University of Washington senior Nick Taylor came in to the 2009 as the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world.

And he then proceeded to take the No. 1 seed from stroke play all the way to the 36-hole championship finals Saturday against left-hander Brad Benjamin.

From there, Benjamin did the rest, rocking Taylor, 7-and-6, in the finals at the Jimmmie Austion OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla.

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Mike Davis, the United States Golf Association's championship guru who isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers with bold setup moves, might be considering one for the age for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place.

Changing a hole's par during a tournament.

Huh?

That is what he told Associated Press reporter Doug Ferguson over the weekend in a telephone interview.

"One thing I'm absolutely positive we'll do in the future, perhaps in 2015 at Chambers Bay, is play a hole certain days as a par 4, and certain days as a par 5," Davis said.

To which the world's No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods responded: "You can't change par in the middle of a tournament."

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This week: Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Jennings Mill Country Club, Athens, Ga.

Fourth-round score: 3-over-par 75.

Position: Putnam (2-under 286) finished tied for 39th, 12 strokes behind winner Patrick Sheehan.

Recap: Too many bogeys made by the Tacoma golfer – his 14 were tied for first in the field. Putnam opened with an eagle on the par-5 second to get to 7-under for the tournament, and within earshot of the lead before suffering four bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 ninth.

Next: South Georgia Classic starting Thursday at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga.

Talked to a few parties in the last few weeks about the standing of Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place for the 2010 U.S. Amateur, and 2015 U.S. Open.

The USGA, including champions director Mike Davis, came out to visit the 18-month-old course in September, and reaffirmed changes he wants to see completed for the U.S. Am, which is only 19 months away.

Also, I got out and played The Home Course in Dupont, the No. 2 course for the U.S. Am, and saw a couple new tee areas shaped out. We're only a few months away from seeing the foundation go in for a banquet hall, too.

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Only half the field was hitting the green on the challenging 194-yard, par-3 17th on Friday at the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Honolulu.

Troy Kelly did much better than that.

His tee shot was the closest to the pin all day – 1 feet, 11 inches – and he converted it into another birdie to move to 1-under for the tournament, and inside the top 30.

It is the first time Kelly has been under-par in a PGA Tour event.

On the front nine holes at Waialae Country Club, the rookie hit every green in regulation.

This week: PGA Tour's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Thursday through Sunday, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev.

Second-round score: 8-under-par 64.

Position: Moore (14-under 130) is tied for seventh, four strokes behind co-leaders Matt Kuchar and Marc Turnesa (126).

Recap: The home turf for Moore, the former UNLV All-American, is proving valuable. The Puyallup native shot his first bogey-free round of 2008, rolling in eight birdies to move into contention. And he's sporting a new look this week – wearing a plush headband. "I just, you know, want to keep people on their toes and change it up every now and again for fun," he said. Moore finished strong by making a 32-foot putt on the 204-yard, par-3 17th, and just lipped out a 22-foot eagle putt on the par-5 finishing hole for another birdie. His 15 birdies in two rounds is tied for sixth in the field. "If you drive the ball well out here, you got a lot of wedges, and I've been hitting them decently well," Moore said.

Tee time Saturday: 12:23 p.m. PDT off the first tee with Chez Reavie.

This week: Nationwide Tour's Chattanooga Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Black Creek Club, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Second-round score: 10-under-par 62.

Position: Putnam (13-under 131) is tied for eighth, six strokes behind leader Webb Simpson (125).

Recap: Quite possibly the Tacoma native's best round of his career (six birdies, two eagles, no bogeys). From a scoring standpoint, the 62 is his best ever, and it was exactly what the Life Christian Academy graduate needed – he moved up 49 spots on the leaderboard. "I hit the ball really well, and have for the last four or five weeks," Putnam said. "We haven't had wind, so the fairways are wider, and the greens are rolling nicer. I'm giving myself a lot of opportunities." For the third time this season, Putnam made a pair of eagles in one round – and hit 4-iron to both the par-5 fourth (from 225 yards out) and the par-5 14th (215 out), and sank 10-foot putts on each green. Four players, including Putnam, shot 62s or better Friday. "It's hard to keep those numbers up they're shooting, and even for me. If I shot 6- or 7-under Saturday, it would be perfect," he said.

Tee time Saturday: 9:34 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Kris Blanks and Matt Hansen.

Tom Kite, a 19-time PGA Tour winner who just captured his 10th Champions Tour victory Sunday at the Boeing Classic near Seattle, took a day out of his preparation this week to tour _ and play – Chambers Bay Golf Course.

He liked it.

And he sees plenty of work ahead for the site of the 2010 U.S. Amateur, and 2015 U.S Open.

"I thought the … whole complex was impressive. Holy smokes, to take that quarry and make it the facility they have is fantastic," said Kite, who played the course Tuesday, three days before the start of the Boeing Classic. "They are going to have to hurry to get it ready (for the U.S. Am)."

In a couple weeks, Chambers Bay will celebrate its 15-month anniversary.

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The Bandon Dunes-to-Chambers Bay pipeline has produced another key cog for the University Place's new course's management team.

Jamie Fay, a graduate of the University of Puget Sound, was named the sales and marketing director at Chambers Bay.

Fay has spent six years in a similar capacity at Bandon Dunes as the marketing and special events manager, and was pivotal in setting up the 2006 Curtis Cup and 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

"We're excited to have Jamie on board,” said Matt Allen, general manager of Chambers Bay. "His marketing and events experience, particularly at a resort the caliber of Bandon Dunes, will be key as we prepare for the upcoming USGA championships at Chambers Bay."

In February, Chambers Bay was awarded the 2010 U.S. Amateur, and the 2015 U.S. Open.

Fay, a Vancouver native, lives in Tacoma.

1, FOUR'S A CROWD?
The West Coast has been a priority for the United States Golf Association in finding another site for the U.S. Open.

The USGA's highest-profile tournament has been to Pebble Beach and Olympic Club numerous times. A third course, preferably a public venue, was being sought out.

That is big reason why the USGA chose to hold its 2008 U.S. Open two weeks ago at Torrey Pines, a municipal course near San Diego.

Torrey Pines, a favorite PGA Tour stop in February with the Buick Invitational, was home to one of golf's biggest stars, Phil Mickelson. And it was one of Tiger Woods' favorite courses.

But seemingly like everything the USGA does, golf courses looking to get into the U.S. Open rotation are reviewed after they host an event, with their future decided thereafter.

Leading up to this U.S. Open, Torrey Pines certainly had its question marks. The primary ones focused on environmental issues, which were enough of a concern to stir up political factions in town.

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As expected, the United States Golf Association made a formal introduction Wednesday that Chambers Bay Golf Course would be the host site of the 2015 U.S. Open.

But it's not officially official – not yet.

Pierce County executive John Ladenburg was seen patrolling the media center at Torrey Pines on Wednesday, carrying a Manilla envelope with the unsigned contract in hand.

He was originally scheduled to sign the contact with USGA director David Fay this week, but Fay flew out for the memorial service of former USGA president Bill Battle, who died May 30 near his home of Charlottesville, Va.

Ladenburg and Fay are slated to meet sometime in the coming week to sign the documents.

That did not delay the USGA going forward with its appointment of Chambers Bay as its prized future site, voted on at its annual meeting in February.

"We've gotten all the I's dotted and the T's crossed for Chambers Bay for the (2010) U.S. Amateur and the (2015) U.S. Open," said Jim Hyler, the USGA's vice president. "Again, another true public course, and one that's a very exciting new venue."

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Golf writer Todd Milles, who is in San Diego covering the U.S. Open, will be taking questions during an online chat that goes from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. today. You can ask a question by clicking here or go to thenewstribune.com