Curtis Cup & Merion

[Bill Shamleffer]

Lots of talk about LIV golf, but sadly so little about this weekend’s Curtis Cup.  Merion looks fantastic, and the match play format is good for showing the course and playin strategies needed on this track.


Plenty of good play on the first day.  A drivable par 4; players flirting with hazards for best angles into greens; interesting shots around the greens; and best of all seeing some match play tactics along the way.



Ignore the LIV, and go to or watch Merion this weekend.

[JohnVDB]

Going over there to watch this afternoon and maybe going back for tomorrow depending on the weather.

[Tim_Cronin]

Watched most all of this yesterday. Great setup, incredible pin placements – some couldn't be used in a U.S. Open because of the field size – and fine competition. It's on Golf Channel and Peacock today and tomorrow.

[Joe Bausch]

Was there yesterday morning and enjoyed every minute of it.  Who knows, maybe a GCA member is caddying in the event!

[Ronald Montesano]

There's certainly a GCA member on the ground with camera in hand.


For those considering a Sunday appearance, tee times were just moved from afternoon to morning. First balls in the air at 7:30 am now.


#GoDeacs

[Tim Leahy]

After watching Merion the last two days all I could think of was how good a Curtis Cup at Cypress Point would be.

[Matt_Cohn]

Curious if there's some "issue" with 18 fairway where even drives in the center roll off into the left rough?

[Jon Cavalier]

Curious if there's some "issue" with 18 fairway where even drives in the center roll off into the left rough?

From the regular tee (402 yards), shots long enough to reach that downslope will roll pretty hard left. You’ve either got to cut it into that slope left-to-right or lay back at the top of the hill (near the Hogan plaque) for a (relatively) level landing area.

[Mike Sweeney]

Curious if there's some "issue" with 18 fairway where even drives in the center roll off into the left rough?

From the regular tee (402 yards), shots long enough to reach that downslope will roll pretty hard left. You’ve either got to cut it into that slope left-to-right or lay back at the top of the hill (near the Hogan plaque) for a (relatively) level landing area.

Using Jon's photo of 18 East from the green, looking back with the tee hidden below that top right gap in the trees area:




From Twitter - McDermott's  5 iron into 18 on his 36th hole match play PhillyAm 1up vs Jeff Osberg. 223 left. Same back left pin as Rose.





I am a little surprised at the toughness of the rough (length and thickness) for the women, but other than some evolving fairway lines, Merion has always played USGA parkland style. At least in my lifetime, but the bottom photo shows a different style. The openness of the course is just amazing to see now, and Jon's photos seem to capture the Modern Merion best:

Jon's of 17 today:



Long ago #1, #10, and #9 greens from bottom to top:

[Mike Sweeney]

I noticed a couple of the Caddies looked familiar, and our GCA friend Nate Oxman is on the job:




https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2022/curtis-cup/articles/merion-caddies-relishing-opportunity-to-play-role-in-curtis-cup-.html#returnable

For Oxman, the 42nd Curtis Cup Match is fulfilling a bucket list dream. Teaching duties prevented him from getting a bag in the 2009 Walker Cup or the 2013 U.S. Open. But with a little more seniority and a heartfelt letter to his principal “begging” for the week off – Haverford Middle School’s year doesn’t end until next week – Oxman is making his family proud as one of 16 caddies working the Match.

“This means more to my dad,” he said. “I knew how special [the Curtis Cup] was. It’s already exceeded my expectations.”

[mike_malone]

So many wedges but so much fun.

[Bruce Katona]

My brother & sister-in-law attended on Friday.  My brother sent me a pix of the Hogan marker on #18.

[Mike Sweeney]

Obviously Merion gets a lot of love around here, but watching the USA Women over the weekend makes me think that USA Women's Golf is in good shape for the future. There was some amazing play - team and individual - for the love of the game:

[Daryl David]

Not to throw cold water on the US victory, but I wonder what would happen if they played a team from the rest of the world (ie Asia) rather than the GB&I. A different result I would bet.

[Dan Boerger]

Mike S - Great photos! Thanks for sharing

[Mike Sweeney]

Not to throw cold water on the US victory, but I wonder what would happen if they played a team from the rest of the world (ie Asia) rather than the GB&I. A different result I would bet.

I am guessing that the Curtis Cup people may have to consider a "Europe" team similar to the Ryder Cup. The "Rest of the World" team has never been interesting to me in the President's Cup. And then it diffuses the USA players who have to play every year - Ryder/President's. 


That said, is there a way to get a Korea+ team in there? It would be interesting from a competitive viewpoint.


I do not have a daughter, so I started to watch for the hometown Merion connections. I really loved the way the USA Women played, competed, and seemed to genuinely appreciate their teammates. Women golfers have a reputation as weaker putters, but knowing those greens from the old days, I was genuinely impressed.


Thanks Bill S for posting the thread, which prompted me to find my wife's "Peacock" account.

[ward peyronnin]

I enjoyed watching the Curtis this weekend, esp seeing the course, but was a bit saddened that the GB&I team played rather incompetent golf.
Look at some of the future venues: Sunningdale, Bel-Air, Bandon Dunes, and National Golf Links!. I attended 7 Walker Cups all at top drawer venues with smallish crowds and saw some unbelievable golf. If I were a younger man I believe I would start making plans to take advantage of these same benefits future Curtis Cups promise.

[John Sabino]

Ward - I totally agree. I have been to two Walker Cups (LACC and the National) and this Curtis Cup at Merion. These amateur golf matches are the best spectator events in the game. No drunk idiots screaming, "get in the hole," plus no ropes allowing you to walk freely all over the course and very small crowds. Plus the quality of the venues is amazing. These amateur events show that the U.S.G.A. is quite capable of setting up quality events. Why they overdo the U.S. Open in pursuit of "finding the best golfer," is perplexing.


The Curtis Cup Program has some interesting facts about the baskets in it:


Damaged baskets aren't just thrown away, they are burned!


Every basket has an identifying mark on it for authentication purposes, known only to a select handful of Merion staff and members


William Flynn, the greenskeeper at Merion before he went on to design courses, developed the baskets and patented the idea. When he approached the Green Committee about using the wicker baskets instead of flags they told him to go ahead and use them. At his expense



https://top100golf.blogspot.com/2022/06/a-dozen-fun-facts-about-merion-golf.html

[Nate Oxman]

Was there yesterday morning and enjoyed every minute of it.  Who knows, maybe a GCA member is caddying in the event!

Thanks, Joe and Mike (I was laser-focused in that photo). It was great to be out there with a bag on the shoulder. I've been at Merion since 1995 and thus have seen a few different presentations of the golf course. Paul, Alex, Nate, and their crew crushed it. The course was so good and I'm glad it shined so brightly on TV.

I'm offended by the incompetent golf statement someone else made. That's not a kind word. Why go there? There were at least 10 matches during the 3 days that were really close, and even closer than the result shows. That's golf.