Sports: How Merion Got Its Groove Back

In early 2006, Butz, Bevacqua and Davis formally presented Merion’s case at the USGA’s winter meeting in Atlanta. Bringing the Open to Merion would still mean concessions: Instead of the 40,000 to 50,000 daily fans that are routine at venues like Bethpage and Pinehurst, 25,000 looked to be Merion’s limit, and there wouldn’t be room for a corporate village of 70 hospitality tents — 50, maybe. That all meant less revenue, a tough sell in the big-money days of modern golf. Luckily, “We were in a financial position to make the decision,” says Fay. Larger Opens, which net the USGA about $25 million each, could help cover this one.

Late in the afternoon on Thursday, February 2nd, the executive committee of the USGA voted unanimously to award the U.S. Open to Merion in 2013.

Officially, the announcement would have to wait until June 14th, the Wednesday prior to the 2006 Open at Winged Foot. Unofficially, though, Davis began dialing his cell immediately. “From a personal standpoint, these were just incredible calls to make,” he says. Iredale and Marucci met that evening in Merion’s grill room for dinner, and celebrated with another bottle of bordeaux. Greenwood remembers thinking, “What the heck do we do now?”

There were USGA contracts to negotiate, further talks — as there will be for the next few years — with Haverford, the township, SEPTA and neighbors, about tents, access, safety. And more tweaking of the golf course. “Every Open site is always different,” says Davis, “but none’s ever been picked apart in anticipation like this one. We’ve done most of the hard work already.”

Simply because some True Believers truly believed. “It’s still hard to accept,” says Iredale, “that a couple of guys had a romantic enough interest in a golf course to make it happen.”

Jeff Silverman writes about golf for Travel + Leisure Golf, among other publications.
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