Mike Davis expects low scores in 2012 US Open – Golf News
Mike Davis, the USGA Executive Director, has said that it will be challenging for the players to record low scores in this year’s US Open, as the event moves from the renowned Congressional Country Club and Golf Course to the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Speaking to the media, Davis said that the players, who easily managed lower scores in the 2011 event, will face difficulties this year as the conditions at West Coast are not friendly to the players.
According to Davis, each player will have to give his best in order to remain in the game.
It will not be an easy job to record birdies as the unlevelled course at the venue requires the players to have complete control over their games.
The second major event of the season is slated to start from June 14 at the famous 7,170-yard lake course.
It stretches 373 extra yards compared to the length it had while hosting the National Championship in 1998.
Apart from the length of the course, the event will witness players proving their skills on the 670-yard 16th, which will be the longest par-5 hole in the history of the event.
Moreover, the windy and foggy conditions at the course will make it even more demanding for the players to get a lead with greater margins in the event.
"I am convinced that this will be the hardest start in a U.S. Open," Davis said after walking the course on a sun-soaked day along the California coast.
He added, "The first six holes are going to just be brutal. I would contend if you play the first six holes 2 over, I don't think you're giving up anything to the field".
He went on to say that the USGA wants a balance between the standards of the event, making the event successful through tough competition.
"We don't want to see well executed shots penalized," Davis said. "When setting up a course as tough as the U.S. Open, it's really splitting hairs sometimes of not actually doing that. Our goal is to test the players mentally, physically, and test their
shot-making skills".
Rory McIlroy, world number two and the 2011 US Open Champion, will defend the title on a completely new course compared to the easy one he played on a year ago.
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