It’s been a while, but Ryan Yip is finally taking a trip back to Merion Golf Club to shoot a few rounds.
This time, it’s not as an amateur. The Bearspaw golfer is swinging with the pros at the 2013 U.S. Open starting June 13 on the Ardmore, PA, track located just outside Philadelphia. He qualified for the 113th U.S. Open as an alternate after scoring 3-under over 36 holes at the U.S. Open Sectional qualifying event June 3 at Ohio’s Springfield Golf Club, and getting help from the results of other players in last week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis.
It’s been eight years since the former Kent State University player reached the quarter-finals of the U.S. Amateur match-play event at Merion. But he still has his yardage book from the 2005 tourney and has a feel for how the course will play.
Weather may be a factor as the remnants of Tropical Storm Angela have softened the course with drenching rains this week.
“I think Merion will favor the best putter and wedge player,” Yip assessed. “I see it coming down to the best putter.”
That favours his strengths, as the Web.com Tour pro is confident about those aspects of his game. He’s convinced his Nike 001 putter won’t let him down.
“Short game is good right now,” Yip said. “I am hitting it straight and, after a great lesson with my golf coach Herb Page, I feel my putter is going to be good as well.”
But his Cleveland driver may take a back seat to a 3-wood at Merion, which will play 6,996 yards to a par of 34-36-70 – similar to the 6,846-yard, par-70 offering at the 2005 U.S. Amateur.
“There are not many drivers off the tee,” he remarked.
While winning is the ultimate goal of any golfer fortunate enough to tee it up at the U.S. Open, Yip will take it one swing at a time.
“Just to play well and know I didn’t leave anything out there,” he said when asked about is aspirations for the weekend. “I’ve been preparing all week.”
Following the U.S. Open Yip, who’s averaging 72 on the Web.com Tour and has played tournaments in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile, this year, will be at the Canadian Tour’s ATB Financial Classic at Calgary’s Country Hills Golf Club June 17-23.
