Post by philknj on Jun 17, 2022 3:18:00 GMT
From a motel west of the Philly airport, I took a circuitous route through Blue Blood country until I arrived at Haverford College for the shuttle pick-up to Merion GC (East course) in Ardmore, PA. The school bus stopped at the course entrance on Ardmore Ave. and it was a brief walk to the clubhouse, which runs adjacent to the 1st tee box.
Earlier in the week, the weather report said there would be heavy downpours. Fortunately, that storm was delayed until the next day, although I had my umbrella open for at least two straight hours, due to a light, constant sprinkling which had no effect on the play.
I glanced at the electronic scoreboard and saw that the USA waxed GB&I on Friday, 5-1 ... realistically, GB&I had to sweep all three four-ball matches in the AM to get back into this tournament.
The first match, Caley McGinty and Lauren Walsh (GB&I) versus Jensen Castle and Rachel Kuehn (USA), teed off ten minutes before I arrived, but I hustled ahead to the 2nd hole (back across Ardmore Ave.) to catch up with them.
I had been here only once before, the finals of the U.S. Amateur in 1989. Distinct memories of at least four holes came back to me ... what I did NOT recall was how hilly and brutally tough this course was to walk as a spectator. There were ropes around some of the tee boxes and greens, but that was it. You could walk the fairways with the players, although volunteers acted like ushers and steered the crowds in certain directions at some of the holes.
A few college coaches were roaming about and the first one I saw was ex-LPGAer Lisa Strom, head coach of Ohio State. She was keeping tabs on her latest pick-up in the first match, The Great McGinty (ex-Kent State, ex-Oklahoma State) ... Strom was her coach at Kent State.
The USA was 1-up thru five holes, but then McGinty & Walsh threw a switch and blew Castle & Kuehn off the golf course. Walsh is the least-known of these four players, but she hit stiff approach shots and made putts ... I guess she is more than just Kuehn’s roommate at Wake Forest U.
It was impossible to estimate how far these players were hitting the ball, as I could NOT find any numerical yardage markers on the surface of this property. The club’s website says walking with a caddie is mandatory to play the East course (unless you have a medical excuse). A few years ago, I recall the website saying that range finders were banned, but I don’t see that notation now ... I guess Merion was dragged kicking and screaming out of the 19th century. Range finders were permitted in this event.
McGinty did her part at the par-4 7th, listed at 251 yards, as she was the only one to drive the green. Castle and Kuehn missed the green left and had difficult second shots. In Castle’s case, her ball was in the top of a steep bunker, so steep that she almost fell down trying to go up it ... near the top, she stuck out her wedge and the caddie pulled her up for the last couple of steps. In a move she probably never practiced before, she chopped the ball out and ran down the bunker to the bottom. Then she slipped out of her FJ shoes, emptied the sand, slipped them back on and twisted the heel knobs to tighten them ... a nice time-saver over traditional laces.
GB&I won holes six thru nine to go 3-up. Castle won the par-4 11th hole with a big left-to-right breaking putt. High above the green on the right was a house and a few people were taking in the action from the backyard. GB&I took the next three holes to win 5&4.
Match Two was Amari Avery & Megha Ganne (USA) vs. Annabell Fuller and Hannah Darling (GB&I). I watched a little of this one ... a one-up lead was traded back-and-forth until the USA held it for good, winning two-up.
Match Three was Emilia Migliaccio & Latanna Stone (USA) vs. Charlotte Heath vs. Louise Duncan (GB&I). Stone, who had one or two LSU coaches following her, hit a nice tee ball at the par-3 13th (124 yards) ... has a huge bunker in the front and reminds me of #17 at the Seaview Bay course. USA won the hole to cut its deficit to one-down. However, GB&I won #15 to take a two-up lead with three holes remaining ... and then they gagged on the last three holes to lose one-up. Heath talked to her mom afterward. They spoke too softly to be heard ... there were no tears shed, but I wouldn’t have been surprised to see them.
The USA’s two big guns, Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck, were not invisible. They were handing pins to little girls or applying face glitter on them. I think there were trading cards printed for this event ... saw a little girl get one for Rachel Kuehn.
Now this thing was really over, as the USA had a 7-2 lead and needed only three more points in the next eleven matches to retain the cup.
The afternoon foursome (alternate shot) matches weren’t starting until 3:12 PM. I killed time exploring and took a pic of the Ben Hogan plaque on the 18th fairway. I also took a pic of a plaque next to the flag pole ... a time capsule was buried there in 1997 and would be unearthed in 2047. I dropped by the concession stand. A can of beer (some with a Merion GC logo) was going for $10 ... pass. They had Philly pretzels for $2 so I went for one. Oops, I thought that meant a WHOLE pretzel, not a half. It was still good with mustard.
I took a steep hike, down and up, to the practice facility, which is at the northern tip of the East course. The back of the range has an extremely high fence. I’ll bet the PGA tour guys were hitting it high on the fly when they played the U.S. Open here in 2013. Behind the fence is dense woods and the Norristown High Speed Line (rail service), which has a station on Ardmore Ave. next to the club.
After watching The Zhangster and Heck warm up on the range, I followed the start of their foursome match against GB&I’s best (McGinty & Walsh). This was the first PM match and a young blonde I did not recognize was following along for the TV broadcast ... later learned her name is Julia Johnson (who?). Kay Cockerill did the TV for the second match, Amelia Williamson/Emily Price (GB&I) versus Amari Avery/Rachel Kuehn (USA). Karen Stupples covered the third match, Hannah Darling/Annabell Fuller (GB&I) versus Jensen Castle/Latanna Stone (USA).
You would think having two balls in play during the PM would go faster compared to four balls in play during the AM, but it sure didn’t seem that way. After Zhang/Heck lost the 1st hole, one of them hit an errant drive right at #2, and then the other player hit a provisional that also went right. Apparently, there was some issue on whether or not the provisional was announced, per the muttering of fans around me. They took forever to get it sorted out ... I wanted to yell, “Just give up and go to the next hole!”, but, of course, they won’t do that ... not that it changed the outcome as they lost the 2nd hole. Even though the last shuttle was supposed to leave at 9 PM, I wanted to get out of here much sooner than that.
I stayed with the lead match as Zhang/Heck lost two more holes to go four-down after seven. I didn’t follow this match the whole time, but when you heard loud roars, I assumed the USA was coming back (the USA started behind in all three matches).
The par-4 10th tee is way up in the air. The poor caddies have to lug a bag up the highest set of steps I’ve seen on a golf course. In 1989 I remember hearing the golf balls hiss through the air as they pass over my head. I didn’t hear that sound now ... different equipment now could be one reason. Also, the women were probably hitting more lofted clubs, so the balls may have been higher.
While walking the 14th fairway, a woman was talking to a guy about her time on tour. I looked at her badge and it said Emily Glaser. Who is that? She wasn’t wearing an obvious college uniform. I looked up her name later ... she was Emily Bastel when she played the LPGA and Duramed tours about 15 years ago. Glaser is her married name and she has been the head coach at U. of Florida since 2012 (Annabell Fuller is a Gator).
To save my legs, I hung out by the par-4 16th green, which is not far from the par-4 18th green. The second shot at #16 is over a garbage dump to an elevated green. Zhang/Heck made birdie to cut their deficit to one-down. This match halved #17, so it continued to the par-4 18th. To beat the crowd, I decided to leave after this match.
The USA drove the nails into the coffin by lunchtime, but it was at the 18th hole during the PM when they threw the box into the hole. Both drives were in the left rough and both approaches finished short of the green ... after a pair of chips, it was a putting contest. Heck made her par putt and Walsh missed hers, giving the USA a tie, but it felt like a loss for GB&I. The other two matches were split, giving the USA the lead, 8.5 to 3.5.
The U.S. Women’s Open is coming to Merion GC (East) in 2034. Man, that’s another twelve years that I have to stay in shape ... or maybe I’ll break down and ask the USGA to reserve me an ADA scooter.
Earlier in the week, the weather report said there would be heavy downpours. Fortunately, that storm was delayed until the next day, although I had my umbrella open for at least two straight hours, due to a light, constant sprinkling which had no effect on the play.
I glanced at the electronic scoreboard and saw that the USA waxed GB&I on Friday, 5-1 ... realistically, GB&I had to sweep all three four-ball matches in the AM to get back into this tournament.
The first match, Caley McGinty and Lauren Walsh (GB&I) versus Jensen Castle and Rachel Kuehn (USA), teed off ten minutes before I arrived, but I hustled ahead to the 2nd hole (back across Ardmore Ave.) to catch up with them.
I had been here only once before, the finals of the U.S. Amateur in 1989. Distinct memories of at least four holes came back to me ... what I did NOT recall was how hilly and brutally tough this course was to walk as a spectator. There were ropes around some of the tee boxes and greens, but that was it. You could walk the fairways with the players, although volunteers acted like ushers and steered the crowds in certain directions at some of the holes.
A few college coaches were roaming about and the first one I saw was ex-LPGAer Lisa Strom, head coach of Ohio State. She was keeping tabs on her latest pick-up in the first match, The Great McGinty (ex-Kent State, ex-Oklahoma State) ... Strom was her coach at Kent State.
The USA was 1-up thru five holes, but then McGinty & Walsh threw a switch and blew Castle & Kuehn off the golf course. Walsh is the least-known of these four players, but she hit stiff approach shots and made putts ... I guess she is more than just Kuehn’s roommate at Wake Forest U.
It was impossible to estimate how far these players were hitting the ball, as I could NOT find any numerical yardage markers on the surface of this property. The club’s website says walking with a caddie is mandatory to play the East course (unless you have a medical excuse). A few years ago, I recall the website saying that range finders were banned, but I don’t see that notation now ... I guess Merion was dragged kicking and screaming out of the 19th century. Range finders were permitted in this event.
McGinty did her part at the par-4 7th, listed at 251 yards, as she was the only one to drive the green. Castle and Kuehn missed the green left and had difficult second shots. In Castle’s case, her ball was in the top of a steep bunker, so steep that she almost fell down trying to go up it ... near the top, she stuck out her wedge and the caddie pulled her up for the last couple of steps. In a move she probably never practiced before, she chopped the ball out and ran down the bunker to the bottom. Then she slipped out of her FJ shoes, emptied the sand, slipped them back on and twisted the heel knobs to tighten them ... a nice time-saver over traditional laces.
GB&I won holes six thru nine to go 3-up. Castle won the par-4 11th hole with a big left-to-right breaking putt. High above the green on the right was a house and a few people were taking in the action from the backyard. GB&I took the next three holes to win 5&4.
Match Two was Amari Avery & Megha Ganne (USA) vs. Annabell Fuller and Hannah Darling (GB&I). I watched a little of this one ... a one-up lead was traded back-and-forth until the USA held it for good, winning two-up.
Match Three was Emilia Migliaccio & Latanna Stone (USA) vs. Charlotte Heath vs. Louise Duncan (GB&I). Stone, who had one or two LSU coaches following her, hit a nice tee ball at the par-3 13th (124 yards) ... has a huge bunker in the front and reminds me of #17 at the Seaview Bay course. USA won the hole to cut its deficit to one-down. However, GB&I won #15 to take a two-up lead with three holes remaining ... and then they gagged on the last three holes to lose one-up. Heath talked to her mom afterward. They spoke too softly to be heard ... there were no tears shed, but I wouldn’t have been surprised to see them.
The USA’s two big guns, Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck, were not invisible. They were handing pins to little girls or applying face glitter on them. I think there were trading cards printed for this event ... saw a little girl get one for Rachel Kuehn.
Now this thing was really over, as the USA had a 7-2 lead and needed only three more points in the next eleven matches to retain the cup.
The afternoon foursome (alternate shot) matches weren’t starting until 3:12 PM. I killed time exploring and took a pic of the Ben Hogan plaque on the 18th fairway. I also took a pic of a plaque next to the flag pole ... a time capsule was buried there in 1997 and would be unearthed in 2047. I dropped by the concession stand. A can of beer (some with a Merion GC logo) was going for $10 ... pass. They had Philly pretzels for $2 so I went for one. Oops, I thought that meant a WHOLE pretzel, not a half. It was still good with mustard.
I took a steep hike, down and up, to the practice facility, which is at the northern tip of the East course. The back of the range has an extremely high fence. I’ll bet the PGA tour guys were hitting it high on the fly when they played the U.S. Open here in 2013. Behind the fence is dense woods and the Norristown High Speed Line (rail service), which has a station on Ardmore Ave. next to the club.
After watching The Zhangster and Heck warm up on the range, I followed the start of their foursome match against GB&I’s best (McGinty & Walsh). This was the first PM match and a young blonde I did not recognize was following along for the TV broadcast ... later learned her name is Julia Johnson (who?). Kay Cockerill did the TV for the second match, Amelia Williamson/Emily Price (GB&I) versus Amari Avery/Rachel Kuehn (USA). Karen Stupples covered the third match, Hannah Darling/Annabell Fuller (GB&I) versus Jensen Castle/Latanna Stone (USA).
You would think having two balls in play during the PM would go faster compared to four balls in play during the AM, but it sure didn’t seem that way. After Zhang/Heck lost the 1st hole, one of them hit an errant drive right at #2, and then the other player hit a provisional that also went right. Apparently, there was some issue on whether or not the provisional was announced, per the muttering of fans around me. They took forever to get it sorted out ... I wanted to yell, “Just give up and go to the next hole!”, but, of course, they won’t do that ... not that it changed the outcome as they lost the 2nd hole. Even though the last shuttle was supposed to leave at 9 PM, I wanted to get out of here much sooner than that.
I stayed with the lead match as Zhang/Heck lost two more holes to go four-down after seven. I didn’t follow this match the whole time, but when you heard loud roars, I assumed the USA was coming back (the USA started behind in all three matches).
The par-4 10th tee is way up in the air. The poor caddies have to lug a bag up the highest set of steps I’ve seen on a golf course. In 1989 I remember hearing the golf balls hiss through the air as they pass over my head. I didn’t hear that sound now ... different equipment now could be one reason. Also, the women were probably hitting more lofted clubs, so the balls may have been higher.
While walking the 14th fairway, a woman was talking to a guy about her time on tour. I looked at her badge and it said Emily Glaser. Who is that? She wasn’t wearing an obvious college uniform. I looked up her name later ... she was Emily Bastel when she played the LPGA and Duramed tours about 15 years ago. Glaser is her married name and she has been the head coach at U. of Florida since 2012 (Annabell Fuller is a Gator).
To save my legs, I hung out by the par-4 16th green, which is not far from the par-4 18th green. The second shot at #16 is over a garbage dump to an elevated green. Zhang/Heck made birdie to cut their deficit to one-down. This match halved #17, so it continued to the par-4 18th. To beat the crowd, I decided to leave after this match.
The USA drove the nails into the coffin by lunchtime, but it was at the 18th hole during the PM when they threw the box into the hole. Both drives were in the left rough and both approaches finished short of the green ... after a pair of chips, it was a putting contest. Heck made her par putt and Walsh missed hers, giving the USA a tie, but it felt like a loss for GB&I. The other two matches were split, giving the USA the lead, 8.5 to 3.5.
The U.S. Women’s Open is coming to Merion GC (East) in 2034. Man, that’s another twelve years that I have to stay in shape ... or maybe I’ll break down and ask the USGA to reserve me an ADA scooter.
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