MY HIGHS AND LOWS FROM PEBBLE BEACH

USGA

WITH the caveat that this was written a few hours before the end — in case they blotted their copybook late on — it would be remiss not to offer a congratulatory word to the organisers. After four years of controversy and cock-ups we got an edition free of either, where they finally lived up to the old refereeing maxim that the best officials are those you don’t notice. The USGA promised to listen and they did. The course set-up was great all week and, for once in their lives, they enhanced the enjoyment of America’s national championship rather than detracted from it.

VIEWS SHORT GAME SKILLS

AS long as I’ve been covering golf, I’ve never seen so many chip-ins and all-round brilliance around the greens as we saw last week. Every time you looked up someone was holing out from a bunker or making a chip-in from the heavy greenside rough appear routine. Was it because the greens are so small? Is it the equipment? Let’s give most of the credit to the players. We really are living in a golden era for the sport where the standard has never been higher.

WHY SO LONG? TIME DIFFERENCE

YES, you can understand why the host broadcaster wants to put the action on late on the West Coast — because it means they get enormous prime-time ratings on the East Coast where it’s three hours ahead. Given the astronomical amounts they pay for the rights it’s hardly surprising they want their pound of flesh. But it makes it hell for anyone watching in the UK, with its eight-hour time difference — and no fun either for those of us with newspaper deadlines.

FAUX OUTRAGE