U.S. Open: Congressional is a true Blue test

For the third time, the U.S. Open will be held on the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. As usual, it will be the hardest test the top players on the planet will face this year. Even if they'll be playing it as a par 71 instead of the 70 that it was the last two times. The members, of course, play it as a 72, but if the U.S. Golf Association didn't change at least one par-5 into a 4 it wouldn't be able to identify the true champion. Or something like that.

Anyway, in 1964 Ken Venturi finally won the major there that had eluded him for so long. And he nearly died doing it. On the last day he shot 66 in the morning and followed with a 70 in the afternoon. That was enough for him to win by four. His first-place check, by the way, was worth $17,500.

The temperatures soared toward 100, and the humidity was almost as high. Venturi was suffering from heat exhaustion. Doctors advised him not to continue. He was given tea and salt tablets between rounds, and a physician accompanied him for his closing 18 holes with ice packs.

After holing his last putt Venturi dropped his putter, raised his arms skyward and proclaimed, "My God, I've won the Open." His playing partner, 21-year-old Raymond Floyd, picked the ball out of the cup for him. He had tears in HIS eyes.

The next year, the championship began being played over 4 days rather than a 36-hole final day.

It took 33 years for the Open to return to the nation's capital. This time it came down to the 71st hole, a long par 4. Ernie Els parred it, after Colin Montgomerie had made bogey in the next-to-last group. Els parred the par-3 18th, his fifth consecutive par, to beat Monty by 1. The Scotsman missed a 5-footer at 18. Both closed with 69s. Tom Lehman, who'd finished second the previous 2 years, had a two-shot lead after 54 holes. That made him the first person to hold the third-round lead 3 consecutive years since Bobby Jones (1928-30). But he bogeyed 16 and 17, where his 7-iron approach bounced into the water left of the green. Jeff Maggert, who finished five back, played the last four holes in 4-over.

Els had also won this major in 1994, at Oakmont.

Congressional also hosted the 1976 PGA Championship. Dave Stockton, the 1970 winner (at Southern Hills), shot 280, one better than Floyd and Don January.

Now the 17th is the 18th. And the old 18th has become the 10th, still a par 3 but going in the opposite direction. The sixth will play as a par 5 (of 555 yards) rather than a 4. The 11th, normally a 5, will remain a 4 (at 494).

New USGA executive director Mike Davis, who has been in charge of setting up the Open course since 2005, says the layout will not likely be stretched out to its full distance.

"It lends itself to a lot of risk-reward," Davis explained. "We want to give the players options, allow them to make choices. They've added eight tees, so there's flexibility. We're going to try and bring the driving-zone hazards more into play."

This much is certain: The greens will be lightning, the rough will be penal and par will be a great score. It's the Open.

DID YOU KNOW

-- Northern Irleand's Graeme McDowell last year became just the second European to win this Open since Scotland's Tommy Armour in 1927. The other was England's Tony Jacklin in 1970.

-- McDowell's closing 74 was just one stroke shy of the highest final-round score by a winner since World War II. That record is shared by Cary Middlecoff (1949) and Hale Irwin (1979).

-- Last year 60-year-old Tom Watson, who tied for 29th, became the second-oldest to make a cut at the Open. The record belongs to Sam Snead, who also tied for 29th in 1973 at 61.

-- The 54-hole leader/co-leader has won 48 times in 110 Opens. The most recent to do it was Tiger Woods, 3 years ago. But he's the only one who's done so since 2004.

-- Dustin Johnson closed with an 82 last year, after being ahead by three through 54 holes. It's the largest advantage squandered by a third-round leader since Retief Goosen also blew a three-shot edge in 2005 by finishing with an 81.

-- Runner-up Gregory Havret almost became the first Frenchmen to win a major since the 1907 British, and also the first to win this Open in their debut since Francis Ouimet in 1913.

-- Ernie Els' third-place finish last year was his first top 10 in this major since 2004.

-- When the AT & T National was held at Congressional from 2007-09 (it's headed back next year after a 2-year run at Aronimink), the winners were K.J. Choi, Anthony Kim and host Tiger Woods.

-- There have been only two 18-hole playoffs in the last 16 years: 2001 and 2008.

-- In 1997, the last time the Open was held at Congressional, the low score was 276. In 1964 it was 278.

THE COURSE

Where: Congressional Country Club, Blue Course, Bethesda, Md.

When: Thursday-Sunday

Hole-by-hole

No. 1: par 4, 402 yards

No. 2: par 3, 233 yards

No. 3: par 4, 466 yards

No. 4: par 4, 470 yards

No. 5: par 4, 413 yards

No. 6: par 5, 555 yards

No. 7: par 3, 173 yards

No. 8: par 4, 354 yards

No. 9: par 5, 636 yards

Out: par 36, 3,702 yards

No. 10: par 3, 218 yards

No. 11: par 4, 494 yards

No. 12: par 4, 471 yards

No. 13: par 3, 193 yards

No. 14: par 4, 467 yards

No. 15: par 4, 490 yards

No. 16: par 5, 579 yards

No. 17: par 4, 437 yards

No. 18: par 4, 523 yards

In: par 35, 3,872 yards

Total: par 71, 7,574 yards

FEATURE HOLE

That would be the 18th. What you were expecting, maybe No. 1?

Last year at Pebble Beach, No. 18 was played at 543 yards. It's a par 5. The last hole at Congressional can be stretched to 523 if the powers that be want to. But it's a par 4. There is a difference.

It didn't play that long 14 years ago, and it still caused problems. Ask Tom Lehman.

Anyway, defending champ Graeme McDowell played it from all the way back in early May on media day, the first time he saw it.

"It was playing a little downwind, and I had 223 yards left [to the green]," he said. "So it's stunning."

Especially when you remember that there's water guarding the left side of the putting surface. Again, ask Lehman. Did we mention that there's also a ridge running through the middle of the green?

The trick is to hit a drive down the right side of the fairway, which slopes to the left. Hopefully the ball catches the break and gets some decent roll. Or hopefully the USGA decides not to play it all the way back.

Either way, it could make for an interesting finish.

FUTURE SITES

2012: The Olympic Club, San Francisco

2013: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore

2014: Pinehurst Resort (N.C.) No. 2

2015: Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash.

2016: Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

2017: Erin Hills, Erin, Wis.

2018: Not yet determined

2019: Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

MAJORS SCHEDULE

July 14-17: British Open, Royal St. George's, Sandwich, England

Aug. 11-14: PGA Championship, Atlanta Athletic Club

Nov. 17-20: Presidents Cup, Royal Melbourne, Australia

THE DREADED PICK

I'm skipping the Handicapping 101 portion of this exercise because I really don't know who to make the favorite.

I was going to list Tiger at 10-1. Not to win, just to finish. I have Phil Mickelson in a pool, and he has almost won this thing like a dozen times (without actually winning it). But at this point in the age game, who knows?

I think K.J. Choi should play well, but he won the Players Champion-ship and nobody wins both. I think Luke Donald will play well, but he doesn't seem to lift a trophy too often. Internationals have won the last four majors. And two have been from South Africa. So maybe Rory Sabbatini, who's having a good year when he's not making nice with Sean O'Hair, is next in line.

I think Jim Furyk may have one last shot in him, though this track does seem a bit long for him. I'm not really liking Rory McIlroy or Lee Westwood. So who does that leave? Probably someone who's not even on my radar. Or maybe anyone else's.

So I'll take a total stab, based on nothing, and go with Steve Stricker (even though I can't believe I actually wrote that). Hey, I could have said Ernie Els. Throw Strick in a trifecta with Matt Kuchar and Ian Poulter (hard to believe I went with him, too).

So, did I leave anyone out?

Remember, it's mostly for amusement purposes. Unless of course I happen to get something right.

PAST FIVE WINNERS

2006: Geoff Ogilvy, Winged Foot

2007: Angel Cabrera, Oakmont

2008: Tiger Woods, Torrey Pines

2009: Lucas Glover, Bethpage Black

2010: Graeme McDowell, Pebble Beach