Starting the Us Open: From Shinnecock to Pebble Beach


Book Description

For 23 years, Ron Read witnessed the toughest shot in golf...the opening drive from the #1 tee of the United States Open Championship. The US Open ranks with the World Series, the Super Bowl, and Wimbledon for its prestige and meaning to its respective sport. Throughout his celebrated career, Ron formed many lasting relationships with golfers, caddies, sportscasters and writers, course superintendents, and many others. Ron takes us inside the ropes, through the clubhouse, into the inner sanctum, and tells the stories revealing what has made this tournament and this sport, truly special. Starting the US Open is much more than a "read;" it's an experience!




US Open


Book Description

Timed to coincide with the US Open’s 50th anniversary, this exquisitely produced book celebrates the most electrifying event in tennis. All of the key moments and unforgettable personalities from the competition’s 50-year history are brought to life by vibrant, exclusive photography. This book provides a comprehensive look at the tournament, from the early years of tennis legends such as Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe to iconic players such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Original contributions from journalists, players, coaches, and notable fans stand alongside gorgeous photography of the many household names who have made their mark competing on the game’s biggest stage. A perfect gift for any tennis fan, this book is a richly visual tribute to the sport, its fans, and its champions.







Great Moments of the U.S. Open


Book Description

GREAT MOMENTS OF THE U.S. OPEN is a compilation of the most unforgettable chip shots, birdies and putts witnessed in the 111-year history of the U.S. Open, America's greatest and oldest golf tournament. Long-standing rivals, stalwart champions and comeback heroes go wood to iron on the green, leading to the most memorable, knuckle-biting displays of skill in the history of the majors. From American Francis Ouimet's shocking victory over top British professionals in 1913, to Jack Nicklaus' edging of Arnold Palmer in 1962 for his first Open win, to Tiger Woods' breathtaking comeback on a broken leg to capture the 2008 Open -- the gutsiest, classiest and most improbable victories are recounted here. GREAT MOMENTS OF THE U.S. OPEN contains 28 memorable victories. These include: *Billy Burke in 1931; 144 holes to defeat George Von Elm in playoff *Ken Venturi in 1964; holds on at Congressional after suffering heat stroke *Gary Player in 1965; the first international champ in 45 years *Tony Jacklin in 1970; wins by seven strokes and is the first European champ in 50 years *Tom Watson in 1982; miraculous chip-in on the 71st hole to win *Tiger Woods in 2000; dominating performance to win by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach *Rory McIlroy in 2011; sets scoring record in rout of field. For all its hushed moments and idyllic settings, golf is about passion, prowess and thrills. These 28 stories go beyond the leader boards directly to the heart of the game. Five chapters encapsulate the tournament's colourful history through its great stories. These are the victories that heralded significant changes in the sport. They are the underdogs who had to overcome injuries and sickness to become champions. And they are the comeback heroes and the dominant champs who make it look easy. The book is lavishly illustrated with stunning photographs of the championship artefacts held by the USGA Museum. Readers will also enjoy some of the world's best golf action and course photography. Complete with essays focusing on U.S. Open course design, history, international players and near misses and collapses, 'Great Moments of the U.S. Open' provides readers a unique and authoritative view on the best of America's most prestigious golf tournament. Colour photographs




Golf's Greatest Championship


Book Description

Relive Denver's 1960 U.S. Open Golf Championship, when the young lions of the game were eager to reach the top tier occupied by Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. Only a single stroke separated the three leaders: Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, and a young but talented amateur named Jack Nicklaus, on the final two holes. 12 b&w photos.




Open


Book Description

Tiger Woods has called the U.S. Open "the most difficult national championship." With Open, John Feinstein goes behind the scenes to tell for the first time the full story of how the 2002 U.S. Open Championship came into being-how a public course was transformed into one of the most difficult and surprising in the tournament's history, and how the greatest golfers in the world rose to its almost insurmountable challenges. The Black course at the public golf club in Bethpage, New York, has long had a mythic status among golfers. Designed by legendary course architect A. W. Tillinghast in 1936, it is known as a work of genius-with long fairways, gorgeous vistas, and roughs and bunkers that stymie all but the very best golfers. It is a course where any player can compete, but its cult reputation means that golfers often have to camp overnight in the parking lot to get a tee time the next day. The 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black was the first time in history that golf's greatest championship had been held at a true public course. Open is the full drama of that championship, from the moment that officials first considered holding it there until the last putt rolled in at dusk on Sunday. Along the way, John Feinstein reveals the full glory of golf as it's never been explored before. He digs deep to find out what it really takes to make golf's most famous event worthy of the champions who compete in it. He tells the remarkable story of the artisans who transformed the Black from a downtrodden and rough-around-the-edges public course to one that top pros hailed as "unbelievable" and "the toughest par-70 I've ever played in my life." He also tracks the drama of the masters who battled for supremacy at the Black-Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson, Jeff Maggert-to show how true champions respond to the toughest conditions. Open is the story of people who devote their entire lives to golf, both behind the scenes and inside the ropes. Their struggles and exhilarations as they master the monster known as Bethpage Black make for a story every golf lover will want to read again and again.




The Majors of Golf


Book Description

This reference work is a complete source for the results of each of golf's major tournaments (the Master's Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open Championship, and PGA Championship). Information includes the final position, round-by-round score, and complete major tournament record of every golfer, including those that didn't finish, to have participated in a major. Appendices list all players with possible name variations or for whom there is conflicting data.




Massacre at Winged Foot


Book Description




Polo in the United States


Book Description

Though polo is commonly associated with Britain and South America, the sport also enjoys a strong following in the United States. This comprehensive history describes the evolution of polo in the U.S., from its beginnings in a New York City riding academy in 1876 to the 2010 Open Championship held in Florida. The principal early players and the first polo clubs are covered, as is American participation in the Olympics, polo at universities and colleges, women's polo, indoor polo, and polo in the military. Additionally, chapters also examine polo in the arts and in literature.




The Greatest Game Ever Played


Book Description

THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED is the story of Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon, who in pursuit of their passion for a game that captivated them as children, broke down rigid social barriers that made their sport accessible to everyone on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond, positioning golf as one of the most widely played games in the world. Ouimet and Vardon were two men from different generations and vastly different corners of the world whose lives, unbeknownst to them at the time, bore remarkable similarities, setting them on parallel paths that led with a kind of fated inevitability to their epic battle at Brookline years in the future. This collision resulted in the big bang' that gave rise to the sport of golf as we know it today. For Mark Frost, Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon represent everything that's right about sports in general and sportsmen in particular; gentlemen, champions, teachers, leaders, and each in their own quiet way, heroes. In THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED, Frost attempts to create penetrating studies of both of these men, along with over dozens of the game's seminal figures, within the dramatic framework offered by the tournament when they finally met, one of the most thrilling sports events in history, the 1913 U.S. Open.