In the lead up to today’s start of the
U.S. Open at
Merion Golf Club, many have been questioning whether the course in Ardmore, Pennsylvania is up to the task of hosting the best players in the world.
The last time Merion held the event was in 1981, before the age of oversized clubs and dynamic balls. So will it be able to sustain and challenge modern day golfers? Or will their tremendous play overpower the notoriously short course?
"After ’81, the USGA figured it wasn’t a big enough site,” says Johnny Miller. The former U.S. Open winner, who played at Merion in 1971 and 1981, will be the lead analyst for NBC Sports this weekend and believes the course is ready to take on the players of today.
“You can make quite a few birdies, but the course doesn't seem to have the in-between holes, the boring in-between holes,” says Miller. “It's either possible birdie holes or possible bogey holes, so that makes for a more exciting course, in my opinion.”
The weather will also be an interesting factor as players set out today. Those hoping for firm and fast conditions, to add to the difficulty at Merion, might be disappointed as Tropical Storm Andrea and a further downpour on Monday have left the course saturated and soft.
"The first thing is guys are going to take more clubs off the tee,” said defending champion, Webb Simpson. “They're going to be a little more aggressive with their approach shots. With rain, it makes the golf course longer and makes the tough tougher. It does provide a little bit of defense in that regard. But traditionally what you see on the PGA Tour, when it gets softer, it gets easier.”
