Sculpted by the Ice Age for Open breakthrough

AS the spiritual home of the US Open, the storied Pebble Beach Golf Links seemed perhaps an incongruous place to announce the destination of a new venue on the circuit for the 2017 tournament.

Yet the United States Golf Association’s decision to send their national championship to the still freshly-minted Erin Hills Golf Course in seven years time reflects an increasing commitment by golf’s powerbrokers to the midwestern state of Wisconsin.

Time was that what made Milwaukee famous, made a loser out of Rod Stewart and many others besides but America’s brewing capital is developing into something of a base camp for major championship golf.