| It will be interesting to hear what the players think of the new
Hazeltine. In 1970 there was a lot of criticism of the course, I think
mostly because of a lot of blind shots from the tees.
Jacklins performance that year was probably the most dominating in the
Open for the last 50 years. He lead or shared after the first round,
and didn't lose the lead. He was the only one under par ( -7 , I think)
and won by 7 or 8 shots in the end.
martin
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| This one's from my home town newspaper...
New Prague Times, April 11, 1991
PRO GOLFER BERNHARD LANGER TO CONDUCT CLINIC IN NEW PRAGUE
Professional golfer Bernhard Langer, who will be staying in New Prague during
the U.S. Open Golf Tournament at Hazeltine National Golf Club in June, will
conduct a golf instructional clinic during his visit.
New Prague Golf Club manager Scott Proshek (my best ball partner), who is making
the arrangements for Langer's stay, said the clinic will be held Tuesday, June
11, starting at 5 p.m. at the club. The clinic is free and open to the public.
Langer will be staying at Schumacher's New Prague Hotel from June 9-16. The
U.S. Open begins Thursday, June 13 and runs through Sunday, June 16.
Langer jointed the tour in 1985 and won back-to-back victories in the Masters
Tournament and the Sea Pines Heritage Classic. He has career earnings of more
than $1.2 million.
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| IRWIN SAYS HAZELTINE IS FAIR AFTER A COLD, WINDY ROUND
Minneapolis Star Tribune
May 2, 1991
When U.S. Open general chairman Reed Mackenzie presented Hale Irwin
with a wool stocking cap bearing the Hazeltine National Golf Club
emblem Wednesday morning, the defending Open champion didn't fully
appreciate the kindness of the gesture.
Nor the usefulness of the gift.
"It was an abominable day to play golf," Irwin said through chattering
teeth after playing 18 holes on media day at the site of the 1991 U.S.
Open, to be played June 13-16. "It was certainly no day to make any
accurate judgments about Hazeltine."
Irwin's assesment of the weather conditions was polite. A
bone-chilling northwest wind of 30 miles per hour combined with
temperatures in the low 40s to make the day more suitable for bird
hunting than for hunting birdies. Irwin not only donned the white
stocking cap but also wore two sweaters under a full rain suit.
Indeed the day was reminimiscent of the first day of the 1970 Open, the
last time the championship was in Minnesota and at Hazeltine. Blustery
winds and cool temperatures that day had golfers' scores - and tempers
- soaring. A day later, Dave Hill uttered his infamous remark that all
the Hazeltine pasture was lacking was 40 acres of corn and some cows.
It was a burden the Chaska course has carried since.
But if Irwin was polite in describing the weather, he also was sincere
in giving his impressions of the current Hazeltine layout - which has
been remodeled extensively since 1970. "It's a very playable course
and a very fair course." Irwin said. "I don't think there will be many
negative comments."
But Irwin knows that someone among the 153 players at the Open will
find something wrong with the course. That doesn't mean Hazeltine is
flawed, however. "This course is more open than the courses we've
played the last few years," Irwin said. "There are trees on some of
the holes, but more of the holes are open, with no trees to leave an
imprint on the hole. That makes me think that Hazeltine is going to
be a weather-related, wind-related course. But I think the players
will like it."
With weather such as yesterday's, however, Irwin envisions a lot of
golfers playing the way he did. Although he didn't keep score, and
didn't putt out on every hole, a good estimate of Irwin's total would
be 77. That's 5 over par. Still he was satisfied.
"We aren't going to talk about my score. We're going to keep very mum
about that," Irwin said with the hint of a grin. "But I still
accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. About all you're interested
in finding out totay is where the locker room is, how to get from one
green to the next tee, just try to get a feel of the place. The next
time I come here, there will be a lot more distractions to deal with,
and I won't have to go through finding out where everything is."
The next time Irwin comes to Hazeltine most likely will be the Monday
of tournament week. He will arrive as the oldest player to have won an
Open (he was 45 when he won at Medinah, Ill., last year) and as one of
five golfers to have won three or more Opens (he also won in 1974 and
1979).
"It's been a fabulous journey for me since last June," he said. "I
feel my games is at about the same place as a year ago. I'm not saying
that it's probable I could win again, but it's possible. Mr. Jones
(Hazeltines designer Robert Trent Jones Sr.) told me that if I could
par the 16th (the course's signature hole) all four days, I'd win.
Well, I got a par there today, so I've got a start."
Yesterday, though, having that wool stocking cap was more important.
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