PGA TOUR rookies Cameron Young, Mito Pereira and Davis Riley will be among the notable reviewers in Draws and Fades.
If there were straight roads in Boston, the Country Club would be just three miles from Fenway Park. In fact, it could be a busy route for sports fans, with the Red Sox starting a nine-game home this week. Two more miles into town, again, just for the gold rush, the Celtics will host the sixth game of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. So since it’s Oakland Athletics ’getaway day, you could attend all three competitions only on Thursday, waiting for ticket availability, of course.
Boston sports fans are notoriously ardent for their support … and their criticism. On their own, they bring to life the good, the bad and the ugly of why we fall in love with sport. The U.S. Open doesn’t come to the city often, so it’s the best issue for those who plan to participate in at least two of these activities. However, once someone joins The Country Club, they will probably want to stay. The par 70 stock, which measures 7,264 yards, visually excites the senses, so you can only imagine how it relates to the sensitivity of the 156 in the field.
A major step in the restoration of Hanse and Wagner was the removal of trees. As a result, the stunning views have replaced the more classic, tree-lined memories of the 1988 U.S. Open and the 1999 Ryder Cup. The 2013 U.S. Amateur is the most recent notable competition to be held here. Matt Fitzpatrick won, Corey Conners was a semifinalist, Scottie Scheffler was a quarterfinal, and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Rodgers reached the round of 16 that week. All and many more who advanced to match play are back this week.
There’s almost always an inverse relationship between trees and opportunities to escape, but the new elbow space won’t encourage you to throw drivers more often. The triple combination of regular rough-out-of-tees framing lines of sight, seriously protected Poa bentgrass greens, and surfaces averaging just under 4,440 square feet will force most to play goal golf. Greens range from 3,222 square feet in the famous 17 par-4 hole to 6,556 square feet in the sixth par-3 hole.
All in all, the conditions are typical of mid-June in these climates, meaning that tomorrow will not look much like today. After a pedestrian opening, the threat of inclement weather comes at some point on Friday, and perhaps later in the day. It will be warm and crazy. There is another chance of rain on Saturday, when the daytime high cannot reach 75 degrees. It will fall more and more towards the final for what should be a fantastic ending. Wind could be a factor everywhere, especially with invasive energy.
The U.S. Open is often defined as the tournament that identifies the best golfer, but the Country Club is likely to showcase one of the best golfers of recent times. Confidence from the tee sets the theme, while precision in approach pays off the plan, but the generally fine line between the pair and the bogey is much more pronounced at the U.S. Open. Due to the challenge, not only will there be an acceptable score but there will be some good square bogeys.
The champion will probably have prepared a recipe dominated by one part of course management and two parts of patience. Relying on others to make more mistakes is the secret sauce.
ROB BOLTON SCHEDULE
PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton summarizes and previews each tournament from a variety of perspectives. Look for your next contributions as planned.
MONDAY: Power classificationsTUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws and FairiesWEDNESDAY: Select them PreviewSUNDAY: Medical Extensions, Classifications, Remanipulation, Beginner Ranking
* – Rob is a member of the PGATOUR.COM expert election panel for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which is also released this Tuesday.