Sports
BY ALEXANDRA CALAMARI
PAR FOR THE COURSE
An inside look at how to conquer the 2008 US Open golf course
BOUNDED BY MOUNTAINS to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Diego’s Torrey Pines South Golf Course is not only the site of the 2008 US Open, but it’s also a sight to see. From June 12-15, golf’s greatest will swing for the trophy and prize money (last year’s winner received $1.26 million) at the first US Open in Southern California since 1948, and the second ever on a municipal golf course. Torrey Pines Director of Golf and Head Golf Professional Joe DeBock divulges tips on keeping up to par on some of the course’s more difficult holes.
Hole 2: Par 4, 387 yards: “The play here is to hit the fairway, because it’s hard to hold this green unless you’re hitting from the fairway. You don’t want to miss it right on this hole, because the deepest bunker on the golf course is to the right of the green here.”
Hole 3: Par 3, 198 Yards: “Hole three is probably the most scenic hole in the world! It’s not a long hole, but there’s a canyon all the way to the left and around it, so the best play is to the right center of the green… and try not to chase the pin on this hole.”
Hole 7: Par 4, 462 yards: “Probably one of the toughest par fours on the front nine. You want to hit your drive around the left side of this fairway, otherwise you won’t be able to see the green or the hole.”
Hole 11: Par 3, 221 yards: “You want to add one or two clubs if you are hitting into this green just because of the wind. If you miss this green, it’s going to be pretty tough to get up and down. I would say front and center of the green is the best play.”
Hole 13: Par 5, 541 yards: “When you tee off, you hit directly over a canyon, which you have to carry 250 yards to the fairway. On the green, there are three bunkers on the right side, two on the left side and a false front, meaning that if you’re on the green and it just rolls off the front, it’s going to roll 80 yards back towards the bottom of the fairway.”
Hole 14: Par 4, 435 yards: “[This is a] pretty easy driving hole off the tee. You just have to favor the right side because of a canyon and bunkers to the left; there’s nothing to the right but rough. The green is right up against the canyon where there is no room for error.”
Hole 17: Par 4, 442 yards: “It’s very important to hit a good drive here; you can’t hit it left, and there is a bunker to the right of the fairway. Sometimes the play is just short of that bunker. The green sits a little uphill, so it’s not too hard to hit with a good drive.”
Hole 18: Par 5, 571 yards: “This hole is going to create a lot of drama because so many of the tourney pros could reach this green in two shots, but there’s a lake right in front of the green so the ball will roll right into the lake if you put too much backspin on the ball.”
SPORTING EVENT CALENDAR
MAY 16-18
YANKEES VS. METS
Yankee Stadium, New York
It’s the Bronx Bombers versus the Amazing Mets in this three-game subway series sure to tear the five boroughs apart. Unless they meet in the World Series, this is the last time the two teams will face off at the old Yankee Stadium, a city staple since 1923.
MAY 17
THE PREAKNESS STAKES
Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore
Break out your big hats and Black-Eyed Susans (a delicious concoction of rum, triple sec, vodka and fruit juice) because it’s time for the Preakness Stakes. Horses with hysterical names will vie for Triple Crown glory and a million dollars in prize money around the 1 / -mile track.
MAY 28-31
Division 1 NCAA Golf Championships
West Lafayette, Indiana
Just an hour from Indianapolis, rev up for the US Open by checking out the future of the sport at the NCAA Golf Championships at Purdue University’s Kampen Course. Even Tiger Woods had to start somewhere; he brought home the tourney win with Stanford University in 1996.