USGA Makes Changes to Ticket Policy

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- You screamed, the USGA listened. Congratulations, golf fans. You made a big, stuffy bureaucracy change.

The USGA announced Friday that it had changed its ticket policy. Those fans who paid $100 or $150 to hang out in the mud on Thursday, watching a few minutes of golf while most of the first round of the U.S. Open was rained out?

They're going to get to watch golf, or get some money back after all. It's not total victory, though. Fans who had tickets for Thursday will be able to get in on Monday. If the tournament is finished on Sunday, then Thursday's ticket-holders will get half their money back. Why isn't that total victory? If they play Monday and, say, you have to work, you don't get the refund.

I shared a cab on Thursday with a guy who had brought his son out from Providence just for Thursday's round. They were going home on Friday. Still, give the USGA partial credit. It acted, and did so quickly. Not sure I've heard of a major sports organization ever giving money back. If every Thursday ticket-holder gets the 50 percent refund, then the USGA will be giving back more than $2 million, said David Fay, executive director of the USGA.

The big question, he said, was, "Are we doing something that's fair to Thursday ticket-purchasers?"

Well, that and also the outrage of fans, columnists. And the offices of the New York Governor and Attorney General.

"If I were a representative of the state of New York, and this is my piece of property, " Fay said. "They would be concerned that we have thought this thing through and are acting in the best interests of the fans. But I would say this at the end: This decision was wholly made by the United States Golf Association.''

Originally, as the USGA website noted as late as Thursday night, if one shot had been hit during the day, the policy said there would be no refunds.

But here's a question: What about Saturday's round? It's supposed to rain most of the day Saturday. Fans are going to be told that if golf is played for 90 minutes or more on Saturday, then no refunds. Less than that, and Saturday's fans will get in on Monday, too.

For all the people who can't come on Monday, though, why not give them their money back?

"This,'' Fay said, "is not a let's-make-a-deal situation."

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