Hey guys,
Saw your posts about future Opens. Word in the NY area is that WFW will be the host in 2015, it will be announced next year at Torrey Pines.
If the USGA wants a Midwestern US Open, and Southern Hills may have dropped off this list for now, any chance for a 2015 US Open at Bellerive in St. Louis? It would be the 50th anniversary of Gary Player's 1 US Open victory.
I have not seen the changes done to Bellerive last year. If Bellerive is at all in the USGA radar, will they have to wait until they host the 2008 Western Open (I will not call this tournament by any other name, no matter what the PGA calls it.) so that it can be seen how the course does under tournament conditions?
Olympia Fields made changes after they hosted the US Senior Open, and were able to obtain the US Open. Perhaps this will work for Bellerive. Although, I do believe the course itself prior to last years changes did not meet the USGA current standards to host a US Open. So it would likely need to have been significantly improved. Principally in variety of shots required and in the visual presentation the course offered to the golfer.