THE USGA'S MAJOR FUMBLE AT BETHPAGE ... NO REFUND OR RAINCHECK !

[Matt_Ward]

JC:

The USGA back-pedaled quickly because it doesn't help them to have the ticket story be the main topic of conversation. Having people like Mike Lupica and a host of others penning the same thing made the desire to hustle to some sort of meaningful compromise.

Bill S:

Doubtful you will see full 36 holes on Sunday -- what happens Saturday determines plenty. Johnny Miller was interviewed on local NY radio and he said a Monday finish is likely to be an 80% reality. We shall see if that is so.

Jason McNamara:

10,000 one day tickets were sold for Thursday -- I have explained the USGA's updated reponse in the reply to Kalen below.

Kalen:

Hello -- anybody home ?

The USGA is the one who blew this up in their face initially. They are the ones who planted their own eggs on their own face. This BS whine from people who have visited here briefly -- if that -- is all wet (just like yesterday's weather).

The USGA did the sensible thing by admitting that 10,000 one-day tickets were purchased for Thursday -- that those not able to use them for Monday's play would be able to get a refund for 50% off. Without the involvement of the media the likelihood that such a clear change in position would have happened is remote.

I always enjoy people who turn the subject around and make New Yorkers the party responsible for what happened here. Unlike lay-back types who would have been rolled with such an initial statement -- those attending this year's US Open are no less into the game than any other fans are anywhere and simply stood up for themselves.

Clint S:

Just a few things to consider from today's play since I have seen it personally ...

tees have been moved forward a number of holes ... pins were placed in areas where drainage was paramount concern ... there's been no wind whatsoever ... and the greens were drenched from yesterday's monsoon. Put all those things together and you get the opportunity for low scores. Frankly, I am grateful that people did shoot low because then the response would be that the course is set-up way too tough. Bethpage is playing easier through the first round when compared to the same time frame of the '02 event. How bout we wait for the entire event to play out before any final pronouncements are made?

No doubt weather can impact just about any course -- thank heavens Mother Nature interceeded with last year's PGA Championship at OH/S -- otherwise they would still be playing there !

Jeff B:

Excuse me buckeroo -- a little like apples and oranges here. I ask questions of people and ask them to cite clear examples when responding. I have no issue with disagreement provided the person responding does so with a clear take on what it is they are defending or explaining, etc, etc.

Kyle's approach was to freak the people and just say tough sh*t to them. I always enjoy the elitist "I'm in the castle what do I give a rats behind about the masses approach" that he espoused. I responded with a possible alternate that would work well. Guess what? The USGA saw the light and amended its earlier position.

I didn't question his intelligence - just the elitist approach taken in providing some sort of equitable solution to this issue. Big difference Jeff.

[Mike Sweeney]

The USGA doesn't need to do anything more than it already has.

I'm so sick of hearing New Yorkers bitch about the unfairness of it all. It reminds me of why I friggin' hate New York. Absolutely hate it. If I hear one more reference during the coverage to how great these New York fans are, how knowledgeable, how proud they are of their "Intimidating Black," I am going to puke.

I wish after looking at Thursday's weather and listening to the whining from the fans, the USGA just up and moved the whole damn tournament to Sand Hills, where golf could be played on a great layout without any reference to the spectators.

Dan,

Just for the record, I just got off the phone with a New Yorker who has hosted probably 60-75 guys from Golf Club Atlas to Sand Hills. There is a Rhodesian on this site that may surpass his generosity, and others that I choose not to reference. Our GCA New Yorker grew up near Bethpage and depending on the weather, he is going to attend the US Open at Bethpage on Sunday with his Dad and his son. Three generations of a New York golfing family attending the US Open. I am sorry that Chris Berman is repetitive in his prose, but perhaps you need to reframe your desire to puke.

[JC Jones]

JC:

The USGA back-pedaled quickly because it doesn't help them to have the ticket story be the main topic of conversation. Having people like Mike Lupica and a host of others penning the same thing made the desire to hustle to some sort of meaningful compromise.

This statement supports my post.  They didn't admit they were wrong, they just admitted they care about PR.

[Sam Maryland]

MLB rainouts work the same way.  

Ah, but Clint, that's the point.  MLB doesn't work the same way.  MLB says that a game has to go 5 innings to be official.  If you go to a game and they play 2 innings, you get to come back for the make up game.  But they have to play 5 innings to call it and tell you "tough luck, Mister".

The USGA's policy is that once the first no-name dew scraper you never heard of hits his shot off the #1 tee, that's it, and it's an official day.  That's like Zambrano taking the mound at Wrigley and throwing one pitch before the heavens open up and telling all 40,000 fans "sorry, that's it...you saw baseball today, so you'll get nothing and like it."

If the USGA wanted a policy like baseball's, they'd go to something like what I suggested:  if any group on the course gets in a full 18 holes, that means there was plenty of golf - maybe not a full day, but more like a 5 inning game called by rain.  That'd be an official day.  Anything less than that would merit the ability to come back the next day for the half-a-day you got screwed out of the day before.

The no-name dew scraper I watched hit the first shot on Thursday is named Rickie Fowler, pretty impressive kid.  Unfortunately he caught the worst of the weather and had a rough front nine but this kid already has a great resume.   Walker Cup, Palmer Cup, World Amateur Team, 1st Team All-America, final-16 US Am, made cut in '08 US Open, all by the time he was a freshman in college!  Back to back Sunnehana's...and on, and on, and on.  We followed the OSU contingent all the way around on Thurs and Casey Whittenberg put on an exhibition of perseverance in really lousy conditions (he is slow though).  8 pars and 1 bogey on the front nine, rained the whole time.

I cannot believe the USGA didn't have an explicit policy that was clearly printed in bold letters on every single ticket. 

As for where/how an individual acquired a ticket, it's not relevant -- it's a paper ticket, no picture ID is on the front.  Scalping is perfectly legal in New York State, not that this was a problem for the 2009 US Open.  Anyone that thought they'd even get their money back on their extras has been sorely disappointed.

I thought a good idea would be to credit the holder for a ticket to some future USGA event down the road...

[Dan_Callahan]

Dan,

Just for the record, I just got off the phone with a New Yorker who has hosted probably 60-75 guys from Golf Club Atlas to Sand Hills. There is a Rhodesian on this site that may surpass his generosity, and others that I choose not to reference. Our GCA New Yorker grew up near Bethpage and depending on the weather, he is going to attend the US Open at Bethpage on Sunday with his Dad and his son. Three generations of a New York golfing family attending the US Open. I am sorry that Chris Berman is repetitive in his prose, but perhaps you need to reframe your desire to puke.

Hey Mike,

That's great you know some respectable New Yorkers. So do I. I still hate the place. I am from Boston. It is in my blood.

And you might want to reconsider calling anything that comes out of Berman's mouth "prose."

[John Moore II]

I haven't seen any of the replies to this topic, but I was in this exact same boat when I purchased Friday tickets to the 2007 Women's Open at Pine Needles. Got to see maybe 3 hours worth of golf on Friday and it was a total washout. No refund or raincheck to come back on Saturday. It sucked, but thats just how it happened. This situation at Bethpage is not the first time this has happened.

[Matt_Ward]

JC:

You can spin it anyway you want -- the USGA's original stance CHANGED.

That's irrefutable.

The press pushed them to respond and to respond before the story started to dry like a concrete egg on their face.

The USGA didn't extend the original one-day tickets to Monday -- they did that AFTER the sh*t hit the fan. They also made it a point to provide for a 50% refund for those who don't go Monday or if there's no golf played that day.

Dan C:

Agree with you on one clear thing -- no one will ever associated Len Berman and prose in the same sentence !

By the way -- congrats to TCC in hosting the '13 US Amateur. If things go well it's possible the USGA will return there. By that time it's likely a few more US Open will be played in the metio NYC area.

John Moore:

If the Women's Open had the EYE of that many press people and was being played in a major metro area it's likely you would have seen a change in actiion as the USGA did here at Bethpage. One other thing -- the USGA did not extend Thursday's tickets to Friday's round -- only to Monday should play occur then -- if not -- then you get a 50% refund for only the day ticket purchasers for Thursday's round.

[Dan_Callahan]

So the spectators who are at the Open today . . . they got to watch all of Tiger's second round and are now going to get about 3 hours of the third round. Shouldn't they have to pay extra since they are getting more than just a round of golf? I mean, isn't that the logical result if those who saw less than a full round of golf on Thursday get a refund? I'm assuming they didn't clear the grounds in between rounds. Anyone offering to pay the USGA for the bonus golf?

[Mike Wagner]

This is SOOOOOO rediculous.  Pissing a bunch of NY'ers of?  Big deal!!!  It's called life - sometimes it ain't fair.   GET OVER IT.

[Matt_Ward]

Mike:

You don't get it.

You're too focused on throwing New Yorkers under the bus for whatever reason -- the issue is trying to provide a reasonable solution to what happened this past Thursday. Initially the USGA fumbled the ball badly -- you don't "grow the game" by burying your head in the sand with a policy that is totally inflexible. After media pressure the USGA relented.

The solution provides a prudent course between what was said originally and what would be most feasible.

The bashing of NYers -- with your idea to "GET OVER IT" is clearly misplaced -- the same result should happen whether it's people from NY, OH, CA or wherever the US Open is staged if a similar thing happened.

[Mike Wagner]

Matt,

No, in fact I do get it - it's called an opinion.  If this happened in CA, Ohio -wherever - I'd say the same thing.  GET OVER IT!  Yes, the USGA's mission is to grow the game.  This will not have any consequence.  If people are sitting around thinking...."that damn USGA!  I'm never playing golf again!" - that's great with me.....less golfers who won't be around long anyway. 

If you really think their decision will have a negative affect the game, I'll have to respectfully disagree.

If I sound like I'm anti-NY, I'm not.  What I am tired of are your insulting posts in which you OPINE that NO ONE gets it if they disagree with you!  Poor spectators - that's life!  Move on, Matt....

[Matt_Ward]

Mike:

Well, let's place your "opinion" under the microscope shall we since you have so little understanding on the term customer service.

The simple point -- which you continue to whiff at (that's my opinion now Mike) is that you don't piss off people who take the time and spend the $$ to attend the game's biggest evemt. The USGA's mission (which they state countless times) is to grow the game. In an era of less and less people playing the game -- I don't see the original USGA position as being helpful to that cause.

The USGA's desire to amend that position made perfect sense ... it showed empathy to those who made their way to the course on a horrible day and were completely shut out. The finish tomorrow will allow those people to attend and see a fitting conclusion to the event.

Here is your inane response -- "less golfers who won't be around long anyway." That's good stuff Mike -- give people even more reason to feel disconnected to a game that is ineed of their support.

Mike, what's hilarious is your spin on being insulted by my posts -- maybe you need to look in the mirror as Steve Lapper said so eloquently for all the reasons he stated on another thread. The simple point is that when called out you run for cover and make me the object of your pointless rants about "get over it" and other such drivel. You see my response as "insulting posts" when all I have done is point out how thoroughly insensitive the USGA was on their immediate response to the issue. Check out most key sources and see what they said to support that belief. There's a way to expand golf's appeal and the USGA's follow-up action to what was originally stated made the kind of amends that work for everyone.

Oh, by the way Mike -- to borrow your phrase ... "Move on"

[Craig Sweet]

Gee...the Open has, I believe, a two hour rule...Wimbledon says," rain out, sorry no refund, no make up day"...the US Open tennis is something like a 90 minute rule....and major league baseball has a 5 inning rule (roughly 1 1/2 hours of game time)...

And Matt Ward has his panties in a wad because the USGA said no refund, no make up after 3 1/2 hours of golf? Unbelievable!

[Jerry Kluger]

Those who went back today are certainly getting to see some really interesting golf - blunders as well as quality.