Graham, Trevino launch Open Champions Dinner

File Photo: David Graham

Australia’s David Graham and US golf legend Lee Trevino, the two most recent US Open winners at iconic Merion, hosted the first US Open Champions Dinner on Tuesday and pondered more history.

The same course where Bobby Jones completed a sweep of the 1930 British and US Opens and Amateurs and where Ben Hogan won the 1950 US Open after being hurt in a car crash will host today’s stars when the 113th US Open starts Thursday.

“I think it’s great that you have a Tiger Woods walking the same fairways that a Hogan walked 70 years ago,” Graham said. “Here you’ve got the greatest player in modern day golf playing a golf course that Hogan played.

“I think that’s fantastic. I think that’s great for the game and it’s great that we as players have the ability to watch how they play today compared to the way we used to play. And I think that makes the game very exciting.”

World number one Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, will try to match Nicklaus, Jones, Hogan and Willie Anderson with a record fourth US Open title.

About 28 past US Open winners are expected for the meal at Merion, the Open swiping a page from the Masters’ traditional champions dinner on the Tuesday before each tournament at Augusta National.

“Are you buying dinner tonight or are we splitting it?” Graham asked Trevino.

“I’m not buying nothing. I came to receive,” said Trevino, who was ready to entertain with classic stories.

“At this time in your life it’s so great,” Trevino said. “We tell the same stories but we have forgotten them. We tell the same jokes but we’ve forgotten them. We all laugh like hell. Going to be a lot of fun just to see these guys.”

“It will be a night to be remembered,” Graham said.

Trevino beat Nicklaus in an 18-hole playoff at Merion for the 1971 US Open title while Graham became the first Australian to win the US Open in 1981 on the same suburban Philadelphia layout.

Trevino famously dangled a rubber snake at Nicklaus on the first tee before their 1971 playoff and played coy when asked where the child’s toy was now.

“It died,” he said. “It has been 42 years. No snake lives 42 years.”

Graham returns to Merion just as Adam Scott became the first Aussie to win the Masters earlier this year, bouncing back from a four-bogey finish to lose last year’s British Open by winning his first major title two months ago at Augusta National.

“We all saw what happened to Adam Scott at the Open Championship. We all dreaded that ever happening to us,” Graham said.

“And to see someone that’s got the golf game and the fortitude and the heart and the guts and the desire to put that behind them and come back and win a major championship is a true testament to his abilities mentally and skill-wise.”

Graham said he never dreamed he would see the day when six European players were among the world’s top 10 and wondered if he might see a course like Merion host another major before it received the nod 32 years after his victory here.

“It’s great that these old courses can still host a major, if they come in and put in a couple of bunkers and put some new tees in, lengthen it out,” Graham said.

“I think the players are already excited about being here. This is a classic golf course and these guys are shotmakers. Nothing better than to hit great shots on a classic golf course.”

Heavy rains did not dampen their enthusiasm for the challenge Merion offers.

“Don’t go by the scores they shoot this week,” Trevino said. “Merion might not have its teeth in because of the wetness.”

But Graham warned players not to stray off the fairways.

“A couple of trips into that rough off the tee ball and you’re going to realize how tough this course is pretty quick,” Graham said.