The Phillies are all wet. So, unfortunately, is Merion Golf Club. At least it was Monday. And while today looks to be glorious, there is an ominous forecast for tomorrow, the first day of play at the U.S. Open.
First, the Phillies. Don't look now, but they might be cooked. They lost again last night in Minnesota. Thats four straight losses.
Our lead sports columnist, Jack McCaffery, wrote a column yesterday in which he urged Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. to back up the truck and blow this team up. Jack believes the time has come. The Phillies should be sellers. And that includes Cole Hamels and Dom Brown. Yep, that's what he wrote. It certainly got tongues wagging in the region. Jack took some serious heat from some media outlets. That's what makes him the best sports columnist in the region. He has something to say.
Speaking of heat, it's about to get turned up at Merion, for a couple of reasons. Heavy rain turned the place into a quagmire on Monday. I'd like to see an over-under on the number of shoes ruined by people slopping through the muck.
Today promises to be glorious. That's not the problem, tomorrow is. Thursday is the first day of the tournament. And the forecast is not good.
There is no truth to the rumor that some players are considering building an ark. But it's a pretty good bet that venerable Merion is going to get wet. Real wet. There is a flood watch already in effect for the entire region through Thurday night.
The USGA and Merion gurus continue to say that the course drains extremely well. It better, it is about to be put to the test.
The National Weather Service says storms will rumble across the region during the day on Thursday, including every golfer's worst nightmare, thunder and lightning. It's actually supposed to start raining later tonight, and then be on and off tomorrow, with a chance for some downpours. The forecast is for 1-3 inches of rain.
Two-time Open champion Ernie Els has already indicated the Merion has been weakened, or better stated "softened," by Monday's heavy rain. Thursday's precipitation will only make that more of an issue.
The fear is that the rain will strip Merion of its best defense, those hard, fast fairways that are very tough to hold as balls roll into the brutal rough, and the lightning fast, tricky, undulating greens. The course already does not play as long as most Open courses. Some experts believe if players can simply fire away and stick the ball in the fairways and greens, Merion will be at the mercy of the best golfers in the world.
They always say that the usually brutal U.S. Open layouts are not designed to embarrass the world's best golfers, but instead identify them.
Now there is some fear that Merion will not be able to to that.
Our lead golf writer, Tom McNichol, has his eyes on the skies at Merion. You can check out his column here.
The national media also is chiming in.
If there's a silver lining here, it's that once we make it through Thursday, the weekend forecast looks great. But by then, as Els points out, will Merion be too soft to fight back?
We're about to find out.
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