Ex-champ frowns upon young courses

ERIN, Wis. — Andy North knows about U.S. Opens.

He also knows Wisconsin. He was born here, raised here and won a state amateur here. He actually designed a routing for Erin Hills in the early 1990s, back when the place was a cattle farm, and he shot a casual 66 or 67 at the course a few years back.

So what’s in store this week, Andy? “No one has any idea what will happen,” the ESPN analyst replied Monday.

There are so many variables, namely wind and course setup. Will the USGA make No. 2 drivable as a par-4? How about No. 15? Will the first and last holes, both par-5s, be reachable in two shots?

“The players have no idea what to expect this week,” North said. “None of us do. Will the scores be high, low? I don’t think the USGA has any idea.

“To me, if you picture a U.S. Open, it’s holes at Medinah where the fairways are 28 to 30 yards wide with rough around the greens, firm greens, where hitting the green in regulation is a big deal. This is just different. If that’s what they want to do, that’s their option. But there are a lot of us older guys that don’t like this direction.”

North, 67, takes great pride in his home state hosting what he calls “the best championship in America.” But Erin Hills clashes with the UF alum’s view of what makes a U.S. Open.

“To me, the U.S. Open is Medinah No. 3, Oakmont, Oak Hill, Oakland Hills, Pebble Beach. Historic, traditional golf courses . ... A big part of the U.S. Open is the history of it. And it’s hard to have that history when you come to new courses.”