2012 U.S. Open Champ Praises Merion

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus once said of Merion Golf Club, "Acre for acre, it may be the best test of golf in the world." The reigning U.S. Open champion doesn't disagree.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Webb Simpson, who won the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, praised Merion, where he played in the U.S. Amateur eight years ago.

"When I played in '05, I instantly fell in love with this golf course," he said. "I grew up on a short golf course and I felt like too many courses nowadays come with a standard 75, 7,600 yards and Merion is so different. We all know it’s short, but it’s still as hard as other courses."

He added that the course's unique nature will make this year's Open as entertaining for fans as it will be challenging for players.

"Merion is going to be fun for the viewers, the players and the fans, for you guys, because you go out and you play well, you shoot a good number. Whereas you go out and you don’t play well you can shoot a really high number."

He emphasized that the rich history of the course is not lost on him. 

"The first time I came here was 2004, before the U.S. Am. I came with my dad and a couple of guys. It was November, the weather was bad. We sat in the clubhouse with one of the long‑time members, he was kind of our host. He was telling us the history of the club, Hogan’s shot on 18, the story behind that, a story within the story."

"I love history, I love learn about past events. And so that part of – that’s why I think I love Augusta so much, because there’s so much history and you walk certain holes and you know things have happened here. A lot of us golfers are like that, where we just really appreciate what’s happened here in the past. And how Merion’s considered an old style golf course, under 7,000 yards, but yet we’re still having a U.S. Open here in 2013."

"I think it’s pretty remarkable for them."