By Catherine Wood
The 2009 US Open (United States Open Golf Championship) is set to begin this Thursday at Bethpage State Park, New York. The Long Island course is home to five eighteen-hole courses, coloured in order of increasing difficulty: yellow, green, blue, red, and black. 156 players will compete this week for the win on the black course.
This is the second time Bethpage Black has hosted the US Open, with the first being in 2002. 2002 marks the first time the US Open was played on a public course, giving Joe Average Golfer a chance to walk the same fairways as golfing legend Tiger Woods. Choosing Bethpage Black again was seen as an egalitarian move by USGA officials, especially appreciated in the current economic downturn.
"I just think public golf is the heart and soul of the game," said Sandy Tatum, Former USGA President, "What the Open did at Torrey and Bethpage is take a course with fundamental character and elevate it to the point where you get affordable access to a first-class experience. That’s important."
Golf is a sport where the cost of a round on a top course can run to hundreds of dollars, and many are not open to the public or to non-members. Weekend rates for Bethpage Black are astonishingly low - US$60 for New York State residents and US$120 for non-residents. As a marker, you can pay upwards of US$60 for overnight parking in New York City. The course's reputation, its public access, and the low green fees attract huge crowds, and walk-ups for a tee-time are accepted, but would-be players need to be ready to wait in a parking-lot queue that can stretch for as long as 48 hours.
Bethpage Black is currently ranked as the sixth-hardest course in the United States and challenges golfers to bring their "A-game". The first tee actually comes with a word of advice – a sign reading: "Warning, The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers." The course is an unforgiving one that requires an avid golfer to use every club shot in his/her repertoire. "If [Bethpage Black] was set up the way we played the Open every day, I don't think anybody would play golf anymore," joked Tiger Woods.
So what should viewers expect to see during the 2009 US Open Championships?
Demanding Distances:
Bethpage Black was the longest public golfing facility in 2002, and since then the course has been extended by 212 yards (reaching an astounding 7,426 yards total), making it the second-longest course in US Open history. Three of Bethpage Black's par-4s exceed 500 yards, and the 7th (525 yards∙ 480 meters) will be the longest par-4 ever played in an US Open.
Tiger Power:
Woods heads to Bethpage Black with much at stake. He is seeking his 15th professional Major and 4th US Open title; he is also trying to record the first consecutive Open wins since Curtis Strange in the late 1980s. Fans point out that his recent victory at Muirfield Village shows that he is ready to make the run.
Interestingly enough, Woods also took the title in 2002 when the US Open previously played at Bethpage Black. When he won that year he finished 3-under par and 3 strokes better than Mickelson, and was the only man to break par. As the title-holder from the 2008 US Open, and the winner from the last time the tournament was played at Bethpage, he is therefore in a sense a double-defending champion this year.
Interesting History:
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will certainly draw a lot of attention in their battle for top spot later this week, but it is interesting to note that both men have not been in contention in the same US Open tournament since the 2002 tournament at Bethpage Black. That year Tiger ended up winning with Mickelson placing second.
2009 also marks the fourth straight year that one of the two golfers brings with them some sort of injury or personal issue to the tee:
∙ 2006 - Tiger played just six short weeks after the death of his father, ending 12-over and missing a Major cut for the first time as a professional.
∙ 2007 - Mickelson injured his left wrist while chipping through the thick rough at Oakmont. He finished 11-over and missed a Major cut for the first time in over 15 years
∙ 2008 - Woods underwent knee surgery and played the US Open against doctor’s orders. Despite a double leg fracture and torn ACL, Woods won his 14th Major tournament.
∙ 2009 - Mickelson's wife revealed her battle with breast cancer last May. He suspended his schedule and did not play again until just one week ago at the St. Jude Classic.
Mickelson said, "I anticipate it being an emotional experience playing this year's US Open. My quest is to win my first US Open after four seconds, numerous close calls, and me caring about this tournament so much. But right now I'm just fortunate that I'm going to be able to play and I hope to play well. I know that after that, I've got something going on that's more important and takes my mind off it."
An Underdog contender:
Geoff Ogilvy has been a popular pick among those dark-horse golfers to watch out for - he could prove to be a major contender for the tournament. The Australian has certainly stepped up his game in 2009, and thus far has taken titles in the Mercedes-Benz Championship (January) and the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship (March). The 2006 US Open winner tends to thrive under pressure and can remain level-headed in tough conditions: "I just enjoy big tournaments; I enjoy the big situations. All the craziness around a tournament, I can take or leave, but like the pressure situations towards the end of tournaments and the big situations, I really enjoy those." This understated golfer likes to stay away from the limelight and as a result flies under the radar.
The US Open golf tournament will be played Thursday, June 18, 2009 to Sunday, June 21, 2009. Broadcast can be found on ESPN, NBC, and Sirius Satellite Radio starting at 10 am EST (10 pm China). In China the tournament will be broadcast live on CCTV Golf and Tennis Channel, with regular updates during the day.
For a complete listing of tee-times and pairings, visit:
http://www.usopen.com/en_US/index.html
(China.org.cn June 16, 2009)
