Calling all U.S. Open fans! If you haven't gotten tickets to the golf tournament yet, you're in luck. A limited number of passes are still available, but you better get in line now.
Tomorrow, the United States Golf Association will start selling the coveted tickets to the 2009 event at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, where the tournament is held.
Supplies are limited and tickets -- weekly grounds ($400), daily grounds ($100) and practice-round tickets ($40) -- will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis for as long as they last. You just have to walk up and buy them.
Tickets will be on sale Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the U.S. Open Will Call facility; fans will also have an opportunity to buy U.S. Open merchandise during those hours. The tournament begins Monday, June 15, and lasts through Sunday, June 21. About 42,500 tickets were available for each day of the tournament, but USGA expects more like 50,000 people to come to the site daily, spokesman Dave Fanucchi said.
“This is a chance for the USGA to share more of the action at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black with our New York fan base,” said USGA Executive Director David Fay. “Since it will be a number of years until the U.S. Open returns to the New York area, we hope that New York sports fans take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the U.S. Open experience.”
This week, Tiger Woods gave golf fans a taste of what's to come during his practice rounds on the course. A Long Island man got the thrill of his life as a caddie for Woods since the golfer's regular guy wasn't around. Woods was the only player to break par when the Open last visited Bethpage in 2002.
Now more New York golf fans have a chance to be there in case he does it again. Tickets to the championship rounds for the general public were sold out in a random drawing last August, but corporations didn't buy up as many as USGA had allotted to them so the organization opted to make the remaining tickets available to the public.
Ticket-seekers have to park at the Bethpage State Park Polo Field. Take the NY 135/Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway South to Exit 8 and follow signs for U.S. Open merchandise and ticket sales parking. Parking will open at 7 a.m., and shuttles to the Will Call/Merchandise area will begin shortly thereafter. A limited shuttle service will be provided from the LIRR Farmingdale Station between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
