The Stakes:  As is standard practice in all legitimate non-monetary match-play formats that originate on the Zuckerman Tour, both combatants agreed that the losing player would purchase a high-end golf shirt for the victor at the conclusion of the battle on the links.

The Odds:  Harold “Butch” Trischman – being the more accomplished player – agreed to yield nine strokes to Alan Tuchman, strokes to be allocated via standard handicapping procedure in advance of play.  Those present at the negotiation urged Tuchmann to  seek additional shots, but being the proud competitor he is (and armed with a full arsenal of on-course technology and gizmos) Tuchmann deemed nine shots a fair and competitive handicap.  Whispers were heard throughout the gallery in preparation for this match: “He probably needs more than nine.” “Maybe Alan likes the pressure.” “It’s going to be a bloodbath.”  Ok,… yes, that last one was me.  I projected Butch to close out Alan on the 14^th hole, so I took some separate action on that book.

After an onslaught of early winners by Trischman, Tuchman finally stopped the bleeding at the 6^th hole.  Unfortunately, Tuchmann had taken on too much water and was on the verge of collapse when they players made the turn.  A late rally by Tuchmann at 12 and 13 only delayed the inevitable and by the 14^th hole, the match was over – 4 & 5.  Tuchmann, ever honorable in defeat, accompanied his adversary to the pro shop and awarded Butch Trischman the well-earned spoils of his conquest.  Although the shirt will serve as a nice commemorative for Trischman, the most savory aspect of Butch’s victory will be the thumping that was administered in 2013.  I am certain we have not heard the last of this, and just like Holyfield – Tyson II, a rematch is widely anticipated.  Butch, I suggest you wear some earmuffs.

The hot topic at the Open was not Rory, it was transportation.  Transportation to and from Congressional was a nightmare.  The average Joe who parked in the cross-county fairgrounds and weathered 45 minute bus rides to and from the course only to be greeted with an additional 20 minute hump to the clubhouse from the bus drop-off location expressed nothing but contempt for the grounds access system and the second class citizen feel of the general admission.   Even with the preferred parking,  I felt a better effort could have been made by the tourney organizers to esnure timely transport through Potomac.  Transportation: Grade – F

The golf course looked fantastic.  Let me restate that: the Blue Course on which the US Open was played looked fantastic.  The Gold Course at Congressional, which boasts a second 18, was positively destroyed by Open staging, parking and construction vehicles.  If I were a member at Congressional, I would be apoplectic about the loss of half of the country club’s 36 holes which will be wholly unfit for golf until October, particularly since the members of Congressional saw no reduction in dues and received no financial benefit from hosting the US Open.  Having talked with a quite a few members over my stint at Congressional, the vibe was generally displeased relative to the selection of the course as a US Open site and the corresponding limitations imposed upon the membership.  Course Condition: Grade – A (as a spectator); D (as a member).

I do question the course selection.  Aside from the proximity to the nation’s capital and the site of Venturi’s near-death march in ‘64, Congressional does not stand out as an exciting course.  Making #6 a par 5 was a mistake – it took the water out of play.  #10 was a decent challenge but only with the pin in the front.  #11 was a legitimate par 4 US Open-worthy hole with a stroke average of 4.38  #18 is a beautiful finishing hole, but for my money, Congressional does not have enough panache.  Course Selection: Grade – B-

I noticed an interesting dynamic as the week progressed.  The further into the tourney – from practice days (Monday thru Wednesday) to the full field Rounds 1 & 2 (Thursday, Friday) and then to the post “cut-line” field (Saturday, Sunday) – the less the spectators in attendance actually knew about golf.  During the practice rounds when fans can photograph the players and chat them up a bit, the devotees in attendance knew what was going on, who was on the course and how to behave.  Thursday and Friday arrived and everyone who passed by a leaderboard wanted to know what the asterisk next to a player’s name meant (“started the round on #10, folks” ) or what the difference was between the red and the black numbers.  By the weekend, all the talk was about Rory McIlroy and the rote repetition of the same NBC-generated statistical data points, how Tiger could have beat the 22 year old Northern Irishman, and where to grab a beer while quality pairings like McDowell-Kaymer, Manassaro- Johnson, and Donald-Watson walked the course alone.  Fans: Grade A (Mon-Wed), B (Thurs-Fri), C (Sat), C- (Sun).

Finally, the players.  I don’t know which image consultant that Rory Sabbatini hired before the US Open, but Sabbatini, who has a history of being an absolute prick, was the nicest chap on the course during the practice rounds.  He signed for everyone, he took pictures with fans, and he even offered sunblock advice.  The world’s third best player, Martin Kaymer, was gracious and very accommodating. Graeme McDowell, last year’s champ, was exactly the same.  Rickie Fowler signed everything that was put in front of him, while KJ Choi had his game face from Day 1 and was all business.  Of note, Steve Stricker, Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington will not be vying for the 2011 US Open Ms. Congeniality award, giving the Heisman to many a child seeking autographs.  On the whole, however, considering this was a Major, it appeared that the bulk of the players enjoyed the fans and were approachable for the practice rounds.  Players:  Grade B+

If you enjoy golf in any capacity, volunteering offers an up-close look at a tourney.  The US Open always needs volunteers, and it takes an army to run this event.  San Franciscans take note: sign-ups typically open a year in advance, and volunteering is the best way to take part in the US Open experience.

On the golf course today, though, Burg pointed out that all four Boston teams won championships within 7 years.  New York’s best would be 11 (J-E-T-S 1969; Knickerbockers 1973; Yanks 1977; and Islanders 1980).

Gotta say, my hat is off to Bah-stan.

As is the custom with the Open, “super pairings” are sprinkled about the 156-man playing field to create buzz, keep spectator traffic under control, ease operational needs for televised coverage, and of course, to prove to golf fans just how very clever the USGA pairing committee really is.  Although lacking an American presence, the marquee grouping of  Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer offers Open-watchers the top three golfers in the world in a nice neat package.  The next best pairing -fortunately playing at a time when the Donald group is not – is Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, immediately followed by a pairing of three recent Master’s Champions: Charl Schwartzel, Trevor Immelman, and Zach Johnson.

Other pairings of note combine reigning U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, British Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen, and U.S. Amateur winner Peter Uihlein.  Then the pairing commitee decided to get cutesy.  There is the New Spanish Armada of Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia, and Alvaro Quiros;, followed by the Brothers Molinari and teen phenom, Matteo Manassero to round out  the Italian Stallions.  There is the all-Swede Abba fan club grouping of Henrik Stenson, Johan Edfors, and Fredrik Jacobson (it’s too bad the commitee did not group Karlsson, Noren and Hanson for a little $2 Nassau sidebet) as well as the USGA’s own makeshift version of the Asian Invasion with Ryo Ishikawa, Anthony Kim,  and Y.E. Yang.  In a most unusual pairing, even if Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium can speak English, I am not sure he will understand many of the words coming out of the mouths of fellow pairing mates and good ol’ Georgia boys, Heath Slocum and Russell Henley – hopefully they won’t skin him.

As for early predictions, it’s easy to pick one of the favorites, but we think players from the Retief Goosen, David Toms and Steve Stricker group will be in the hunt on Sunday, along with members of the Matt Kuchar, Paul Casey, and K.J. Choi pairing.  The Bench Jockeys will be on-site for the entirety of the Open and with the volunteer schedule will be following the back-to-back pairings of Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter, and Hunter Mahan & Camilo Villegas, Aaron Baddeley,  and Brandt Snedeker on Thursday as well as the Goosen/Mickelson groups on Friday.

To view the entire pairing list for the rounds on Thursday and Friday, click here.  http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/jun/10/2011-us-open-usga-announces-pairings/

• a) the Armada (1588);
• b) the Inquisition (1478- 1834);
• c) the Flu (1918); and
• d) an omelette.

About 3 folks on earth might be able to connect Spain with Miguel Indurain, who won the Tour de France for five straight years (1991-1996), but athletic dominance was not a Top Ten association with Spain.  That all changed in July 2010 when Spain defeated the Netherlands on Andrés Iniesta’s goal in the 116^th minute of the World Cup, and since that historic tally, Spain has been on a competitive tear.

• Yesterday, two soccer teams from Spain squared off in the prestigious UEFA Champions League Semifinal where Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-0.  Of the 16 European teams to reach the knockout phase of the UEFA, three of them were from Spain, and Spain will be represented in the Finals.
• In the last two weeks, World #1 Ranked tennis player Rafael Nadal has faced fellow countryman David Ferrer (World #6) in the Finals of the Monte Carlo and Barcelona Opens.  Spain currently boasts four of the top 15 slots in the ATP World Rankings and an astounding 13 of the top 75 – 17.3%!.  The US has 3 men in the top 75.
• There are also 4 Spanish women ranked in the WTA top 75; and American women… 3.
• Lance Armstrong last won a Tour de France in 2005.  Since that time, Spaniards Oscar Pereiro, Carlos Sastre and Alberto Contador have won five straight.

Spain is ranked 27^th in world population at 46.7M, just above the Ukraine and Sudan.  The US is estimated to be at 313.2M (3^rd).  Spain is the 52^nd largest country in the world with just under 506,000 sq. km and is 5% of the size of the US.

Soccer, Tennis, Cycling and an up and coming Golf contingent.  Pau Gasol on the LA Lakers and Marc Gasol on the Memphis Grizzlies – both in the NBA playoffs.  Pound for pound, looking at population size and geographic area, Spain has quietly become a player in the sporting world.

Fast Fact: – Rafa has played Ferrer 17 times in his career, leading the series 13-4.  Nadal’s last loss to Ferrer came in the Quarterfinals of the Aussie Open in January 2011 which destroyed Nadal’s chance at four consecutive Grand Slam victories (Wimbledon, French, US and Australian).

Maybe he will link to ours….not bloody likely.

While the Red Sox staggered out of the gate, the Fenway Sports Group (parent company of the Red Sox) gave LeBron James a minority interest in the FSG-owned Liverpool FC of the Premier League on April 6^th.   In the minds of Boston fans, John Henry might as well be donning a black LeBron #6 jersey, singing showtunes from No, No Nanette while holding a Baby Ruth bar as a microphone.  Has the Sox ownership brain trust forgotten what karmic forces indwell 4 Yawkey Way?  If FSG needed a basketball player with some international appeal, why select Eastern Conference villain King James in a city with the Celtics’ storied history?  Hey, UK, ever hear of Larry Bird (old school) or Kevin Garnett (nu skool)?

Something tells me that the Heat will be facing the Celtics in the playoffs.  Look for LeBron to drain a trey from the corner to knock the Celts out over the next three years, before a series of “close-but-no Red-Auerbach-cigar” finishes for the ensuing 83 seasons.

Which leads us to this year’s predictions.  The easy pick here is the Red Sox versus the Phillies in the 2011 World Series.  All 44 of ESPN’s pundits forecasted Boston to win the AL East, 39 of them predicted that Boston would represent the AL and 33 of those folks expect the Sox to win the World Series.  That’s really going out on a limb gang.  Even Harpo – the silent Bench Jockey – is of the opinion that we will be watching Lester against Halladay in the Fall Classic.   However, I say, when something seems so obvious, do the opposite.  I like the young arms in Oakland to emerge from a weak AL West and shock the so-called “experts.”  Need I say anything other than the Texas Rangers in 2010?  In the NL, San Francisco is essentially the same team that won in 2010 except now they have some self-confidence in their ability to win.  Half the US doesn’t even remember they won it all last year, and the other half think it was a fluke.  Even in winning, they have a chip on their shoulders. 

So what does this mean for baseball in 2011?  The earthquake series redux.  It just seems like a fitting end.