2014 U.S. Open Championships Snapshot
June 24, 2014
Reactions from Men and Women courtesy of the U.S. Golf Association
• Several top players embraced the idea of holding back-to-back U.S. Open Championships
– “I would like to see it happen more often. I think it’s a good thing.” – RORY McILROY
– “It’s a really cool golf course and it’s a really cool event this week, that we’re making history.” – MICHELLE WIE
• The solid golf course maintenance/management helped to eliminate initial skepticism
– “It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I can tell you that. When I came here three weeks ago and played, and once I saw the golf course, I became more comfortable with this whole idea and knew that it wouldn’t be bad.” – STACY LEWIS
• The U.S. Open Championships were challenging (yet fair)
– “I enjoyed the course. I thought it was tough. It was a good test.” – MATTHEW FITZPATRICK
– “I just loved the golf course, the setup, how it played, how fair it was.” – PHIL MICKELSON
– “Well, they set it up a little longer today. I expect them to move tees around. It’s still set up fairly.” – KARRIE WEBB
• The golf course held up well during the two weeks of competition
– “The course is in great shape. The USGA did a good job of setting it up right. It’s right where it should be.” – HUNTER MAHAN
– “And I mean, the USGA has just done a marvelous job of setting it up. Our groundskeepers, our greenskeepers have just — I mean it’s in fabulous shape. It couldn’t be much better.” – KELLY MITCHUM
– “And this golf course still is in great shape, even though it is hot out here, I think the USGA’s done a really good job of maintaining it. It’s definitely not unplayable by any means. It’s just a tough course.” – PAULA CREAMER
– “But the greens, they were — they’re perfect. They’re rolling perfect, they’re green.” – MICHELLE WIE
• The greens provided a tough challenge for the men and women
– “If you guys want to see some disasters, you should get a hot dog, Snickers and Coke and head down to 5 green, because that’s as hard as it can ever get.” – HENRIK STENSON
– “I think the toughest part is the greens. The greens are really slopey and they look like that they are like turtlebacks.” – AMY YANG
• Several players shared their strong passion for the U.S. Open Championships
– “This is my 6th Open, and it’s probably been my favorite one so far. I think they did it right with the course and they got it perfect.” – BILL HAAS
– “I really love my first experience, it’s been my favorite tournament in the world.” – SHIV KAPUR
– “Just playing here, playing, seeing all the history and the golf course is great. I love the way the USGA set it up. It’s a great golf course. I feel like we’re making history this year playing at Pinehurst, same stage as the men.” – MICHELLE WIE
– “Yeah, it’s been a great week. I had a lot of fun. I learned a lot and, yeah, I guess it has exceeded my expectations.” – LUCY LI
