Far Hills, N.J. – Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., near Philadelphia, will host the 2013 U.S. Open, the United States Golf Association has announced. The Championship is scheduled from June 13-16. It will be the fifth Open held at Merion Golf Club.
The most recent Open at Merion Golf Club was in 1981, won by David Graham. Other winners of the Open at Merion are: Olin Dutra (1934), Ben Hogan (1950), and Lee Trevino (1971). The 2005 U.S. Amateur was contested at Merion Golf Club and won by Italy’s Edoardo Molinari. The 2009 Walker Cup Match will also be played at Merion.
"The membership of Merion Golf Club is very excited and proud to have been chosen by the USGA as the host site of the 2013 U.S. Open Championship," said Bill Iredale, Merion’s championship committee chairman. "We feel that our East Course is a very special venue, a classic golf course which, while lengthened some 400 yards to accommodate modern players and equipment, still retains the same shot angles, bunkering and greens that challenged Bob Jones in 1930, Ben Hogan in 1950, Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus in 1971 and David Graham in 1981."
No other golf club in the nation has hosted more USGA championships than Merion. The 2013 Open will be the 18th national championship at the club. Previously, the club has also been the site of the 1916, 1924, 1930, 1966, 1989 and 2005 Amateurs; the 1904, 1909, 1926, and 1949 U.S. Women’s Amateurs; the 1998 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 1960 World Amateur Team Championships.
"From the standpoint of length and difficulty, Merion Golf Club certainly answered the question of whether it could host a modern U.S. Open during the 2005 U.S. Amateur," said Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA championship committee. "We are pleased to bring a U.S. Open back to an old friend in Merion. We have no doubt the East Course will provide a sufficient challenge for the world’s best players."
The club’s members, representatives of nearby Haverford Township and Haverford College, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the surrounding community have helped secure all of the necessary ‘outside the ropes’ infrastructure required for a modern U.S. Open. These entities will provide acreage and assistance for needs such as transportation and parking, larger tent facilities, and support services for the event.
"While Merion is not a huge physical facility, we are confident that we’ll be able to conduct a complete U.S. Open operation outside the ropes," Hyler added. "The cooperation, enthusiasm and resources of the surrounding community remain the major reasons why we are able to do so."
It has not yet been determined how many spectator tickets will be sold, but that number should significantly exceed the 18,000 daily tickets sold during the 1981 Open.
Designed by Hugh Wilson, Merion Golf Club’s East Course was opened in 1912. It is perhaps best known as the where Bob Jones won the 1930 U.S. Amateur to complete the ‘Grand Slam’.
Prior to 2013, the U.S. Open will be played from June 15-18, 2006, at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., from June 14-17, 2007; at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., from June 12-15, 2008, at Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego, Calif.; from June 18-21, 2009, at Bethpage State Park (Black Course) in Farmingdale, N.Y.; from June 17-20, 2010, at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., from June 16-19, 2011, at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md; and from June 14-17, 2012, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.
The U.S. Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
For more information, contact the USGA Championships department at (908) 234-2300.
Contact:
Pete Kowalski
USGA Media Relations
pkowalski@usga.org
