2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black: Viewer's Guide: TV times, hole by hole, the playing field: Golf Digest

The Course

• Hole-by-Hole Course Tour
• Whitten: A Flat Finish at Bethpage
• Davis: Bethpage Hole-By-Hole Guide
• The Real Man Behind the Black
• The Tillie Controversy (Part II)
• Stachura: Whole New Ballgame

Photo By Stephen Szurlej

The Players

A-DENOTES AMATEUR
Robert Allenby, Stephen Ames, Stuart Appleby, Eric Axley, Briny Baird, Angel Cabrera, Chad Campbell, Michael Campbell, K.J. Choi, Stewart Cink, Tim Clark, Darren Clarke, Ben Curtis, Ken Duke, Ernie Els, Ross Fisher, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Todd Hamilton, Soren Hansen, Padraig Harrington, Dudley Hart, Ryuji Imada, Trevor Immelman, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Robert Karlsson, Shingo Katayama, Martin Kaymer, Anthony Kim, A-Drew Kittleson, Soren Kjeldsen, Justin Leonard, Hunter Mahan, Billy Mayfair, Graeme McDowell, Rocco Mediate, John Merrick, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rod Pampling, Kenny Perry, Carl Pettersson, Andres Romero, Eduardo Romero, Jeev Milkha Singh, Vijay Singh, Heath Slocum, Brandt Snedeker, Henrik Stenson, Steve Stricker, Kevin Sutherland, D.J. Trahan, Camilo Villegas, Bubba Watson, Boo Weekley, Mike Weir, Lee Westwood, Oliver Wilson, Tiger Woods, Azuma Yano.
ALSO ELIGIBLE
The top 50 in the World Golf Ranking, the top-10 money-winners on the PGA Tour and the top-five money-winners on the European tour as of May 25. Also, any multiple winner of PGA Tour co-sponsored events from June 2, 2008, through June 14, 2009. Local qualifying (18 holes at 112 sites) will be completed by May 25; sectional qualifying (36 holes at 15 sites) will be completed by June 8.

• Who's In The Field
• Hawkins: 10 Guys Who Can Win
• U.S. Open's All-Star Threesome
• More on the U.S. Open

Photos By Getty Images

Television

(ALL TIMES EDT)
FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS
Thursday, June 18 | Friday, June 19
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (ESPN), 3-5 p.m. (NBC), 5-7 p.m. (NBC)

THIRD ROUND
Saturday, June 20, 2-8 p.m. NBC

FOURTH ROUND
Sunday, June 21
1:30-7:30 p.m. (NBC), preceded by the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge, noon to 1:30 p.m. (NBC)

PLAYOFF (IF NECESSARY)
Monday, June 22
18-hole coverage: noon to 2 p.m. (ESPN), 2 p.m. to finish (NBC)

See Golf Channel all week for highlights and interviews.

The Virtual U.S. Open

So you failed to qualify for the U.S. Open. And you didn't win a spot in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge. Dry those tears. You can still play the Open -- virtually.

The USGA, working with the World Golf Tour, will conduct the first virtual U.S. Open at usopen.com. And it's free. You'll compete by computer on a photo-realistic version of Bethpage Black under Open conditions. The winner will receive a trip for two to the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, as guests of the USGA.

You can practice for the closest-to-the-hole challenge now on usopen.com. Starting May 25, you can enter a qualifying round of 18 holes. (Qualify as many times as you want -- your low score will count.) On June 22, the low 156 qualifiers and ties will play the final 18 holes -- one try only -- for the grand prize. Slow play is no issue: Your 18-hole "round" should take 40 to 60 minutes. Play away at usopen.com. -- Bob Carney