Starting The Us Open From Shinnecock To Pebble Beach

For 23 years, Ron Read witnessed the toughest shot in golf...the opening drive from the #1 tee of the United States Open Championship. The US Open ranks with the World Series, the Super Bowl, and Wimbledon for its prestige and meaning to its respective sport. Throughout his celebrated career, Ron formed many lasting relationships with golfers, caddies, sportscasters and writers, course superintendents, and many others. Ron takes us inside the ropes, through the clubhouse, into the inner sanctum, and tells the stories revealing what has made this tournament and this sport, truly special. Starting the US Open is much more than a "read;" it's an experience!

A straight-shooting look at the hottest issues and controversies in golf today, from the game’s most popular and provocative commentator Johnny Miller’s brilliant career as a professional golfer—including U.S. Open and British Open championships—has been followed by a fourteen-year tenure in the broadcast booth as America’s most respected television golf analyst. In I Call the Shots he offers his no-holds-barred opinions, with trademark insight and wit, on all things golf: from the decline of playing etiquette to boorish fans; from legendary victories by the game’s greatest champions to monumental chokes that have destroyed careers; from the current state of the PGA Tour to the future of the game itself. Packed with the best and worst Johnny has seen in more than thirty years as a champion player and cherished announcer, I Call the Shots is a must-read for any golfer or fan of the game and is sure to be fuel for controversy and conversation on fairways, in locker rooms, and at nineteenth holes across the country.

The Golfer of the Decade is a prize that has never been awarded, even though the Golfer of the Century was so honored. This book tells the story of the PGA Tour as a battle between the greatest golfers of the game for the prize of The Golfer of the Decade throughout its history. I define The Golfer of the Decade as that golfer who won the most tournaments on the PGA Tour in each calendar decade. In case of tie, the winner would be that golfer, among those tied, who won the most majors. The year 2006 was the 90th anniversary of the PGA Tour and the 10th anniversary of Tiger Woods's membership on the PGA Tour. This book provides an opportunity to compare the accomplishments of Tiger Woods with the greatest players in the game who preceded him. This book is not only about Walter Hagen, Paul Runyan, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Nick Price, and Tiger Woods. It is also about the battles they fought and the players with whom they competed to earn the title of The Golfer of the Decade on the PGA Tour.

From award-winning sports writer Kevin Robbins, discover the story of legendary golfer Payne Stewart, focusing on his last year in the PGA Tour in 1999, which tragically culminated in a fatal air disaster that transpired publicly on televisions across the country. Forever remembered as one of the most dramatic storylines in the history of golf, Payne Stewart's legendary career was bookended by a dramatic comeback and a shocking, tragic end. Here, Robbins brings Stewart's story vividly to life. Written off as a pompous showman past the prime of his career, Stewart emerged from a long slump in the unforgettable season of 1999 to capture the U.S. Open and play on the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team. He appeared to be a new man that summer: wiser, deeper, and on the verge of a new level of greatness. Then his journey to redemption ended in October, when his chartered Learjet flew aimlessly for more than a thousand miles, ran out of fuel, and fell to earth in a prairie in South Dakota. His death marked the end of an era, one made up of "shotmakers" who played the game with artistry, guile, finesse, and heart. Behind them were Tiger Woods, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, and other young players whose power and strength changed the PGA Tour forever. With exclusive access to Stewart's friends, family, and onetime colleagues, Kevin Robbins provides a long-overdue portrait of one of golf's greats in one of golf's greatest seasons. Winner of the USGA Herbert Warren Wind Book Award

Looking for that perfect gift for the golfer who has everything? How about the gift of history? This three-volume set contains bestselling collections from golf’s greatest moments, collected and told by professional sports journalists. From The Links goes deep into golf’s history to cull funny moments from the time the sport started in Scotland up through the 2010 Masters. In 1986 Masters, Augusta-based journalist John Boyette tells the story of one of the Golden Bear’s greatest comebacks. And Golf’s All-Time Firsts, Mosts, Leasts, and a Few Nevers will give you plenty of trivia, anecdotes, and green-related humor for the next time you’re on the links. Fore!

An insider’s pass to the world’s greatest golf tournament! The U.S. Open, generally considered the preeminent golf championship in the world, is contested on some of the nations finest courses—from the rolling hills of Winged Foot to the famed fairways of Baltusral to the breathtaking holes of Pebble Beach that overlook Carmel Bay. Tom Kite describes the tournament as "without a doubt the most physically, psychologically, and emotionally exhausting event we play," while Jack Nicklaus ranks it as the number one major. One Week in June: The U.S. Open takes fans behind the scenes, giving them a rare and privileged peek into the tournament: its glorious history, finest moments, and even its quirkiest happenings. It features pieces by many of our best-known sportswriters, from Grantland Rice to Dan Jenkins and Rick Reilly, as well as the words of the golf greats themselves.

With 150 wins to his name, Steve Williams is one of the most successful caddies of the modern era. From his modest start in freelancing his way around the world’s golf courses, he became a man in demand, working with some of the golfing world’s best. Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd, Terry Gale, Ian Baker-Finch, and Adam Scott all benefitted from the knowledge, experience, and honesty for which Williams is known. Williams is perhaps best known, however, for his triumphant thirteen years on the bag of Tiger Woods. Together, Woods and Williams won more than 80 tournaments—with 13 major championships among them. But it wasn’t all celebrations. Despite his best efforts, Williams could only watch as Woods fell from the podium, his game in decline—ignorant of the scandal about to make headlines around the world that would nearly ruin Tiger’s pro career. In this candid book, Williams tells the stories of golf’s elites that you won’t hear anywhere else—the highs and lows of their careers, and the critical role of a caddie in both spots. Bold and entertaining, his story offers a rare insider’s view of the professional golfing world.

Golfing legend Ben Hogan went to his grave believing he had won a record five US Open titles. The USGA says otherwise, and the controversy has endured for over 75 years. In 1942, the United States Golf Association (USGA) cancelled its four golf tournaments for the duration of World War II. But then it did something different in only that year—it sponsored the Hale-America National Open on the same weekend as the cancelled US Open. The great Ben Hogan won that tournament and went to his grave believing he had therefore won a record five US Open titles. In The Open Question, Peter May turns his attention to this controversial, colorful Hale-America National Open of 1942. While providing an in-depth look at the tournament itself, May champions Hogan’s claim to five US Open titles and debunks some questionable assertions that the tournament was not worthy of a US Open. Set against the backdrop of World War II, May also tells the stories of other professional golfers in the tournament and the impact of the war on all their lives. The USGA has never recognized the Hale-America Tournament as an official US Open and remains firm in its stance. It was a decision that bothered Ben Hogan for the rest of his life. The Open Question shows how dominant Ben Hogan was against some of the biggest names in golf, and reveals why he deserves to be recognized as a five-time US Open winner.