By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Before leaving the U.S. Open, let’s hear it for Mike Davis.
The work of the man who set up Bethpage Black was lost in the revival of David Duval, the all-too familiar failures of Phil Mickelson, the weeble-wobble of Ricky Barnes, the par-filled back nine of Lucas Glover and the golf course bog.
By moving up the tees on three holes, Davis invited the players to do some catching up in the final round. At the same time, his decision reduced Nos. 13, 14 and 18 to a length that is doable for any amateur who can break 90. Sure, the rough was up and the fairways narrow, but many of those watching could envision reaching the green in regulation on those three holes.
Particularly intriguing was the 14th at 127 yards. Too often, viewers can only dream of succeeding on the par-threes that the pros play. Tee shots on TV are to be appreciated, not duplicated. For somebody who does not have a 3-wood, the 207-yard 17th at Bethpage is a hit-and-hope hybrid with little chance to carry the cabbage in front of the green and the 232-yard third is a driver.
But, 127 yards — that’s a choke-down 8-iron or a full-out 9-iron.
The pin placement was neat, smack in the middle of an 8-yard wide tongue of green that unfurled toward a valley. There were 16 birdies there in the final round, but Duval was the only top-five finisher to make a two.
Davis shortened the 13th from 600-yards-plus to 551 for Monday’s round. Phil Mickelson accepted the invite with an eagle and so did Ross Fisher. Those threes put both men in the thick of things. During the first three rounds, Tom Lehman recorded the only eagle on the hole.
The 13th also yielded a slew of final-round birdies. Ironically, champion Lucas Glover missed out on the birdiefest after an errant drive.
Davis, who took over as the USGA’s primary course set-up man prior to the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006, has a much different philosophy than his predecessor Tom Meeks. With Meeks, the tee markers might as well have been set in cement. There was no flexibility.
Davis is about options and opportunity, such as making the water-guarded 18th at Torrey Pines reachable in two last year and teasing the players with the drivable 17th at Oakmont the year before.
Prior to the tournament, some considered the 18th at Bethpage Black unworthy of being the final hole of a U.S. Open.
At one point last year, Davis considered having the players hit from the 18th at the Black Course to the 18th green at the nearby Red Course. He came around to no, saying that there was a feeling the change would have to be permanent and that golfers want to play the same course as the pros.
At the very least, some said to Davis, toughen the 18th.
“I’ve done the reverse philosophy,” he said prior to the tournament. “Let’s create a hole where they can make birdie. The whole concept is to give them a catch-up hole at the end.”
On Monday, the 411-yard 18th played 364. There were 15 birdies, but Soren Hansen and Henrik Stenson were the only birdie-makers who finished in the top nine. A birdie by Mickelson, Duval or Barnes would have put the heat on Glover to two-putt the last hole. Even though their approach was barely more than a chip shot, none of them could get close.
Chalk those up as costly pars. As long as Davis is in charge, birdie opportunities will be part of the U.S. Open.
——-
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
