US Open will not be Open this year (NO POLITICS OR COVID-19 POSTS)

[cdnglf]

 

 

[dalehead]

Talking about an asterisk or not being a major is a lot of hot air, which this site has an abundance of. The winner in 2020 is going to be called the US Open champion by the USGA, the press, the public, and history. Get over it.

P.S. If Tiger wins I think a lot of guys will change their tune.

[15th Club]

This is incorrect.

An “open” championship is one where there is qualifying that is open to all.

What you are describing, and what the USGA is now doing, is an “invitational.” Before Cliff Roberts latched onto the name “Masters,” it was the Augusta National Invitational Tournament. Pros and amateurs were invited together. It was not an open championship.

2020 is the year of the USGA National Invitational.

And no; I am NOT one of the ones here suggesting that it will somehow be an illegitimate win for whoever wins it.

Rather, what I am suggesting is that the USGA, in response to current conditions, is doing something that is anti-historical just do have an event, any event.

For my part, I have no desire to compromise the event just to hold some sort of tournament. Cancel it, I say. You can’t hold the event properly; so cancel it. Don’t pretend it’s the same or almost as good or really close to normal.

This is why I like and respect the decision of the Royal and Ancient.

 

[Smada962]

You also aren’t heavily dependent (or dependent at all) on the revenue this tournament brings in. The USGA is. And as a fan I think canceling is ridiculous. A US Invitational put on by the USGA may not be traditional but it’s a million times better than no tournament at all.

[bscinstnct]

 

There’s no need to cancel it. I agree there’s a case that it may not be considered the same event or even a major with the lack of a key quality that makes it the US Open.

 

But it’s still going to be an elite field event on a US Open course and set up.

 

It will be a most welcome event for fans and the players.

 

Cancelling it completely makes no sense. They will play it and the fans and press can have their own opinions on how to value it vis a vis the “traditional” US Open.

[15th Club]

So what I don't know -- and what you also don't know I am presupposing -- is what the financial details may have been, attendant to a cancellation based upon a legal "force majeure." The R&A is also dependent upon revenue from, its Open Championship. They cancelled it. They were insured for at least part of the loss. Would the USGA have been insured? I don't know enough about that as yet.

For you, this has a financial element. And that is okay. I don't begrudge the discussion. But that is not my discussion, in part because I don't have any evidence to support it and because that is a separate consideration from "integrity."

[15th Club]

So Geoff Shackelford did a poll of his readers on this a few weeks ago. 62% to 38%, readers favored having the Compromise Open. Which, I should note, Geoff also called an "Invitational." Geoff wrote that he was torn about the decision. And so he did a poll.https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2020/5/18/instant-poll-should-the-2020-us-open-go-forward-as-an-invitational

I'm not torn about it. I'm against it.

[i wrote three more paragraphs, but cut them before hitting "Post Comment."]

[bscinstnct]

 

Lol, cmon post it up! Live a little! ?

[Darth Putter]

You are incorrect. The event was called the US Open thirty years before there was qualifying.

[James the Hogan Fan]

I am having an extremely difficult time determining how competition spots were allotted prior to qualifying in 1924. I assume the first year, with only 11 competitors, took all who bothered to make the trip. Somewhere between 1895 and 1924 when qualifying was introduced, there came a need to turn potential entrants away.

What I'd like to know is how entries were handled in those years. Was it by invite? By first come? By nomination from player's home club?

[smashdn]

Where does the asterisk go? Just in the history books? Wikipedia I guess too.

If an already exempt person wins it does it matter then? Or does it still matter because the field was comprised in a different manner. I guess my thinking is if say Brooks Koepka wins it, and he was already in the field regardless, does it really matter that some other amateur golfer didn't make the weekend cut than one who would have missed the cut had they had qualifying?

[James the Hogan Fan]

Basically yes.

I compare it to when an Indianapolis 500 gets shortened because of rain. An asterisk goes in saying "166 laps run of 200; race shortened due to rain". Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500 in 2007 under those circumstances. He is still 2007 Indy 500 champ etc.

Does it cheapen the US Open, as you ask, if Brooks wins it? The asterisk in my opinion merely allows everyone to make that decision themselves. In my opinion it's a grey area. Even if they didn't have a chance to win the qualifiers still would have been there and influenced outcomes... I think after 50 years though, the winner of this us open will be treated the same as all the others.

 

Ps, my idea for saving qualifying is a random draw of 100-300 eligible entries from all the entries, who would play a single 18 hole round the weekend before the tourney at the US open course. Top x finishers get a spot, provided they break 75. You get qualifying to satisfy those who want it and an easily-managed format to administer. (And I'd still put an asterisk.)

[Smada962]

Unfortunately what would happen if an asterisk is added is people will decide whether to devalue it or not purely based on whether they like the player that won or not. If Patrick Reed wins this place will go nuts the next day saying the win is tainted.

[cdnglf]

 

IMO, the absence of qualifiers has zero impact on the integrity of the championship. There’s a good chance the field will actually be better - more like the PGA, which usually has all the top 100.

 

Where it could get tricky is if a bunch of the top guys can’t play due to travel restrictions.

 

 

 

[Shilgy]

I’m with you on this one. The qualifiers make for a good story leading in to the event but once it starts it’s about the usual suspects.

[smashdn]

I think you are correct on both parts.

 

Unfortunately, this year's US Open/Invitational will please even less people than normal.

[YoungBorra]

they've cancelled practically every tournament in the met section - all the opens are becoming invitational or exempt only. it's a bad year for golf

[MilkyButterCuts]

Its a bad year for the entire world.

[Ignatius Reilly]

Thirty years with no qualifying and it was still called the US Open?

I'd say it's legit to keep the same name for this year's tourney then.

I'd also take issue with 15th Club's assertion that "An 'open' championship is one where there is qualifying that is open to all."

It's open to golfers with an index of 1.4 or lower. What's that, like 3% of all golfers? No. It's much less than that since a huge majority of casual golfers don't keep a handicap. So let's say that it's NOT OPEN to some 99% of golfers.

I'd also agree with Shilgy - the qualifiers (and the ams) are interesting side stories, but rarely have anything to do with the eventual winner.

This is an odd year and it would be great to play any golf at all. A tournament run by the USGA with the same purse and course as origionally planned with most of the same contenders? It's a US Open. Toss in some asterisks if you want to. Count it as an official win, give OWGR points and other perks. Knock yourself out with asterisks if you must.

 

 

[bscinstnct]

 

The was no qualifying because there was no need. There were enough spots for all who wanted to play.

 

But for many decades, half the spots go to qualifiers.

 

Of course only 4 have won. But still, they won.

 

And, of course, we all remember this guy, he qualified.

 

 

He came within a putt of what would have been an insane and historic win ; )

 

 

 

 

[Shilgy]

Rocco was about #150 in the rankings before the win. So not exempt but not a nobody coming from nowhere.

[dalehead]

The asterisk in the record book will read

Some posters on a golf web forum had nothing better to do so they started a kerfulle about the 2020 championship not being a real US Open. Nobody else cared.

[bscinstnct]

 

Dalehead! Hope alls good.

 

I love a good kerfluffle, lol, but while it’s still got many of the key elements of the US Open, top field (perhaps stronger than if qualifying), course, setup, and intensity,

 

It ain’t the US Open as it’s been played every year for 100 years. Qualifying is a hallmark of the event and is notable, at the very least, and most likely * worthy for sure. There have been 4 qualifying winners and the Rocco TW finale, so it’s not like qualifying has not significantly impacted the tournament and results in the past.

 

The circumstances dictate that this was the only way to pull it off. That’s understood.

[dalehead]

I agree with the points you make. The US Open will be different this year. A “new normal” so to speak.

My point is very few people will really care. This years winner will get the same check, the same trophy, the same perks as any other champion. He will be known forever as a US Open champion. Press stories will refer to him as a US Open champion. If it’s Tiger everyone will consider it his 16th major. If it’s another top player like Brooks, Rory, DJ everyone will say he’s a deserving champion. If it’s YJS the press will go wild with the comeback story.

As has been pointed out the USOpen was conducted for years before qualifying was introduced. If golfWRX had been around then there would have been a thread about how terrible it was for the USGA to let some nobody catch lightning in a bottle and win the US Open.

Situations change. We have to adapt to them.

[bscinstnct]

 

Yeah, once it gets going, the lack of qualifying will be put aside by most. Hope it’s a great event.

 

Tiger? He too old to win a US Open. Although...he does seem to be hitting the fairway a lot. At least in charity matches ; )

[Darth Putter]

Oldest US Open champion is Hale Irwin at age 44, on a Special Exemption.

 

Tiger is 44, the time to win is right now.

 

 

[bscinstnct]

 

Im sayin, ok Darth!

 

Lets get this goin on!!!

 

[cdnglf]

 

2020, year of

 

[jvincent]

You've gotta know that flew right over the heads of the majority of the US guys here.

[bscinstnct]

 

We have Hagar!