Davis to crew: “No group more important”

The crew at Chambers Bay has been preparing for this week for years. This afternoon marked the first time the full crew — regular and volunteers — assembled in person to talk business.

More than 100 turf experts from around the country met in a temporary tent and eagerly listened to instructions from Eric Johnson, director of agronomy, and Josh Lewis, superintendent.

And then the boss walked in: the USGA’s executive director, Mike Davis.

Davis had some kind words for the crew, especially when he told them, “there is no group at this Open Championship more important than this group. What happens on the golf course is really your doing.”

The first round is Thursday, but Davis made it clear to the crew that he believes the course is ready right now.

“To those of you who haven’t been on the golf course yet, it is already in championship conditions,” Davis said. “In fact, all we’ve really been talking about with Eric, Josh and some of our Green Section is, how do we maintain what we have? Because it is absolutely wonderful.”

Davis kept it short, but he pumped the room up like a head football coach giving a pregame speech before the big championship.

“Let’s have a great week, I know you probably won’t be getting a lot of sleep, but live on adrenaline,” he said.

Read on for a complete transcript of Davis’ comments:

“Welcome the the 115th US Open Championship!

The first in 120 years that the national open championship will be in the Pacific Northwest, we’re so excited about that.

I don’t want to take a lot of time other than just to say that there is no group at this Open Championship more important than this group. What happens on the golf course is really your doing, and that’s the thing — you think back to great U.S. Opens and great championships, it’s not necessarily how parking and traffic went, it’s not how much we sold in the merchandise tent. It’s what happened on the golf course.

I’m delighted to say Chambers Bay is only 8 years old. We go to some historic golf courses. Next year we go to Oakmont, it will be our 9th U.S. Open there. To come here for the first time, in the Pacific Northwest, to a golf course that is truly a one of a kind… This is incredibly unique, and it’s going to be a a great test.

To those of you who haven’t been on the golf course yet, it is already in championship conditions. In fact, all we’ve really been talking about with Eric, Josh and some of our Green Section is, how do we maintain what we have? Because it is absolutely wonderful, it is firm and fast, it’s a wider U.S. Open than normal, but there’s a lot of elevation changes… bounciness is a big part of this test of golf. And I think that for us to come to different types of golf courses — architecturally, agronomically, is really important. 

I’ve said this before but, there’s no country in the world that has diversity in golf courses like the United States has. We’ve got courses in the mountains, courses (with) cool-season grasses, warm-season grasses, courses grown on sand, on heavy grasses, courses like this that are dry, lots of elevation change. To bring the national open here, we’re excited.

All of you are in the business. You know what you’re doing. To be able to control the golf course like we’re going to be able to control it — at least like I hope we’re going to be able to control it, aren’t we? (laughs) — is really exciting. I’ve heard some player comments already, they’ve never seen anything like this, they’re excited, they know it’s going to be a challenge.

Really what I wanted to do, on behalf of the United States Golf Association, say thank you for all you do. Because, folks, we could not begin to do this without all the volunteers here, the staff here, it means the world to us. I know I speak on behalf of our board of directors, and our over 300 staff, as well as our over 1,200 volunteers when I say thank you for what you’re doing.

With that, let’s have a great week, I know you probably won’t be getting a lot of sleep, but live on adrenaline, and again, thank you for all you do.”