The USGA's unpopular ticket policy

Those holding single-day tickets to the U.S. Open were not happy to have discovered that their tickets were for Thursday, not the first round, and that they would neither be allowed back in to see the completion of round one on Friday, nor issued a refund.

"Fans are tortured as USGA announces rain checks will not be honored," a headline in the New York Daily News says.

"Fans incensed over U.S. Open's no-refund policy," a headline in Newsday says.

Newsday reports that Conressman Steve Israel was calling on the USGA to issue refunds to Thursday's ticket holders, inasmuch as so little of the first round was completed before rain ended play at 10:15 a.m.

"We appreciate the disappointment of the fans. We are also disappointed," Rand Jerris, a spokesman for the USGA, told Newsday. "There was a feeling that an adequate amount of play was offered."

From the USGA website, posted by Ken Klavon, editor of digital media:

5:02 p.m. - Here is the decision about the tix:

Thursday tickets will not be refunded or exchanged.

Play will resume Friday at 7:30 a.m., weather permitting. Only Friday tickets will be accepted.

"Is the USGA serious with this policy?" writes a poster to the site. "It is an absolute absurdity that there is no recourse for holding Thursday tickets. Staring at $300.00 worth of bookmarks makes me want to drive my jeep all over that course in the middle of the night like we do in the winter when we want to go sledding :)"

-- John Strege