The Scotsman/SoS: Huggan interviews Coore

[Marty Bonnar]

One or two interesting little snippets in there:

http://sport.scotsman.com/golf/Interview-Bill-Coore-golf-course.6658008.jp

cheers,
FBD.

[Mike Sweeney]

"It's going to be interesting," says Coore with a smile. "Mike Davis (the USGA's director of rules and competition] has told me the 2014 US Open will be the first to be played on a course with no rough. We wanted to make sure they were comfortable with what we were doing and they are. Some of the fairways are going to be 40 yards wide, but they say that is fine with them. Mike says they will not grow rough. Which will be unbelievable. I really hope it happens. If they get the fairways firm, the course will be just as difficult."

It is an interesting thought to think about the US Open and USGA will be the ones leading Augusta back to no rough. In 2013, it appears that Merion will be very narrow for the US Open and then 2014 Pinehurst will be very wide.

[Scott Weersing]

No rough at a US Open? How can that be?

So the US Open at Pinehurst will be without rough bordering the fairway. I doubt that will be the case. There will be some grass they grow up but it won't be four inches thick.

What about the US Open being played fast and firm for two years in a row? What is the implication for today's players? Who from Europe, or some unknown links player from the USA,  would be favored today to win the US Open in 2014 at Pinehurst and then repeat in 2015 at Chambers Bay?

The 2014 US Open may be an opportunity for an unknown American to win, someone like Lee Janzen or Lucas Glover. I would not favor Tiger Woods to win at these courses.

[Niall C]

Scott,

From your post I would taske it that you assume that the average European tour pro is used to playing on fast and firm, and wide open fairways. Not sure thats true but I don't follow the European tour that closely. If its not true I do hope that the US Open starts a trend the same way Augusta National did. Its all very well the Open playing on f&f links courses but US Open's continiously played on f&f could have as much of an impact on other tournaments as well as your average clubs that Augusta did with their annual televised flower show.

Niall

[Bill_McBride]

Scott,

From your post I would taske it that you assume that the average European tour pro is used to playing on fast and firm, and wide open fairways. Not sure thats true but I don't follow the European tour that closely. If its not true I do hope that the US Open starts a trend the same way Augusta National did. Its all very well the Open playing on f&f links courses but US Open's continiously played on f&f could have as much of an impact on other tournaments as well as your average clubs that Augusta did with their annual televised flower show.

Niall

Niall, I would agree, from what I've seen on TV, that on the European PGA Tour, Celtic Manor seems mure representative of the courses than the links courses played once at year at the Open Championship.

[Scott Weersing]

Scott,

From your post I would taske it that you assume that the average European tour pro is used to playing on fast and firm, and wide open fairways. Not sure thats true but I don't follow the European tour that closely. If its not true I do hope that the US Open starts a trend the same way Augusta National did. Its all very well the Open playing on f&f links courses but US Open's continiously played on f&f could have as much of an impact on other tournaments as well as your average clubs that Augusta did with their annual televised flower show.

Niall

Niall, I would agree, from what I've seen on TV, that on the European PGA Tour, Celtic Manor seems mure representative of the courses than the links courses played once at year at the Open Championship.

So you would think that someone who plays well at Augusta would do well at Pinehurst and Chambers Bay?

I am not so sure. People who play well at Augusta benefit from the experience of the greens at Augusta in that they can predict which way the ball will roll on the greens. When you get to a US Open course, the players have less experience with how the ball will roll on the greens.

I wonder if any of the players who played well at Chambers Bay this year will be in the US Open in 2015 and if experience from 2010 is relevant 5 years later.

[jeffwarne]

No rough at a US Open? How can that be?

So the US Open at Pinehurst will be without rough bordering the fairway. I doubt that will be the case. There will be some grass they grow up but it won't be four inches thick.

What about the US Open being played fast and firm for two years in a row? What is the implication for today's players? Who from Europe, or some unknown links player from the USA,  would be favored today to win the US Open in 2014 at Pinehurst and then repeat in 2015 at Chambers Bay?

The 2014 US Open may be an opportunity for an unknown American to win, someone like Lee Janzen or Lucas Glover. I would not favor Tiger Woods to win at these courses.

Lee Janzen and Lucas Glover are unknown?
It remains to be seen whether either course will be firm and fast
Do you think they  were prepping Bethpage to be soft and sloppy?
and didn't soft and sloppy produce Lucas Glover? so why would he  be favored in opposite conditions...
or has your crystal ball already given you the 2014 and 15 weather

[Mike Nuzzo]

Why did the USGA add rough to Chambers?
It wasn't a freebie.
I'd be pissed if I were the city.

Are the greens at Pinehurst that much better defended that Chambers needed a rough?
I haven't been to Chambers.

[Niall C]

Scott,

I really don't know who would have an advantage, I was just suggesting that the Europeans wouldn't necessarily have an advantage because of the courses they play. There's probably only a handful of them that were brought up on links, McDowell and Clarke being obvious examples but even Rory played his golf on parkland courses and has actually stated that he prefers them to links golf.

Niall

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I find a firm and fast course bordered by trees and no rough much harder than one with several cuts of rough. Roots are a great equalizer and pines are tough to play out of. Anything but a perfect drive will find its way to hell in a hurry. I think this may be Mike Davis moment to show he is in touch with architecture and not just a formula. Olympic Lake is finally getting rid of the trap rims of odd grass that totally made no sense from day one.

[michael damico]

It is an interesting thought to think about the US Open and USGA will be the ones leading Augusta back to no rough.

that was exactly what I immediately, initially thought. Now, what will the repercussions be of that? The 'Augusta Syndrome/Factor': how does it change? Will it soon become the fad to have wide fairways, more short grass than long grass? Will the Doak, Nuzzo, C&C 'look' be more exploited than what it is now? Will Ron Whitten get his new movement of architecture or will architecture continue to plod along as Whitten proclaims?

In my mind, the actions of USGA are huge, but it just gets me thinking of the sequence of events that can unfold because of it. More importantly, how that will effect the future of design...