Dave Pelz: “Studying the game”

Congratulations to Lucas Glover for a well played US Open! Lucas kept his composure and perservered through an extremely difficult US Open experience for all concerned.

Congratulations are also in order to Craig Currier, his support staff, and also to the USGA - great course set-up with the graduated rough, using different tee boxes to control the distance and fairness in terrible weather conditions, and also for the pin location decisions. I witnessed the USGA using a smart-level to make sure their pin locations were not on an unfairly sloped area. Remember the pin locations on 14 and 17? These were brilliant.

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Lets take a look at a few of the interesting features from the Bethpage Black course set-up. These features show the difference a few feet can make for the US Open players.

For a front pin position at the 8th hole, if you hit a little short and have too much spin on the ball, the front slope will work against you and you very well might find the water. There is also a tree just right of the front of  the green (which David Toms just hit and made a 6) which can deflect balls into the pond.

Front of 8th green 2009 Bethpage, US Open

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