Published: April 14, 2017
Less than 60 days away
After years of waiting, the US Open at Erin
Hills is golf’s next major
ndettmann@conleynet.com
262-306-5043
TOWN OF ERIN — A puzzle with seemingly a
million pieces two years ago is coming together with only a few stray pieces
left on the table.
Thursday marked 60 days until the first day of
practice rounds for the 117th U.S. Open men’s golf championship at Erin Hills.
The practice days are June 12-14 and the
championship rounds are June 15-18.
Organizers can see the proverbial light at the
end of the tunnel.
“It’s definitely getting exciting,” said Eric
Steimer, 2017 U.S. Open championship manager. “We always talk about milestones
with this championship, whether its signing the agreement, being two years out,
one year out, once the prior year’s U.S. Open ends
and even as we kind of look ahead, March 13
was a big date for us because that was the day we started construction.”
The latest milestone in the journey to the
first day of the U.S. Open happened Sunday.
On Sunday at The Masters Tournament at Augusta
National Golf Club in Georgia, Sergio Garcia defeated Justin Rose on the first
playoff hole to win his first major in 72 major championship starts.
Coming off the heels of a first-time major
winner with an exciting finish helps pump up the excitement for the U.S. Open.
“I’m ecstatic. I can’t wait,” said Jeremy
Kirst, head pro at West Bend Lakes Golf Course. “I need to go somehow, someway.
I’m going to find a way to get there. This is huge; this is bigger than
Whistling Straits, because it’s not an hour, 10-minute drive — it’s a half-hour
from my house.”
Steimer said he was watching his Twitter feed
Sunday night as The Masters neared the end and saw Erin Hills quickly trend.
“There was a stream of constant, ‘can’t wait
for Erin Hills,’” he said. “Or, ‘I just bought my tickets.’” Erin Hills has
been closed since the end of last season to help preserve the course. Steimer
happily reported Thursday the course came out of the winter season in good
shape.
“(The course) came out looking spectacular this
fall,” Steimer said. “The rain and now that it’s starting to warm up a little
bit, grass is going to start sprouting up pretty quickly.”
Construction of tents and grandstands was
supposed to start March 13, but several inches of snow forced a two-day delay.
Since then, there have been several other weather- related delays, but nothing
too concerning.
Everything is on track to be ready for the U.S.
Open to ever be played in Wisconsin since the first tournament was played in
1895.
“Sixty days out is definitely exciting,”
Steimer said. “There’s still work to go, but we’re in a great spot right now,
particularly on the construction side which is where our focus is right now.”
Zach Reineking, the course superintendent at
Erin Hills, and his staff have worked diligently to maintain
the beauty of the course, such as the fescue
grass.
“I haven’t seen him stop smiling,” Steimer
said.
And the storylines, Kirst said, will be there.
Some of those include will Dustin Johnson, the defending event champion, defend
his title after getting injured before The Masters? How will Jordan Spieth do
after playing at Erin Hills in 2011 as an amateur? Will Garcia make it 2-for-2
in majors in 2017?
A visit to the course now will show several
tents being constructed, including the 39,000-square-foot merchandise tent,
along with the interactive fan experience area. In total, there will be about
400,000 square feet of tents and 500,000 square feet of flooring for patios and
walkways.
Also scattered throughout the course are
viewing tents and soon grandstands. Some chain-link fences have been set up,
which will be used for security.
Steimer said he guesses the USGA will use a
record amount of fencing, about 18 miles worth — roughly the distance from West
Bend to Hartford.
“It’s pretty incredible to see this all come
together,” he said.
“It’s kind of like putting together a puzzle,”
Steimer added.
Steimer reported ticket sales have been brisk
since they went on sale about this time last year.
Tickets for every day of the tournament —
practice and championship rounds — are still available.
A gallery ticket for the first day of the
practice rounds is $50, a gallery ticket for the final round is $125 and a
gallery ticket for the entire tournament is $450.
It was announced in 2010 Erin Hills would get
the U.S. Open. For many involved in the process, that long, long wait is almost
over.
“It’s going to be fun,” Kirst said.
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