Editor's note: This exclusive editorial content is made possible through a parternship with the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association. The following dispatch is from Wednesday, June 18.
We continue to avoid the bad weather that has created plenty of issues all around us. The storm threat that sent us home early on Tuesday dumped two inches at the airport just a few miles away. We didn’t get any more than one brief shower, but lighting blew out power in Southern Pines, which made it tough for a lot of people looking to eat.
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Alan Owen (assistant superintendent) was among them. We’d given Alan the evening off to eat with his family before they flew back to England, but apparently they spent a lot of time just driving around trying to find somewhere to eat.
Still, the weather is probably going to be our biggest concern over the next few days. Getting the players through each day could be interesting if there are storms. Then, of course, there’s the issue of what rain and high-90s might do to the greens.
The greens continue to do well, but I have to say we are in a position that’s not one we’re used to. Because of their firmness and the lower ball flight most of the women have, we are doing a good amount of hand watering to keep the firmness in check. That’s probably not ideal for the long-term health of the greens, so it’s a good thing they’ll be replaced with the Champion once this is over.
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I had a really nice few moments outside the media center with (Pinehurst owner) Mr. (Bob) Dedman and (president) Mr. (Robert) Padgett. We were all waiting to step in for the big press conference to start the championship. Both Mr. Padgett and Mr. Dedman were very happy and looked very relaxed, which was great to see. They said they were “thrilled to death” with how the golf course has played and that was wonderful, not just for me to hear, but for Alan and (fellow assistant superintendent) John Jeffreys too because they have put so much into this.
I know that Alan and John and I are also really grateful to (Pinehurst Resort’s other superintendents) Kyle Brown, Jeff Hill and Steve Wilson. Their help and that of their guys has been huge. The same goes for a lot of the other superintendents in the Sandhills who have volunteered or committed their guys for some shifts here and there.
Then we all sat in on the press conference with the folks from the USGA who said some really nice things about the work we’ve done. There’s definitely a positive atmosphere and I feel like we are in good shape to host the women’s Open and provide the stage for a really interesting championship.
Who knows how things will play out, but I have a feeling we will see something similar to what happened with the men, although maybe without the Martin Kaymer part. I think there will be a wide range of scoring with some players really managing their game and the course well. Those who don’t adapt will really struggle, maybe even a little more than the men.
It’s interesting how much data is playing into what we do over these two weeks. We’re making good use of the firmness meter, the moisture meter and the stimpmeter. But the USGA is also using science to help them work out how to set up the course. They’ve been gathering information since the men arrived and Mike Davis said at the press conference that they now have more than 50,000 data points - tracking things like what clubs people are hitting from where, whether those shots land on the green or miss, whether they hold or run off and so on. They have really gone above and beyond to give the women’s Open every chance of being a success.
I also had a really nice few minutes with my family (wife, Laura, Bailey 15, Sadie 13, Grace 11). Bailey was a standard-bearer in the men’s Open and is again this week. They had some friends with them and it was great to see them all just lapping up the excitement – and then wandering off to do the same with some ice cream. Watching them disappear into the crowds reminded me just how lucky I am to be doing what I love to support the family that I love.
My pick: Lydia Ko. She practiced more than anyone.
Trent Bouts assisted in the creation of his article.
Kevin Robinson's Day 10 diary
Kevin Robinson's Day 9 diary
Kevin Robinson's Day 8 diary (with links to Days 1-7 at the bottom)