BETHESDA, Md. - There was a gathering of golf personalities and officials at Burning Tree Golf Course before the start of the 2011 U. S. Open at Congressional with about 200 people in the room.
Only about three or so hands went up, but when Azinger reversed his question, almost every hand in the room went up.
Even with Tiger's sullen temperament with the media and his arrogant style, it is easy to recognize the different feel of the 111th U. S. Open with Tiger not in the field. With his success as a player, there are serious golf fans who feel they are watching history when Tiger is entered and is in contention.
"Tiger is a great attraction," said Mark Russell, Vice President of Rules and Competition for the PGA Tour. "However, we have some talented young players out there and the tour will never be a one-man show."
While informal polls and a drop in television ratings suggesting that interest is down without Tiger, you couldn't tell it during the practice rounds early in the week by the flood of spectators who crowded the golf course with breezes prevailing and temperatures in the mid-70s with nice breezes.
This was curious in curious contrast to the first U. S. Open held here in 1964 when Ken Venturi played the final 36 holes on Saturday in temperatures at 100 degrees.
In those days, the Open concluded on Saturday, as did most major golf tournaments. Interestingly, the British Open for years concluded with 36 holes on Friday, which allowed the professionals to get back to their club jobs on the weekend.
Television would change all that.
While the United States Golf Association was concerned about the potential health threat with a doctor walking the last 18 holes with a dehydrated Venturi, television wanted a Saturday-Sunday finish.
The next year, the Open was played over four days at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis with Gary Player the winner.
Venturi, who now lives in Palm Desert, Calif., was here this week and recalled his victory in 1964. He also recalled the time when he was trying to become the first Amateur to win the Masters in 1956, but lost when he shot an 80 in the final round.
He said he has the most memorable victory (1964 U. S. Open) and the most memorable defeat (1980 Masters) in major championship history.
"Even today," he said, "people come up to me and talk about my Open victory. They remember scores and details that make you shake your head."
The big concern for the groundskeepers at Congressional coming into the Open has been the dry conditions, and in order to protect the golf course, there is the opinion by some golfers that the course is playing "soft."
If rain falls as predicted, it is likely that the course will not have hard, fast greens, which is traditional for Open courses, on the weekend.
Whether the hard, fast greens come about for the final round or not, the finishing hole is likely to be the scene of exciting drama. A par-4 of 523 yards, second shots will require a premium on accuracy to a green surrounded on three sides by water.
To make matters worse, approach shots will have to be made from downhill lies. In that situation, the last time the Open was at Congressional (1997), contender Tom Lehman hooked his ball into the water.
Mike Davis, Executive Director of the USGA, has explained what the objective was - no short wedges to the green, which is why he moved the tee back to Persimmon Tree Road, which borders the golf course.
While Lehman and Colin Montgomerie found bogey trouble at the final hole in 1997, Ernie Els made par to win his second Open.
Late Sunday, there is likely to be player who experiences Els' fate and one or more to suffer the fate of Montgomerie and Lehman. It's that kind of finishing hole.
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