"My ability to get down in less than three shots from inside 80 yards is going to be tested."

Geoff Ogilvy has a different approach to the U.S. Open, as he writes in this week's Golf World.

The fairways can be so narrow that even the straightest hitter is going to miss a few from the tee. So at least six times in every round, I'm going to miss a green in regulation. That's the best I can ever see myself doing.

That means six times a day I've got to figure out how to make par using only one putt. In other words, my ability to get down in less than three shots from inside 80 yards is going to be tested. If I do miss a fairway, that's often as close as I can get to the green in two shots.

One thing I see guys doing in the month or so before the U.S. Open is working with a new hybrid club. Something like a 7-wood, a club that has at least a chance to advance the ball a decent distance out of long grass. I credit Mike Davis of the USGA for that. Since he introduced the concept of "graduated rough" to the championship about five years ago, we haven't been mindlessly hacking out nearly as often. If we're good enough, he gives us an opportunity to move the ball maybe 180 yards instead of only 50.

“Missing Tiger is a big deal."

Bloomberg's Eben Novy-Williams reports that EBay and StubHub pricing suggests a 20% drop in U.S. Open ticket resale prices after Tiger's WD.

Four-day tickets to the tournament on EBay Inc. (EBAY)’s Stubhub dropped today to $402 from almost $500 on June 7, when Woods withdrew because of leg injuries, company spokesman Glenn Lehrman said in a telephone interview.

Lehrman said he anticipates prices will continue to drop another 17 percent by next week. The tournament, the year’s second major championship, begins June 16 at Congressional Country Club outside Washington.

“Missing Tiger is a big deal,” Lehrman said. “He’s a huge draw, not only for tickets, but also for television ratings.”

Vijay Has One Less Supporter!

Bob Harig finds Vijay's U.S. Open pass almost unfathomable.

"I'm just tired," Singh said. "I'm tired of shooting 71, 72 all week. I'm just going to go home and come back and try to win Hartford."

Hartford? With all apologies to the Travelers Championship -- an excellent tournament on the PGA Tour schedule that follows the U.S. Open -- is that really what Singh cares about at this point?

He has won 34 PGA Tour events, all after joining the tour in 1993. He has won more than $64 million in official prize money. But he's not thinking about adding to his streak of 67 consecutive majors played, dating to 1994? Or, more important, adding to his three major wins? And he just came off shooting 65 on Sunday.

Singh is one of just four players to shoot 63 at a U.S. Open. He has finished in the top 10 on seven occasions. He has missed just one cut, back in 1993. And he doesn't want to play?

Harig also notes that Vijay has further reduced his chances of playing The Open Championship with this move.

"I think it'll be a classic example of impromptu course management."

In this week's Golf World, I pen a suggestion that the USGA's Mike Davis start pulling back his pre-tournament course setup prognosticating now that players know what to expect.

The thinking goes something like this: Players have had five years to better understand what kind of setup moves Davis and the championship committee are likely to make. They know he is liable to move tees around and to present hole locations only accessible after trying a daring tee shot. Par-3 yardages and shot-shaping requirements have been more fluid, three-shotters are often made into reachable par 5s, and architectural features are better utilized to promote thinking, risk-taking and exciting leader board swings.

"To me," said Davis, "part of the whole challenge and test is to have them occasionally saying, 'I did not expect this' and 'Now what do I do to lay back?' or 'What does it take to carry a feature?' And by the way, 'Where's the hole location?' [or] 'If I try a certain shot, will that get me a better angle to the hole?' "

That said, here's a hole-by-hole look at Congressional with Davis' thoughts on various holes and what to expect setup-wise. He held back several things, some small, some big, but for the most part a player or caddie that studies this will probably save a couple of shots. It pays to read GolfDigest.com!

Vijay Has A Supporter!

My Golf World colleague Tim Rosaforte, responding to the criticism of Vijay for no-showing to Monday's U.S. Open Sectional qualifier in Columbus, writes in this week's issue that "it's understandable and excusable that the 48-year-old Hall-of-Famer didn't want to participate in the exhausting 36-hole process of U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying."

Even though Vijay received an exemption last year and even though he entered this year, Rosie the reasoner believes that Singh's fatigue with shooting 71 or 72 every day and needing to recharge the batteries was A-okay.

I'm good with that. Vijay is not required to play. 

What I think most of us have a problem with is not phoning in a WD when he knew after his final round 65 that he had no intention of playing.

U.S. Open 24-Year Sellout Streak On The Line?

I suppose it depends on your definition of a sellout...For Immediate Release:

LIMITED TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2011 U.S. OPEN

Far Hills, N.J. (June 8) – Limited tickets remain for the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.  

Daily Grounds and Trophy Club tickets for the practice rounds (Monday, June 13-Wednesday, June 15) and the opening championship round (Thursday, June 16) will be available for purchase on-site at Congressional. For the practice rounds, prices are $50 for daily Grounds tickets and $75 for daily Trophy Club tickets. For the first day of the championship (Thursday, June 16), Grounds tickets are $110 and Trophy Club tickets are $185.

Beginning Thursday, June 9, tickets can be purchased on-site at the U.S. Open Will Call located at the Main Admission Gate. Will Call hours of operation for Thursday, June 9 through Sunday, June 12 are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This on-site sale of tickets coincides with the U.S. Open pre-championship merchandise sale taking place in the merchandise pavilion during the same hours.

Beginning Monday, June 13, remaining tickets can be purchased at the Main Will Call and the Clubhouse Will Call between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., while supplies last.

Each buyer is permitted to purchase up to four tickets for each day. Tickets include complimentary general parking and shuttle transportation to and from the parking area and the championship entrance. Cameras are permitted on practice-round days only (June 13-15), providing an opportunity to photograph the world’s best golfers as they prepare to compete in the national championship.

Junior tickets are always available on-site at Will Call and at all admission gates during the championship. Juniors age 12 and younger will be admitted free of charge any day when accompanied by an adult ticket holder. Tickets for juniors 13 to 17 years old will be available for purchase at a reduced rate of $15 for practice rounds and $35 for championship rounds. There is a maximum of two junior tickets per one adult ticket holder. Junior tickets permit Trophy Club access only when accompanied by an adult Trophy Club ticket holder. Junior tickets do not permit 1895 Club access.

The U.S. Open has sold out for 24 consecutive years. For more information about pricing, parking and a list of prohibited items, visit www.USOPEN.com.

Everyone Looked So Much Younger In 1997!

Fun GolfDigest.com slideshow of 1997 images that capture Congressional when it last hosted the U.S. Open and the hoopla surrounding a post-epic Masters appearance by Tiger. How times have changed...

Say Your Prayers For The Congressional Maintenance Staff

The greens were rebuilt after the 2009 AT&T National and some of us questioned rebuilding greens so close to a national championship, but the USGA gave the thumb's up and by all accounts, the grass has been doing fine. But this weather forecast--record highs possible the next two days--is going to test superintendent Mike Giuffre and staff.

Giuffre talks to GCSAA TV about the benefits of the SubAir system in the greens that will surely be put to use the next few days, but technology can only do so much for bent grass greens in 100 degree heat when cut at 1/8 of an inch.

"Tiger Withdraws, Golf Shrugs"

John Paul Newport is more intrigued by the media shrugging off Tiger's 2011 U.S. Open WD, perhaps in part because no one expected him to contend.

The likelihood of Woods not contending for the trophy at Congressional Country Club, whether he showed up or not, had already been factored into the price (to borrow a term from investing).

In fact, it’s a toss-up as to exactly whose non-participation at this year’s Open makes for a more intriguing story — Woods’s or Vijay Singh’s. Singh failed even to show up for his qualifying round Monday, and thus will miss his first major in 64 consecutive events (dating from 1994), the longest active streak in golf.

Okay, let's not go too far there JPN.

Meanwhile Robert Lusetich breaks down the latest chapter in the Tiger saga and notes this anecdote about caddy Steve Williams that suggests Tiger had every intention to play up until today's WD.

Although he’s been able to hit balls for only a few days and was facing an uphill battle to be ready for the US Open, he meant to play at Congressional.

His caddie, Steve Williams, flew to Oregon, where he’s got a home, from New Zealand on Sunday and was planning to head to Orlando to join Woods when he got news of the withdrawal.

Tiger Out Of The U.S. Open

He tweets the news:

And from his website:

"I am extremely disappointed that I won't be playing in the U.S. Open, but it's time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future," Woods said. "I was hopeful that I could play, but if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg. My knee and Achilles tendon are not fully healed. I hope to be ready for AT&T National, the next two majors and the rest of the year."

Update on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 12:58 PM by Geoff

**From Doug Ferguson, AP:

"It's been a frustrating and difficult year, but I'm committed to my longterm health," Woods said. "I want to thank the fans for their encouragement and support. I am truly grateful and will be back playing when I can."
The question is when he returns.

Woods is recovering from injuries to his left knee ligaments and left Achilles', and his Achilles' is believed to be giving him more trouble.

"My man is hurting," Arjun Atwal, a close friend and frequent practice partner, said last week at the Memorial. "He's in a boot, he's on crutches. Not doing good."

Bob Harig, ESPN.com:

We haven't seen him on a golf course since, and he wasn't scheduled to even begin trying to get back on his feet until last week. And he was supposed to play the U.S. Open in a little over a week? With 9 holes of competition since the Masters?

He is far better off skipping it, getting healthy, and focusing on the rest of the year, the rest of his career.

Steve Elling talked to the USGA's Mike Davis who confirmed the timing and details of the WD and that Tiger did try to test out the injury before making his decision.

"I talked to Mark last Friday and that was the first day, I believe, that Tiger was going to try to hit balls, to go slowly to see if it went well. I guess it didn't."

Ron Sirak analyzes the latest news and also takes us through the recent timeline of the current injury, which still seems odd considering the appearance of physical well being during the China trip.

In April, after a business trip to China and Korea following a T-4 finish at the Masters, Woods was diagnosed with a Grade 1 mild medial collateral ligament sprain to his left knee and a mild strain to his left Achilles tendon, according to his spokespeople. Woods said the injuries were suffered while hitting a second shot from under the Eisenhower tree at hole No. 17 during the third round at the Masters.

Tiger skipped the Wells Fargo Championship and withdrew after nine holes in the first round at the Players after shooting a 42. He said at the time he had reinjured his leg on the opening tee shot.

Just When Richie Ramsay Thinks He's In, USGA Pulls Him Back Out

Ramsay, who left an Open Championship qualifier and missed a playoff, is an alternate in the U.S. Open after it was initially reported that the Walton Heath qualifier had received an extra spot.

Doug Ferguson explains:

USGA spokesman Pete Kowalski had said Tuesday morning that two extra spots were given to qualifying sites in England and Japan, and Ramsay would be going to Congressional for the U.S. Open next week.

Kowalski later clarified that those spots already had been awarded, and Ramsay remains first alternate out of the England sectional qualifier. The extra spot already had been awarded to Andreas Harto of Denmark.
Likewise, Masaya Tomida remains an alternate from the Japan site.

Ramsay already has been through a lot in this process. He left the qualifier to attend a wedding reception, thinking his score would not be good enough. He missed his flight to the reception, found out he would be in a playoff and couldn't get back to the course in time.

“Ernie, sadly, never understood the whole picture."

Barry Srvluga files a lengthy and excellent profile of Ernie Els, 1997 U.S. Open Champion at Congressional. Strong words from his former swing coach at the time:

Those accomplishments — or lack of them, in his view — define Els as a golfer. Among active players, only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won more majors. Even at 41, Els’s circumstances on the course seem no different: same relaxed demeanor, same languid swing, same abundant gifts. So it’s not just Els who wonders: Could more have been expected from someone who owns 39 worldwide victories?

“Ernie, sadly, never understood the whole picture,” said Robert Baker, Els’s swing coach when he won at Congressional. “I mean this with the greatest respect, because I love the guy, and I love Ernie Els’s game. But Ernie should have won a lot more majors. As a golfer, he’s had a great career. But did he capture his potential? Not even close.”