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PGA Tour Leaderboard Schedule Statistics Rankings Players LPGA Tour Leaderboard Schedule Statistics Rankings Senior PGA Tour Leaderboard Schedule Statistics Rankings NIKE Tour Results Schedule Statistics Rankings EURO Tour Schedule Rankings		North: The week after By Andy North Special to ESPN Golf Online June 23 4:26pm ET
		The players try to gear their games for a major, like the U.S. Open, and always hope they are playing at their best that week. But sometimes they miss peaking at the majors by a week or two.   ASK ANDY   Each week Andy North will answer three user questions. If you have a question, send it to Andy and check back next week to see if he answers it. Do you think that the players have the right to complain about the conditions in the U.S. Open such as John Daly did when he was digusted with his ball coming back to him on the green even though these conditions are expected and part of the championship? -- Josh Runyan, Catlettsburg, Ky. North: Players can complain about anything they want to. That's the beauty. We don't have a league that tells us what to say and what to do. It's a situation in which John was frustrated. As we all know, John doesn't handle his frustrations as well as some other players. He has since apologized for what he said. And that's history. If the U.S. Open is really an Open for both amateurs and professionals alike, do you think we will ever have an amateur win the event? With conditions so tough that touring pros can't play the course well, why should the local qualifier even bother? -- Jerry L., Boise, Idaho North: The USGA is trying very hard to identify the best player that week. Since the Open is our national championship, it ought to be hard. You're trying to test not only the players' physical game but their mental and emotional games, and I think the USGA has done that pretty well. Look back at the champions, and there's a pretty good list of players who have won the tournament. All the best players who have ever played have won the U.S. Open, other than maybe Sam Snead. Yes, it's difficult, but if you're playing in the NBA Finals against Michael Jordan, it's going to be tough. To me, that's how it is supposed to be. Will an amateur ever win the event? I would think that is far-fetched. But ask anyone who tries to qualify, and it's the greatest thrill in the world to try to play in the U.S. Open. Why do you think that your game was fit for a U.S. Open style course, but you didn't produce a lot of victories elsewhere? -- Ryan, Richmond, Va. North: I seemed to be able to focus a lot better mentally and emotionally at the Open and some other major events. I always felt like par was a really good score, and I was able to figure out a way to make pars, while that doesn't work during regular tournaments, when you have to be so aggressive. There were times when maybe I wasn't aggressive enough or I didn't hit the ball well enough to be aggressive. But I seemed able to function under the pressures of the Open very well. It's hard to explain, but Payne Stewart is the same way. Payne really understands the value of a par and how important it is to make pars. It doesn't necessarily have to be pretty. It's not who hits the most greens or gorgeous shots. It's who can put a score on the card. That's what the U.S. Open is all about. The same principle applies as in track and field. When an athlete is training for a long-distance event, he can sometimes peak early or peak late. Earlier this season, David Duval had that happen to him the week before The Masters when he won the BellSouth Classic. Likewise, there will be some players who didn't play so well at the U.S. Open, but will have their "A" games this week at the Buick Classic. They put in a lot of work before the Open and will finally see the benefits at the Westchester Country Club. For those who played really well at the Open, there are two ways to go: They will either continue to roll or fall flat because they are emotionally spent from the Open. And the tough Pinehurst No. 2 course wore out just about everyone. Making it easier for the players this week is that Westchester is a wonderful golf course, one the players really love to play. Moreso than Pinehurst was, Westchester will be set up more like a typical U.S. Open course, with the deep rough around the greens. Before this year, the Buick Classic was historically held the week before the Open, so the players had two weeks playing under the same conditions. It's no surprise Ernie Els has played well at Westchester, winning two titles, because he's had such good success at the U.S. Open. Another two-time champion, Vijay Singh, is entered and coming off a nice showing at the Open. I would suspect Duval is very disappointed about how he finished at the Open. He may go to Westchester with a real purpose. He was so close to playing well last week; he hit more greens than anyone and played well other than a couple of glitches. He will be fired up to put last week behind him and play better. He should be in contention this Sunday. Westchester is a course where being accurate is important. You don't have to be a long hitter. Length always helps, especially on par 5s, but players must put the ball in the fairway and keep the ball in the right positions on the greens. Westchester is not a long golf course by PGA Tour standards. It plays probably longer than the yardage indicates because the short holes are really short. For example, the players will try to reach the green in one on the 7th hole, a 333-yard par 4. The key will be how well the players perform on the back nine, a fantastic stretch of holes. On the 10th, a short par 4, the players will shoot for the green with their tee shot. But the next two holes -- 11 and 12 -- are brutal par 4s. The players will feel like they have picked up strokes if they can play those two holes even par for the week. The 15th hole is difficult and awkward because it has a big dogleg from left to right and a huge tree. The players will either try to hit over the tree or to its left. From the left, it's almost a blind shot to the green, but you can see the green if you can hit over the tree. On No. 16, a great par 3, players can't afford to miss the green long or a little to the left or right. Birdie opportunties await the players on both the 17th hole -- a short par 4 -- and the par-5 18th. If a player can play well on three or four of the tough holes on the back nine, good scores should follow.				ALSO SEE Buick starts with Open still on some minds This week in golf Ask Andy

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