Lipouts

By Mark Soltau June 22, 2009

FARMINGTON, N.Y. -- It took five days, five re-starts and plenty of patience for players to complete the 109th U.S. Open at rain-soaked Bethpage Black. In the end, seemingly everyone who teed it up would like to see the tournament return.

"Absolutely, no doubt. This is a great golf course. It's just that the USGA just got the short end of the stick on the weather." -- three-time winner Tiger Woods

"It's a great golf course. It's going to host a lot of U.S. Opens. Obviously, it's a shame the conditions we played in. It's too good a golf course; it has the length. You don't have to worry about it being tough enough -- you have to worry about it being too tough.

"It's a perfect venue. You have all the New York corporations and money. All the fans are excited about it being here. Unfortunately we've had pretty crappy weather both times we were. But there's nothing you can really do about that. They say it's nice here, but I don't believe them. Some day it will be."-- former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk

"I'd love to see the U.S. Open come back here, and hopefully see it play like it's supposed to play. I think it's an amazing course -- really, really difficult to play but fair. Both experiences have been great.

"This is a U.S. Open course, there's no question about that. It will be back here. I think we'd all be shocked if within a few months there's not an announcement. It may be a little while because I think they're booked up through whatever ? but it'll be back." -- Stewart Cink

On the fans:

"The people here are incredible. And I just keep thinking that this is like the ideal spot to hold the Ryder Cup. The fans here, first of all, the golf course is terrific, because 16, 17 and 18 are so close together. And the way the fans are, I think we'd have a big advantage." -- Phil Mickelson

"Obviously they're cheering for Phil and all the other guys, but you know, I felt like I had a little bit of support out there. And the crowd was a little bit loud at times, but they were just tremendous. I think they kept me going, they kept everyone going. Because it's been a long week." -- Ross Fisher

On the weather delays:

"It was very frustrating, but it's part of it. Being a major and a U.S. Open, I think it's maybe a little more frustrating because you already know that you're in for a physical and mental grind. And then the course gets sloppy, you get delays, shuttle rides all over the place, it becomes even more of a test of your patience. Not only does it test your patience of bad bounces and bad lies, but also sitting in vans and warming up out there, taking a shuttle to another shuttle, and then waiting for the horn to blow. It's just tough on everybody. We'll come back here and I'm sure it will be dry one of these times when they play the U.S. Open here. I just hope I'm not too old enough to get in." -- Cink

"Glad to be through it and relieved it's over, but disappointed at the same time. A week off for rest for me." -- Graeme McDowell, who closed with a 74 and tied for 18th