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>> U.S. OPEN>> MERION GOLF CLUB THE From left: Sam Snead with fellow golf legends Sir Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus in 2000 From left: Sam S
CHAMPIONSHIP mark of achievement
Players must adapt their game to win this total
BY AL BARKOW
tive record has relegated him to an A- in the great-player category. Leaving aside for the moment speculation on why Snead never won the U.S. Open, that this should be part of his resume acknowledges just how prestigious a title it is. Indeed, when highly accomplished American golfers reminisce about childhood dreams of fabulous golfi ng deeds, they always envisioned winning the U.S. Open. Is it simply the title that confers the high-
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Ben Hogan after winning the U.S. Open at Riviera Country Club, Pacifi c Palisades, CA, in 1948. He won the U.S. Open four times
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est mark of achievement on this championship? A case could be made for that. As a nation the United States obviously has considerable scope, and golf is certainly part of it. Geographically, the nation covers the most golf ground in the world in terms of courses and players. And it’s where the professional tournament circuit was born, an enterprise that grew the game to its high place in sports. It follows that no other nation has engendered more champion and near-champion players. What’s more, the
t’s very likely Sam Snead will be forever considered one of the best golfers to never win the U.S. Open. This omission from his otherwise stupendous competi-
ULTIMATE PHOTOS COURTESY OF USGA
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: JONATHAN UTZ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; HANS KNOPF/PIX INC. TIME LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES; PHIL SELDON/POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES
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