USGA addresses U.S. Open weather concerns, Oakmont rough | Live From | Golf Channel

USGA addresses U.S. Open weather concerns, Oakmont rough | Live From | Golf Channel

TO “FRIED EGG,” AND “NO LET UP,” AND WE HEAR PEOPLE JOKING ABOUT THE COURSES WE PLAY, JB, IS COMING FOR YOUR JOB AT SOME POINT. SO, JB, THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS. WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS, JULIA AND JONATHAN ON THE SITE HAVE MICROPHONES. WE WILL START WITH JERRY ON THE LEFT. >> JOHN, GOOD MORNING. OVER HERE, THERE YOU GO. HIGH, THERE. JOHN, HOW, WITH THE TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER IN THE LAST DAY AND A HALF, HOW DOES IT CHANGE ON THE GOLF COURSE? AND IS IT CLOSE OR AT WHERE YOU DESIRE IT TO BE FOR THIS START? >> WELL, I — YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER, I DON’T NEED TO WAIT FOR THAT. BUT, IT IS — WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOLF COURSE, FROM EVERYBODY HERE, THAT THE GOLF COURSE CAN TURN AROUND VERY QUICKLY. WE WILL SEE, THIS AFTERNOON. I CAN’T ANSWER THAT, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW. WE HAVE SEEN SOME OF IT COME TO US WITH A LITTLE BIT OF FIRMNESS, AND A LITTLE BIT OF GREEN SPEED. CANDIDLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE. AND AS WE LIKE TO SAY, MOTHER NATURE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE, AND WE CAN ONLY MAKE WATER EVAPORATE ONLY SO QUICKLY. BUT, WE ARE HOPING FOR A GOOD AFTERNOON, A LITTLE BIT OF BREEZE, A LITTLE BIT MORE DRYING. >> QUESTION ON THE RIGHT? >> FOR MIKE — CURIOUS IF YOU CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE MEDIA RIGHTS NEGOTIATIONS AND ALSO SPEAK TO THE POSSIBILITY OR THE APPETITE OF SPLITTING UP THAT PACKAGE? >> YEAH, SO, IT WOULDN’T BE STRANGE OF ME TO DO THIS, BUT I WILL BE SMART ENOUGH NOT TO NEGOTIATE MY MEDIA RIGHTS IN A MEDIA CENTER. BUT, YEAH, SO, FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, OUR MEDIA RIGHTS, STARTING IN ’27 HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE, SO WE ARE IN THE MARKET PLACE RIGHT NOW, EARLY IN THE PROCESS. I GUESS ALL I WOULD SAY IS THE LEVEL OF INTEREST — INCLUDING OUR CURRENT PARTNERS, WHICH ARE PHENOMENAL — HAS BEEN GREAT. NOT JUST — WE ARE NOT TO THE POINT, YET, WHERE WE ARE CLOSE. WE ARE MONTHS AWAY, NOT WEEKS AWAY FROM KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHAT THE FUTURE IS, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE BREADTH OF INTEREST — WHICH IS REALLY A GREAT STATEMENT FOR THE GAME, NOT JUST A GREAT STATEMENT FOR USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS — BUT, THE BREADTH OF STATEMENTS AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TO THE TABLE, IS REALLY EXCITING. >> ON THE LEFT, BRANTLEY? >> THIS QUESTION IS FOR JOHN. A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ROUGH, IS THIS UNPRECEDENTED ROUGH, IN TERMS OF THICKNESS AND DEPTH? AND THEN, ALSO, ARE THERE ANY EXTRA LENGTH THAT ARE BEING DONE IN TERMS OF SPOTTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT GOLF BALLS AREN’T LOST, AND GET FOUND? >> THE ROUGH WILL BE A LITTLE OVER FIVE INCHES, AND IT IS DENSE. OAKMONT — DAY IN AND DAY OUT — HAS DENSE ROUGH. BUT, WE HAVE PLENTY OF SPOTTERS, BUT NO GUARANTEES WE WON’T LOSE A GOLF BALL OR TWO, BUT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN, YOU KNOW, NOT TO DO SO. BUT, WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I HAVE SAID, I THINK THE ROUGH — PLAYERS DRIVING THE BALL ON THE FAIRWAY WILL HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THINKING ABOUT THE ROUGH, I WILL BE HONEST, WE GAVE THAT A LOT OF THOUGHT, AND I — LOOKING BACK AND DOING RESEARCH AT OAKMONT, YOU KNOW, IT IS INTERESTING, YOU GO BACK AND MOST EVERY U.S. OPEN HERE, EVERY NINE OF THEM, HAD AT LEAST ONE DAY — OR A DAY OR SO IN ADVANCE OF IT — THAT WE GOT SOME RAIN. SO, WHEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE RESTORATION, AND THE RESTORATION MADE THE FAIRWAYS I DON’T KNOW, 224 YARDS LONGER, SOME MORE, SOME A LITTLE BIT LESS, WE JUST FELT THAT WE NEEDED THE ROUGH THAT WE HAD, AND WE THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE DRIVING CORRIDORS, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW IT UNFOLDS. >> QUESTION ON THE FAR RIGHT? >> THIS ONE IS FOR MIKE. SPEAKING TO THE RULES AND TALKING WITH DISTANCE SO MUCH AND THE WAY DRIVERS ARE TESTED — >> YEAH? >> HAS THERE EVER BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT TRANSPARENCY OF ANY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENS, IT GETS PUBLISHED? SIMILAR TO HOW F1 THERE IS A RULE VIOLATION, IT GOES OUT IN THE PRESS, THAT WAY YOU DON’T HAVE PLAYERS TALKING ABOUT LEAKS, LEAKS TO THE MEDIA, THINGS LIKE THAT? HAS THERE EVER BEEN A DISCUSSION WITH THE PGA TOUR, AS WELL AS THE OTHER BODY? >> JUST REPHRASE A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO, FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD, WE HAVE CHARACTERISTIC TIME CREEK, WHICH I ASSUME THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. THAT IS ESSENTIALLY HOW LONG THE BALL STAYS ON THE FACE. THINK ABOUT A KID JUMPING ON A TRAMPOLINE AND THE LONGER THEY ARE ON THE TRAMPOLINE, THE FARTHER THEY BOUNCE OFF. SO, WE SET A LIMIT WITH MANUFACTURERS, IN TERMS OF HOW LONG THAT BALL CAN STAY ON. IT IS BEST IN TERMS OF MICROSECONDS. SO, THERE IS A TASK, INTOLERANCE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF IT IS ON THERE FOR MORE THAN 258 MICROSECONDS, WE CONSIDER THAT CLUB OUT OF TOLERANCE. SO, AS A SERVICE TO THE PLAYERS ON THE TOURS — AND WE DO IT HERE, AS WELL — WE DO RANDOM TESTING, PRETTY REGULARLY. SOMETIMES, WHEN WE SAY “RANDOM TESTING,” PEOPLE ARE THINKING — IF YOU ARE PLAYING ON TOUR, YOU WILL GET TESTED A COUPLE OR THREE TIMES A YEAR. AND WE THINK THE TESTING WE ARE DOING IS COMMENSURATE WITH BOTH THE DEGREE OF FAILURE THAT WE SEE — WHICH IS PRETTY MINIMAL, AND QUITE FRANKLY WHEN WE SEE FAILURE, AT LEAST CURRENTLY, WE ARE SEEING CLUBS JUST LITERALLY CREEP OVER THE LINE AND IT IS A LINE WE DRAW. WE AREN’T SEEING, WHEN WE ARE TAKING DRIVERS OFF, DRIVERS THAT ARE, “OH, MY GOSH, LOOK WHERE THAT ONE WENT.” SO, SOMETIMES IN THE MEDIA AND THE FAN SPACE, YOU THINK, “YOU JUST TOOK 20 YARDS OFF OF THAT PLAYER,” WE ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT LITERALLY A EXTRA MICROSECOND AND IF YOU GET WITHIN 18 MICROSECONDS OF THE LINE AND WE TEST YOU, WE GIVE YOU A YELLOW CARD, YELLOW WARNING, WHICH IS, “HEY, BE CAREFUL, THAT CLUB IS STARTING TO –” BECAUSE WITH THE FREQUENCY AND VELOCITY WITH WHICH THEY HIT THE CLUBS, THEY WILL RELAX OVERTIME, SO AS A SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS, AND THE PLAYERS ON THE TOURS, WE PROVIDE THAT. IF I’M BEING HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, IT MADE US MORE COMMITTED TO NOT HAVING THIS WANT TO BE THE TOPIC OF THE TOWN, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT IT, A RULES VIOLATION, OR SOMEBODY PLAYING WITH A HOT DRIVER, THAT GETS SO MUCH MORE SENSATIONAL THAN THE REALITY. AND I CAN TELL YOU AS A RULES BODY, IF WE HAD CONCERN ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE ADVANTAGE, WE WOULD CHANGE THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE TEST. BUT, WE THINK THE TESTING WE ARE DOING NOW IS COMMENSURATE WITH THE SIZE OF BOTH THE ISSUE, AND THE SIZE OF THE REALITY OF THE ISSUE. SO, IT’S — AND, I MEAN, PROBABLY SHOULDN’T ADMIT THIS, BUT I AM NOT EVEN — I KNOW WE TESTED THIS WEEK, I COULDN’T TELL YOU IF WE HAD FAILURES. AND IF SO, WHAT THOSE FAILURES WERE AT THE TIME. I COULD PROBABLY GO ASK, BUT I STAY OUT OF THAT MIX. I KNOW IF WE SAW A TREND THAT WAS ALARMING IN TERMS OF OTHER HOW MANY, OR HOW FAR THEY WERE MOVING BEYOND, WE WOULD CHANGE THE WAY WE APPROACH IT, BUT WITH WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY, IT WOULD BE A GREATER INTERRUPTION — IT JUST WOULDN’T BE WORTH THE SQUEEZE. >> ON THE BACK LEFT, JAMES? >> MIKE, JUST A FOLLOW-UP ABOUT THE MEDIA RIGHTS. I AM WONDERING, WHAT ARE THE USGA’S PRIORITIES, AS FAR AS THE NEXT MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL, AS THEY SORT OF SURVEY THE LANDSCAPE? >> YEAH, I MEAN, LISTEN, WE LOVE OUR CURRENT PARTNERSHIP, SO LET’S START THERE. I MEAN, FOR A LOT OF REASONS. BUT, ONE IS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TRULY COMMITTED PEOPLE THAT WANT TO NOT JUST COVER THE EVENT, BUT TELL THE STORIES. LONGEST DAYS, HOW THEY HANDLE THE U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN, HOW WE HANDLE THE AMATEUR, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS WEEK. I MEAN, I SAID THIS ONE TIME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO BUT, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE A FOOTBALL GAME — WHEN WE WERE OUT IN L.A., WE CAME ON AIR AT 11:00 IN NEW YORK, IMAGINE A FOOTBALL GAME BEING ON FOR 12 HOURS. SAME THING IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE ON THURSDAY, THEN FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY. SO, WE REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THEY LET THESE STORIES PLAY OUT AND LET PEOPLE BE A PART OF IT. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT BACK IN THE GAME AND ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT INVESTMENT IS A GOOD TV PARTNER. BUT, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK FOR SOMEBODY WHO CAN DELIVER, YOU KNOW? AT THE LEVEL, OR BETTER, THEN WE ARE DELIVERING NOW. AND THROUGH THAT PARTNERSHIP, ENABLES US NOT JUST TO TELL THE U.S. OPEN STORY, OR THE U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN STORY, BUT SOME OF THESE INCREDIBLE AMATEUR STORIES, AS WELL. WE THINK THAT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP FOR A LONG TIME, THAT YOU — WE GET TO PUT A LIMELIGHT ON SOME CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND MAYBE OTHERWISE, PEOPLE WOULD GET TO SEE. SO, LIKE I SAID, I DON’T REALLY WANT TO — I DON’T REALLY WANT TO SHARE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE DOG TO GO AND THEN TELL EVERYBODY ELSE, I WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST TIME I HAVE MADE THAT MISTAKE. BUT, WE’VE GOT A WAYS TO GO. SO, WHEN WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN REALLY SHARE WITH YOU OUTCOMES, WHETHER THAT IS CURRENT PARTNERS, OR DIFFERENT PARTNER, WE WILL SIT DOWN AND DO THAT, INCLUDING THE STRATEGIES THAT DROVE US THERE. >> A FEW MORE QUESTIONS ON THE LEFT? JULIA, BACK ROW, FIRST. >> THANK YOU. MIKE, YOU MENTIONED RIGHTSIZING ATTENDANCE, HERE. CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW SPECIFICALLY ATTENDANCE MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS? CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT, SO HOW THE CAPACITY MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENTLY FROM 2016 AND OTHER U.S. OPENS? AND WHAT WENT INTO THAT DECISION? >> TO JB’S POINT, WITH THE INTERSITE AGREEMENT WITH US WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE CLUBS, WE HAVE CREATED A LOT OF FAN SPACE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HERE A WEEK BEFORE AND NOT JUST IN TERMS OF CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES BUT FAN SPACE, AS WELL. I WILL TELL YOU, THIS WEEKEND, WHEN WE ARE ALL IN HERE — I MEAN, THERE IS A TAKER IN OUR OFFICE THAT EVERYBODY COMES THROUGH, WE SEE HE NUMBER CHANGE, AND WE HAVE TO MOVE IT, BECAUSE IT JUST KEEPS GOING ALL DAY. BUT, ALL IN, WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE ON SITE HERE ON SATURDAY, 40,000 PEOPLE ON SUNDAY, AND PROBABLY SIMILAR TOMORROW AND FRIDAY. >> ALL RIGHT, IN FRONT, ANNE? >> HEY, MIKE. WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THE ROLLING BACK THE BALL ISSUE, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE RESISTANCE FROM THE PGA AND PGA TOUR? >> WE HAVE GOOD MEETINGS, I WOULD SAY STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS THAT STARTED AT THE PLAYERS, AND MET AGAIN AT AUGUSTA, HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE GAME, AND IT HAS BEEN — I HAVE TO SAY, I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE COLLABORATIVE, YOU KNOW, NATURE OF THE DISCUSSIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, I GET THIS ISN’T EASY, AND EVERYBODY HAS GOT THEIR OWN CONSTITUENTS. I WILL JUST SAY WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY, AGAIN, AS AN INDUSTRY, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE GAME, LONG-TERM, THAT WE ALL KNOW WOULD BE BETTER, 40 YEARS FROM NOW, IF WE ARE SMART ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TODAY. WE WILL MAKE THOSE. NOT EVERYBODY WILL LIKE IT, IT WILL BE HIGH ANXIETY UNTIL WE GET THERE, BUT NOBODY IS GOING TO DIE, THE GAME IS GOING TO BE GREAT, AND WE ARE GOING TO PROVE THAT WE CAN BE BETTER FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, RATHER THAN TO SIMPLY LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN 40 OR 50 YEARS, WE WOULD BE HANDING THEM SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE MADE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS ON. SO, IF WE ARE BEING HONEST WITH YOU, WE ARE FULL SPEED AHEAD ON WHAT WE HAVE ANNOUNCED. THOSE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. I AM REALLY EXCITED THAT THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS ARE IN THE ROOM, TALKING ABOUT THE HOW TO, AND WHAT FURTHER THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW, TO DO THAT BETTER. BUT, I WON’T LIE TO YOU — AND THERE IS ANXIETY THERE — AND I AM RIGHT THERE ON THE ANXIETY LIST, TOO. BUT, THIS IS WHY WE ARE PUT IN THIS POSITION. YOU KNOW, WE DON’T HAVE THE SAME CONFLICTS, AND CONTRACTS, AND BIASES. SO, THIS IS OUR JOB, AS GOVERNANCE. AND IT IS NOT A FUN ONE. IF YOU LOOK OVER THE 130 YEAR HISTORY, WE ARE NOT NEW TO THIS, AND WE HAVE HAD TO DO THESE THINGS BEFORE. IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE, “OH, MY GOSH,” WHEN THEY HAPPEN, THEN YOU LOOK BACK 10 YEARS LATER AND YOU WERE LIKE, “WHATEVER HAPPENED?” BUT AS AN INDUSTRY, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BOTH FOR OURSELVES AND FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS TO INHERIT THIS GAME, AND WE WILL. >> [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ] >> WE HAVE ANNOUNCED OUR PLAN, YEAH. >> FRONT RIGHT? >> HEY, MIKE. I DON’T KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED, BUT IN GENERAL, WITH PURSES AND TOURNAMENTS, AS THE BIGGEST TOURNAMENTS AROUND THE WORLD GO UP VERY QUICKLY, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES, IF ANY, FOR KEEPING THE U.S. OPEN PRIZE MONEY AT ELITE STATUS? >> THAT IS A GOOD PROMPT, BECAUSE I WALKED IN HERE AND THERE WERE LIKE, “DO ME A FAVOR AND MENTION THE PURSE?” AND I FAILED ON THAT, SO I’M SORRY. $21.5 MILLION, SECOND IS $14.3 MILLION. WHEN I STARTED AT USTA FOUR YEARS AGO, OUR PURSE WAS $14.5 MILLION, SO WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WE HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN MOVING FAST AND BIGGER. WE ARE REALLY NOT A FAN OF SMALL, BUT WHEN WE GO, GO A LITTLE BIT BIGGER. SAME, BY THE WAY, IS HAPPENING ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE, JUMPING FROM FIVE AND HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO $12 MILLION. DOES THAT MAKE IT HARD, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THE INVESTMENTS WE HAVE MADE IN THE GAME? BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, WE UNDERSTAND, WE WANT TO BE RELEVANT, WE UNDERSTAND THE COMPETITIVE SET. WE UNDERSTAND THIS PROBABLY ISN’T REALLY ABOUT THE MONEY, FOR THE FIRST PERSON THERE BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT THE MONEY TO BE COMMENSURATE WITH THE ACHIEVEMENT. SO, YEAH, WE FEEL COMFORTABLE. I DON’T REALLY KNOW THE OTHER FOUR MAJORS, BUT I THINK IF WE ARE NOT THE TOP, WE ARE CLOSE TO THE TOP, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THAT GROWTH ON BOTH THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SIDE, BECAUSE IT IS PART OF CREATING WHAT WE WANT TO BE THE BEST CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE GAME. >> ON THE LEFT, DOUG? >> FOR MIKE OR JOHN — I’M NOT SURE WHICH — BUT, THERE HAS BEEN SOME TALK THIS WEEK THAT THIS MIGHT BE PHIL MICKELSON’S LAST OPEN. AS A NON-CHAMPION, WOULD HE BE CONSIDERED FOR ANOTHER EXEMPTION? AND SHOULD THE HOCKEY PLAYED BE HELD AGAINST HIM? >> [ LAUGHTER ] >> I’M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT. THE ANSWER IS, PHIL DID RECEIVE THAT IN 2021, AND I AM A LITTLE SLEEP DEPRIVED, DOUG, SO — BUT, COUNTING MY YEARS BACKWARDS. BUT, IT IS LIKE ANYTHING, WE WOULD REVIEW THINGS FIRST IN A CAULK AHEAD OF NEXT YEAR AND LOOK AT ALL THOSE POSSIBILITIES AND EVALUATE IT FROM THERE. YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WAY THAT WE WOULD ALSO THINK OF PHIL, IS HE EARNS HIS WAY IN, AND I THINK HE WOULD TELL YOU THE SAME THING, AND THAT IS WHAT HE DID LAST TIME. WE GAVE HIM WON, AND HE WENT OUT AND WON THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, SO WOULDN’T PUT IT PAST HIM. >> QUESTION ON THE BACK RIGHT AISLE, ALEX? >> YEAH, MIKE, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE POSITION OF USGA ON THE ROLLBACK. TWO WEEKS AGO, JACK NICHOLAS SAID THAT RIGHT NOW, HE WOULD BE WILLING TO JUST FREEZE IT AS IS, WHERE HE HAS BEEN A MAJOR COMPONENT OF ROLLING THE BALL BACK, UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE DIFFERENT GROUPS INVOLVED WITH IT. ARE YOU SAYING THAT F, IN FACT, YOU CAN’T GET THE TOURS TO SUPPORT YOU OR THE MANUFACTURERS, WHAT YOU WILL STILL IMPLEMENT STARTING ON YOUR DAY, AND WHATEVER U.S. OPEN THAT WOULD BE? >> I WILL SET YOU, ALEX, I WENT TO THAT EVENT ON WEDNESDAY AND DIDN’T HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM, BUT WILL NOW THAT I HEARD YOUR COMMENT. BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST TOURED JACK ABOUT IT, HE SAID, “THAT IS A NICE START, BUT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT IS NOT ENOUGH,” HE HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THAT FROM HE BEGINNING. WHAT I WOULD SAY TO JACK, AND WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU IS — AND I HAVE SAID THIS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ON A LOT OF RANGES — I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE POSITION, BUT LET’S KEEP IT WHERE IT IS TODAY. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE DISTANCE WHERE IT IS TODAY, THIS ACTION THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS ESSENTIALLY THAT. IT WILL BE, IN 15 OR 20 YEARS, AND MAYBE LESS, BASED ON SWING TRAINING AND EVERYTHING ELSE. WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK AT THE DISTANCE THAT WE ARE TODAY, 12 TO 17 YEARS AFTER THIS CHANGE. SO, THE OTHER WAY TO KEEP THE SAME IS, I DON’T WANT BALLS FALLING OUT OF THE SKY AT A CERTAIN NUMBER. PEOPLE SAY, “KEEP IT THE SAME,” I SAY, “HOW DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT?” WE WILL MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS, SO THAT DISTANCE OVER THE LONG- TERM, 40 OR 50 YEARS, IS SIMILAR. WE KNOW THAT DISTANCE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WILL CHASE IT, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT IS A GAME ADVANTAGE THAT YOU SHOULD CHASE, IF YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IT. BUT, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS STOP THE PACE, THE SLOPE OF THAT CURVE THAT HAS BEEN ON IN THE LAST 20 TO 40 YEARS AND THE NEXT 20 TO 40. IF ANYBODY THINKS THAT IS MORE THAN THAT, INCLUDING JACK, WHO IS SMART ENOUGH BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, HE KNOWS THAT THIS CHANGE IS MODERATE, AND IT WON’T HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. BUT, LOOK, MAYBE 10 OR 15 YEARS, IT WILL FEEL LIKE THE GROWTH OF THAT CURVE IS PRETTY SLOW, AS OPPOSED TO THE PACE IN WHICH WE ARE DEALING WITH TODAY. >> A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. FIRST, BOB? >> MIKE, I REALIZE THAT YOU ARE ONLY ONE PART OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS, BUT AFTER THE MASTERS, THERE WAS SOME CHATTER THAT THE LIV GOLF LEADERSHIP WAS GOING TO READDRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND MAYBE LOOK AT THAT AGAIN, PERHAPS RESUBMIT. CAN YOU UPDATE US ON WHERE THAT IS? HAS THERE BEEN ANYTHING FORMAL FROM THEM? OR, HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT MAYBE TRYING TO COMPLY? >> YEAH, I AM GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, MY LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE SORT OF BEEN IN A CAGE, SO IF THEY SUBMITTED SOMETHING WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I AM NOT AWARE OF A RESUBMIT. ANOTHER HAS BEEN DIALOGUE WITH LIV ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF RESUBMITTING, AND AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WILL REVIEW IT JUST AS WE DID THE LAST TIME. BUT, I DON’T THINK THAT HAS HAPPENED. AND IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT, THAT IS JUST BECAUSE I AM A FEW WEEKS BEHIND ON MY EMAILS RIGHT NOW. BUT, I AM PRETTY SURE THAT AT THIS POINT, THERE HASN’T BEEN — BUT, I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN ACTIVE DIALOGUE. THAT DIALOGUE, AT LEAST AT THIS POINT, I DON’T THINK HAS TURNED INTO A SUBMISSION. >> JEFF? >> ONE QUESTION FOR MIKE, AND ONE QUESTION FOR JOHN. JEFF, YOU MENTIONED ANXIETY, I GUESS, ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW REGULATIONS? CAN YOU JUST EXPAND ON WHAT YOU ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT? AND JOHN, GIVE US A SENSE — WE KNOW THERE IS NETTING OUT ON THE GOLF COURSE THAT YOU ARE LIKELY TO USE — BUT, JUST AN OUTLINE OF WHAT YOU TELL PLAYERS TO ANTICIPATE, IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC SETUP ELEMENTS THIS WEEK TO LOOK FOR AND EXPECT? >> SURE. >> GO AHEAD. >> I WOULD SAY, THE NETTING YOU SEE, JEFF, IS REALLY TO PLAY AT CERTAIN AREAS. AT OAKMONT, THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS WHERE — EXCUSE ME — WE WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO SAVE SOME OF THOSE. THAT IS REALLY WHAT MOST OF THAT IS. BUT, THE PLAYER IS NO KIND OF EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE THINKING. YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO MOVE THINGS AROUND, WE LIKE TO SHOW DIFFERENT ANGLES, SHOW DIFFERENT YARDAGES. WE WORKED VERY HARD ON THE PAR 3 ESPECIALLY AND EACH ONE OF THEM WILL PLAY DIFFERENT YARDAGE AND WE LIKE THE PLAYERS TO PLAY DIFFERENT CLUBS, EVERY DAY, AND DIFFERENT ANGLES. WE LOOK AT THE WEATHER VERY CLOSELY. THAT IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE. BUT, WE DON’T ALWAYS SHOW THEM EVERYTHING, BECAUSE WE THINK THEY HAVE A YARDAGE BOOK, AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS, AND THEY HAVE GREAT CADDIE TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK. SO, AS AN EXERCISE IN MATH, WELL, SOMETHING MIGHT SHOW UP THAT WE DIDN’T PUT A NET OVER, OR THEY MAY NOT BE THINKING ABOUT. THAT IS WHAT I MEANT BY, YOU KNOW, 15 CLUBS IN THE BAG, DIRTY. THE 14 THAT THEY HIT AND THE ONE BETWEEN THEIR EARS. I THINK FOR US, WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE PLAYERS THINK, AND HOW WE CAN TEMPT THEM TO DO THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT CONTEMPLATE DOING, OR NORMALLY DO, AND SHOULDN’T, AT A U.S. OPEN. THAT IS HOW WE THINK ABOUT IT. AND THAT IS ONE OF THOSE. WE WILL GIVE THEM — IF IT WILL BE A DRAMATIC CHANGE HOW THE GOLF COURSE WILL PLAY ON A PAR 4 THAT WE MIGHT MAKE DRIVABLE, AND IT WOULD BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LOOK — THEN WE WILL SHOW THEM. AND, FRANKLY, WE GIVE THE PLAYERS ALL OF — YOU KNOW, WE ARE PRETTY TRANSPARENT. WE SHOW THEM WHAT OUR PLANS ARE FOR GREEN SPEEDS, ROUGH HEIGHTS, EVERYTHING. OUR CUTTING DOCUMENTS — WE THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND THE SAME THING ON THE TV. >> IT IS FUNNY, YOU ASKED ME A QUESTION ABOUT MY ANXIETY, JEFF, BUT IT STARTS WITH 27 DIET PEPSI’S. BUT, THE REALITY IS, GOVERNANCE IS HARD. AND I KNEW THAT WHEN I GOT HERE, BUT IT IS HARD. AND YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON MY FRIENDS, AND THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE GAME, JUST LIKE US. AND I GET THAT. WHERE THE ANXIETY COMES FROM, EVERY TIME I OPEN MY COMPUTER AND READ 100 EMAILS, 50 PEOPLE SAY, “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE CHANGING THE BALL,” AND 50 PEOPLE SAY, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT IS ALL YOU ARE DOING ON THE BALL,” AND NOBODY SAYS, “THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.” THAT IS THE HARD PART ABOUT GOVERNANCE. I SAT IN JACK’S STABLE YESTERDAY WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS OF THE GAME, AND LISTENED TO VERY TALENTED LEADERS OF OUR GAME SAY TO ME, “THAT IS NOT ENOUGH.” AND THE PEOPLE SITTING NEXT TO ME HAVE SAID, “THAT IS TOO MUCH.” SO, I THINK I PROBABLY GOT TO SEE THE WORLD OF GOVERNANCE. SO, YEAH, IF YOU DON’T THINK THAT IS HARD, A LITTLE ANXIOUS, YOU JUST HAVE TO COME HANG WITH US FOR A COUPLE DAYS. WE KNOW THAT IS HARD. BUT, THE WORST THING WOULD BE TO BAIL AND DO NOTHING JUST BECAUSE IT IS HARD. >> WE HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. MATT? >> YEAH, TO MIKE, AND TO JOHN. JOHN — FIRST, TO MIKE. THE DATES THAT ARE SET, THEY ARE IN STONE, NOW. IT IS 2028 AND 2030. IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? >> YES, WE HAVE GIVEN MANUFACTURER STATES THAT WE KNOW THEY ARE WORKING. THEY ARE SUBMITTING PROTOTYPES AND HAVE R&D EFFORTS. I GUESS, YOU COULD SAY SET IN STONE. YOU KNOW, COULD WE COME ACROSS SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE US FEEL LIKE OUR DECISION NEEDS TO BE ALTERED? WE COULD. I MEAN, WE WILL DEFINITELY STAY OPEN-MINDED TO THAT, BUT WE HAVE YET TO SEE ANYTHING THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT, AND I MEAN, WE ARE NOT — YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT NOT OPEN TO WHAT A NEW DATA — SOMETHING TO PROVIDE. BUT, WITH EIGHT YEARS TO THAT DECISION POINT, SO I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY, “WHY THE RUSH?” I AM LIKE, “WHY THE RUSH? HOW MANY MORE YEARS TO THINK WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN?” >> JOHN, TO YOU, WHEN YOU SAID TO PLAYERS BEING ALERTED, THEY HAVE HAD THE 2nd HOLE, THE 17th HOLE, THE 8th HOLE, THE 12th HOLE, THEY HAVE HAD VARIOUS TEE POSITIONS. WITH A BE SOME OF THE ONES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED TO THE PLAYERS? >> I THINK IT IS ALL WEATHER DEPENDENT. WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THE WEATHER IS GOING TO DO AND WE WILL LITERALLY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS THE NIGHT BEFORE, THE MORNING OF. BUT, I WILL SHARE ITH YOU, WE WILL MOVE THINGS AROUND. YOU WILL SEE SOME DIFFERENT LOOKS, FROM DIFFERENT TEES. BUT, I THINK YOU WILL SEE MORE OF THE GOLF COURSE AT OAKMONT THEN MAYBE YOU DID IN 2016. EVEN WITH THE ADDED LENGTH, PREDOMINANTLY BECAUSE, AS I SAID, THE PLAYERS ARE 12 YARDS LONGER, WE HAVE A LITTLE LESS TO WORK WITH. SO, THE SHOT VALUES THAT WE WANT TO PRESENT, I THINK — I THINK WE WILL BE USING MORE OF THE GOLF COURSE, THE FULL LENGTH OF IT, THEN MAYBE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE FOR ’16. >> AND ONE LESS THING TO YOU, JOHN, WHAT ROLE DOES PLAYERS’ OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS, AS THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS HAPPENING, IMPACT HOW YOU SET THINGS UP? >> WELL, I THINK WE DON’T REALLY GO TO THE PLAYERS, WE LET THEM COME TO US DURING THE WEEK, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE CONDUCTING BUSINESS. BUT, WE DO SEEK OUT — THERE ARE CERTAIN PLAYERS WHO WE KNOW REALLY DO HAVE AN EYE FOR ARCHITECTURE, MAYBE HAVE PLAYED HERE IN THE PAST. AND WE REALLY RESPECT THEIR OPINIONS. WE WILL SEEK THOSE OUT, AND WE HAVE DONE SO, AND WE LISTEN. YOU KNOW, IT IS ULTIMATELY OUR DECISION, BUT WE THINK WE ARE BETTER, BY LISTENING. AND, OF COURSE, WHEN PLAYERS COME TO US, WE WILL LISTEN TO EVERYTHING. SOME OF YOU KNOW SCOTT LANGLEY, HE IS OUR SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PLAYER RELATIONS, HE IS DEEPLY INVOLVED AND HE HAS A TEAM OF FIVE

Ahead of the U.S. Open, Fred Perpall, Mike Whan and John Bodenhamer of the USGA address weather concerns, the “dense” rough at Oakmont, why drivers fail testing, the USGA’s next media rights deal and more. #GolfChannel #Golf #USOpen
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USGA addresses U.S. Open weather concerns, Oakmont rough | Live From | Golf Channel
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