THE GOG BLOG SPEAKS OUT-JOHNSON SURVIVES USGA MESS TO WIN OPEN

AGC_golf_club_BW1200DSE101--Drone Village Square 001 V1 1500px SS with signature DS 2 ARROWHEAD GOLF CLUB  golf club on Butterfield Road in Wheaton has 27 holes and one of the best 19 or 28 holes around, visit Arrowheadgolfclub.org to make your tee times or to enjoy the dining inside or on the patio. ERIN HILLS home of the 2017 U.S Open tickets are now on sale, final tee times to play Erin Hills going quickly, see Erinhills.com.   _________________________________________________________________________

DSC02562 Erin Hills welcome and me DS

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory to places like Erin Hills home of the 2017 US Open, on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

Dustin Johnson your 2016 US Open champion. Really, after all the near misses, Johnson finally came though but it was not first without some drama.

Johnson spent much of the final round wondering if he was going to be penalized due to his putter touching a resting ball on the 5th green.

The drama played out back and forth through out the round like a circus, as the story of the final round and Johnson’s possible first major started to unravel, you had to wonder what those wondering to take up the game or not had to be thinking. Yes I get it the that the USGA is about making and keeping the rules, but seriously what in the world is happening at Far Hills New Jersey.

USGA-United-States-Golf-Association-logo DSDSC03204 Usga entrance DS  The United States Golf Association turned the final round of the US Open into a circus. The entrance sign to the USGA headquarters and the Golf House museum in Far Hills.

I could go into the entire thing about a ball moving on Oakmonts speedy greens, but we all know about how fast they are, and on US Open week. But what happened is turning heads away from the USGA and quickly. Arnold Palmer, JackNicklaus and Tiger Woods were among those lashing out at the USGA for their handling of this mess.

What seemed to be missing most of the week at Oakmont was Mike Davis who seemed to be invisible, but must ave been in the back room negotiating the deals of the 2025 Us Open return to Oakmont and the 2026 deal to return to Shinnecock. The USGA goes to Shinnecock in 2018 and hasn’t even seen how that is going to play out yet, and they are coming back in 2026.

Why not announce you are coming back to Erin Hills in 2027 why you are at it. Rich Tock of Erin Hills appeared on our show yesterday, and said there has been no talks with the USGA about a return to Erin Hills. But that Davis likes Erin Hills, and that Erin Hills would gladly take the open back if it gets offered down the road.

I’ll have more to say soon in future column about the lack of respect shown towards the Midwest by the USGA when it comes to US Opens.

USGA President Diana Murphy who made the announcement of the two new US Open sites, has taken some heat on social media for her appearence at the championship ceremony. It’s been suggested she was slurring words and appeared to be drinking before the ceremony, this was suggested by several people on site and watching on Fox. I have not seen the tape but will view it in the days ahead.

The USGA created a mess on Sunday and some cleaning up to do before the next championship it runs, by the way USGA, do you have a contract yet with the Chicago Golf Club for the 2018 US. Sr. Women’s Open. curious minds want to know.

GOLFERSONGOLF.COM Note to readers. The Gog Blog is still running with back up systems, our features on the Sand Valley visit and the reopening of the Ackerman Hills course at Purdue University, renovated by Pete Dye, will be delayed. But the view and photos I have taken will show you two great places to go play golf. RS

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About Rory Spears

Rory spent over 8 years growing up working at Rob Roy Golf Club in Prospect Hts.IL, then two years at Chevy Chase in Wheeling. He has covered golf in Chicago since 1986. Rory was one of the initial members of WSCR all-sports radio Chicago and covered golf there for 5 seasons, before moving on to work for ESPN/Sportsticker and ESPN Radio. In addition to hosting Golfers on Golf Radio on WCPT AM820 Chicago, he writes for both the Chicago District (CDGA) Magazine, and formerly Chicagoland Golf. Rory has played over 525 courses in 39 states, and rates golf courses. He does golf course management and communications consulting, within the golf industry.