July 29--SAMMAMISH -- As player after player spoke about how taxing Sahalee Country Club will be when the U.S. Senior Open begins this morning, one went as far as to say the course was worthy of hosting a U.S. Open.

"I think it definitely can host a U.S. Open," said Corey Pavin, winner of the 1995 U.S. Open. "... It is a hard golf course and, you know, a golf course like this is a wonderful course to play."

At 6,866 yards, Sahalee is shorter than most new courses, but Pavin said that shouldn't matter.

"You don't need length to make a golf course difficult," Pavin said. "It's obviously tree-lined, there is plenty of rough and the greens are very difficult. That's what you need. I would love to see the USGA coming to an old-style golf course like this ... here in the near future. ... A U.S. Open could be played here, no problem."

Still, it's unlikely the ultimate United States Golf Association event will ever come to Sahalee because the club's small grounds don't have the room to pack in large numbers of fans.

USGA president Jim Hyler wouldn't say if the association would ever consider Sahalee for the U.S. Open.

"We're coming here in 2015 with our U.S. Open at Chambers Bay," Hyler said. "We're excited ... it's a wonderful golf course. ... Let's get through the U.S. Senior Open here; beyond the sites we've announced we don't talk about possible future sites."

PAR FOR THE COURSE



Fred Funk, the defending champ, doesn't expect low scores at Sahalee this weekend.

"I think even-par will win the tournament," Funk said.

Funk has enjoyed success at Sahalee. He was 23rd at the 1998 PGA Championship and tied for second at the World Golf Championship NEC Invitational in 2002.

"If somebody can shoot under par (for four days) my hat's off to them," Funk said.

The course would typically play as a par-72, but the USGA converted two holes -- No. 6 and No. 18 -- from par-5s to par-4s.

Seattle native Fred Couples said he was stunned when he heard it would play at par 70 this week. The course was a par 70 for the 1998 PGA championship, but it was par 71 for the NEC in '02.

"This is brutal," Couples said. "If you ask me what the lowest score I think was going to be shot this week, I would say if you laid the line on 67, I wouldn't go under it."

SERIOUS BUSINESS



While the Champions Tour is known for having more-relaxed vibes than the PGA Tour, don't think the players don't hold the U.S. Senior Open in high esteem.

"This championship is one that is about the most important championship we play on the Champions Tour, bottom line," said Tom Watson, who has never won the event.

"It's always meant a great deal for me to win our national Open, and now it's our national Senior Open, and that to me has always been what I play for, to try to win the best and toughest tournaments."

LADY KILLER



A reporter told Watson on Wednesday that one of his fans, a woman, said she almost fainted when the golfing legend signed her visor.

"I have that effect on a lot of girls," Watson said with a smile. "These are their grandmothers."

GRUMPY OLD MEN



If Bernhard Langer wins his second major in as many weeks he'll do it at about 2 a.m. Monday. At least that's what it will feel like to him.

After winning the Senior British Open on Sunday in Scotland, Langer traveled 20 hours to get to Sahalee for the U.S. Senior Open. He's not shy about voicing his displeasure with the schedule.

"Tomorrow I have a 1 p.m. tee time, which for my body is 9 p.m.," Langer said. "So I'm playing from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., more or less, tomorrow, which is not the ideal time to play golf under any circumstances, and certainly not in a major on a golf course like this.

"I just don't understand. The 50- and 60-year-olds have to go through that when the young guys don't have to do it. They would never consider doing it to the young guys, but they're doing it to us. It makes no sense."

VACCARO IN



William Hadden, an amateur from Vermont, withdrew from the tournament Wednesday just two days after being added to the field. A shoulder injury forced him to pull out.

Hadden will be replaced by John Vaccaro of New York who earned an alternate spot through sectional qualifying in June.

This will be Vaccaro's first time competing in the event.

Craig Hill: 253-597-8497 craig.hill@thenewstribune.com

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