What I Learned During the USGA's Muddy Revolution

By Vic Williams | Photo Courtesy USGA | Posted June 25, 2009

Excuse me for not jumping right on the blog-wagon moments after a wide-eyed, smiling (and, I've surmised, more than deserving) Lucas Glover hoisted the U.S. Open trophy at the end of a five-day slog filled with thrills, muddy spills and more than a few final-round chills. Believe it or not, I was speechless and worn out — plus I had a late Monday afternoon tee time at sublime Sebonack on eastern Long Island to drag my sorry blogged-out butt to.

Priorities, my friends, priorities.

So, I decided to give myself an extra couple days to digest and ponder what I'd just witnessed, along with more than 20,000 rowdy New Yawkahs, in person — the first four days right there with the ticket-buying Phil Phaithful on the sloppy side of the ropes and the final day inside those same ropes, with unobstructed views of the train wrecks and gut checks, the frightful collapses and heroic recoveries. That's two more days for all that Bethpage Black mud to further petrify on my once-pristine New Balances, for Phil to get out of dodge with his family to God knows where for God knows how long, for Tiger to have his putter checked, for Ricky Barnes to really count his blessings and for a pudgier but more perfectly at ease David Duval to dream of a lightning-strike encore at Turnberry in three weeks' time. If you hadn't heard, Double D will be there. In fact, he might show up at a lot of majors for the foreseeble future.

I saw it all at the Black, just as I did at Torrey Pines a year ago. But this was a different kind of "all" – not wrapped up in a red bow with a fist-pumping 72nd-hole putt and a rousing only-in-Hollywood Monday playoff. This was a messy, marvelously twisted affair that will leave a mark on how the U.S. Open is perceived, organized and executed for years to come. Perhaps I'm still too close to the smoldering, rain-doused coals from which a rock-steady Glover emerged with the hardware and the loot, but I think this was indeed an Open for the ages. It showed a USGA at last in transition from stodgy 20th century to a Twitter-happy 21st; a major metro area and its denizens in a much different psychological space than they were the first time the Open came a-callin' to the Black; a long-standing superstar firmament being shaken by some new guys who, so far, let their sticks to the talking and a couple older dudes who have found a confident new voice through their swings; and an entire game that finds itself still wildly popular as a couple of those superstars still deliver the goods but on the precipice of a deep, dark unknown should they start to fade away.

And, to my mind, it revealed some clear winners and losers.

Winner: Mike Davis and his USGA Rules and Competitions crew. The mild-mannered but steely-eyed Davis had to maintain his optimistic nature as every day brought either torrential downpours or the threat of them. He was literally at nature's mercy, but through every start and stop he had a Plan, and he executed it to perfection. There was never a hint of panic, not an ounce of caution thrown to the (mostly absent) wind. Just the determination to see the 109th champ crowned in the prescribed 72 holes, or 90, had a playoff resulted. Certainly no fewer than 72. That just wouldn't do for the highest golf honor in the land. And they got it done only a half day late. Amazing.

Loser: The USGA. After Thursday's round was monsooned out of commission, an army of vocal New York fans got vocal (as they've been known to do) about the Bluecoats' policy on refunds for rainouts. They scrambled for an answer and finally came up with a compromise: Thursday ticketholders could come back Monday should the event stretch that far (which it did, of course), and if it ended Sunday, they'd get a 50 percent refund — a $2 million-plus hit for the USGA. I'm baffled why they didn't have a clear policy in place for this sort of thing; if you're going to stage a major at a venue known for epic summertime rainstorms (though this June was, to be honest, an anomaly), you'd better be prepared for weather issues.

Winner: Bethpage Superintendent Craig Currier and his crew. They kept the Black playable even after the course was under water most of Thursday and part of Saturday night. And a Monday breeze allowed the course's greens to firm up noticeably, which was reflected in the scores. Only Duval found a truly hot putter down the stretch, burying bombs at nos. 8 and 15. Everybody else got a dose of what Open greens are supposed to look and feel like. Sure, the 18th fairway was an ongoing problem, but they even found a way around that, moving the tees way up for the final round. In all, a miraculous effort.

Losers: The fans who didn't plan ahead for the conditions. I saw plenty of people sinking ankle-high in flipflops, and there were reports of more than a few slip 'n' slid-related injuries. A gazillion gallons of beer lubed the slopes even more, but still — get a (sole) grip, for cryin' out loud.

Winner: Ricky Barnes. Yeah, I know his swing developed more ticks than a ranch mutt down the stretch, including a particularly smelly bogey-laden stretch on Monday. And he had a six-shot lead over Glover at 11-under par at one point on Sunday. But he still finished tied for second with Mickelson and Duval, and had his gorgeous putt at 18 dropped, he might have caused Glover to hiccup his 4-footer for par, forcing a playoff. It's still a strong showing, more than enough on which to build a solid career moving forward. And he still dated Natalie Gulbis and has those Hollywood looks. No tear-shedding necessary.

Loser: Mike Weir. He's obviously got Major game (see the 2003 Masters), and up close his swing is as solid as any out there. But Weir's brutal miscue at 16 just added insult to an already injurious Monday showing, which added up to a 74. Sure it was only one more than Glover's 73, but remember he came out strong with an opening 64. He may be the most disappointed of any Top 10 finisher, Phil included. And that's saying something.

Winner: Matt Bettencourt. But for an opening 75, he played as solidly as anyone over the weekend, finishing T10. Barnes wasn't the only Northern California kid who impressed.

Winner: Sergio Garcia. Three even-par 70s and one 72, pretty consistent. A little more confidence with the flatstick and golf's best overall ballstriker will be a threat (again) overseas at the upcoming Open Championship. More importantly, he stayed out of the New York crowd's crosshairs, and that's a victory all its own.

Losers: Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els. Paddy was on the wrong side of the draw along with Tiger, but that's no excuse for going 12-over in two rounds. Not for a guy who's won three of the past seven majors. And Els, who looked so relaxed on the practice tee Wednesday? He fought a nasy push off the tee and never recovered. 15-over. Beyond brutal.

Ultimate winner: David Duval. What can you say about a guy who, little more than a year ago, couldn't find a fairway with a GPS system strapped to his forehead, and the day before the Open started was ranked 800-and-something in the world? A lot, it turns out. All the bad stuf was then, this is now, baby. The swing looks good. The stroke looks even better, power lipout at the 71st hole notwithstanding. And the owner of both appears at peace with the world and confident that he belongs once again with the big boys. How can you come away from this Open, this wet and wild exercise in glorious golf torture, with anything but a warm spot in your heart for a former No. 1 — one of a handful of players to ever card a 59 in competition — who's found his way all the way back, on the Black?

Ultimate loser: Nobody. In the end, it all worked out. And while Glover is pretty much plain vanilla to Tiger's Solid Gold Superchunk Supreme and Phil's Lovable Lefty Triple Treat, he was the right guy this time. He was the ultimate grinder out there — reminiscent of a Hale Irwin or Curtis Strange. Does that mean he'll add another someday? I wouldn't bet against it. History proves that nearly all players who win a U.S. Open finish their careers with more than enough accolades to justify holding up that trophy. So keep an eye on Glover — cuz the next time he goes low, he'll no doubt do it quietly once again.

Vic Williams is editor and publishing partner of Fairways + Greens, a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to golf, travel and lifestyle for the West and beyond. He has written thousands of stories on golf and will cover every facet of the game right here, primarily travel but also the major tours, equipment, personalities and more. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it