Fescue to the rescue

There is a word that will crop up frequently this week in relation to the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay not normally associated with this major, and there is an Irish company to thank for that.

That word is ‘fescue’ - the grass so familiar to Irish and British golfers who have played the game on links courses around their islands yet oh so alien to this venerable championship. For this year’s US Open will break new ground by the shores of Puget Sound in America’s Pacific Northwest as host course Chambers Bay becomes the first course in championship history to feature all fescue grass.

The American golf world dropped its collective jaw seven years ago when the US Golf Association awarded its 2015 national championship to Chambers Bay. And the furore has not diminished as the tournament’s first round approaches this Thursday. The latest edition of Links Magazine features a cover line which states “Get Ready for the First US British Open” while Golfweek’s Martin Kaufmann, arguing against Chambers Bay hosting a US Open in a debate with colleague Bradley S Klein, wrote: “Don’t be surprised if players complain about the greens and the turf conditions during the Open.”