We Like Mike

By Greg Midland

Sportswriters, not to mention professional golfers, can be a demanding lot. Toss in a waterlogged U.S. Open that looks like it might not finish until Monday (or Tuesday), and the crankiness factor goes way up. That's why it was so impressive to watch USGA Senior Director of Rules & Competition Mike Davis in action at a packed press conference on Thursday afternoon, at which he discussed in detail the way the weather is impacting this 109th U.S. Open Championship.

Davis is a straight shooter, and the media respect him greatly for that. So too the players, most of whom agreed with the decision to start play today despite the morning drizzle: Tiger Woods said, "We had to get in as many holes as we possibly could, and we played more holes than we thought." Sure, a few players, especially the ones who struggled in the wet conditions, bemoaned the fact that they had to go out there at all, but they have to realize that the forecast is iffy at best for the next several days, and as Davis pointed out, "The USGA will not determine a national champion until we play 72 holes." And there is absolutely zero chance they will employ the lift, clean and place policy sometimes used on the PGA Tour.

Some other snippets from Davis in the press conference:
--"If the forecast we've got right now for Saturday and so on were absolutely accurate...yes, finishing on Sunday would be borderline impossible."
--"This course, if you come out here most of the time, plays beautifully firm. So it's very frustrating that we're not really getting to see the true Bethpage, where you're bouncing balls in."
--"If it takes us into Monday or Tuesday, whatever, we had a Women's Open several years ago back in the 1980s finish up on Tuesday, and unfortunately we had a playoff that went into Wednesday. Not trying to be pessimistic, but we will play 72 holes."
--"If there is one silver lining in this, a glimmer of hope, it's that the course drains beautifully."

The more than 400 members of the media typing away in the media center appreciate Davis's candor, and know that he's as frustrated as anyone by the start to this U.S. Open. Let's all hope the forecast improves and a new U.S. Open champion will be crowned by Sunday or, at worst, Monday.