Zahringer Knows All About Winged Foot

By David Shefter, USGA

Mamaroneck, N.Y. - George Zahringer has been associated with USGA competitions for a little over a quarter-century. The 51-year-old New York, N.Y., resident has participated in 30 national championships with No. 31 coming up this week at Winged Foot Golf Club. It's a place where Zahringer's first association with the USGA took place, for the 104th U.S. Amateur (Aug. 16-22).

Back in 1973, Zahringer, then a junior at Stonehill College, took a summer job on the greens staff at Winged Foot, which was getting ready for its third U.S. Open the following June.

"I helped prepare the course for the 1974 U.S. Open," said Zahringer, speaking to media members at U.S. Amateur Media Day on Aug. 3. "I worked the two months up to the championship."

The week of the U.S. Open, Zahringer helped mow greens and then he went around with the foreman and painted the lips of the holes white so viewers on television could see the locations better. But his fondest memory occurred the morning prior to the third round. He was about to mow the first green of the West Course when he noticed tire tracks running through the middle of the green. He immediately contacted Ted Horton, the superintendent, before proceeding to mow the green.

After cutting the green Zahringer couldn't believe his eyes. The tire tracks disappeared, making the green look as if nobody had ever driven over it in the first place.

"[The green] was that firm and that perfect," said Zahringer. "The USGA did change the hole location for Saturday, but you couldn't notice any damage."

Thirty years later, Zahringer returns to the same site for the U.S. Amateur and he says the course couldn't be in better shape. In the last couple of years, the West Course has undergone $5 million in renovations, from bunker restoration to the addition of new tee boxes to help continue the tradition of this historic A.W. Tillinghast layout. Noted architect Tom Fazio was brought in to oversee the work, and after playing Winged Foot earlier this summer in the club's annual Anderson Memorial, a two-man, best-ball competition, Zahringer declared the course was in "superb condition."

For the U.S. Amateur, which will utilize both the West and East courses for stroke-play qualifying (West Course will be the site for all the matches), the West Course will play 7,255 yards (par 70). The shorter, but equally challenging East Course will measure 6,760 yards and also play to a par of 70.

On the West Course, new tees have been added on holes two, four, eight, 12 and 14, with 12 now being stretched to 640 yards, making it the longest par 5 in U.S. Amateur history. Tees have been added on four, five, seven and 17 on the East Course. Many trees have also been removed to allow for better growing conditions.

"What's changed is the rough," said Zahringer, comparing the course of 1974 to the one competitors will see in 2004 and again in 2006 for the U.S. Open. "It's probably just as difficult, but it's shorter. It's now four and five inches as opposed to six, seven, eight, nine and 10 inches. It's more uniform now. It's just very consistent and very thick.

"If you are in that rough and have a 185- or 190- or 200-yard shot, you can't knock it on the green. It's just not going to happen. The rough is very penal. You really have to drive it well. And the new tees have added quite a bit of length as well."

For Zahringer, the last three years have been quite a golfing renaissance. In 2001, he lost a tough 1-up decision to Tim Jackson in the first-ever 36-hole final in U.S. Mid-Amateur history. The following year playing at Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn., one of two Metropolitan Golf Association clubs for which he's a member, Zahringer defeated Jerry Courville in the final, earning him an invitation to the 2003 Masters.

Last year, he not only played at Augusta National, but Zahringer also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur, losing to eventual runner-up Casey Wittenberg, 1 up. But he also advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, competed in his first U.S. Senior Open where he was paired with Gary McCord and Bob Gilder, and was selected to the USA Walker Cup team that competed at Ganton Golf Club in England.

"It was an unbelievable year for me in amateur golf," said Zahringer. "The Walker Cup was really special. I had nine great teammates and it was a tremendous experience going over to England with the guys.

"The college players, the younger players today, I just think the depth is extraordinary. All of these young gentlemen are unbelievably mature. I was probably still throwing clubs at age 22. These kids are so mature and forget physical conditioning, their mental approach is extraordinary. And that's reflected in the quality of the play. That will be on display here [at the U.S. Amateur]. I'm just thrilled to be here and to be exempt."

As for a mid-amateur (age 25 or older) winning the championship at Winged Foot, Zahringer said it will take a small miracle. A mid-amateur hasn't won the U.S. Amateur since John Harris did it in 1993. George "Buddy" Marucci was in the 1995 final against Tiger Woods and 48-year-old David Eger reached the semifinals in 2000 at Baltusrol. If Zahringer would win, he would become the event's oldest champion by four years. Jack Westland was 47 when he won in 1952.

"It's possible, but not likely," said Zahringer of the odds of an older mid-amateur taking the title. "It just takes a little luck. You've got to have a couple of breaks. You have to beat six guys. It takes endurance and luck."