Q: Is there anything, in your opinion, the USGA could have done differently to avoid such a disjointed U.S. Open at Bethpage Black?
— Susan

A: Well, yes, Susan. The USGA could have held the Open at the Louisiana Dome. The par-5s would have been a little short, granted, but the course would have played hard and firm and there would have been no inclement weather concerns.

But seriously, the only criticism one might direct at the USGA was in its handling of the rain-check policy. After initially announcing no refunds or compensation for the first-round rainout on Thursday — and after some harsh words from New York governor David Patterson and others — the organization quickly backpedaled and announced a compensation plan. A healthy portion of the final-round gallery on Monday was represented by Thursday ticket-holders.

Otherwise, there was little to be done about the weather, which turned the championship into a squeegee-fest. Under the circumstances, and with the tireless help of the maintenance crew, the USGA did a good job of getting the grounds playable and getting the tournament in.

Unfortunately, we did not get to see Bethpage Black or the national championship at its best.

Q: I realize there is no lift, clean and place rule at the U.S. Open, but do players get to clean the ball whenever they move it out of casual water in the fairways?
— Eddy Lauterback, Bella Vista, Ark.

A: The Rules of Golf apply at the U.S. Open, just as they do for any other sanctioned event. According to those rules, a ball may be cleaned (Rule 25-1) when lifted except when it has been lifted (A) to determine if it is unfit for play, (B) for identification or (C ) because it is assisting or interfering with play.

At Bethpage, officials were concerned about players having to lift their ball, particularly on the 18th fairway, a low area that did not drain quickly. At one point, chairman of the championship committee Jim Hyler had this to say about the situation:

“The area of most concern is the 18th fairway That is built on a swamp. It is a swamp. It does not drain very well. And the issue there is if a player hits their drive, the ball's embedded. So under the rules you can lift your ball. You drop it as close as you can to the indentation and then you are in casual water. So then you take relief from casual water. And the player may very well decide to play it right there, even though they're in casual water. Because complete relief could be ... it could be 50 yards away.”

Q: Can we now officially write off Michelle Wie? She has made a career out of being the young phenom but really hasn’t done anything.
— Anonymous

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

A: The question is understandable, given the hype and expectations Wie generated earlier in her career. That's the problem with being a child star — what do you do for an encore? The standards you set initially follow you for years to come. But I'm not sure even the IRS would approve a “write off” on Wie.

True, she has not won yet, and she has not taken the LPGA by storm, as perhaps “Anonymous” thought she might. But Wie has four top-10 finishes, including a second and a tie for third. She is currently 16th on the LPGA money list with almost $362,000 in earnings. She's not exactly scuffling.

She is second in the Rolex Rookie of the Year standings behind recent winner Jiyai Shin. And, oh yeah, Wie doesn't turn 20 until October.

With the headlines she made and the promise she showed as a young teen, perhaps you can consider those numbers less than spectacular. But let's keep a little perspective on things. For any other 19-year old experiencing her first full season on the LPGA Tour, they would be outstanding.

MORE FROM GOLF

Golf Section Front

Nordqvist wins LPGA Tour Championship Out of Bounds: Tiger booed ... at Stanford? Latest golf videos Latest player news, rumors and more Tracking Tiger: News, features and more Tiger's triumphs: Recapping all Woods' wins Vote: When will Tiger win his 15th major? Vote, discuss: Best major of 2009? Special section: Golf on NBC Discuss: Sound off on golf at Newsvine.com Golf Section Front   Add Golf headlines to your news reader: