USGA takes questions ahead of 2024 U.S. Open | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel

The USGA fields questions from the press ahead of the 124th U.S. Open, which will serve as the 1,000th USGA Championship. #GolfChannel #USOpen #Pinehurst
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USGA takes questions ahead of 2024 U.S. Open | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel
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uh we’ve had a lot of players recently mention that they can hit uh the ball anywhere on the driver face and kind of get away with it and I’m wondering if that’s something that is a comment you’ve noticed uh in regard to uh the protocols and different things you did with the distance and that you tabled the driver and if that’s something that would uh reignite interest in that topic yeah I I think the that comment was before you know we came out with our final istance uh and the change on the golf ball regulations and after so I think that’s been consistent I would say comfortably speaking for both Martin and I um we had and have real interest in in figuring out a way to to provide a difference as it reles to the driver as well to date in terms of the five-year process we went through we didn’t really come up with something that wouldn’t have a a much more negative effect on the recreational game um so in fact like what we did on the golf ball is going to have much more of an impact on the at the at this level than at the average level when we started talking about changes in in the driver or driving equipment it was just the opposite much more significant impact across the board than it just at the elite level so I think we said this when we announced and if we didn’t I’ll just tell you we um we shelved it for now because we thought it was time to make a decision and put it on there but we didn’t uh we didn’t retire the idea we just didn’t have an idea quite frankly that we believed was was worthy of going to the to the market yet but um I would just put yet on that statement James hi Mike um you spoke about the usj’s responsibility earlier I’m wondering what is the responsibility to the TV audience yeah I mean we uh we really feel like we want to give uh we want to give people choices you know so you know first choice is um you know probably an unmatched level of network TV you know and if you want to watch you know even on Thursday even when we’re on USA Network from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. you know compare that to some of your other experiences and you can you can make your own comparison there we also realize that everybody wants to watch it different I’ve seen this happen in my own kids you know they’re they’re watching it a different way than I’m watching it so if they want to take those approaches they can and if you want to follow you know A specific group or or player we give you that option as well so I think what we want to do is give people a way to engage in the US in the US Open and to do that in whichever way you want to do that and it can never get perfect but I’m really proud of the changes we’ve made in just the last few years to give you more and more options and quite frankly what our partners at NBC uh Universal have done in terms of just really opening up the hours I mean last year if you think about it we came on at 11:00 a.m. and went off at 1 p.m. you know on Saturday it’s uh you know think of another sport that commands an NBC audience the entire day like that so yeah that’s exciting and I think sometimes we almost take for granted I’m saying myself included just how much time you can wake up at 6:30 and leave your TV on until five and be watching and then when that’s over or separately while that’s going on have other viewing options and and and that’s what we provide there’s obviously a lot of conversation always around the commercials at this event I’m wondering like how does the USGA balance the its own Financial interests and generating you know certain amounts of TV rights Revenue against the maybe desires of golf fans who would prefer to watch a lot more golf with a lot fewer interruptions with choices I I would say to you that um we have made in know a funny when I was saying to Doug I mean we have made a significant reduction in our own promotions and In fairness to NBC they’ve matched us um because this is our big microphone too and so we’ like to be able to use this opportunity to share all the stories of the usj so cutting back on that doesn’t come easy we also understand that you know they’ve uh they’ve paid for our rights and they got to monetize those rights as well but if you prefer to watch it a different way you can go on our app and watch it you know um all day long in a in a whole different way I’m sure NBC and the audience probably doesn’t love that comment um but I mean we just try to provide just try to provide options some people want to watch want to watch it a certain way and you can go if you like all access and more of the Red Zone jump around which you probably describe my 26-year-old there’s an option for them uh so yeah I don’t think this has to be a one-sized fits-all anymore and I think if you really understand the viewing audience in the game today especially in an event this size it’s about giving them choices not just to one siiz fits all Doug John given given the nature of these greens uh as much as you want to take things to the Edge for a US Open um how difficult is it to do that without it getting out of control well I think it’s always it’s always difficult Doug um you know our strategies are built around tough but fair but these are unique greens no bones about it I um I think look just to put it out there I think uh what we’re endeavoring to do we uh we look at the weather that’s always uh part of it but I think the way we think about it we’ll we’ll play in the mid 13s for most of the day uh that’ll drop down as the day goes on a little bit but we think with the whole locations we choose and and if the weather cooperates we think that’s a good place to be along with what everything else that’s here with finers it’s not it’s not just about speed on these greens you know there’s the wonderful putting greens themselves and How firm and fast they get and I and I think uh Fairways too I think there’s a lot more that Donald Ross intended here um even off the fairways um even the visuals that you see the way it turns the bunkers I think we’re really working hard on the bunkers too and getting them just right um for these great players so it’s a lot of things follow just yeah I was just I was just curious with the uh change away from bent is it easier to control easier to control um no it’s just different I don’t know that it’s easier I think it’s just a different putting putting green surface uh which we’re familiar with um I wouldn’t call it easier it’s just different question on the left for Mike regarding the purse increase this year as you think about the strategy there for the rest of this decade or so is there an ambition to return the US Open purse to the single largest in golf like it was the previous decade or so uh I I’ll be honest with you we don’t we don’t sit in rooms and say how do we you know we want to make sure that our purse matches how we feel about the rest of our Championship which is um which is a life-changing uh difference in the game and I I think we’re I think we’re there and we’ll continue to kind of monitor that I think there’s probably some if we if we went a million higher than some others they’d just go a million and I’m not you know not really sure that’s the the best answer but um I don’t think anybody who wins this week and walks away with $4.3 million and and quite frankly all the other that comes with winning the US Open uh is going to question whether or not that was a uh uh an event that’s changing uh we’re you know we’re proud of our purse you know uh I’m proud of the fact that we as an organization consistently ask ourselves um whether or not we think we’ve got our purse right our TV right I mean all those things have have changed quite a bit in the last few years uh and and changes uncomfortable but I think we’re we’re not only keeping up with the times but hopefully at least in the landscape of majors in a lot of these cases uh we’re leading and you guys can decide if you think that’s right or wrong but that’s that’s how we think about it question on the aisle Rex uh for John I think you Ed the term same Pine hers compared to 2014 I believe that applies to the total yardage as well given the conversation we’re having about distance gains over the last decade or so what does that say about this golf course that you can essentially play it the same way we did 10 years ago oh I don’t know what it what it says I know that uh we will be very similar um we we we looked at lengthening we chose not to I think we’ll play it uh overall a bit longer than we did you know we move it around a lot and I think look players are hitting 10 yards further now than they were 10 years ago so that’s part of our strategy we think about that but um so I think all in we’ll played a little bit longer than we did in 2014 but that’s just how we’ll move it around and um it was just a choice we made right next to one Brandon hey John right back at you um how do you weigh player feedback in real time uh versus you know you have a plan coming into the week you want it to be this yep then the reactions are that and how do you go from deviating based on that um you know how do you kind of weigh those scales well we’ve got a team um Scott Langley is uh leads that uh for us our our player relations capability but he’s got a team of five or six around him and you know it it can be a lot of things it’s certainly about the golf course we pay attention we listen to what the players are saying we ask them questions we have a number of the players uh uh that um we really trust their opinion they understand the architecture they understand what we’re trying to achieve and so we’ll seek their opinion we don’t just sit back and wait and you know Scott played on the tour for 10 years he won on the tour you know he’s got a great relationship with him and it doesn’t just stop with the US Open we did that two weeks ago at Lancaster Country Club uh we Engage The Players all throughout that week so look and I think it’s our job to really seek that and understand it and let it inform our decisions but not drive all of our decisions either we’re going to we’re going to be the USGA it’s going to be the US Open and we’re going to be tough but fair and the players know that and I you know and I I think they want that I think that they want to win something special we’re tough but fair not just to be tough and tough but fair because when you win it means what Bob Jones won what Ben Hogan won what tiger won it just means more you know there was a uh a US Open Champion a few years ago it sticks in my head it’s a it’s a story I tell our team he sat in a room just like this I was there I won’t name him but he shot 67 in the third round of the US Open and a member of the medium might have been one of you in the room said did you enjoy shooting 67 today in the US Open he looked around a little bit and if you know this player he’s pretty cerebral he says you know I don’t think what I did today was enjoyable but I really feel like I achieved something that’s what we do that’s the way we think about it I would say Brendan too it’s not just golf course you know in terms of I remember standing on the Range last year Saturday and Sunday talking to players about the US Open experience one of the things we heard is is uh is the recovery system what’s kind of happened in ice bass and saunas and you know that kind of stuff is really uh was growing faster than we were so the commitment that we’ve made in the last year to the to the player you know recovery process so it’s it’s not it’s not just about Golf Course feedback it’s just making sure and an ease of of their of their family’s experience and getting in and out of golf course that kind of stuff that’s the stuff that we want to make sure we’re going to to John’s point we’re going to make it probably uncomfortable during their 18 whole experience but the rest of the experience doesn’t have to be and so some that’s some of the stuff we want to understand as well it’s a great Point Mike we work hard on the experience not just on the golf course super good point in the back Bob uh Mike um John actually I think referenced this on the June 3D the Final qualifying day on Golf Channel and you I think you asked about it at the media day about the access for live golfers and that’s directly via maybe their points list or you know what what have you how how serious of a discussion is is that for you going forward and and what could you envision that maybe being if if that were to even come to pass yeah so two things I mean first let’s start with the obvious I mean you know about half of this field is field is filled open and I think we had 30 I don’t know 35 players from live uh that were Exempted right into final qualifying so if they really wanted to be here they could go play 36 holes and qualify and some did to their credit I think we have 13 or 14 Live players in the field and that’s essentially what we’ve had in 22 and 23 um there is no uh there is no out of- bound Stakes on our field criteria in other words this major probably different than some others uh you can get in it’s not a closed field it doesn’t require us to doesn’t require a committee or an invitation if you want to play in this field you got an opportunity to play in this field and and we’re proud of that I would say to you to your specific question John and I have both talked about it we’re definitely going to talk about it in this offseason on whether or not there needs to be a path to you know somebody or some buies that are performing really well and live that could get a chance to play in that way I think we are serious about that exactly what that looks like and how that’ll cail I’m I’m not just being koi we haven’t we haven’t done that yet I also think if I’m being perfectly honest with you we’ve always felt like for the last uh maybe a year and a half that we’re always three months away from kind of understanding what the new structure is going to look like and so before we kind of react let’s what is live going to be what’s the PJ tour and so we always kind of felt like you know we’re just about to know that answer so let’s figure that out and now I think the reason we’re being more vocal about looking at that for next year is you know maybe this is maybe this is the new world and if that’s the case we wanted to take a look at that so I think it’s feasable I don’t think it’s a huge pathway but I don’t think but but we do offer other pathways through DP or corn fairy and so we know that there’s there’s an option to to get there but even that said since the first you know I think they played their first live event the weekend before our 2022 US Open and in that US Open there were 13 live players suspended at the time playing in our Championship so we’re not um we’re not a closed door and if you want to be here you got to want to be here but if you want to be here there’s certainly way to get here on the left Matt John can you speak about t positions because in 2014 you moved the t’s around and because of the nature of the greens where the pins are located and where the t’s are located are integrated together I’m sure how do you alert the players to this about the possibility of the te’s being put in different places and especially like for example whole 13 would that be a driveable par 4 possibly do you alert players to this possibility that the holes could be played from these different positions so that they’re prepared for it when that comes time or is it just a surprise that day no well um I don’t know that we alert players I think uh over the last uh couple of decades I think they know us pretty well now that we’re going to move it around a lot it’s kind of who we are and what we do um we believe in giving players choices everywhere we can and you know in 2014 we played a number of drivable you referenced 13 uh we played three drivable twice we played number seven up way up we moved par 3es around giving different yardages angles that’s what we do as far as alerting players I think if it changes if the AR if the approach that a player would it would change the architectural approach that the player would have to look at and and experience we would show them what we would do in practice rounds but if it’s just an exercise of math and it’s in their yardage book then we we probably won’t and uh and haven’t really we haven’t had I don’t believe I have to think had really any alternate tees but we will move it around and it’s just a matter of them doing the math and they do that every week so it’s uh nothing unusual I think they expect it uh and we will you know it really is in real time based on what you know we like Mother Nature has a seat of the table it’s an outdoor game until we put domes on these great places which I hope the heck we never do uh it’s a real time decision but we do plan to move it around the far back Adam shupac Mike me Mike earlier you mentioned the friction in the professional game the need for Unity is there also any progress any progress in getting Unity um with the ball roll back and how important is the PJ tour support for that concept to work give me give me one more time just a little loud I’m not sure I follow you I just couldn’t hear you Adam it was hard to hear you couldn’t hear you how important is the concept of of how important is the PGA Tour support and PGA of America to the concept of rolling the ball back has there been any progress with that I would I’ll give you an answer but I would say like anything I say you should probably follow my actions more than my words I mean our actions were we came out and uh we came out and were pretty strong in the idea of an mlr an individual ball that we played at a high higher level and nothing at recreational level um and uh in real clear conversations real clear conversations uh PGA Tour in the PGA of America asked us on their top of their list of concerns was that um and uh in an effort to I always say that we lead in a huddle we try to bring the industry together and hear everybody’s points of view but at the end of the day somebody’s got to call a play and that’s our job so we call a play but in that huddle we heard loud and clear that the the idea of a of a bifurcated uh product line was really concerning to both of them and and concerning enough that um that I’m not really sure that the PJ tour and other tours would have implemented and as I said from the beginning this was never a paper exercise we didn’t want to do something check it off our to-do list and then it just never really affects the game long term so our decision to go back to an across the board uh across the board regulation which admittedly by going across the board we had to give it more time so longer to implement and lessen the impact so that the impact of the recreational game was was minimal at best um we’re all we’re all outcomes of those I don’t think those were our probably Choice number one but the right choice if you’re actually leading in a huddle versus leading in a silo and so yeah I think they’re not only do we we respect their opinions but their opinions fundamentally shape the final outcome question okay John one for you you in of course is very much the same as you said but in in 2014 it was very Brown and now it’s green why is that and did what you were trying to achieve then not work a good question uh I’ll go back to Mother Nature as a seat at the table it’s rained a little bit more than it did last time we had five weeks leading up to 2014 where it was very dry and uh you know this place is spicy and bouncy and it’s at its best when it’s that way but I’ll say this John Jeff Bob faren Kevin Robinson and the whole Pinehurst team we heard words like this is a player uh feedback words like mint perfect amazing you know here in the Sand Hills where it’s Sandy the Hydraulics are fast I mean to be as we are it’s pretty fun to see the players and the fans see this great place as it looks but you can see it starting to turn it rained last Sunday and um it uh it it kept it a little Greener you’ll see it uh as the weather progresses what it looks like it’ll it’ll turn a little bit it will not look like it did in 2014 and frankly honestly that’s by Design I think it was just so dry in 2014 and we felt we could achieve something a little bit different and still have it be bouncy you have two or three more questions on the right Mike you mentioned the explosive growth of the of the I know the uh the explosive growth of of the recreational game but some of that has probably come at the expense of the professional game if you’re if you’re out playing you’re not watching how do you Rec reconcile those two sides of the game how do you get fans of of playing to become fans of watching on TV all right at the risk of being snarky I mean this is what I was talking like like every other sport in the world would say gosh if we could just be 50% bigger than we were 10 years ago and we’re 50% Bigg and we’re worried about you know a ATV rating one week or five weeks or uh if if golf was a stock uh it would be soaring you’d be purchasing it whether you’re a television producer whether you’re a golf course owner whether you’re a golf course where they’re Golf Club Builder um because there’s just nothing better for the game than people loving it if people love it so if they’re out playing versus watching the US Open I’m okay with that that’s pretty exciting for the game it’s exciting for them it’s exciting for their kids because they’re going to create more future generations of golfer and if you’re out playing because you love the game so much you’re going to come back we’re going to get you you’re going to be watching I’m not going to worry about it this week or next week or next month but long term I mean there’s there’s there’s virtually no way for us as an IND industry not to be over the moon about what’s happening in the game and if uh people didn’t watch a couple of weeks or if there was a like to me a great example is I I read these results of how the Augusta was down on Sunday Augusta was across the board four days up but for three hours on Sunday it was down versus year ago headlines were Augusta was down on Sunday um I got I got to love my Augusta friends because you know if it was me I’d be out there going are you kidding me like we’re across we’re double digits across four days um but that’s okay I’m just saying it’s uh I have zero concern about the future of the game and the future of viewership and the future of fandom and um because we’re we’re doing what we always wanted to do and quite frankly couldn’t I mean if I was being honest with you only one other time in the tiger effect did we see a bounce like this but it’s it was half the bounce of what we’re experiencing now and so uh yeah this um we can try to find a reason to not be excited about this but we’d have to be looking for one because this is pretty pretty exciting time for the game and uh for for a group of people that put on 15 national champion ship some are amateurs some are women some are boys some are girls some are professionals some aren’t this is a it’s an amazing time to be doing what we’re doing another question on the left I’ll get you an extra large shirt though before you leave Alex yeah Mike since most of your championships are amateur championships and there’s so much money coming into the game now including nil are you at what point do you start looking at in case of let’s take this event which is an Open Championship why wouldn’t you pay if they earned it and made the cut why wouldn’t you play pay amateur what they deserve to get for making the cut here yeah I think as uh as the amateur as we’ve tried to evolve nil and amateur status as the game have we we as the USGA kind of created an N an nil and amateur status angle uh before the NCAA did and you know so golf was kind of ahead of that time I’m not sure you may be right we may be heading to that path uh sooner rather than later