Merion Golf Club - The 2009 Walker Cup Match and The 2013 US Open

Part of the thrill of a Walker Cup is being able to see a great golf course. Over the years the Walker Cup has been hosted by National Golf Links, Pine Valley, and Cypress Point, some of the most exclusive courses in the country.  So it was with the 2009 Walker Cup at Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA.

One of the more storied courses in the country, highlighted by Bobby Jones winning the 1930 US Amateur on his way to the Grand Slam and Ben Hogan's 1950 US Open victory, Merion is an anomaly. With most championship courses playing well over 7000 yards in length, Merion's 6996 yards would seem to make it a delight for the long hitters of today. Not so. 

Talk of the short length of the course occupied many conversations as I headed for the Walker Cup in September of 2009. In addition, the course property occupied only 90 acres, as compared with most modern courses consisting of upwards of 200 acres. How would the USGA squeeze 50,000 spectators onto 90 acres for the 2013 US Open?

As with all international golf events, the opening ceremony was scheduled to take place the day before play. It is always an interesting and moving event, with the heads of the R & A, USGA, along with a member of the Bush family speaking. George Herbert Walker, grandfather to Bush 41 and great grandfather to Bush 43, donated the trophy for the Walker Cup when he was the USGA president in 1921.

Unfortunately, the weather stepped in to cancel the event. High winds and torrential rain hit the course, even shutting the Philadelphia airport. 

Following the opening ceremony, it is traditional for the USGA to host a large welcome party for officials and guests. With a modest club house, Merion constructed an adjacent tent to handle the large gathering. However, it was never planned to hold all party goers. They were always going to need patio and lawn space, but with the rain, everybody was in the tent. It was an unfortunate start to the event as sardines in a can had more room than the party goers.                                                                                                                                                                                                     There are many interesting aspects to the Merion golf course not the least of which is the proximity of the first tee to the clubhouse patio. Luncheon diners sit within 10' of players teeing off at number one. It is a curious sight and most intimidating, for the playing guests to tee off while a few feet away diners enjoy a meal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Friday, the first day of play, opened sunny and mild. Jim Lehman, Nathan Ollhoff, Golf Professional at Interlachen, and I made our way around the 1912 Hugh Wilson designed gem. The course is curious in that the longer holes go uphill and the shorter holes go down hill. However, the short holes may be the more difficult with irregularly shaped, severe greens that are well bunkered. The longer holes, being up hill, all play longer and more difficult than the yardage. The combination means every hole is difficult.

With one over par as the winning score in the 2013 US Open, many other clubs felt their own classic courses could stand up to the best players in the world. They would not. I believe Merion is unique. With the design of the holes, the placement of the bunkers, and the makeup of the length of each hole, Merion can hold up where others can't.

At the request of the Interlachen Tournament Committee, I talked with Mike Davis, Executive Director of the USGA after the 2013 US Open. "I suppose you are calling about Interlachen hosting the 2030 US Open," he laughed. 2030 will be the 100th anniversary of Bobby Jones winning the US Open at Interlachen on the way to the Grand Slam.

"Well......," I responded.

"The US Open is so much more than the golf course," he said. "Merion has a second eighteen hole course, plus Haverford College, with 500 acres, right next door. We used every bit of both spaces."

Mike Davis has always liked Interlachen from his time with the 1993 Walker Cup and the 2008 Women's US Open. He would not tell the club what to do or not to do in inviting the USGA to hold an event. However, he painted a clear picture that Interlachen did not have the footprint necessary to host an event the magnitude of the US Open.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 At most Walker Cup Matches there are one or two players better than the rest. At Nairn in 1999, it was Luke Donald and Paul Casey. In 1995 at Porthcawl it was Gary Wolstenholme and Gordon Sherry. At Chicago Golf Club in 2005, it was Jeff Overton. And in 2009 it was Rickey Fowler and Bud Cauley. We stood on the 7th tee as the Fowler/Cauley partnership prepared to hit. By simply looking at the players it was obvious who would win. Ricky Fowler without saying a thing, screamed: "I am the best player." He carried himself differently. Not arrogant, not cocky, just different. Fowler and Cowley each won 4 points for the US in a Walker Cup where the only question was, how big would the victory be?

The winner of the Walker Cup, as with the US Open in 2013, was Merion. How can a course playing less than 7000 yards produce a score of one over par to win the 2013 US Open? Merion did just that. While Augusta National is adding hundreds of yards in the futile attempt to defend the course, Merion plods along at 6996 challenging everyone to try and tame her. It hasn't happened yet and when the USGA comes back for the next Open ( my guess will be 2030), it will not happen then. 

The 2009 Walker Cup was a great event where I found an appreciation and respect for Merion Golf Club in a life in golf.