ARDMORE, Pa. — The plan was for Merion’s East Course to be baked by the sun and play hard and fast, making its relatively short 6,996-yard distance more difficult than imagined.
But then Tropical Storm Andrea blew through over the weekend dumping four inches of rain on the famed course, and more precipitation is expected for tomorrow’s opening round of the 2013 U.S. Open, leaving Merion softened for slaughter by the world’s best.
“I know the USGA didn’t want the rain … because it’s going to make it easier,” defending champion Webb Simpson said yesterday.
A chance of rain is the forecast through the weekend, including Monday when a potential 18-hole playoff could be held. That means fairways and greens figure to remain spongy and receptive, allowing golfers to fire at the pins with precision.
A winning score well under par seems certain, a notion that borders on sacrilegious when it comes to the U.S. Open — where even par is considered the ideal score. At the very least, it figures to be a fast start in the opening round with someone likely to go low — real low.
Simpson said he figures to hit wedges into nine of the first 13 holes, giving him a chance to compile birdies before the more difficult finishing five holes. The softer conditions make even the 256-yard par-3 third hole and the 236-yard par-3 ninth more vulnerable because the ball won’t be inclined to roll off the greens.
Simpson also plans to hit 5-iron off the tee at the 360-yard par-4 seventh and the 359-yard par-4 eighth. It’s not exactly pitch-and-putt, but close.
“It got a little softer so I might go to a 4-iron,” Simpson said. “But they’re definitely going to be iron holes. The fairways are going to be wider where we hit iron.”
Exceptionally low scores just don’t seem right in a U.S. Open.
“Everyone is saying that it’s going to be 62s and 63s on this golf course, which I kind of disagree with at the minute,” said Graeme McDowell, the 2010 champ. “There’s 10 or 11 golf holes on this course as tough as any U.S. Open I’ve seen.”
Merion, which will play to a par-70, won’t be defenseless. Look for the pin placements to be tucked in the back corner or the front edges of the greens to increase the need to be accurate with distance and club selection. The rough, fed by the rain, will grow into a thick jungle. Most balls that land in the deep grass won’t be advanced more than 150 yards.
“Driving the ball and wedge play are going to be the two keys,” said McDowell. “I think spin is going to be a massive issue coming into these greens. It’s going to be quite difficult getting to the back pins. If the pins are middle to the front you’ve got a half a chance.”
A normal PGA Tour event might allow lift, clean and place, but the USGA would rather cancel the tournament, even though some were holding out hope it might change its policy.
“If it’s picking up mud then I think we need to lift, clean and place just for a level playing field,” McDowell pleaded. No chance of that happening.
The relatively short distances and the softness of the course will give shorter hitters more of a chance to compete than when a major is played on 7,500-yard layout. That should make for a packed leaderboard on Sunday when the U.S. Open could turn into — dare we say it — a shootout.
A birdie barrage on the back nine on Sunday might be ideal for the Masters, but the U.S. Open is supposed to be a grind to the finish. That likely won’t happen this year, though Lee Trevino, the U.S. Open winner here in 1971, probably summed it up best.
“If someone shoots really low here, they won’t refuse the trophy.”
george.willis@nypost.com