Local Knowledge: Brown Deer Park and the 2009 U.S. Bank Championship

The U.S. Bank Championship is just about ready to get under way in Milwaukee. It's an event that is played opposite the Open Championship, but you might not know it based on the support of players and the community, as Brown Deer Park PGA Head Professional Scott Evans tells us.

PGA.com: Your tournament is played the same week as the Open Championship, yet the support from the community and several players is undeniable. What does that support mean to the tournament?

Jerry Kelly has opted to play in Milwaukee this week rather than the Open Championship. (Cohen/Getty Images)

Evans: Our local fans have been very good and very loyal. They let us know that it's too bad we're opposite a major -- which is clearly an issue -- but the fans still come out. Usually there's no time overlap, so a real hardcore fan can get involved in both events by watching the Open in the morning and then coming to watch the golf live here during the day. The tournament has been around since 1968 and it's been fantastic. A lot of loyal golfers here support the event and they show us by coming back over the years.

PGA.com: This is a home game for Jerry Kelly. There's never been any doubt about how much the U.S. Bank Championship means to him, particularly this year. He won on the PGA Tour in New Orleans earlier this season and is eligible for the Open Championship, yet he's taking a pass to play at home. How do you feel about his decision?

Evans: It says a lot about Jerry. He made this announcement a couple of months ago and it's tremendous, you can't say enough. He said he would be here no matter what and that's quite a statement to make. He has a tremendous chance of making any major, but his decision to play here just shows you what a special guy he is. The same can be said for Kenny Perry, who took a pass on the Open last year to play here.

Jerry is a great guy, We'd love to see him win here. He's had a couple of near misses in the past. He's playing well, had a great week in New Orleans earlier this year and hopefully he can bring magic here.

PGA.com: The U.S. Bank Championship has always been an extremely fan-friendly event. What do you have in store for fans this year?

Evans: The course is in spectacular shape in a beautiful park setting. All but one hole is tree-lined. It's a great place to be in the summer even if you're not necessarily a golf fan. It makes for a great walk and it's a wonderful way to enjoy a day in the summer.

PGA.com: With two par 5s -- Nos. 15 and 18 -- over the final four holes, Brown Deer Park lends itself to some great finishes. Can you talk about the excitement of having two par 5s down the stretch?

Evans: The two par 5s, especially No. 18, adds a lot of potential drama. My first year here was in 1997 and Scott Hoch won with an eagle on the last hole. Depending on the wind and weather it's reachable by a lot of players. It's definitely a risk-reward hole with the severe pot bunkers. If you're sitting around 18 and things are close, there are some interesting shots to be seen. You can see guys leapfrog a lot of people there.

PGA.com: Let's get back to Jerry Kelly for a minute. Is it safe to say there's not another guy in the field people in Milwaukee would rather see win?

Evans: I don't think so. There's a couple of players from Wisconsin and we'd love to see them all do well, but especially this year with Jerry making a statement early in the year that he would play here no matter what. I think that was a real shot in the arm for us. Anyone from Wisconsin winning would be great. Who knows? Maybe Jerry wins here and Steve Stricker wins on the other side of the pond for a Wisconsin-double. It's hard to imagine anything that could be better than that.