Shinnecock moved U.S. Open forward

BETHESDA, Md.

If you believe that holding the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills is just a nostalgia trip, you are the one who has it backward. Shinnecock Hills is where the Open goes to move forward.

Twice in recent history, the U.S. Golf Association has made a major move that has advanced the way the U.S. Open is held. Both times, the move came as a result of having the tournament at that little old club on the main road in Southampton. Two out of two is not bad.

It is interesting that each time, the change was totally unintended. But that just makes it more fun. And it makes it so much more right that the Open will be back at Shinnecock in 2018.

"That's great news," said Retief Goosen, the 2004 Open champion at Shinnecock, when told of yesterday's announcement about 2018. "The only problem with that is I'm going to be 50 years old."

Not a problem. The way things happen out there, a 50-year-old could win. Just plant the Open in Southampton, add water -- please add water this time! -- and watch something fascinating grow.

How appropriate that the USGA made the announcement on the 25th anniversary of Ray Floyd's victory in Shinnecock's first Open in 90 years. That 1986 tournament was not only totally exciting, it was game-changing. The modern Open really was born that week.

Until then, the USGA had the host club run the event and keep the merchandising cash. Shinnecock Hills' members wanted no part of that. They pointed out they have a summertime club, without the year-round membership to handle all the logistics. They basically told the USGA, "We'll rent you the course, but this baby is all yours."

The USGA went for that deal, which meant doing all the merchandising and keeping the profits. It was like stumbling into a gold mine.

The USGA decided to run its own show and keep the proceeds. Maybe it's just a coincidence that every Open since then has been sold out (including this year's, the USGA announced Wednesday). I think not.

So the Open has been swimming in green since 1986. Then came 2004, when green was not the color of choice on the course. Officials got nervous that scores might go too low, so they let Shinnecock bake until it resembled the dust bowl scene in "The Grapes of Wrath."

SEE PHOTOS2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black

"What happened in '04 was simply an error in judgment in terms of water management on how we set the course up," said USGA executive director Mike Davis, then the rules official who suspended play on the notoriously brown seventh green.

"I got a call from our official in the lead group, saying, 'Hey, Mike, the first group came through here and it didn't go well,' '' Davis said. "I knew it wasn't going to be good. I knew it wasn't going to be good on Saturday morning, but I didn't have control of the hoses that week.

"I watched the second group and I said this is ridiculous. I didn't even have the authority to suspend play, but I suspended play. You should have heard that conversation."

Things grew desperate when Kevin Stadler's putt rolled off the green. "It was bad. I can remember, when I took the flagstick out, people started throwing things at me," Davis said. "Anyway, it was a learning experience."

The USGA learned not to make an Open course ridiculously hard just for the fun of it. That fall, officials came up with a new policy on setup. The next year, they put Davis in charge of competitions. These days, even the golfers in an Open say how fair it is.

Now the USGA is being fair to Shinnecock's reputation by bringing the Open back. "It would be a shame if they made too many changes to the course," Goosen said.

No problem. Davis promised that Shinnecock will be left intact this time, except for some tees being moved back. Chances are, the Open will go forward.