U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

June 16, 2021

Stu Francis

John Bodenhamer

Mike Davis

Dan Hicks

Torrey Pines Golf Course

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Welcome to the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. My name is Beth Major, senior director of communications for the USGA, and on behalf of our entire team, we are delighted to welcome everyone to this year's championship.

Today we have with us USGA president Stu Francis, senior managing director of championships, John Bodenhamer, CEO Mike Davis, and from our broadcast partner NBC Sports, Dan Hicks.

Stu, I'll turn it over to you.

STU FRANCIS: Thank you, Beth. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the 121st U.S. Open Championship at Torrey Pines golf course.

Before we start, it is important to share that the U.S. Open is more than a championship. It is the USGA's primary vehicle to champion and advance the game. The success of the U.S. Open gives us a number of things. First, it gives us the ability to invest more than $25 million annually into programs that increase accessibility in golf, primarily through the LPGA/USGA Girls Golf program, The First Tee, and Drive, Chip, and Putt.

Next it gives us the ability to help golf courses become more environmentally and economically sustainable through a $10 million annual investment, primarily through our turf grass research program, which we recently renamed to honor Mike Davis, as well as the green section course consulting business we have.

Finally, it gives us the ability to invest an additional $25 million to fund the remaining 13 USGA National Championships, where tens of thousands of golfers have a platform to chase their dreams and to play at the highest level of the game and to inspire others to pursue their game. More than 9,000 players from around the world entered local qualifying for the U.S. Open, making this the most open major championship in golf.

It is no coincidence that we are conducting the U.S. Open this year at a municipal course. California boasts more municipal golf courses than any other state. It's a purposeful statement, and we believe golf should be open, providing affordable, safe recreation for communities across America. Revenues from Torrey Pines fund and fuel so many terrific programs for city residents.

Earlier this week, we took the trophy to Balboa Park, Mission Bay, and Miramar golf courses. Fans loved it, and pride for their city is evident.

Finally, the City of San Diego has been an exceptional host to us again, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped get us to this point. For me, California is my home state, and I'm ready for great golf and a great week, knowing that we all want a successful U.S. Open to fuel all these possibilities I described.

With that, I'll turn it over to John Bodenhamer for his discussion of the golf course and the championship.

JOHN BODENHAMER: Thank you, Stu, and welcome, everyone. As Stu said, we're really, really excited to be here this week, and as Stu rightly said, he's a very proud Californian, and he has every right to be this year. Think about this: It's the 85th USGA championship in the state of California and our 14th U.S. Open here. That's quite remarkable when you think about it over time.

We're delighted to welcome 156 players, the best players in the world, to Torrey Pines for the 121st U.S. Open. We feature 20 USGA champions in the field this year, including nine U.S. Open winners. Very proud of that, in what is a very, very strong field.

We were truly grateful to return to qualifying this year after taking last year off because of COVID, and we reinstituted our two-stage qualifying, local and final qualifying, in what we believe really is the most open championship in all of golf. We're very proud of that.

Our inclusive and welcoming process -- some call it the most democratic process in golf. I like to think of all of our championships as the ultimate meritocracy. You earn your way in. Really our championships espouse the values that make our country great. It doesn't matter your background, the address you come, the shape of your swing, the clubs in your bag. If you can get the ball in the hole, you can play in the U.S. Open, and we're very proud of that. We have some great players here this year.

We're proud to provide these great players a platform to chase their dreams, and we've done that through a collaboration with our 59 allied golf associations all around the country, as well as our national federation partners this year in Japan in conducting 108 local qualifying sites.

Stu mentioned over 9,000 entered to follow their dream, and then 11 final qualifying sites which culminated this past Monday, or a week ago Monday, with golf's longest day, where more than 800 attempted to earn a place in this 156-player field.

This week's field also features 43 players who will play in their first U.S. Open this year, 18 players who went through both stages, local and final stages of qualifying, and nine amateurs, including two players that were on our victorious Walker Cup team at Seminole Golf Club a few weeks ago, that would be Cole Hammer and Pierceson Coody, who happen to be teammates at the University of Texas, and boy, can they play. They qualified through Columbus last week.

As for Torrey Pines, the USGA always endeavors to take our championship to the cathedrals of the game, the greatest places in our country, and Torrey Pines is certainly one of those. As a 36-hole municipal public facility owned by the City of San Diego, it is truly a wonderful place, a melting pot for all that is good with the game of golf, and Torrey Pines' golf course superintendent, just a shout-out to Rich McIntosh, his wonderful staff, and think about this, 75 volunteers, men and women, that have come from all over the country to be here to volunteer to bring this golf course up to U.S. Open conditions, and really hat's off to all of them. They make it all possible.

The course conditions are excellent. We think we're well positioned for a great championship going into tomorrow. We can't wait to get balls in the air, and it's going to be another memorable U.S. Open, and on that note, U.S. Open history, I'd like to turn it to my friend and colleague, Mike Davis, to say a few words about that.

MIKE DAVIS: John, thank you. Listen, like so many people, my memories of 2008 really came rushing back to me. I came out Saturday, and my friend John and the rest of the setup team, I walked all 18 holes, really got a sense of what was planned for this go-around, and it brought back a lot of memories.

Listen, when I think about 2008, I think about how wonderful the golf course played. It played like a U.S. Open should. You had to hit all the shots. We tested shot-making skills. We tested your course management. We tested your ability to handle your nerves when it most counts. I think you've got it set up beautifully for this week and can't wait for it.

I remember doing pairings with Jeff Hall the week before, and literally while we're doing those pairings, I had gotten a call from Mark Steinberg, who's Tiger's agent, and he says, Mike -- because everybody knew that Tiger was having an issue with the leg, but listen, nobody knew the extent of which he was having this problem. And Mark said, Mike, I need to share with you that Tiger has fractured his leg in a few places. And I said, What? And he goes, Yeah, and he's going to try to play. I would ask you not to share that information with anybody. So I didn't.

At that point, we had for the first time ever decided to put world No. 1, world No. 2, and world No. 3 together, and I didn't tell Jeff, but I said, we're going to take a gamble here. We're going to do it, and who knows whether we're going to get an alternate or not.

I remember that week, I officiated Tiger three rounds, actually Saturday, Sunday, and Monday's 18-hole playoff -- actually, 19-hole playoff. And I remember seeing a trait that week that I had seen quite a few times before from him. I think -- well, I know I'm the only person with the USGA that had been a part of all three of his U.S. Junior Championships, all three U.S. Amateurs, and to that point, two of the U.S. Opens, obviously the third one being in 2008. That trait of almost willing the ball in the hole and doing things is something I'll never forget.

Really, as well as Tiger can strike a ball, the shot-making skills, the athletic skills, it's up here that really has made Tiger different. And that week, knowing he was playing on a leg that was fractured in a few places, the mental fortitude to know at impact you're going to have that kind of pain and just to say, commit to that shot and do it, I'll never forget it because just walking with him, the pain he was in. And, again, people didn't know he had a fractured leg. They just thought he had a knee problem.

I will also remember those last three days officiating with him. Saturday, we've all seen him -- Dan, you called it. That back nine when he eagles 13 with that crazy putt and chips in at 17 for birdie and then 18 makes eagle. Then next day, we just -- in fact, our president Stu just this morning really took that iconic moment of that putt that he made to tie 72 holes and get in a playoff with Rocco, we're commemorating it with a plaque on 18.

Then I remember Monday's playoff. So unusual that you have somebody like Tiger, with that kind of mental focus -- when he gets to the tee, the 1st tee, shakes your hand, "good luck," and then you don't really hear from him unless you need something.

Rocco, on the other hand, this is somebody I grew up playing junior golf with in Pennsylvania. He was just talking. He'd talk to a tree if it would listen.

That playoff, to think that that went down to the 19th hole, and the back and forth, it was just the most interesting thing to be up close. I'll never forget it.

I also remember Tuesday, the Tuesday afterwards, because that's when we were told by IBM that the Monday playoff was the busiest sporting event in the world to date on the internet, the busiest it had ever been, and it actually stood for quite a few years after that. That's how much the world wanted to see, and it did follow that.

It also affected, we're told, commerce around the world because people simply weren't doing their jobs, they were watching the playoff.

Also, on maybe more of -- you know, for me personally, I was staying here on site in 2008, and I remember, I'm an early riser, getting up on Tuesday morning very early, getting a cup of coffee. I walked from the hotel the whole way out to the 4th green. There was a grandstand there overlooking the ocean, and I sat there just by myself for about 30 minutes thinking, I cannot believe I was a part of this. I witnessed history. It's never going to get any better.

I will never forget that moment. I don't have the greatest memory, but that is a moment in time I will not forget. 2008 was a moment in time. It was part of history. When we're asked what's the best U.S. Opens over, you think about that Francis Ouimet, 1913, The Country Club; you think about Hogan coming back at Marion in 1950 after a bus accident; Palmer in 1960 beating an aging Hogan and an amateur named Jack Nicklaus; there's the Pebble Beach Open, certainly Tiger's Open, when he won by 15 shots in 2000. But folks, in terms of drama, this one's right up there with the very best of them.

Listen, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Tiger this week. He is going to be sorely missed. I know all of us in the golf world, certainly the USGA, wish him a speedy recovery. I've had the chance to text back and forth a few times with him, and he seems like he's in good spirits.

The last thing I'll say, since this is my last presser, to you, the media, thank you so much for all you've done, not only for me over the years but for the USGA, the U.S. Open, because listen, we all have roles, and you serve yours very well. You've indeed made the game better. So for that, I thank you.

Then to share some more memories, our good friend Dan Hicks. Dan?

DAN HICKS: Thanks, Mike. Before we start, I just want to see if you have any inside information on Phil Mickelson before we get this going.

MIKE DAVIS: Can't share it.

DAN HICKS: I get it. It would have been nice to know that 13 years ago, but totally understand. In fact, I sat down Tiger just before the championship started, and we did the usual questions and answers that you get before the championship, and the last thing I said was how are you feeling? And he looks at me without missing a beat, and he says, "I'm fine, bro." I'm thinking, that was kind of strange and quick, and I thought there was something. Little did we know he was on a broken leg. We knew he had some knee problems.

Getting back to this site and seeing the spectacular venue out there just brought chills to me. Again, we have had the privilege of doing hundreds of golf events, and I've done a lot of other sporting events besides golf, but mostly golf has been a part of my career and our careers at NBC, and a lot of the same guys are still intact.

I was just going through the compound and talking about of all the events we've done, this is on top of the list. It's No. 1. It has a lot to do with what Mike described, and I think part of it, as well, was the fact it started with him limping around, so you knew something was going on. Double bogeys the 1st hole. He double bogeys the 1st hole three of four days, and you're like, is this guy going to get it done?

Anyway, it's a little different from 13 years ago. I think we were on the air, we had 30-plus hours of coverage back in 2008. We have, when you add it all up, the feature groups and everybody, it's over 100 hours of coverage. So things have changed a little bit since Tiger did his thing back here in 2008, but it's all for the betterment of the viewer and the viewing experience. We're going to be on the air from the first shot to the last putt every day.

In fact, I was looking at the schedule, Paul Azinger and I are going to do a first for us and a first for me. We're going to be on three networks, on I think it's either Thursday or Friday, going to be on Peacock, Golf Channel, and NBC all in one four- or five-hour stint on the air.

Cannot wait for this to start. I get the feeling it's going to be a pretty memorable week just by the way the golf course is set up. John has done such a great job with his staff, and I can't wait to get it going. I think 2021 is going to be pretty special too.

Q. John, last year we announced at Golf House Pinehurst, and we gave the indication that we would be considering a more defined rotation of courses for the U.S. Open Championship on a regular basis.

Any details you can share regarding those plans at this time?

JOHN BODENHAMER: No, there aren't. We have quite a process we go through. For us, it's a priority, we think at the USGA, to really take the U.S. Open and the U.S. Open to what we think of as the cathedrals of the game, the very best places to play our championships.

I think the way we think about that is really something that Nick Price said a few years ago on our championship committee, he said, you know, it's important where the players win their U.S. Open -- U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open. So you know what, we've been asking the players, where do you want to win your U.S. Open? So we've been thinking about that.

We don't have anything to announce today or really in the near future, but we're thinking and talking a lot about it, and I would just say buckle up because there's really some cool things coming. I would say that on both sides, of the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open. Won't be too long, but we've got some more work to do.

Q. John, along those lines, how might a rotation like that impact Torrey Pines, a course that doesn't have as much history as some other venues? Obviously an iconic finish, but it is a bit unique in that it is a municipal.

JOHN BODENHAMER: I like to think of Torrey Pines, well, like a lot of places, but Torrey Pines does have history. They have the kind of history you can't buy, you can only earn it, and they have it. What Mike described and what Dan described, it's pretty special.

We love Torrey Pines, and let's see what unfolds this week. Again, I'm not going to speculate on the future, but we love everything about this place. You look, and we're out early in the morning, and you look, as Dan said, the condition of this golf course, Rich McIntosh and his staff here and 75 volunteers have been remarkable. Not only remarkable, they've gone above and beyond the call of duty. Everybody in the city of San Diego, think about it, just in making sure we have the safest championship in golf. Health and safety is number one. Everybody from the city to Rich and everyone at Torrey Pines has been magnificent. We love Torrey Pines. It will get every bit of consideration it deserves.

Q. Just a follow-up to that, not only did we reintroduce qualifying for this year's championship, but we also are able to welcome fans back for this year's U.S. Open. Can you talk about how much that means.

JOHN BODENHAMER: I'd encourage folks to talk to the players about how much that means, the electricity that fans bring back. I think we all missed fans last year. We'll have 8,000 to 10,000 and maybe a few more when you consider all the essential workers that will be on site. We experienced that a couple of weeks ago at the Olympic Club, just having several thousand there. I think the players feed off of that; they want that.

It is something we're grateful for, we don't take for granted. It wasn't easy. I look around this place, and I see like 90 days ago we didn't think we were going to have fans, and now you look around this golf course -- I don't know. Where's my friend Reg Jones? To see that we have six or seven grandstands that have gone up in the last couple of weeks, it's pretty remarkable.

You think about fans at 10,000, and I had the question earlier today, you know, California's opening up. Why don't you have 30,000, 40,000 people? What we do in building what is essentially a small city, we start six months in advance, and it takes a while. I think what you see out there for 8,000 or 10,000 that will happen this week, it's a remarkable accomplishment. We're going to do it in the safest way we possibly can, and we're very proud of that.

Q. You mentioned this is your last press conference, and this is always a weird question, but what would you consider your legacy at the USGA?

MIKE DAVIS: When I think about that, I think about what the USGA accomplished, not what I did. There's just moments in time. I think about -- Stu talked about it earlier, about the impact on the game. We've been around for 125 years and have made the game better, whether it's in championships that inspire or activities in governance, what we do with junior golf, what we do for golf courses.

I look at it thinking there's been a lot that we accomplished, but every generation accomplished a lot. I really think about it that way. Listen, you could sit there and cite a world handicap system, the new rules, you could go on and on, but I've just been happy to be a part of the USGA. I genuinely mean that because I can't take credit for any single thing. It's been a team all along, and we've got, under Mike Whan's leadership coming up, there's a lot of initiatives, a lot of things we'll continue to do for the game.

So I'm looking forward to watching the USGA in the future and rooting for it because we do so many good things for the game.

JOHN BODENHAMER: Can I just add to that? My good friend here, I feel like I need to say something in that regard.

Ten years ago Mike brought me to the USGA. Didn't have to. It will be one of the great honors of my life. But I'll say one thing I know about Mike Davis. He's a great human being, and he puts the game of golf first above everything else. Every decision we've made over the last ten years, he asks the question of all of us, what is best for the game of golf, and that is how we've made our decisions, and I think that's admirable. I think that's the most important legacy my friend has left.

Q. One of the biggest missions of the USGA is to grow the game worldwide, as evidenced by participation in the Latin American Amateur and other things. Given that, what does it mean to have such an international field this week, including four Mexicans, for the first time someone from Peru, and a player from Costa Rica?

MIKE DAVIS: Yeah, it's huge. It's the U.S. Open. This is the United States. But this has always been. You go back to 1900, I think it's the first year we got the contingent coming over from Scotland and the UK. It's been a global open.

Like John said, we get almost 10,000 people trying to qualify. There isn't an event like that in the world.

I know John just got some data before this that the strength of field here, unmatched. The strength of field this week is incredible. I think we've got, what, top 65 in the world?

JOHN BODENHAMER: We've got all of the world's top 65 ranked players. Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Even with qualifying, it's a super strong field.

MIKE DAVIS: And I think back at players in the field, and some people say, well, you've got amateurs in the field. Look how many times amateurs make the cut in the field. So you play your way in. There's no favoritism in this. It's all about can you play your way into a championship. And that's whether it's the Women's U.S. Open, the Men's U.S. Open, it's a very democratic process, and I think we're proud of that.

Listen, you add to that, we go to this country's greatest golf courses. Great golf courses are just something about it where -- the history and the architecture just brings out great drama, and I think that's a proven recipe for excitement in championships.

Q. Mike, you've had the chance to set up courses for major championships. In your next venture, is it a goal of yours to build a course for a USGA competition?

MIKE DAVIS: Last time Adam and I were together, it was in New Zealand playing a golf course that we both loved. I'm not sure I've really thought about that. What I would say is that in this position I've had the opportunity to work with some of the world's great golf course designers, and it's been -- listen, that's been for me personally as meaningful as meeting some of the greats in the world like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Snead, Nelson, Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, I could go on and on. If given the opportunity, I think every designer would love to see how his or her design matches up with an elite group.

Listen, it doesn't have to be the elite men. It could be elite women. It could be a state amateur. I think, because at the end of it, design is for different groups of people. It's for the recreational game. It's for how fun a golf course is, how relaxing and rewarding it is. But it's also, it's about strategy. It's about how many shots does it take you to get from point A to point B, and I think designing, building fun golf courses that are strategic.

I was asked by somebody a few days ago saying, are you going to build courses that are narrow fairways, thick rough? It's the last thing in the world I -- it's fun to set these things up, but I sure don't want to play them.

Q. Some years ago we were in the Latin American Amateur in Buenos Aires, with the thought of growing the game in the region. This week we have 10 Latinos; five of them have gone through the Latin American Amateur. Your thoughts on how growing the game and the Latin American Amateur is working?

MIKE DAVIS: It's a really great question because that's exactly the reason Augusta National Club, the R&A and the USGA started that championship was to really grow golf and inspire golf in that region. Just by what you said, that data, it's actually worked, and it will continue to work.

Listen, you think about in this country -- I'll share some data, but it used to be one out of six juniors were females, and now it's up to one out of three. I will tell you that is going to change things for the future. That's going to make the game healthier, more enjoyable.

So doing these initiatives sometimes takes decades to actually see what you've done come to fruition, but I think we're seeing that now with the Latin American Amateur Championship.

Q. John, I wanted to ask, the ticket sales the last few weeks have been, I guess I'd call it more aggressive. You guys have solicited more on sales. Where are you at as far as what you're going to see on the grounds? I'd like to know specifically fans versus the workers here and the volunteers and all of that.

JOHN BODENHAMER: Sure. I think with paid ticket sales, we'll be between 8,000 and 10,000 a day. That's generally where we believe we will be. I think to the essential worker question -- that's players, caddies, vendors, staff, everybody that it takes to really conduct a major championship, it will be just short of 3,000. So we'll be somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000, 13,000 will be on the grounds every day.

I think just to have that limited number -- to give the scope, it's probably one-fourth of what we had last time, but I guarantee you, if you're here on site, it's going to be an amazing experience. You're going to get up close. You're going to watch some shots you might not otherwise be able to do. And the most important is we're going to conduct it in a healthy and safe manner.

I'd say again, what our team has done and what the City of San Diego and Torrey Pines have done to create this atmosphere and what is built here is really a testament to what's happened the last two or three weeks. I think it's remarkable being out there on the course this morning and seeing all of it, it really makes me proud to be a part of the USGA and be here at Torrey Pines.

Q. John, what makes this kikuyu rough different from some of the grasses in the previous Opens?

JOHN BODENHAMER: Great question. It's harder. And what I mean by that, it's just thicker and hardier. It's just a thicker blade. Last year at Winged Foot we had Kentucky bluegrass, stands kind of straight up, and it's a little stickier. It's almost like when you hit it out of this kikuyu, and we tried to promote as much of it as we could this year, and I'll come back to that, but it almost feels like you're hitting through leather.

Jason Gore was out this morning and hitting shots through the rough onto the green, and it kind of felt like he's hitting a piece of leather. It's hard to get through when that kikuyu wraps itself around the club.

I think Rich McIntosh, and I keep going back to him, at Torrey Pines, they have done a remarkable job the last two years. We had a little bit of a test last year after the Farmers. The Farmers comes, as you know, in January, but October, the fall before that, they overseed the golf course with ryegrass, and they've created magnificent playing conditions for the Farmers. That's why they have one of the better fields each year on the PGA TOUR, and along with others have really elevated that event to something special. You talk to the players.

Last year when the Farmers concluded, Rich came in and cut down all the ryegrass to really encourage the kikuyu to come through, and it worked. He did that again this year. While it was a little bit cooler in the spring this year, we've still seen it; you go out on these fairways, they're all kikuyu, and you get into the rough on a lot of these holes, we don't need the six inches. Four or five inches of kikuyu is plenty. It's like hitting through leather, I think, and the players know it. I think this is the type of rough you'll see.

It's a little bit inconsistent. You'll see some poa annua, some ryegrass, and you'll see some kikuyu, and I think you'll see some players find some good lies. You'll be able to get the ball up on the green, but you'll also see some that they'll be able to advance it just a little ways up the fairway.

We think it's a good combination. It's going to make for a great challenge for the players, showcase their skills, the greatest players in the world.

Q. John, since Mike's leaving, I'll direct it to you, since I know you're staying, at least for a while. Rory McIlroy was in here about greens books on the PGA TOUR. The assumption is that they may actually eliminate greens books on the PGA TOUR going forward. First question is are you considering anything like that? What are they doing here this week? Secondly, Rory talked about anchoring and how he thought maybe you didn't go far enough on the anchoring issue. I know, Mike, you've been quoted as saying you thought you were pretty much done with that question, but John, where do you think you are with anchoring going forward?

JOHN BODENHAMER: A couple of questions there. I'll see if I can get to both of them.

Q. I know you're capable.

JOHN BODENHAMER: That's right. Always appreciation our conversations.

I'll start with anchoring. I'm not sure where you're going with maybe not going far enough. I didn't see Rory's comments. But I can tell you, when we went through that discussion, it was really about one thing. It was about maintaining a free swinging motion as a stroke and really not wanting anything like a club or a hand or a forearm being onto the body anchored. So that was our foundational principle.

You look at what happens out there now, it's a free-swinging stroke. And I know there's discussions about different strokes that are used today, and look, we have a rules process that it never ends. It goes on. It continues. It's an ongoing discussion with the R&A, with the PGA TOUR, with the European Tour, with the PGA of America, with all of our stakeholders, and that process will continue. We'll look at all of that, as we always do. That's nothing new for us.

I would say the same thing with green books. We created some limitations on size when we did that a few years ago. We always want skill and talent to be the reasons why players succeed. So, again, we look at that closely, and I'll tell you this. We have Jason Gore on our staff now and a player relations team we didn't have a few years ago, and we're listening a lot more to players than we ever have before and really explaining the why behind our decisions like we never have before.

That's proving to be beneficial, and I know we'll do more of that through Jason and through all of us that engage with the players.

Q. If you're saying the input of other groups, if the PGA TOUR decided to ban green books, what would be the reason you wouldn't follow suit? Since obviously the players have decided that that's something that obviously needs to be done.

STU FRANCIS: I haven't seen that. I'd have to just look at all of that. I think I'd turn to my friend Thomas Pagel, who's here somewhere, to comment on that. I'm just not as close to it as I used to be. I think it's something that we'll just listen and see what's said. We're very close to the TOUR, and I'm sure those discussions are happening as we speak.

Q. There's a player who would have been here this week if not for getting three slow-play penalty strokes. I'm just curious if that is a sign that you're going to be more vigilant in dishing out penalty for slow play this week.

JOHN BODENHAMER: No, I think we'll do what we always do. In qualifying, the situation that you're referring to, the individual was in Washington State, and the Washington Golf administered that qualifying, and they used what is often referred to as a pace-of-play checkpoint system. That group missed three checkpoints. They received the penalty that was due to them. As would be the case in any of our championships, they use the checkpoint system, predominantly the amateur championships.

There are numerous penalties each year awarded through that system. We won't use that here at the U.S. Open.

Q. Why not?

JOHN BODENHAMER: We follow what is done with the Tours. It's more familiar. It's not something we impose here at the Open by choice on the players because we want to follow what the Tours do and do it collaboratively with them. But I can assure you we will administer what we have as our pace-of-play policy, and that's very specific. The players know it, they all have it, and we'll stick to it.

THE MODERATOR: Stu, John, Dan, thank you very much. Mike. On behalf of all of us on the communications team and all of the media who are assembled here with whom you've been so generous with your time over the last certainly 32 years, a big thank you to you. We'll look forward to having you chat with some of them throughout the week, but thank you very much.