TRAVELERS

a West Coast Open versus an East Coast Open that our field wouldn’t have been as strong. It hasn’t happened,” Grube said. “I think what’s going on is these guys are playing globally now. Take the European guys who just played in the Open, they’re playing in Germany now ( at the BMW International Open).

“I think the world is much smaller for the players than it used to be. It’s just so much easier to get from Point A to Point B that the week after, traveling West Coast to East Coast, it doesn’t affect us as much as I thought it would.”

That theory, of course, will be put to the test next year when the U. S. Open returns to Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. As for the present, Monday served as a day for players to get comfortable on the range. Spieth, the first big name to arrive, was there for more than an hour practicing his swing.