Terry Lenyk - Golf Canada

PINEHURST, N.C. – When Erik Compton strolls up to the first tee at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday, he’ll be in some unfamiliar territory.

The only other time he played in one of golf’s biggest events was four years ago.

He missed the cut.

But if you’re expecting Compton to be overwhelmed by this U.S. Open moment, think again. This guy has faced much more daunting challenges than a major championship – such as undergoing two heart transplants.

“I’ve been through some tough times,” said Compton in what qualifies as a colossal understatement. “I’m just happy to be out here playing and feeling strong.”

Compton is the only golfer at Pinehurst on heart No. 3, which gives him a unique perspective.

“There’s something to be said for going through what I’ve gone through,” he said. “When you step on the tee, you’re not intimidated by other people, you’re not intimidated by the situation.”

Diagnosed with heart disease as a child, Compton received his first transplant at age 12. Sixteen years later, he suffered a major heart attack but managed to drive himself to the hospital quickly enough to extend his life with another transplant.

Now 34, he has qualified for his second U.S. Open, giving him a chance to promote a cause that is certainly dear to him – organ donation – while inspiring others to keep pursuing their dreams even when life deals them a cruel hand.

“Most people don’t survive a widow-maker heart attack,” Compton said, referring to the ominous nickname for the condition that nearly claimed his life in 2008.

Yet there he was on Tuesday, playing a practice round with good friend Ernie Els and two other major champions from South Africa, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. As the group walked away from the 18th tee, someone shouted out, “Go Dawgs!” – a reference to Compton’s college days at the University of Georgia.

Compton looked as calm as could be. That doesn’t figure to change when the tournament begins.

“There’s no doubt that’s one of his advantages,” said Charles DeLucca, who has been coaching Compton since around the time of the first transplant. “Adrenaline is one thing, but stress isn’t stress to him. He’s been through the works.”

Unless one knows the details of the story, there is no way to tell that Compton was so close to death not so long ago. He looks like just another player trying to deal with Pinehurst’s treacherous greens and punishing waste areas.

Even Schwartzel, who had some idea of Compton’s ordeal, wasn’t entirely up to speed on the enormity of it.

“It’s hard to grasp,” Compton said. “Charl actually asked me, `Did they take out the whole heart?'”

While that may be someone else’s heart in his chest, the willpower and determination is all Compton’s. There are guys who would’ve given up on this dream long ago, even without a life-threatening malady along the way.

After turning pro in 2001, Compton struggled for the better part of a decade to break through. He spent most of those years on the Nationwide and Canadian tours, occasionally turning up at a PGA Tour event. The ailing heart surely made it harder for him to realize his true potential, though the Florida native spends little time dwelling on what might have been.

“I don’t know how life would’ve worked out,” Compton said. “We all take different paths.”

He’s certainly got no complaints at the moment. Compton finally earned his Tour card in 2012, went through qualifying school to keep it the following year, and now seems to be establishing himself as a solid, consistent pro. He’s already won more than $863,000 this season, by far the best of his career with a good chunk of the schedule still remaining. That includes fifth-place showings at both Bay Hill and New Orleans.

“A lot of people have transplants but go on to be successful at other things,” Compton said. “I’m happy that I’ve been able to be a success in sports, competing with the elite of the elite, and to make a living doing it.”

Golf was the last thing on Compton’s mind during that awful day in 2008. Fortunately, he was aware of how his body should feel and knew that he needed help as soon as possible. He arrived at the hospital losing vision, struggling to stay conscious and coughing up blood.

“I was basically minutes away from dying,” Compton said. “People say that dying is peaceful. Well, maybe when you’re dead it’s peaceful. But the process of having a widow-maker heart attack is very painful.”

The odds of survival were slim enough – even slimmer for someone who had already undergone a transplant.

But Compton held on, got another heart, and got back to living.

The U.S. Open?

No problem.

“It’s amazing,” Schwartzel said. “It certainly puts golf in perspective very quickly.”

WATERLOO— It was a dramatic end to the day, on June 11 at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Women’s Champion of Champions event, as 18 holes at Grey Silo were not enough to crown a winner. In the end it was two more holes for two players who were paired together throughout the day – Thornhill’s Elizabeth Tong and Kitchener’s Sarah Dunning, with Tong eventually earning the victory.

The pair finished their rounds both at one-over 72, four strokes better than the next closest players. For Tong, the 21-year-old member of the University of Indiana golf team, she was able to jump out to the lead on the front nine. However, her playing partner, 19-year-old University of Toronto team member Dunning, would make a charge on the back nine, playing it two-under par. That forced a playoff, beginning on the first hole.

Both players made par on the first playoff hole and they moved to the nearby 18^th to try and decide a winner. After Tong, the Ladies Golf Club of Toronto member, played her tee shot in the middle of the fairway, Dunning, representing the Galt Country Club, struck hers well left into very tall grass. She was able to find it, but was forced to take an unplayable lie. Even though she recovered, that stroke allowed Tong to three-putt for the win.

“It was really fun to win the Champion of Champions,” said Tong. “I actually thought it might be over after the first playoff hole because she (Dunning) hit it really close and I thought she would make the putt. Things turned in my favour though, when she found the deep grass and I knew I had a five to win, but I was still nervous.”

Even though Tong controlled things for most of the day, since she was playing with Dunning, Tong knew just how close her opponent was to catching her. “It was fun to watch her because she was making all of these long putts to save par and make birdie, but at the same time I knew she was getting closer.”

Tong admits to a few mishaps on some holes, but says she felt like she played decently throughout the round. “I would definitely say the strongest part of my game today was my putting, even though I three-putted the final hole. Still, the rest of the day I was two putts or less.”

Finishing in a tie for third were Oshawa resident and Kendron Dells Golf Course member Lynn Morrison and Kelly Koselek from Toronto and Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club who each shot five-over 76.

UXBRIDGE, ON — Since 2004, the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) has annually taken the opportunity to recognize individuals within the local golf community, who have demonstrated a commitment to amateur golf in the province. For 2014, five names will be added to the wall. The new honourees are: Randy Millage, Bill Swartz, Sandy Billyard, Kevin Haime, and Mark Seabrook.

The honourees will all be recognized at specific GAO events during the course of this season. Millage, from Ennismore, was already recognized back in January at the GAO’s Annual General Meeting at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club. Georgetown’s Swartz will be honoured at the Men’s Amateur, July 8-11 at The Club at North Halton in Georgetown. Billyard, from Ridgeville, will be honoured at the Senior Men’s Championship at Hunters Pointe Golf Club in Welland, Aug. 12-14. While Ottawa’s Haime and Seabrook will be honoured at the Bantam Boys Championship at the Canadian Golf & Country Club, Aug. 6-7, in Ashton.

Since 2004, 61 members have been added on the Wall of Recognition and now five more truly deserving names will join them.

More About The 2014 Honourees

Randy Millage

Millage got involved in junior golf in the 1980s, as his children began to play the sport. He started a junior program at Tamarac Golf & Country Club in Ennismore, before becoming the junior convener at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club. Millage also helped launch the Durham-Kawartha Junior Tour, the Ontario Junior Masters Series and brought American Junior Golf Association events to Ontario. In 1997, Millage became a certified rules official and has marshaled Golf Canada, PGA of Ontario and PGA Tour Canada events. He has also served as associate governor of the Royal Canadian Golf Association.

Bill Swartz

Swartz began playing golf early and won many tournaments as a junior in Ontario. His skill earned him a golf scholarship to North Carolina State University where he played on the team for four years. In 1982, Swartz captured the Ontario Amateur Championship and followed it with the Canadian Amateur in 1984. Swartz later played as a professional earning an Ontario PGA Tour win and went on to play on the PGA Tour. Swartz returned to amateur status and continued to compete in provincial championships and represent the province in competitions.

Sandy Billyard

Billyard has been involved in many aspects of golf throughout his life. He won the 1973 Ontario Junior Championship, was part of the 1973 Willingdon Cup winning team and was runner up at the Canadian Junior Championship in 1974. In 1976, he took part in the Canadian Open. From 1974-76 he attended the Ohio State University before continuing on to Indiana University from 1976 to 1978. Billyard won numerous invitational tournaments in both Canada and the United States. In 2000, he built Hunters Pointe Golf Club, in Welland, and remains the club’s President. He returned to provincial competition in 2011 at the Ontario Senior Championship and represent Ontario at the 2012 Porter Cup.

Kevin Haime

Haime currently owns and operates the Kevin Haime Golf Centre and Kevin Haime Golf School in Ottawa. Haime was a successful amateur golfer who attended the University of Illinois on a golf scholarship. After university, Haime turned pro and opened his first practice facility at the age of 26. He was named Canadian PGA Zone Teacher of the Year in 1997, 2000 and 2009 and the 2000 Canadian PGA National Teacher of the Year. The National Post also recognized him as a Top 10 Teacher in Canada in 2005. Haime served as Canadian PGA Zone President in 1998 and 1999. That position helped him spearhead programs like the Clubs 4 Kids Junior Golf Charity Program and the Junior Challenge Tour. Haime’s work with juniors led to a 2007 Outstanding Contribution to the Game of Golf recognition by the Canadian PGA. In 2008, The Kevin Haime Junior Golf Initiative was created, and has since granted over 200 golf memberships to high-end private golf clubs.

Mark Seabrook

Seabrook was the president of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada for the first five years of its existence. He helped to create many programs with the association that are still in existence today. He was also the first Canadian to be on the Executive Board in the United States. In 1992, Seabrook helped create a program similar to the ‘Smart Buy Program’ in the U.S. Later, he and the Ottawa Valley Golf Association, formed the Golfmax Purchasing Program, an association that brought together owners and represented their interested on a national scale. He has helped expand the NGCOA Conference and helped to bring Canadian content into the fold. In 2002, he was honoured by the NGCOA with the Don Rossi Award for significant and long-lasting contribution to the NGCOA. Seabrook is currently the Owner/General Manager of the Canadian Golf & Country Club.

ABOUT THE GOLF ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO

The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 450 member clubs, the GAO is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact, to growing the game at the grassroots level and getting the game of golf into our school systems, to keeping the Ontario golf community aware of all relevant issues and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, the Golf Association of Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to making golf better for everyone in Ontario. We share a love and passion for golf, while preserving its past, fostering its future, and championing golf’s best interests for everyone who enjoys the sport.

“Everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it.” This facetious quote, most commonly attributed to Mark Twain, could be amended for our purposes as follows…

“Everyone complains about how difficult golf is, but no one does anything about it.”

We’re not talking about recent initiatives purported to make golf more “fun,” although following today’s advice certainly will help you accomplish that goal.

Getting your equipment properly fitted and taking lessons are two ways to guarantee not only a more enjoyable round, but lower scores. I said, “guarantee,” and I stand by that.

Whether you are just getting into golf or have been playing for years, buying clubs off the rack and heading for the first tee is a mistake, pure and simple. Just as not every man wears a size 40-regular suit and not every woman wears a size 8 dress, equipment specifications vary significantly based on your physical make-up—height, weight, age, gender, etc. Your handicap and length of time playing the game will also be taken into account.

There are myriad options available in clubs and balls today, so finding the correct fit is not difficult. Many golf retail outlets and golf courses offer club fitting by PGA of Canada professionals. If you have a specific brand in mind, you can even go to their headquarters or fitting centre for a fitting. Or why not try out various brands at a demo day? (Details on manufacturers’ club fitting facilities and demo days are usually available on their web sites.)

A complete fitting will cover every club in your bag from driver to putter, and the fitter may even recommend a specific ball for your swing speed. A fitting costs a few dollars, but consider it money very well spent, an investment. It likely will save you a lot of money in the final analysis, preventing you from purchasing the wrong equipment. And having a custom fitting doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy new clubs. After your fitting, you will receive a full report on your specifications that you can provide to any reputable equipment retailer once you decide which brand suits you best.

I have little sympathy for the golfer, beginner or experienced, who lays out hundreds of dollars for a new driver or a set of irons without being custom fitted and then moans that “I just can’t hit these.” Not only are they out a lot of money, but their “golf enjoyment quotient” (I just invented that) plummets with every successive round. Ergo, they play less because they are squirting shots in every direction.

With today’s sophisticated methods, a professional club fitter can often tweak your equipment to compensate for some fundamental swing flaws. But can you really “buy a better game”?

The definitive answer is … “kinda, maybe.”

A commitment to taking lessons from a PGA of Canada professional is the second essential element in our quest to be better golfers and, by logical extension, to have more fun playing the game.

“Both [properly fitted equipment and instruction] will help improve a player’s game and ultimately lower their handicap,” says Nick Yuen, former facility manager at TaylorMade’s Performance Lab at Glen Abbey, a par-5 from Golf Canada’s headquarters in Oakville, Ont. “You could debate which method is better but ultimately the deciding factors will be the player’s commitment to working with an instructor and practicing the necessary drills to change their swing mechanics.” (Yuen now is product and marketing manager for Adams Golf in Canada, a move made after TaylorMade purchased Adams in 2012.)

In what other pursuit in our lives would we not want the right equipment and instruction? Driving a car without those fundamentals would be disastrous, for example. Sky diving comes to mind, as well. Yet the majority of golfers ignore those two prerequisites for a better golf experience at the expense of not only fun, but significant cash, as well.

(Although “I just can’t hit these” doesn’t compare to “Is that a red light? Which pedal stops this thing?” or “Just how the heck do you open this parachute? My, that ground is getting close.”)

Before you buy that new driver or set of irons or even a putter, why not find out more about club fitting from a PGA of Canada professional or research the fitting opportunities offered by manufacturers? Once your existing equipment has been tweaked or you have purchased new custom-fitted clubs, head for the practice tee for a series of lessons.

Unlike the weather, your golf game is definitely something you can do something about. So do it.

Saskatoon – Canadian PGA Tour star and Weyburn, Sask. native Graham DeLaet, along with his wife Ruby, have announced the launch of the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation, as well as the Foundation’s first initiative, the ‘Graham Slam.’

The Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation’s central focus will be supporting children’s health, as well as supporting the development of junior golfers at all levels of the game.

Graham and Ruby DeLaet have a long-standing support of children’s health and junior golf in Saskatchewan. Since 2011, the Graham DeLaet Charity Golf Tournament has supported Saskatchewan-based organizations, such as Golf Saskatchewan and the Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation. The launch of the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation will be the new umbrella brand that drives the DeLaet’s charitable efforts.

“I know how lucky I am to be playing on the PGA Tour, and I would not be here without the support of everyone back home,” said Graham DeLaet. “It is important to Ruby and I that we do what we can to give back to those who need it the most. We hope that through this Foundation, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of children.”

“We wanted to ensure we always remember where Graham came from and the people that supported him through his journey,” said Ruby DeLaet. “It’s important that our Foundation represents Graham’s roots and keeps Canada and Saskatchewan close to his heart. Now is the right time in Graham’s career to launch a Foundation and give back.”

Graham and Ruby also announced the Foundation’s first initiative, the Graham Slam, to be held this July 8th and 9th at Saskatoon’s Riverside Country Club. The Graham Slam will combine entertainment, music and golf to provide a memorable charity event experience.

The inaugural Graham Slam will partner with the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan is a provincial charity dedicated to raising funds for the enhancement of children’s healthcare, and the creation of the new Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces in Canada that does not have a dedicated children’s hospital.

“The Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan is thrilled to be the charity recipient of the first Graham Slam event. We congratulate Graham and Ruby DeLaet on the launch of their Foundation, and for thinking of the children and families of Saskatchewan through their contribution to the new Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan. What a wonderful way to give back to the province where Graham was born and raised,” stated Brynn Boback-Lane, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.

Those interested in becoming involved with the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation or the Graham Slam event can contact Amy Roberts at aroberts@sportboxgroup.com.

PINEHURST, N.C. – Talk about the impatience of youth. For 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, it’s no longer good enough to be in contention for a major championship.

He’s ready to win one.

Spieth was tied for the 54-hole lead at both the Masters and The Players Championship, the two biggest events on the schedule so far, but he couldn’t hold it together on Sunday.

Now, he comes to the U.S. Open fully convinced that if he’s in the same position, he’ll be the one raising the trophy at the end.

“I believe that I can win this golf tournament,” Spieth said Monday after a practice round at Pinehurst No. 2. “I feel comfortable on this golf course. I think it fits my game. And when I step on the first tee, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Spieth already became the first teenage winner on the PGA Tour since the Great Depression, having captured the John Deere Classic at age 19.

If the Texan can conquer Pinehurst this week, he’d be the youngest major champion since Tom Creavy at the 1931 PGA Championship.

“I’ve contended now,” Spieth said. “If I can get into that position, the goal isn’t just to feel the feelings and try to get the comfort level. Now, it’s to really try and put into place what Augusta as well as The Players have taught me.

“I feel like,” he added confidently, “I will be able to close this one out if I get an opportunity.”

The U.S. Open is usually the toughest test among the majors, requiring a player to accept that par is a good score on most holes, that bogey isn’t necessarily a bad result.

This is a tournament where you put away the ego, save those spectacular shots for another week, and know that the player who emerges as the champion will most likely be the one who makes the fewest mistakes.

Those traits usually require experience. Then again, Spieth has proven to have a very short learning curve.

He has already played in the Presidents Cup. He has already climbed to No. 10 in the world rankings. He already sounds like a seasoned pro when he talks about Pinehurst.

“It’s really hard to hit the greens,” Spieth said. “You know that going in, and you understand that it’s about where you’re leaving it and where you’re pitching the ball and the approach shots. It still doesn’t necessarily help. It’s still extremely difficult.”

At Augusta National, Spieth had a win in his sights when he walked off the seventh green with a two-stroke lead on Sunday.

Then, his inexperience suddenly showed. What he thought was a perfect wedge on No. 8 came up 25 feet short of the flag, leading to a three-putt bogey.

The approach at No. 9 rolled back off the front of the green, leading to another bogey.

Bubba Watson birdied both holes, turning a two-shot deficit into a two-stroke lead. He was never seriously challenged on the back side, cruising to a three-stroke win over Spieth and Jonas Blixt.

Spieth talked about the need for a “little bit of course knowledge” – certainly understandable for a Masters rookie. He was in contention again at the Players, generally considered the most important event among the non-majors, but five bogeys in an 11-hole stretch allowed Martin Kaymer to leave TPC Sawgrass with the title.

“I learned a lot from both experiences,” Spieth said.

“I felt like I struck the ball better, played smarter shots at The Players. I just got bounces that didn’t go my way. So coming in here, that’s all behind me. I’ve gotten what I think I needed to learn from those experiences, and I will put that into account if I can work my way into contention here.”

Those kids. Always in a hurry.

PINEHURST, N.C. – Phil Mickelson not only believes he’s going to win the U.S. Open, he believes he’s going to win more than one.

He just wouldn’t say whether it would be this year.

Pinehurst No. 2 holds an emotional connection for Mickelson for a couple of reasons. It was the first of his record six runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, and his first child was born the day after Payne Stewart made a 15-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to beat him by one shot. What gets overlooked is that Mickelson tied for 33rd and was 12 shots behind when the U.S. Open returned to Pinehurst No. 2 in 2005.

And here’s something else to consider: Mickelson never fares too well the year after his runner-up finish. He will try to change that trend at Pinehurst No. 2 this week.

What follows is a look at Lefty’s encores at the U.S. Open after his five previous silver medals:

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5. PEBBLE BEACH IN 2000

Mickelson was runner-up at Pinehurst in 1999 in what became a lost year on the golf course. That was the first full year he failed to win a PGA Tour event. The following year, he already had won three times before the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

He had won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am two years earlier. Surely, he would be considered a major contender.

But this was the Tiger Woods show.

Woods, who had won the AT&T earlier that year with a five-shot comeback, went wire-to-wire in what many consider the greatest U.S. Open performance ever. He set a major championship record with a 15-shot victory.

As for Mickelson? He never had to birdie three of his last six holes just to shoot par in the opening round. He never broke par all week and tied for 16th, 19 shots behind.

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4. OLYMPIA FIELDS IN 2003

Mickelson finished three shots behind Woods at Bethpage Black in the 2002 U.S. Open. By then, he was clearly the best player to have never won a major.

The 2003 season started poorly for him, and for good reason. His wife, Amy, gave birth to their third child at the end of March. It was a difficult pregnancy, and there was a time when Mickelson feared he might lose his wife and son, Evan, in the hours after he was born.

Olympia Fields was soft that year because of rain. Mickelson opened with rounds of 70-70 to fall seven shots behind. He had weekend rounds of 75-74 and tied for 55th, which left him 17 shots behind Jim Furyk.

That remains the only year Mickelson didn’t win or even have a second-place finish.

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3. PINEHURST NO. 2 IN 2005

Mickelson had another close call in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. He was tied for the lead with two holes to play until three-putting from 5 feet on the par-3 17th to make double bogey and losing to Retief Goosen.

He was a popular favorite at Pinehurst, with memories still fresh from his runner-up finish to Stewart in 1999. He had top-10 finishes in five straight majors. He opened with a 69, two shots out of the lead and one of only nine players to break par.

And it was all downhill from there. Mickelson followed with a 77, closed with rounds of 72-74 and tied for 33rd, 12 shots behind Michael Campbell.

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2. OAKMONT IN 2007

Coming off his most devastating U.S. Open loss at Winged Foot in 2006 – he made double bogey on the 18th hole to finish one shot behind – Mickelson had plenty of momentum going into the 2007 Open at Oakmont.

He had hired Butch Harmon as his swing coach, and won The Players Championship.

But a scouting trip to Oakmont was his undoing. The rough was so thick that Mickelson says he injured his left wrist during one of his marathon practice sessions. He went nearly two weeks without playing before the opening round.

Mickelson shot rounds of 74-77 and missed the cut under the 10-shot rule when Angel Cabrera birdied his last hole of the second round. It was the first time Mickelson missed the cut in the U.S. Open since his pro debut at Pebble Beach in 1992.

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1. PEBBLE BEACH IN 2010

Mickelson set the U.S. Open record with his fifth runner-up finish at Bethpage Black in 2009 due to a three-putt bogey from the fringe on the 15th hole. He won the Masters for the third time in 2010, and by now was a three-time winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

He had a chance to go to No. 1 in the world with a third-place finish. His only concern were the greens, which proved to be a problem by Sunday.

Mickelson started 75-66 and was two shots behind Graeme McDowell. And while he was seven shots behind Dustin Johnson going into the final round, he birdied his opening hole and was right in the mix when Johnson fell apart early.

Mickelson didn’t make a single birdie on the back nine. He tied for fourth, three shots behind McDowell.

PINEHURST, N.C. – Phil Mickelson always wanted to win a U.S. Open. With his victory last summer in the British Open, the U.S. Open is the only major keeping him from capturing the career Grand Slam.

Only five other players have done that. But he has not won in 11 months. And his only headlines lately have been links to an insider trading investigation involving investor Carl Icahn and gambler Billy Walters.

With all the attention on Mickelson, Masters champion Bubba Watson is the only player capable of a calendar Grand Slam. He is not to be dismissed lightly. Watson already has two wins this year, along with runner-up finishes in Phoenix, Doral and the Memorial.

Mickelson’s fate will be one of the major stories at this year’s U.S. Open. Here are five other things to watch for when play begins Thursday:

1. NATURE TRIP

The quality of Pinehurst No. 2 is best stated by the fact it is hosting the U.S. Open for the third time since 1999. Not since Chicago Golf Club (1897-1911) has the U.S. Open gone back to a golf course so frequently. It is considered the masterpiece of architect Donald Ross, famous for turtleback greens that repels shots away from the middle of the putting surface.

Pinehurst Resort owners signed off on a plan to have Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw restore the original, rustic look of No. 2. That means rough has been replaced by sandy areas dotted with small wiregrass bushes and covered in natural vegetation. It required the removal of 35 acres of sod, and only 450 sprinkler heads (down from 1,150) remain.

2. LET’S PLAY TWO

In what amounts to golf’s version of a doubleheader, the USGA is making history by staging the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open in consecutive weeks on the same golf course. Pinehurst will play at 7,562 yards (par 70) for the men, and 6,649 yards (par 70) for the women.

3. THE OTHER WOODS

There at least will be one player named Woods competing for a U.S. Open trophy. Cheyenne Woods qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open on the same day her uncle, Tiger Woods, told the USGA he could not play the U.S. Open as he recovers from March 31 back surgery.

4. END OF AN ERA

This will be the last time Johnny Miller calls the shots. In a surprise move last year, the USGA accepted a 12-year offer worth about $1 billion from Fox Sports, which has never televised golf. This will be the final U.S. Open telecast by NBC Sports, ending a 20-year run with Miller as the lead analyst.

5. TOUGHEST TEST

The USGA tries to convince fans that it is not trying to protect par at the U.S. Open. The evidence tends to suggest otherwise. The winning scores at Pinehurst No. 2 have been 1-under 279 (Payne Stewart in 1999) and even-par 280 (Michael Campbell in 2005). The last two U.S. Opens were won with a score over par. If it happens at Pinehurst, it would be the first time in 45 years (1957-59) that three straight U.S. Open champions were over par.

I recently spent a terrific day with three-time World Champion and Olympic silver medalist Patrick Chan.

Patrick had signed on as a spokesperson for a Vancouver development company and they wanted to film a television commercial featuring Patrick playing golf. I was asked to search out the ideal golf course for the shoot. Naturally I choose the Quilchena Golf & Country Club in Richmond, BC. (I was the General Manager at Quilchena for seven years prior to joining Golf Canada.)

When I was first approached to assist with this project I wondered if Patrick could in fact play golf. As a former competitive figure skater myself, golf was not an activity we did in our free time. Summers were always spent inside a skating rink and when you had free time the last thing you wanted to do was something athletic.

As Patrick arrived at the golf club he was accompanied by a large film crew who were pushing and pulling him in all directions. In addition, the group was bolstered by the developer and his staff plus numerous on looking members. It was a real gong show, not something you often see at a private golf club. When it came time for Patrick to tee off, the first tee had all of the elements of opening day at the RBC Canadian Open; brilliant sunshine, cameras snapping off multiple shots, a throng of some 15 or 20 people all snuggled up close to the tee box, (too close actually) and this lone golfer gathering his thoughts as he prepared start his game. I thought at that moment he must really feel the pressure of everyone watching and expecting good things.

He had not had any time to warm up on the range. He just quietly walked to the tee and made a few practice swings. I remember saying to myself, the kid has a natural swing. He just smacked out his first shot. As he watched his ball flight he gave himself a satisfying grin as it landed well into the middle of the fairway.

Patrick’s playing partners for the event were Kris Jonasson, Executive Director of British Columbia Golf, David Atkinson, President of British Columbia Golf and Raymond Li, Sr. VP of ASPAC Development. You can read about their experience here.

I was once asked if there were similarities between good golfers and good skaters. Somewhat dismissively I remember saying “not really, with the exception that they all belong to clubs”. In fact there are many similarities. First off; a skater has a dominant rotating direction that is similar to a golfer’s dominance in swinging right or left. Like golfers, skaters will work on a particular jump until the consistency is automatic. Sometimes it will take years. Like a golf shot, the skating jump takes only a split second and when doubt creeps up, invariably the jump goes sideways.

When Kurt Browning began his “short” routine in the 1992 Olympics he was the reigning world champion and was expected to walk away with the gold medal. One of the required elements in the short routine was a double axel. Kurt could perform a double axel in his sleep. He had landed it more than a 3,000 times, but on this occasion, under pressure, not unlike a playoff in The Masters, doubt crept in and Kurt came out of his jump in mid air. He pulled off only a single jump. The judges had no choice but to make such an enormous deduction that it took him off the podium.

Two time Olympic speed skating champion, Catriona Le May Doan, after hearing she would take part as a celebrity entrant in the Wayne Gretzky Classic Nationwide Tour pro-am in Collingwood, Ont., immediately enrolled in golf lessons and began hitting the course on a regular basis. “I was a little nervous,” she admitted.

Catriona pointed out that golf has an interesting attraction for her. She stated that while the 500m speed skating event demands 37 seconds of perfection, golf resets itself every hole, allowing her to have “my little vent sessions,” as she called them, and then refocus. Kind of like a figure skater when a jump goes sideways in your routine and you refocus on the next one.

J.R. Celski, the 23-year-old U.S. speed skating silver medalist at the Sochi games is an avid golfer. In the summer he plays golf three times a week. When asked about the similarities between golf and skating he replied, “I actually apply my skating technique to my swing in terms of weight shift. They’re also similar in that the harder you swing, the shorter the ball will go. And when you try to push on the ice when you skate, the slower you’re going to go.”

When asked which is harder to do, win a gold medal or break par? Without hesitation he replied, “It’s gotta be breaking par. No question.”

Blair Armitage most recently served as General Manager of the Quilchena Golf and Country Club in Richmond, B.C. Prior, he was General Manager of the Dalewood Golf and Curling Club in Port Hope, Ont. He is also a past President of the Canadian Society of Club Managers, Pacific Branch and a Director of the British Columbia Golf Marketing Alliance.

In addition to his golf administration background, Armitage is a former elite figure skating competitor and coach, having competed in Canadian national events as well as the World Championships.
He is now Golf Canada’s Regional Director of Membership for Western Canada.
Golf courses in Western Canada with questions about Golf Canada and how you can help to grow the game should email Blair at barmitage@golfcanada.ca.