Three Reasons Why This US Open Will Be Memorable

 Adam Fonseca June 4, 2013 5:12 PM

COMMENTARY | Excitement surrounding the 2013 US Open is reaching a boiling point despite still being two weeks away. Thanks to a combination of strong play from the world's biggest names, a gaggle of surprising first-time winners and a golf course that is set up for risks, this season's second major championship might be the most exciting of its kind in years.





First, it would appear that the best names in pro golf are starting to play their best at just the right moment. Yes, we all know what happened to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy


l="nofollow" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CDoQqQIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fgolf%2F2013%2F6%2F2%2F4389018%2Fmemorial-golf-tournament-2013-leaderboard&ei=21GuUbXcCsK6yAHPq4GIBA&usg=AFQjCNFAqfcxlew90SI1SCqB7S5t">at the Memorial last week; not exactly their best showing of the season. However, the continued strong play from eventual winner Matt Kuchar and names like Justin Rose(who finished T-8th), Masters Champion Adam Scott (T13) and former FedEx Cup Champion Bill Haas (T4) suggest we will have more than two favorites heading into Merion Golf Club. 

There is no doubt the spotlight will remain on Woods and McIlroy - aka "The Nike Bromance" - throughout the tournament. But let's not forget other names like Brandt Snedeker, who is currently ranked No. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings and who was arguably the best player in the world early in the season. The aforementioned Kuchar is celebrating his highest world ranking (No. 4) after his second victory of the season at Muirfield Village, and the Englishman Rose is quietly having a career year in his own right (ranked No. 5). 

 In addition to Rose, a strong group of European players is also prepped for bringing the US Open back overseas. Sergio Garciacontinues to play steady and consistent golf despite his well-documented issues on and off the course this season. Luke Donald always appears to be on the brink of capturing his first major victory, while South African Louis Oosthuizen looks for his second. Graeme McDowell - ranked No. 8 in the OWGR and a winner at the RBC Heritage earlier this year - is a former US Open champion whose game suits the shot-making layout that awaits players at Merion. 

This season has also been the year of the First Timer, as evidenced by eight PGA Tour players having captured their maiden victory in 2013. Thanks to an incredible Sectional Qualifying stage on Monday, June 3 -- aka the "Longest Day in Golf"-- more than 50 players earned their way into the US Open, many of whom have never played in the event. Could we see another break out victory from a fresh face?

Finally, golf fans born after 1981 will have their first look at Merion Golf Club as a major championship venue. In typical USGA major-course-layout tradition, Merion is sure to provide memorable moments and tempting opportunities over the tournament's four days. For example, many players will be tempted to pull driver in an attempt to reach the par-4 no. 10 hole off the tee. The abbreviated par-3 no. 13 hole - which will likely play between 110 - 120 yards - should also provide plenty of drama as the world's best players spin their wedges to within inches of the hole.

There is no doubt that this year's US Open will provide a multitude of exciting moments. The bigger question, of course, is who will provide the biggest memories at the right time.



Adam Fonseca has been covering professional golf since 2005. His work can be found on numerous digital outlets including the Back9Network and SB Nation. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife. Follow Adam on Twitter @chicagoduffer.

PGA Professional Nieporte snags final U.S. Open qualifying spot

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Zack Fischer, 23, outlasted PGA Tour winner Ryan Palmer after a nine-hole playoff to earn a spot in the U.S. Open.(Getty Images)


 PGA.COM June 5, 2013 10:24 AM


By Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) -- PGA Professional John Nieporte grabbed the final qualifying spot for next week's U.S. Open on Tuesday by holing an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff to defeat 15-year-old David Snyder.

Nieporte, the head professional at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., had to return to the Florida qualifer with Snyder on Tuesday after darkness forced the suspension of play on Monday.

Journeyman professional Zack Fischer had to play 63 holes of qualifying to make his first U.S. Open. Fischer, 23, a former player at the University of Texas-Arlington who plays mini-tours, began his journey with an 18-hole local qualifier in May, followed by a 36-hole qualifier at Lakewood Country Club on Monday. He was tied with three-time PGA Tour winner Ryan Palmer for the last spot, and they went eight holes of a playoff until it was too dark to continue. Fischer made birdie on the first hole Tuesday morning to get a spot at Merion next week. The field now is at 150 players. Six more will come from the world ranking Sunday and then the alternate list. ©2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.

Tiger Woods’ Nike Extension Another Piece in Brand’s Rise to the Top of GolfWoods Will Receive Around $20 Million a Year to Sport the Swoosh

 Chris Chaney June 5, 2013 2:31 PM





COMMENTARY | When you think of Nike Golf, you don't think of the Method putter or the Covert driver or even their new resin golf balls. The first image that pops into most people's head is a red-shirt clad Tiger Woods stalking a putt, bombing a drive or 


chipping in from off the green.




="nofollow" href="http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/9336698/tiger-woods-close-signing-new-deal-remain-nike">According to Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, the Beaverton, Ore.-based clothing and equipment manufacturer is close to inking a deal that will keep Woods wearing the Swoosh for the rest of his career while "emphatically" keeping him as golf's highest-paid endorser. 

Woods' current deal, which was signed in 2006, is set to expire before the end of this year, meaning that Woods testing the waters after 17 years with Nike was a possibility. However, Phil Knight, Nike's founder, has been attributed as saying he wouldn't risk dropping Woods only to see him break Jack Nicklaus' major championship record wearing a TaylorMade hat.

The deal is estimated to be consistent with the $100 million over five years that he signed in 2001. Despite the drop in marketability Woods suffered following his 2009 car crash and ensuing scandal, it is believed Woods and Steinberg held out on renegotiating Woods' Nike deal during that tumultuous time as the company lowered its offer.

Now, after winning six times in the last 12 months and four times in eight PGA Tour starts in 2013, Woods has earned back the leverage to garner his original price.

 The signing would be the company's latest move in their effort to become the No. 1 company in golf. Nike made a big splash early this year signing then World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, along with a host of other staffers to buttress the seemingly one-man brand that had held up Nike Golf for more than a decade. 

 The inclusion of rising stars such as McIlroy, Nick Watney, Kyle Stanley, Thorbjørn Olesen and Seung-yul Noh on the men's side and Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen on the women's side have established Nike as the quote-unquote athlete's brand. 

The company's marketing slogan "We Believe in the Athlete" has been a mantra largely influenced by Woods.

Considered the godfather of golf fitness, Woods is largely credited with bringing a more athletic, in-shape aspect to the sport, appealing to younger generations of athletes who traditionally would not have considered golf as a viable option compared with other mainstream sports.

 Under the creative direction of Tom Stites, Nike Golf has made leaps and bounds, transforming from simply a shoe company that dabbled in golf to a full-fledged research and development department that has now become recognized as the producers of some of the top equipment in the game. 

Woods' extension is just another piece to the puzzle and step up the ladder to becoming the top brand in golf.

The climb will be an arduous one, however, given the heightened stakes among competitors. And given technological advances, the disparity between quality of competing brands has virtually disappeared. All irons, drivers, wedges and putters among the game's leading brands have the technological background and integrity to be used at the highest level.

The next frontier is winning the marketing battle.

With such similarities in equipment capabilities, companies' ability to reach new audiences is what will set them apart from their competitors in the coming years.

 Nike resigning Tiger Woods, the world's most famous athlete, back on to their roster is a necessary step if they want to reach their goal. 

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.

Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.