed on color and more emphasis on clean, simple and smart elements. It'll be fun to see if some of the on-site features detailed below work, or if the remote location of Erin Hills means less coverage for all. Because everyone's going to need something to do while shuttling to and from Erin.

Either way, time to update or download!

For Immediate Release...

USGA To Elevate Digital Fan Experience At 117th U.S. Open

Enhanced Mobile App, Exclusive Live Streaming Coverage and Virtual U.S. Open Championship Among 2017 Offerings

FAR HILLS, N.J. (June 8, 2017) – The USGA today released a comprehensive suite of digital offerings designed to enhance the fan experience for the  117th U.S. Open Championship, which will be contested June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.

The USGA is providing fans with a variety of touchpoints to experience the championship and all it has to offer, whether they are on the go, watching at home or enjoying the action live at Erin Hills.

App

The official U.S. Open mobile app, released today, features real-time scoring, live streaming coverage and player highlights, as well as news, photos, videos and social media updates straight from the action at Erin Hills.

The 2017 app will allow fans to personalize their experience with features such as local time-adjusted listings for tee times, TV broadcasts and live streams.

“The USGA is committed to bringing a fully immersive digital experience to our global fan base,” said Navin Singh, USGA head of global content and media distribution. “Whether at the golf course or 10,000 miles around the world, every fan will enjoy an exemplary digital experience befitting golf’s ultimate test.”

On-Site App Features

General championship and player alerts will be available through the app, along with on-site fan alerts, which will further enhance the experience at Erin Hills. Complimentary Wi-Fi will be available in Fan Central, the practice areas and to the player’s right of the first and 18th holes.

Fans on-site can also use the official U.S. Open app for detailed scoring, including shot-by-shot data, and inside-the-ropes live action. It can also help them to plan their day by locating their favorite players and seeing which groups are upcoming on certain holes through the improved on-site mapping component.

Digital Live Coverage on usopen.com

Last year’s U.S. Open received more than 6 million live streams on usopen.com and the U.S. Open app, a manifestation of the growing demand for live content.

Fans will once again have access to three channels with more than 40 hours of live streaming coverage. Two channels will be dedicated to both morning and afternoon featured groups, while the third will focus on action from holes 13, 14 and 15. Exclusive viewing windows starting at approximately 8:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June 15 and Friday, June 16 will provide fans with insider coverage before the Fox television broadcast begins at 11 a.m. EDT each day. Live feeds will continue over the weekend, beginning at 11 a.m. Fans will also be able to tune in via social media throughout the championship for behind-the-scenes live content, such as player interviews, press conferences and practice-round action on Facebook Live, Periscope and Snapchat.

Rounding out the digital fan experience, the USGA and World Golf Tour are once again providing users with the opportunity to test their skills and play Erin Hills in the Virtual U.S. Open Championship, which is available now through June 30 via the WGT app and WGT.com.

Phil On The U.S. Open: "I can still make it"

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Yes it's a longshot, but two important hurdles were cleared for Phil Mickelson to make a last-ditch effort to play this year's U.S. Open at Erin Hills and do so controversy-free.

The first is reported by Tim Rosaforte at Golf World, who lays out Mickelson's plan should any weather delay impact tee times. The forecast current suggests bad weather Wednesday, but not Thursday.

However, if there was a delay, Mickelson could conceivably land at a private airport in Hartford, Wis., just 15 minutes by car from the Open venue.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Amanda graduation and watching her make her speech,” Mickelson said. “But I can still make it. You never know. I think it’s possible.”

A second hurdle is more nuanced but equally important: the USGA has relented on alternates playing practice rounds.

In the past, had Phil remained in the field until Thursday, his possible replacement would have been forbidden from playing a practice round. But as Doug Ferguson reports, the USGA has studied their data and determined it's ok for alternates to bring their sticks and play the course.

Jeff Hall, the USGA's managing director of rules and open championships, said recent history at the U.S. Open has shown that with most players practicing in the morning, there would be room to accommodate first alternates in the afternoon.

The U.S. Open starts June 15, the first one held in Wisconsin.

''We haven't been overly public with it,'' Hall said. ''But we've been communicating to the alternates that they will be entitled to play.''

Ferguson this would apply to teh 12 first alternates from Sectionals. A nice perk too should they make the journey but not get in.

Video: Erin Hills Fourteenth Hole Flyover

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The USGA's flyover and description highlights the strategy of the 594-yard 14th. And indeed, in the right conditions, this is a classic risk-reward par-5 with a dangerous green complex. Depending on the speed, the potential for finding hole locations here could prove interesting.

Here is the 14th from the Erin Hills flyover and in the early light it's mesmerizing.

2017 U.S. Open Pairings Released...

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After an awkward false start with Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless only revealing one time despite promotion that promised otherwise (Alex Myers documents the agony here), The Herd invited Paul Azinger on to talk groupings.

Gone are the days of any themes to the groups other than stars versus qualifiers. At least as far as I can tell. Bummer!

Here is the full round one list at USOpen.com.

These caught my eye:

1
7:29 AM
Stewart Hagestad (a)
Chez Reavie
Gene Sauers

10
8:35 AM*
Martin Kaymer
Jordan Spieth
Dustin Johnson

10
1:14 PM*
Brad Dalke (a)
Wesley Bryan
Brendan Steele

1
2:09 PM
Jason Day
Justin Rose
Rory McIlroy

1
2:20 PM
Steve Stricker
Stewart Cink
Phil Mickelson