Mamaroneck, N.Y. – During the technology boom, Merion Golf Club became a symbol of how distance was making some classic courses obsolete. The USGA never bought into that idea.
Merion was awarded the 2013 U.S. Open on Wednesday, a plan that has been in the works for a couple years and was finalized when none of the young bashers could tame the Ardmore, Pa., course last year during the qualifying for the U.S. Amateur.
It will be the fifth U.S. Open at Merion, but the first since David Graham won in 1981.
The course, which opened in 1912, has been lengthened by about 400 yards as it courted another U.S. Open, and the closing five holes are daunting.
“They’ve always had a number of great holes where you weren’t using your driver off the tee. But they’ve been able to make their long, stout holes … really long,” USGA executive director David Fay said. “They have adapted well to the changing nature of the game.”
Merion is best known for the 1930 U.S. Amateur, where Bobby Jones completed his career Grand Slam, and for the 1950 U.S. Open, when Ben Hogan struck that famous pose with a 1-iron from the 18th fairway.
Fay and USGA president Walter Driver said the club was creative in finding room for fans and got great cooperation from homes along the fairways that have offered their yards.
Driver said he expects about 30,000 fans can attend Merion; that’s up from the 20,000 estimate from Fay two years ago.
Fighting chance
Tadd Fujikawa has been fighting since the day he was born – first simply for life, then for some semblance of normalcy and now for something much more grandiose.
So, it’s little surprise that when the 15-year-old from Honolulu was asked – almost as a joke – who the best teenage golfer in Hawaii is these days, he didn’t give an inch.
“Boys or girls?” was his response.
Fujikawa was born 3 1/2 months early, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces, given a 50-50 chance to live and even less of a shot at living anything resembling a “normal” life.
“They said he’d probably have some mental disability and maybe some other problems,” said his mother, Lori.
When he tees it up today, he will be the youngest player to compete in a U.S. Open since 1941.
“It’s definitely exciting,” said Fujikawa, who recently completed ninth grade at Moanalua High School. “Who wouldn’t be excited? It’s the Open. It doesn’t matter what age you are – 15, 50.”
Vijay’s ball
Starting at the U.S. Open, Vijay Singh will throw a ball into the gallery after he finishes his final round. Whoever gets the ball can redeem it for two economy-class plane tickets to Thailand for one week and unlimited rounds at Santiburi Golf Club. In addition, Cleveland Golf will provide a set of clubs.
The promotion will last 12 months at every event Singh plays.
