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Chris_Hufnagel

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2013 U.S Open Flags
« on: February 12, 2013, 07:25:43 PM »
I was wondering about what the USGA would do for hole flags for the U.S. Open this year at Merion.  I was hoping they would use the club's traditional wicker baskets - I assume the flag in the image below is just a souvenir...

Does anyone know what they are planning to use and what they have used in the past at Merion?

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Bill McKinley

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2013, 07:30:34 PM »
I believe they will be using the wickers. I think the only time they didn't use them at Merion was the 1989 US Am but I could be mistaken.
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Joe Bausch

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2013, 07:33:38 PM »
They will be using the wicker baskets in June.   No worry about that!
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Sam Morrow

Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2013, 07:35:10 PM »
When I was there a few years ago that was the first question I asked, they said they'd have wicker in any Open at Merion.
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Jonathan Mallard

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2013, 08:38:10 PM »
The basket from the 18th will make a great caddie souvenir.
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Matthew Essig

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2013, 10:38:49 PM »
I believe I remember hearing that the wicker baskets were going to be used on the golf channel when they had their majors preview show. With the answers other people have answered, it is going to happen.
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Matthew Rose

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2013, 03:46:57 AM »
I was curious about this too, as I have never seen an event played at Merion on TV before (in 1981 I was four years old).

Would they use "special" baskets or just the normal ones?
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Joe Bausch

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2013, 03:55:23 AM »
Quote from: Bill McKinley on February 12, 2013, 07:30:34 PM
I believe they will be using the wickers. I think the only time they didn't use them at Merion was the 1989 US Am but I could be mistaken.

I believe the only time they weren't used was the 1950 US Open.

Also, the wicker baskets started at Merion in 1915, not when the East course opened in 1912.
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Ed Brzezowski

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2013, 09:34:39 AM »
They used the baskets in 89. Spent 4 days there, my best friends son caddied for Chris Patton. Way cool to get to walk with him for a few days.

I wonder what ever happened to Chris, for a big boy he had soft hands around the greens. Plus a very nice young man.
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Chris_Hufnagel

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2013, 12:43:02 PM »
Interesting, here is a quote from the Philadelphia Inquirer article...

For reasons lost to history, the 1950 Open marked the only one of Merion's 19 USGA events in which the club's traditional wicker-basket flagsticks weren't used. He saw the flag tucked into the green's right corner, just beyond an ominous trap. Initially considering a 4-wood, Hogan feared challenging the hazard.

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jonathan_becker

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2013, 12:46:39 PM »
If they use the wickers, are the pros going to bitch because they can't see the wind direction like you can with a regular flag? 
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Joe Bausch

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2013, 12:50:06 PM »
Quote from: jonathan_becker on February 18, 2013, 12:46:39 PM
If they use the wickers, are the pros going to bitch because they can't see the wind direction like you can with a regular flag? 

Does the sun rise in the east?   ;)
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Joe Bausch

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #12 on: February 19, 2013, 09:50:13 AM »
Quote from: Chris Hufnagel on February 18, 2013, 12:43:02 PM
Interesting, here is a quote from the Philadelphia Inquirer article...

For reasons lost to history, the 1950 Open marked the only one of Merion's 19 USGA events in which the club's traditional wicker-basket flagsticks weren't used. He saw the flag tucked into the green's right corner, just beyond an ominous trap. Initially considering a 4-wood, Hogan feared challenging the hazard.



I've talked to Jeff Silverman about this topic of why regular flags were used in 1950.  He relayed the following, which probably gives a clue, but not all the details:

I'm not exactly sure of the story, but I have a correspondence between Joe Dey and Richard Tufts about course set up. Tufts wrote five pages on how he thought the course should play. In response, Dey wrote back immediately. He didn't agree with everything Tufts wanted. While Tufts doesn't get into the baskets, Dey writes that he prefers the baskets to flags. "I believe Merion is rather wedded to the baskets, and I see no harm in them (despite Dot Kirby's bad break, which might well have been a good one.)"
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@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
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Joe Bausch

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2013, 01:13:08 PM »
It didn't take long to find the story from my library's microfilm collection for the 1949 Women's US Am at Merion that involved a shot hitting the wicker basket in a round of 64 match.  This blurb from the Sept 14, 1949 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer and penned by long time golf writer Fred Byrod:



It could be the event leading to regular flags being used the following year at the 1950 US Open.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2013, 03:07:55 PM by Joe Bausch »
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Mark McKeever

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2013, 02:54:04 PM »
Quote from: Joe Bausch on February 12, 2013, 07:33:38 PM
They will be using the wicker baskets in June.   No worry about that!

Phew! 

Mark
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Dan Herrmann

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2013, 07:17:06 PM »
I have a fantastic 2013 US Open poster, and the basket is very prominently featured.   

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Ronald Montesano

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Re: 2013 U.S Open Flags
« Reply #16 on: February 20, 2013, 07:43:33 PM »
Word is, they are switching to Longaberger baskets...
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