The 108th US Open comes to Torrey Pines, San Diego, 60 years since the last Open was played in Southern California.  It is also only the second time that a municipal course has been selected to host the National Championship.

It is named after the Torrey Pine, a rare tree that grows in the wild only in parts of the coastline in San Diego County and on Santa Rosa Island.

The first US Open Championship was played on the 9 hole Newport (R.I.) Golf and Country Club course in 1895.  10 pros and 1 amateur took part and the winner was an Englishman who was assistant at the Club, Howard Rawlins.  He scored 91 and 82 in the 36 hole competition, playing with the gutta-percha ball.  $150 went to the winner together with a gold medal and The Open Championship Cup, which was held for 1 year.

The first US born golfer to win was John J McDermott in 1911 and again in 1912 and in 1913 the event really took off when the 20 year old amateur Francis Ouimet beat the two very famous English professionals, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, in a playoff.

Torrey Pines North and South courses were designed in 1957 by William Bell Snr, along the coastal bluffs in La Jolla and both courses offer spectacular views across the Pacific Ocean. 

Since 1968,both courses have played host to the Buick Invitational.  Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson and Mickelson have all been winners there and, rather ominously, the name of a certain Tiger Woods again crops up – he’s actually won the last 3 Buick Invitational tournaments, so I think we can assume that he rather enjoys playing there!!  He held the course record on the South course prior to renovation in 2001 with a 61.  

But....the US Open layout this year will be almost unrecognisable to the Buick layout and there is no way Tiger can blast his tee shots all over the place this year and expect to triumph.  Having been out of competitive golf since the Masters in April because of knee surgery, I think it is too much to expect him to be crowned Champion on Sunday the 15th.

So, back to the current layout - at the beginning of 2002, architect Rees Jones completed a $3.3 million renovation, adding 500 yards to the course together with a further 38 bunkers.  Green contours were altered and some relocated, dangerously closer to the canyon edges!

Torrey Pines South will be the longest setup in US Open history, with various tee positions capable of stretching the course to 7643 yards.

A team from the USGA has been working on the course for the past 2 years and they will want to show to all, that a public, municiple course can host such a prestigious event and that it is not only the exclusive, moneyed country clubs who have rights to the Major Championships.

It will be the 10th US Open to be played in California, Pebble Beach being host in 2000 and prior to that at Riviera Country Club in 1948.

The defending Champion is Angel Cabrera, the first South American to win The US Open when it was played last year at the Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania. 

The runner up in 2007, just 1 shot behind? 

Well, there were 2 players.  One was Jim Furyk and I’m going to let you guess the other…


Article by: Martin Dawson
www.effortless-golf-swing.com

Postscript.  23rd June 2008

Unbelievable!!  There's no other word for it!  

As Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood  came up the 72nd hole on Sunday evening, one shot behind Rocco Mediate who had already finished, you somehow knew that one of them was going to make a birdie.

But unlike 1926 when Bobby Jones became the last US Open Champion with a birdie on the last hole, this time it would only be to tie!

The 18th at Torrey Pines had been set up to entice a dramatic finish and it could not have been  more dramatic.  Tiger got his birdie and poor Lee had to settle for a par and third place.  All credit to him though, there are few players who have played and stayed with him all the way on the last day of a Major Championship.

And credit too, to Rocco who put up a great fight and took the playoff to the 19th hole on the Monday. That was a tremendous effort and something he should be immensely proud of.

The 2008 US Open Championship was one of the most thrilling and for it to be won by a one legged golfer was truly amazing!

Having now won 14 majors, Tiger is 4 short of Jack's record and has now got to forget about the remaining 2 that are left this year.

However long it takes for him to recover, it will be a sad loss to the game. I'm sure everyone wishes him the speediest and most succesful of recoveries and we all look forward to seeing him capture many more majors in the future.