‘Gnarly' rough what's left protecting Merion

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ARDMORE, Pa. -- The resounding theme through two days of practice rounds at the 113th U.S. Open:

Nobody can control the weather. And that should make it easier for the players to control their golf ball.

After two inches of rain washed out a good portion Monday's scheduled practice rounds, the East Course at Merion Golf Club managed to take on an estimated 5½ inches of water in a four-day span before the sun came out Tuesday.

Of course, the USGA is prepping for more wet weather on Thursday. The association's executive director Mike Davis said Monday night that the forecast for the first day of tournament play wasn't "looking all that promising."

But whatever happens now - whether it's a drizzle or a downpour - the consensus from both players and course officials is that Merion is not going to play the way it was intended.

Two-time champion Ernie Els said Monday that the course won't "show its teeth." Lee Trevino, the 1971 U.S. Open champion at Merion, echoed those comments Tuesday, encouraging fans not to judge the course based on what the players "score here this week, simply because Merion may not have its teeth in because of the wetness."

Merion's primary defense from low scores was meant to be the greens, many of which are tiered and severely undulated. While the drainage system under those putting surfaces should still allow the grounds crew to get them to the speed they want - 13 to 13½ on the stimpmeter - the rain has made them softer and more receptive, as it has the entire course.

That's going to make it easier for players to keep their ball in the fairway and allow them to be more aggressive in attacking flag sticks. Conditions like these were of concern before the tournament (see story), and now, thanks to the weather, those concerns have become the reality.

"A good example is hole No. 5, long holes, fairway is right to left," defending champion Webb Simpson said. "If it's dry you can hit a ball up the left side of the fairway, land in the fairway and it go in the water. Now it will hit and stop.

"The same way with the green. The green is like [sloped, too]. The way to play it when it's firm is to play it up to the right and let the slope help you. Now if you leave it up to the right it will stop."

So what's left to stop guys from picking apart the golf course?

The water has made the fairways and greens more manageable, but it's also made the typically gnarly U.S. Open rough far more difficult than it was. And it was already pretty outrageous.

"I know the USGA didn't want the rain to come in, because it's going to make it easier," Simpson said. "[But] Sunday I played nine holes, I hit two balls three or four feet in the rough (on holes No. 1 and 4) and I lost the balls. I'm asking the marshals out there to help us."

At least former world No. 1 Luke Donald was able to find his ball during the practice rounds.

"It was very - it was pretty thick and gnarly last week," he said. "I don't think I got one lie in the rough where I could get more of a 7- or 8-iron out of it. With the rain we've had, I believe the greens staff haven't been able to cut it because of all the rain we've had. I'm sure it's longer, thicker. Those 7- or 8-irons are going to become wedges.

"So it's going to be important to keep it in the fairway because I don't think you're going to be able to get to the green from there."

As of this moment, the rough is about five inches long and plenty thick. And if it becomes too wet to cut later in the week, as Donald suggested, it's only going to get longer, thicker and tougher.

That's why 2010 champion Graeme McDowell, who presented the course's strongest defense on Tuesday, maintained that he would take a 72-hole score of "8-under par right now" and take his chances, insisting - or at least hoping - the tournament won't turn into what he called a "score-fest."

That said, even he admitted he's a bit disappointed with what the weather has done to the course.

"Literally, I played this golf course 12 months ago, it was phenomenal, ready to go. I played it last Wednesday, it's phenomenal and ready to go. And it gets battered and here we are and it's disappointing.

"But someone is going to pick up the trophy - hopefully - Sunday night. If it's Monday night [because of more rain], so be it."

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