It was just about a year ago that the USGA (United States Golf Association) announced it was going big-time with an expansion at Pinehurst.
The USGA deemed it “an effort to expand its impact in golf and extend its mission to champion and advance the game.” That effort includes “Golf House Pinehurst” and will include a new equipment-testing facility, innovation hub, museum/visitor center and offices by 2023. On top of that came the real love — Pinehurst No. 2 will five U.S. Open Championships in the golf-rich state by 2047 . To be precise, the U.S. Open will be staged there in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 – to the already scheduled 2024 event.
This week, the USGA went even more bonkers with a couple of more historic clubs that will host multiple USGA events.
Oakmont is the host for this week’s men’s U.S. Amateur. In the future, it will now host the U.S. Open in 2025, 2034, 2042 and 2049. In addition, the Women’s U.S. Open will be contested there in 2028 and 2038. But wait! There’s more. The 2033 Walker Cup will go there along with the Women’s U.S. Amateur in 2046.
Oakmont wasn’t the only rich-man’s club getting the love.
Merion in suburban Philadelphia will get its share.
You’ll see the wicker-baskets for the 2030 and 2050 U.S. Open, provided you’re still alive in 2050 and that there is still a USGA. Merion gets the 2026 Men’s U.S. Amateur and the 2034 and 2046 Women’s U.S. Open.
Talk about long-range forward planning. Winners of most of those events won’t be born for quite a while.
Phil Mickelson Gets Richer, Sells Some Golf Courses:
Phil Mickelson and his old college golf coach — Steve Loy — have made a pile of money together. Loy left Arizona State to manage Mickelson from day one and the two still team up on many project, including buying golf courses.
Arcis Golf, one of the largest and fastest-growing owners and operators of golf facilities in the US, has acquired six properties from Mickelson and Loy.
They include six Phoenix area courses. Three of the courses are private facilities, while the remaining three are daily fee courses.
Former Cop Michele Thomson Leads Women’s Scottish Open:
Michele Thomson of Scotland shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links.
Thompson turned professional in 2009 and prior to that was a police officer in Scotland. She got out early in the day before the afternoon winds showed up on the new links course that is less than two years old but looks like it’s been around for 100 years. She bogeyed the first hole of the day but bounced back with an eagle at the second and birdied seven of her final 11 holes.
“Probably had a little bit of a nervous start I would say,” Thomson said. “Obviously, being at the Scottish Open, it’s my fourth one now, but obviously still got the nerves off the first tee and hit a bit of a ropey drive and just made bogey from there, which was fine. Stood up on the second tee and just restarted.”
Thomson plays the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. She is ranked 599th in the world and would jump way up if she can win for the first time.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself,” said Thomson. “Just want to play every hole as it comes and see what happens at the of the week.”
Women’s Scottish Open Scoreboard:
Richard Bland At It Again, Shoots 65 At Cazoo Classic:
The incredible revival story of England’s Richard Bland is continuing at the Cazoo Classic.
Bland, who won earlier this season on the European Tour for the first time at age 48, opened with a seven-under par 65 to take the first round lead at the London Golf Club.
Bland held the 36-hole lead at the U.S. Open last June and is continuing to make his mark on the European Tour as he approaches the age of 50. On Thursday, he went bogey-free.
He has some definite goals on his radar. “I want to get to the WGC-HSBC at the end of the year and a big goal of mine would be to get to The Open next year at St Andrews,” he said. “I’ve never played an Open at St Andrews and to play the 150th edition there – not sure I want to hit the first tee shot again, although I wouldn’t mind it there, it’s a bit wider than it was at Royal St George’s.
“To play that one would be very special. But I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and that’s worked for me, keep that going into next year because I plan to go to the Champions Tour next year, so that’s starting to come onto my radar. So I just want to stay as competitive as I possibly can up to that point and if I keep doing what I’m doing then that’ll be the case.”
One Comment
baxter cepeda
All 3 are great places. Smart of the USGA to have all 3 of them commit longer than most marriages.
Merion should have even more women’s Opens…seems like the perfect fit.
Personally I’m torn between wanting more variety and sticking to fewer but great, historic tracks. It would be good to leave their options open because as Tom alludes who knows where golf goes in the next 30 years.