Ice-cold bladeMore often than not, the stats don't lie. So it was with Paul McGinley yesterday, after an opening-round 74: he hit 67 per cent of greens in regulation, a pretty good average if the truth be told, but then took 34 putts. And that was where the real damage was done. There was no hiding from the fact, either.
"I'm really struggling on the greens. You know, when you come to the US Open you need a hot putter. I battled like hell today but unfortunately I gave some away shots on the greens," remarked McGinley.
Among those indiscretions on the greens were what he termed "stupid three-putts", on the 11th and 16th, his second and seventh holes.
"I think the greens are extremely difficult. You're not going to see a lot of putts holed this week. I think these greens are as tricky as I've ever seen. There's a lot of slope, a lot of speed, and they're bumpy. Everyone's going to find it tough."
In many ways, McGinley's first round was similar to how his season has gone. It just didn't ignite, and most of it comes down to the fact he isn't scoring well enough. "On the positive side, my game's in great shape," he attested. "I'm hitting the ball great. My chipping is good. My putting feels good, but I am holing nothing. I've just got to be patient, I am going through one of those spells. I have just got to ride the bump and come out the other side."
Back to Merion
Forward planning is vital when it comes to staging a US Open, and the USGA have announced that Merion Golf Club, near Philadelphia, will play host to the championship in 2013. The most recent championship at Merion was in 1981, when David Graham won.
It means the USGA have now decided on venues for the next seven US Opens. Next year's championship will be staged at Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Torrey Pines, San Diego (2008); Bethpage, New York (2009); Pebble Beach, California (2010); Congressional, Maryland (2011); and the Olympic Club, San Francisco (2012), have also been pencilled in.
Growing pains ... All his life, Tadd Fuikikawa has been fighting the odds. When he was born, he weighed less than two pounds - but the Hawaiian teenager, who at 15 has become the youngest player in the US Open, having come through two bouts of qualifying, had to admit that Winged Foot was just a step too far after a first round 81. "It's the toughest course I've ever played, by far," he said. "I wasn't nervous, and I felt I played well . . . but my score didn't show it."
