Merion Today

[Willie_Dow]

Fred
Re: Slow play - PJ Boatright had it on mark when he said #3 was the culprit.  That par 3 determined what progress was made on #4 & #5, and that started the slow move because there was no pressure behind.
Just so happened that I suggested that if there was a jam at #3 let the group behind hit up when the group ahead got to the green.  
It worked, and I think the field finished OK.  Sorry to butt in, my buddies from Penna Golf Assn.
Willie

[Mike_Cirba]

What should be the headlines tomorrow?

Murder at Merion!

My lord, if they get her playing firm and fast the field may never finish.  

The final bloody totals...

2 - -1
2 - Even
5 - +1
5 - +2
6 - +3
9 - +4
9 - +5
17 - +6
10 - +7
20 - +8
10 - +9
10 - +10
10 - +11
13 - +12
3 - +13
5 - +14
6 - +15
1 - +16
4 - +17
4 - +18
1 - +21
1 - +22
1 - +24

Any statisticians out there come up with a Scoring Average?  

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From Associated Press:

Beljan leads U.S. Amateur qualifying
August 22, 2005

ARDMORE, Pa. --University of New Mexico junior Charlie Beljan shot a 6-under 64 on Monday at Philadelphia Country Club to take the first-round lead in stroke-play qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Texas A&M senior Andrew Parr, Kent State senior Ryan Yip, Duke senior Ryan Blaum, Saint Mary's College (Calif.) junior Chandler Cocco and New Mexico senior Jay Choi were tied for second after 68s, all at Philadelphia Country Club.

Mark Strickland of Woodstock, Ga., and Todd Mitchell of Bloomington, Ill., had the only under-par rounds on the more difficult Merion Golf Club course, opening with 69s.

The players will switch courses Tuesday, with the low 64 in the 312-man field advancing to match play on Merion's historic Hugh Wilson-designed East Course. The 36-hole final is Sunday.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Beljan, the 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, had nine birdies and three bogeys. He recently returned from a two-month break because of two bulging discs in his back.

"My first tournament back was the qualifier," Beljan said. "I knew if I could get out to a great start, things would get rolling. I didn't hit it that great today, but I made the putts. I made the up-and-downs. Everything fell together. Other than the finals of the Junior, this is one of my best."

Canadian Jason Lepp, the 2005 NCAA individual champion from the University of Washington, shot a 70 at Merion.

U.S. Junior Amateur champion Sihwan Kim and young Walker Cup players Oliver Fisher and Brian Harman also got off to good starts. The 15-year-old Kim, from Fullerton, Calif., shot a 70 at Merion, while the 18-year-old Harman, the youngest player on the winning U.S. team, had a 71 at Merion, and the 16-year-old Fisher, the youngest player in Walker Cup history, shot a 70 at Philadelphia Country Club.

Pat Youngs, the husband of space shuttle Discovery commander Eileen Collins, shot a 76 at Merion. "It's an awesome experience," the 47-year-old commercial pilot said. "It's so rich in history."

Canada's Richard Lee, the youngest player in the field at 14, opened with a 71 at Philadelphia Country Club, and 58-year-old Greg Reynolds, of Grand Blanc, Mich., the 2002 Senior Amateur champion, had a 72 on the Philadelphia layout.

Danny Green, the 1989 runner-up at Merion, had a 74 on the course. The 48-year-old Green lost 3 and 1 to Chris Patton in the '89 final.

"This tournament now is a kids tournament," Green said. "It's about college-age players and how far they can boom it. But if the course gets firmer and faster, it will play into my hands. If a kid drives it 40 yards past me in the rough, that's not an advantage for him."

Last year, Ryan Moore won the last four holes to beat Luke List 2-up in the final at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Moore turned pro after the U.S. Open.

List opened with an 80 on Monday at Merion.

[Dan Kelly]

Any statisticians out there come up with a Scoring Average?  

I'm not a statistician, except when required, but I can't resist such a question.

The answer (unless I've messed it up! never trust a journalist's math!) is 78.584416.

 

[TEPaul]

Willie:

That was pretty funny. When we got up the the 3rd green here's the group ahead putting. Somebody working the tounament asked who told the group ahead to let the following group hit up and they pointed to you. Despite your efforts to speed up play the 2:42 group did not finish the front nine within three hours waiting the whole time. The culprit on the front is #4 slows down play because some of these guys are long enough now to wait after their tee shots for the green to clear and #5 took most groups a long time---eg few pars there today.

Young Hurley's round at Merion was a disaster. He started birdie, double, birdie, double. After 12 he was seven over. He lost a ball on 15 that never should've been lost and he lost two balls on #17 and another one on #18 and finished 87. He did unload about three otherworldly drivers in the process though.  Tomorrow with nothing to lose he plans to attack PCC with a vengence!  

I expect him to drive the ball perhaps fourteen times including trying to go right after #1, maybe even #2 and #16. On #8 in practice he just about did drive the front of that green. Since his changes of qualifying for match play are gone he may as well leave behind a couple of legend stories!  

[Mike_Cirba]

Any statisticians out there come up with a Scoring Average?  

I'm not a statistician, except when required, but I can't resist such a question.

The answer (unless I've messed it up! never trust a journalist's math!) is 78.584416.

 

Thank you, Dan...

I'm mathematically challenged, so I appreciate the help.

I guess the field hit a lot of golf shots at Merion today...about 12,102 or so...guess they got their money's worth.  

[TEPaul]

As I came to the tee on #14 with the last group off #1 in the afternoon there were 31 scores for the day at Merion of 75 or better. That's pretty much on pace with my prediction that there probably won't be 64 players in qualifying who shoot 74 or better at Merion. PCC was a far different story. There'll probably be play-off at 146 or 147.

[Mike_Cirba]

As I came to the tee on #14 with the last group off #1 in the afternoon there were 31 scores for the day at Merion of 75 or better. That's pretty much on pace with my prediction that there probably won't be 64 players in qualifying who shoot 74 or better at Merion. PCC was a far different story.

Tom,

29 of 154 finished +4 or better.  Nice prediction...are you going to now go all psychic on us, or what?

[CHrisB]

Pat Youngs, the husband of space shuttle Discovery commander Eileen Collins, shot a 76 at Merion. "It's an awesome experience," the 47-year-old commercial pilot said. "It's so rich in history."

If you guys are looking for a mid-am to pull for, then Pat Youngs is your guy. He is such a good guy and a very steady player.

As the article said, his wife was the latest space shuttle commander, and he qualified for the U.S. Am when she was on her mission. Imagine going to bed knowing that your wife is floating above you somewhere!

Of course they were anxious to get the shuttle up (and down) again, knowing for some time that she would be the next commander, and having known many if not all of the Columbia crew that perished in 2003. All of them are true heroes...

Hopefully he'll do well tomorrow. He survived Merion with a 76, so a 71 at PCC should put him through.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

A couple of my points about a potential US Open not being viable seemed to be played out today.  The area around the clubhouse is too clausterphobic.  The same applies to the area of 2 green, 3 tee, 6 tee, and 5 green.  This is a jam that did not previously exist in the past US Opens due to the lengthened tees.  Players are forced to wait for others to play shots on greens or tees and the pace of play suffers.  The same jamup will occurr on 15 tee, 16 green, and 17 tee.  It really does not surprise me that the course pretty much slaughtered the field--is there a better championship finish in golf?  Especially, after many great previous holes.  

[TEPaul]

Robert:

Those are some interesting observations of yours about how the new tip tees on #6 and the cross-overs from #2 green to #3 tee and #5 green to #6 tee may be creating a logjam. I was following the last group in the afternoon off #1 tee and there was almost a two group wait on #3 tee. I think some of the problem begins with players waiting on #4 fairway to go at #4 in two (something that virually never happened before) and the difficulty of #5 now (from the new tip tee). There were not a lot of pars today on #5---and that hole had to be over the 14-15 minute allotement in every group.

#15-16-17-18 are also a little jumbled now with the new tees but that could all be improved by improved roping and rope gating for the spectators and players and staffing up of marshalls and such.

On #2-3tee and #5-6tee things could also be improved by roping and rope gating and more marshalls and staffing. Actually for players it's a bit easier now getting from #5 green to #6 tee because players go around the back of #3 tee instead of basically crossing over it to get to #6 tee.

As for corporate tents and such in an Open they would probably just have to really re-work the entire area to the right of #13, to the right of the clubhouse (caddie area) and the entire stretch along the parking lot to include the practice range for corporate tents. They're using the practice range for some parking in the amateur and obviously that entire area could be used for corporate tents and such with far more parking off-site. Reworking the land all along the right by the train tracks would cost quite a bit though, I'm sure. but there is more available space there than most realize.

For more available space Merion could also use the residence they recently bought behind #2 green and to the right of #6 (more corporate tents or whatever). That residence is six acres (a whole lot more ground than most realize).

The more interesting question of whether or not Merion East as a golf course has become obsolete in some way in play due to too little length or because it could not defend itself well enough in play for some other reason was partially answered on Monday, though, and obviously will be again today. The answer, long awaited, seems to be the golf course can definitely defend itself (given the proper set-up) in even a US Open in the future.

Merion always has been a tightish and cozy golf course seeing as it's on a total of about 126-130 acres and in a future Open it'd just get a bit more cozy!  

The real problem with holding a future Open at Merion is one that's rarely if ever been mentioned on here. It's how to manage effectively enough (if it could even possibly be done effectively enough) dangerous weather egress for thousands of people on that golf course. This is a legal and liability reality that's gotten far more important than in years past, and it just may be the primary obstacle to holding another Open at Merion in the future. I have no idea what the answer to the last and probably primary problem would be. I do know a lot of people who own those large residences to the left of #14 and #15 and that community back in there. I guess the question becomes if a big storm blew in could the club convince enough of them to hold a party for about 50,000 people

There seems to be a contingent within the USGA that would like to see the Open come back to Merion in the future but at some point, given all mentioned above, the question would probably become how much would Merion, the club and membership want it?

If it seemed like a reality and I was a member of Merion I think I'd probably vote against it----except perhaps with one ineresting contingency. Again, I think the course can defend itself well enough in an Open but if I were Merion, I'd tell the USGA that we would hold another Open but only if they (the USGA/R&A) agreed to reign in distance first!!  

[Mike_Sweeney]

Tom,

Just curious. I know it is a established pattern to have the range down on The West, but are there any player complaints about all the logistics?

PS. I saw John Hurley's number from Merion, and it is an interesting case study of wide fairways at Wild Horse vs tight fairways of Merion.

[Willie_Dow]

Interesting !  Tom, maybe we should let the second shot at the par 5 fourth be a copy of what I did at three.  Unfortunately, I can't check this out with PJ.

[TEPaul]

Willie:

PJ or no PJ there's no question in my mind but that the USGA should place you at a vantage point so you could see everything going on on #3 and #4. They should give you a radio and put you in radio contact with officials behind #3 green, at the top of the hill on #4 and at the green on #4.

Groups reaching #3 green should mark and step aside and let the group behind them play up. Not just that but anyone waiting on #4 green should mark and step aside if someone in the fairway is going at that green in two. Not only THAT but if someone is waiting to go in two on #4 fairway and holding up the group behind them on the tee they too should step aside and let them drive!

You could be the ultimate golf tournament traffic cop----eg----"#3 green, tell them to mark and get the hell off that green---OK, #3 tee GO, GO GO! #4 green, tell them to mark and run, there'll be an incoming in two from the fairway in about 30 seconds after the player lets the group behind him finish teeing off. #4 tee, GO, GO, GO!! OK, #4 fairway, GO, GO, GO! HEY, player #78, you got 3 1/2 seconds to mark that ball and get the hell off this green or I'll slap a Rule 6-7 warning right on your forehead!! OK, player #78 you have one minute to replace and hit that putt and get to the 5th tee or you'll be on the clock!! Hey, player #78, you better report to that official behind the 3rd tee as you cross over to the 6th tee in exactly 17 minutes or you've got a one stroke penalty! And if I don't see you off #7 green in 29 minutes you got Two!!

They need you Willie, unless they want the last group today to finish in almost total darkness as Nebraska's young John Hurley's group did last night and unless the USGA wants to finish the play-off into match play early Wednesday morning. I can almost guarantee you that will happen unless they let you get out there with a radio and some traffic cops to help you move those groups through that logjam.  

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about James Lepp, the NCAA individual champion, hitting driver 360y and PW into 18!!! No 1iron for him.

[Jim_Coleman]

      A competitor from Canada is 5 under after nine at Merion today.  They're probably double cutting the greens on the back nine as we speak.

[Mike_Cirba]

Canadian golfer Keven Simard blazed through the front-nine at Merion this morning with a 5-under 31 and is the new leader.  Yesterday's leader Charles Beljan shot 4-over on the same nine, and has dropped to -2.

It will be interesting to see how low Simard can go, and how that might affect the USGA's view of the proceedings.  

[Brian_Gracely]

What's the cause of all the doubles and triples at Merion?  Are they  hitting balls OB, or losing balls in the rough, or just struggling with the rough and greens?  

[PThomas]

re the crowd concerns, do we know how many people were out there yesterday?  how many at the last Open there?

[JESII]

What's the cause of all the doubles and triples at Merion?  Are they  hitting balls OB, or losing balls in the rough, or just struggling with the rough and greens?  

Brian,

Without having seen any play yet, I can say from experience that doubles at Merion start with a missed fairway. Frequently your lie is such that you cannot reach the green so you lay up to 5 or 100 yards out. Pitch to a tough spot to putt from (easy to do with those greens) and then three putt. Like Bill V said, your head can get spinning real fast without feeling you're playing all that poorly.

I would think Merion would be the type of course that highlights the differences between an amateur and a pro very well. The challenges at Merion are every bit as much mental strength as they are physical ability, perhaps more so, and that is the biggest difference between a real good amateur and a decent pro.

[Bill_Spellman]

Jamie

   right on the mark. Merion can work you over much more mentally than practically any course that I have played. It takes tremendous discipline and thought to map out every shot. When I worked there, I only hit driver maybe 6 times.

   It is the ultimate "Chess Match". Point a to point b. I don't think that alot of the contestants are that familiar with the subtleties to know the nuances of the course. How many people have you known that "disrespected" the length and ended up making a double and couldn't figure how it happened?

    Also I was very interested in the hole by hole scores comparing the first 6 holes, the middle 7 holes and the back 5 holes. Alot of train wrecks on the back 5. I can't wait for the telecast!

[Mike_Cirba]

Merion must be breathing a huge sigh of collective relief after Keven Simard came slightly back down to earth after a scorching front nine to finish at -1, 69.  

Interestingly, the hole that did him in was a triple on #12.

The course also took its toll on yesterday's leader Charles Beljan, who still managed a +6, 76 for a 36 hole total of even par.

Jamie's buddy Austin Eaton also shot 70 today at Merion for a +1 overall and assurance of Match Play.

Overall, still a LOT of scores in the 80s at Merion and a lot of folks who started the day around par after yesterday's round at Philly are struggling to make the cut, presently projected to be at +8.

[Mike_Cirba]

One fellow managed to par the long and difficult back to back par four 5th & 6th holes at Merion today, yet still scored 96.  

[PThomas]

96!?!?!?!?  is it that guy that got in a B Open qualifier in the 80s and shot a 110 or something like that???

[Mike_Cirba]

96!?!?!?!?  is it that guy that got in a B Open qualifier in the 80s and shot a 110 or something like that???

Paul,

I don't know but he shot 79 yesterday at Philly CC so he must be a decent player.

It's not that unusual....there are already 25 finishers today in the 80s and another in the 90s.  

Two guys who shot in the 80s yesterday at Merion finished with 68 and 69 at PCC today, respectively.  

Another had 73 at PCC yesterday and 87 at Merion today.

Yesterday there was a difference of over 4 shots between the courses...I sense it's larger today.