BROOKLINE, Mass. — Wednesday at the U.S. Open is traditionally when the leadership of (North American) golf descends from its fabled ivory tower to deliver a state of the nation and field inquiries about its premier championship. At the 122nd Open, the USGA’s preamble was so ponderous that another handful of over-the-hill competitors could have hobbled over to LIV Golf before the assembled media posed questions, some of which were even about the tournament.
The result was a Triple ‘A’ day at The Country Club.
The first ‘A’ was affability, as Mike Whan — in his first Open as CEO of the USGA — used his trademark enthusiasm and good humor to convey a fresher image of his outfit, one less stuffy, less prone to choking on its cravat. Whan has a lot of progressive ideas and he summarized them, if not briefly, then with commendable conviction.
