The 2008 United States Open Championship
Thursday June 12th – Sunday June 15th, 2008
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South) · San Diego California
Purse: $6 million Winning Share: $1.08 million
FedExCup Points: 27,500
Tournament Site: http://www.majorschampionships.com/usopen/2008/

Discuss the U.S. Open Here on the GolfPlace.net forums.

T.V. Schedule:
Thur., June 12
ESPN 1 PM - 3 PM ET
NBC 3 PM - 5 PM ET
ESPN 5 PM - 10 PM ET

Fri., June 13
ESPN 1 PM - 3 PM ET
NBC 3 PM - 5 PM ET
ESPN 5 PM - 10 PM ET

Sat., June 14
NBC 4 PM - 10 PM ET

Sun., June 15
NBC 3 PM - 9 PM ET

Weather Fore!cast
Thursday June 12th: AM Clouds / PM Sun High 67° Chance of rain 10%
Friday June 13th: Partly Cloudy High 70° Chance of rain 10%
Saturday June 14th: Sunny High 75° Chance of rain 0%
Sunday June 15th: Sunny High 70° Chance of rain 10%

Torrey Pines Golf Course
William Bell Sr. designed the North and South courses at Torrey Pines Golf Course in 1957. Located 20 minutes from downtown San Diego along the coastal bluffs in La Jolla, Calif., the public facility has hosted the Buick Invitational since 1968. Both courses provide stunning Pacific Ocean views, but only one, the South Course, will host the U.S. Open in 2008.

Mark Brooks holds the North Course record with a 61, while Tiger Woods holds the South Course record at 62, though he shot that before the 2001 renovation. Greg Chalmers, with a 63, has the lowest score since the course was revamped.

More about the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines

DISTANCE — This layout is 379 yards longer than any previous U.S. Open course layout, but it is playing to a par 71, not a par 70 as has been the case in all but a few years over the past several decades. The third, 11th and 16th holes, all par 3s, will vary in length from 17 to 53 yards. The shortest yardages bring the total yardage to 7,541 yards.

PAR 71 – Prior to 2008, the last time the U.S. Open was a par-71 layout was in 2000 at Pebble Beach Golf Links (6,846 yards).

COURSE LAYOUT – The fairways will range in width from roughly 24 to 33 yards. On either side of the fairways, a 6-foot wide swath of intermediate rough running the length of each hole will be set to 1 3/4 inches. Next, a 20-foot band of first cut of primary rough will be grown to approximately 2 1/2 inches, and the second cut of deepest rough left and right of the landing areas will be 5 inches. Some spectator ropes will be moved back to allow for this plan, where the “penalty now fits the crime.” The further off line a drive is, the tougher the recovery shot will be. (This is the third year of this USGA set-up approach).

The greens will be set to run at 13 to 13 1/2 feet on the Stimpmeter for the duration of the Championship. The primary rough for 11 feet around the putting greens will be maintained at 3 inches. Outside of that, the rough will be grown to 4-5 inches (in contrast to the 2 1/2-inch rough running alongside the fairways).

Source: http://www.majorschampionships.com/usopen/2008/course/index.html

The Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley
Thursday May 29 – Sunday Jun 1, 2008
Muirfield Village GC · Dublin, OH
Purse: $6 million Winning Share: $1.08 million
FedExCup Points: 25,000
Tournament Site: http://www.thememorialtournament.com/

Forum Thread: http://www.golfplace.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3

TV Schedule
Thursday, 5/29: The Golf Channel 3p - 6p ET
Friday, 5/30: The Golf Channel 3p - 6p ET
Saturday, 5/31: The Golf Channel 12:30p - 2:30p ET
Sunday, 6/1: The Golf Channel 12:30p - 2:30p ET
You can also watch the Memorial Tournament online

Weather Fore!cast
Thursday Mostly Sunny 73° Chance of precipitation 0%
Friday Mostly Cloudy 81° Chance of precipitation 20%
Saturday Scattered T-Storms 80° Chance of precipitation 30%
Sunday Partly Cloudy 76° Chance of precipitation 20%

Muirfield Village Golf Club was the dream and work of Jack Nicklaus. The land was acquired in 1966, but construction did not begin until July 28, 1972. The golf course is situated on 220 acres, which includes an 11-acre driving range. The course was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, May 27, 1974, with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Nicklaus scored a six-under par 66, which stood as the course record until 1979.

The 18-hole layout, selected by Golf Digest as No.16 among “America’s 100 Greatest Courses,” played at 6,978 yards in its original form, but is 7,265 at present. It had 77 bunkers, a number since reduced to 75, and water can be a hazard on 11 holes. A Columbus Pro-Am on Aug. 11, 1975 was the first event held at Muirfield, and the first Memorial Tournament was played in May, 1976. The course has also hosted the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1987 Ryder Cup Matches, the USGA’s 1992 United States Amateur Championship, the 1995 Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge, and the 1998 Solheim Cup.

Source: http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r023/course.html

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Monday May 19 – Sunday May 25, 2008
Colonial Country Club · Fort Worth, Texas
Purse: $6.1 million Winning Share: $1,098,000 FedExCup Points: 25,000 http://www.CrownePlazaInvitational.com

TV Schedule
Thursday, 5/22: The Golf Channel 3p - 6p ET
Friday, 5/23: The Golf Channel 3p - 6p ET
Saturday, 5/24: CBS 3p - 6p ET
Sunday, 5/25: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Weather Fore!cast
Thursday May 22 Partly Cloudy / Windy - High 88° Low 72° Chance of Precip. 10 %
Friday May 23 Partly Cloudy - High 91° Low 74° Chance of Precip. 20 %
Sat May 24 Mostly Sunny - High 93° Low 73° Chance of Precip. 20 %
Sun May 25 Isolated T-Storms - High 92° Low 72° Chance of Precip. 30 %

The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial golf tournament is the longest running event on the PGA Tour still being held at the original site (since 1946). The players of today know they are competing on the same hallowed ground as the great Ben Hogan won the championship five times in his hometown. His legacy permeates the event, and that’s just part of the tradition that helps make the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial what it is, one of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour. As one of the few Invitationals on the PGA TOUR our Eligibility Criteria annually attracts an elite field, click for Eligibility.

Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas features one of the country’s, and world’s, highest ranked golf courses. Built in 1936, the traditional layout attracts pros from all over the world who appreciate its overall challenge. As long as golf course rankings have been made, Colonial has always made America’s top 100, one of the few PGA TOUR courses to do so.

The club’s founder, local businessman Marvin Leonard, was a visionary who also sponsored a young Hogan during his early struggles on Tour. That relationship helped forge a lifelong love affair between Colonial and Ben Hogan. The club features a Hogan Trophy Room, honoring his legacy with trophies, memorabilia, video and other items from his legendary career. Outside, overlooking the 18th green, stands a statue of Hogan, frozen at the top of his follow-through and gazing at the beautiful course forever. This truly is “Hogan’s Alley.”

Source: http://www.crowneplazainvitational.com/default.asp?IsDev=False&NodeId=4

AT&T Classic
Monday May 12 – Sunday May 18, 2008
TPC Sugarloaf · Duluth, Georgia
Purse: $5.5 million Winning Share: $990,000
FedExCup Points: 25,000
http://www.attclassic.com

TV Schedule
Thursday 5/15: The Golf Channel 3p - 6p ET
Friday, 5/16: The Golf Channel 3p - 6p ET
Saturday, 5/17: CBS 3p - 6p ET
Sunday, 5/18: CBS 3p - 6p ET

Weather Fore!cast
Thursday: 80% chance of thunderstorms high 69°
Friday: AM Clouds / PM Sun high 76°
Saturday: Sunny high 77°
Sunday: Partly Cloudy high 79°

The Course - TPC at Sugarloaf (Private)

Spread across 1,200 gently-rolling, tree-covered acres, northwest of Atlanta, TPC Sugarloaf features Greg Norman’s first foray into golf course design in the country. The 27 challenging holes are complemented by multi-station hittings areas, stately locker rooms and an elegant 60,000 square foot clubhouse. Members also enjoy the professional Tennis, Sports and Aquatic Centers on property. Source: http://www.tpcatsugarloaf.com/

Tournament Information:
ATLANTA, GA- –The 40th anniversary AT&T Classic will once again host the finest professional golfers in the world, May 12-18, 2008, at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia. The four-day, 72-hole PGA TOUR tournament offers a total purse of $5.5 million, with $990,000 earmarked for the winner.

The real winners, however, are children. Proceeds from the event are donated each year to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Since 1983, the total tournament contribution to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is nearly $14 million. An additional $2 million has been donated to other charities during that time.

Players expected to compete in this year’s event include defending champion and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, Sugarloaf resident Stewart Cink, Chris Dimarco, John Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal and Luke Donald. They will seek to join a list of past winners that includes Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Corey Pavin, David Duval, Phil Mickelson and Daly.

The 11-year-old TPC Sugarloaf golf course was designed with the spectator in mind, with numerous mounds and natural amphitheaters that facilitate easy viewing of all the action. More than 125,000 avid golf fans attend the event each year. And, for the 10th consecutive year, the AT&T Classic will be televised live for all four rounds: Thursday and Friday on The Golf Channel and both weekend rounds on CBS.

A broad variety of ticket options are available, from a weekly badge ($60) to individual day tickets to special corporate packages. Tickets can be purchased by calling (770) 951-8777, by accessing the tournament web site at www.attclassic.com or at the gate. TPC Sugarloaf is located off I-85 at 2595 Sugarloaf Club Drive in Duluth, Ga.

THE PLAYERS Championship
Thursday May 8 – Sunday May 11, 2008 · TPC Sawgrass · Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
FedExCup Points: 27,500 Purse: $9.5 million Winning Share: $1.71 million Yards: 7,220

TV Schedule
Thursday, May 8th: THE GOLF CHANNEL 1p - 7p Eastern
Friday, May 9th: THE GOLF CHANNEL 1p - 7p Eastern
Saturday, May 10th: NBC 2p - 7p Eastern
Sunday, May 11th: NBC 2p - 7p Eastern

Tiger won’t be in the field as he recovers from surgery on his left knee. This tournament is great to watch on TV, especially the fun that happens on the famous 17th hole with its island green. Phil Mickelson is the defending champion. The course favors a golfer who can hit it long but has the proper course management skills. The TPC at Sawgrass was designed by Pete Dye and is the epitome of “risk vs. reward” golf course architecture.

Our Picks:

• Davis Love
• Justin Leonard
• Phil Mickelson

Our dark horse pick would be Fred Couples, obviously past his prime for the “flat bellies” tour but being a 2 time champion of The Players Championship, you can’t count him out.