Tiger, heat, 18th green expected to dominate U.S. Open
June 13, 2001
By Sandy Zinn SportsTicker Golf Editor
TULSA, Oklahoma (Ticker) -- The conditions are hot and the players are
bothered.
While Tiger Woods is an obvious favorite to win this week's U.S. Open,
players also must deal with the heat and severe 18th green when the second
major of the season begins Thursday at the Southern Hills Golf Club.
The heat index will approach 100 degrees for the opening round Thursday
and could surpass the century mark over the weekend, giving an advantage
to some players.
"I think the heat will be a factor for anybody," said two-time U.S. Open
winner Ernie Els of South Africa. "I think guys that are teeing off early are
definitely at an advantage."
The weather also could favor those PGA Tour members that spend a lot of
their time in Florida. And it could hamper European Tour regulars who are
not accustomed to such severe conditions.
"I live in Florida and this is normal in the summertime," Woods said. "It's
what we face for three or four months of the year. Sometimes worse than
this.
"The guys who play in Europe don't really have that on, I guess, a routine
basis every year. The only time they face that is when they go outside of
Europe."
There are a handful of Europeans that normally would be given a chance at
competing for this week's title. Among them are Lee Westwood of Britain
and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.
Westwood, the top-ranked European at No. 5 in the world rankings,
doesn't think the heat will be a factor, although he spends most of his season
in cool climates.
"We play in these conditions regularly at the start of the year," he said. "It's
pretty hot in Malaysia, if you ever decided to go there."
But most say the heat will not affect the best players in the field -- the golfers
who are more equipped to handle it because they control their emotions,
regardless of the conditions.
"Fatigue and concentration will go hand in hand," said Davis Love III. "It will
be a long, grueling week for a lot of guys."
Part of the grueling week is expected to be the 18th green at Southern Hills,
which was the center of controversy during practice rounds.
Already one of the most difficult closing holes in any U.S. Open, the
466-yard par-4 features a dangerously slick green that slopes toward the
front and funnels approach shots back to the fairway.
The hole has changed since Zimbabwe's Nick Price won the PGA
Championship here in 1994. And he doesn't like it.
"I don't know what they were thinking about on 18," he said. "They've
ruined a perfectly great hole as far as I'm concerned."
"If you hit a good, solid shot in the middle of the green, there is a chance of
that ball rolling 40 yards off the green," Woods said. "It's a good shot right in
the middle of the green and that's a pretty harsh penalty for a good solid
shot."
Course superintendents Tim Moraghan and John Szklinski took the
criticisms of the 18th hole, and ninth, to heart and decided late Tuesday to
change the mowing height and watering of the putting surfaces.
"We have some concerns with 18," Moraghan said. "We have to remember
that it's a very, very tough golf hole that we made tougher, for what we think
is the best championship. And conditions are extreme."
The rest of Southern Hills is typical of a U.S. Open layout. The rough is
thick, although not unplayable, and the greens are slick. Because of the heat,
they should dry out and play even faster later in the week.
Woods is an even-money favorite to win his unprecedented fifth straight
major title. He already has four PGA Tour wins, including The Masters, and
two others in Europe this year among his 34 individual titles worldwide.
Unfortunately for the rest of the 156-player field, Woods said he is hitting
balls "crisp and clean," is "driving the ball pretty solid" and is "able to hit
shots consistently."
"Lately, I've been able to keep that for an entire round," he said. "I think
that's one of the reasons why I've been able to score the way I've been able
to score."
Scoring on the 6,973-yard layout will not be easy. Southern Hills, which also
hosted the Tour Championship in 1995 and 1996, has the longest par-5 --
the 642-yard fifth -- and par-4 -- the 491-yard 16th -- in U.S. Open
history.
The reward for the survivor of this week's test will be a top prize of
$900,000 from the $5 million purse. |
