This year's U.S. Open Golf Tournament is being played at the CongressionalCountry Club in Bethesda, Md. The tournament was last played here in 1997, whenErnie Els came away with the trophy.Perhaps the most heart-warming U.S. Open was also played at Congressional. Itwas won by Ken Venturi in 1964. Then the tournament format still required 36holes to be played on the final day. During normal conditions, that's not a bigissue for the pros, but on this day the weather was brutally hot with a heatindex well up in the 100s.
On the front nine of the morning round, Ken Venturi shot 3-3-4-3-3-4-3-3-4 andwas out in 30. On the back nine, the heat took its toll. Venturi was in prettybad shape by the 17th hole, suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
There, blurred vision and dizziness caused him to miss an 18-inch putt for par.
Then on hole 18, he missed a 3-footer for a birdie. Walking off the 18th green,he dropped his putter and struggled to pick it up. His fellow competitorsthought he would topple over.
Between rounds, a doctor met with Venturi in the locker room and advised himthen and there to quit. He added that to continue might be fatal. Venturiresponded, "I'm already dying, Doc," alluding to his failing career. "I have noplace else to go." In the face of the worst possible odds, Venturi returned to the 1st teeaccompanied by a doctor, a marshal who carried an umbrella to shield from thesun, a police officer, and the executive director of the USGA.
Somehow, Venturi managed to plod along hole after hole with a wet towel drapedaround his neck. To Ken that Saturday afternoon was more about surviving thanwinning, but that somehow made things simpler, and the thought process changedto something like, "Just hit it down the fWeather HeadlinesThu, 16 Jun 2011 14:18:11 ESTIWS0Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:48:22 ESTKocet's CornerPerhaps the most heart-warming U.S. Open was also played at Congressional. Itwas won by Ken Venturi in 1964. Then the tournament format still required 36holes to be played on the final day. During normal conditions, that's not a bigissue for the pros, but on this day the weather was brutally hot with a heatindex well up in the 100s.On the front nine of the morning round, Ken Venturi shot 3-3-4-3-3-4-3-3-4 andwas out in 30. On the back nine, the heat took its toll. Venturi was in prettybad shape by the 17th hole, suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
There, blurred vision and dizziness caused him to miss an 18-inch putt for par.
Then on hole 18, he missed a 3-footer for a birdie. Walking off the 18th green,he dropped his putter and struggled to pick it up. His fellow competitorsthought he would topple over.
Between rounds, a doctor met with Venturi in the locker room and advised himthen and there to quit. He added that to continue might be fatal. Venturiresponded, "I'm already dying, Doc," alluding to his failing career. "I have noplace else to go." In the face of the worst possible odds, Venturi returned to the 1st teeaccompanied by a doctor, a marshal who carried an umbrella to shield from thesun, a police officer, and the executive director of the USGA.
Somehow, Venturi managed to plod along hole after hole with a wet towel drapedaround his neck. To Ken that Saturday afternoon was more about surviving thanwinning, but that somehow made things simpler, and the thought process changedto something like, "Just hit it down the fairway, then on the green. Now makethe putt."At the turn, Venturi had taken the lead as the likes of Jacobs and Palmer fadedout of contention. He never relinquished the lead on the back nine, and on thefinal hole Venturi exploded out of a green side bunker and made a 10-footer forpar. When the ball dropped into the cup, those standing around the green heardVenturi exclaim, "My God, I have won the Open!"After this tournament, the USGA discontinued the 36-hole final round onSaturday and went to the 18-hole format for both days of the weekend.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
