British golfers will never have a better chance of adding a US Open title to their resume than this week in a quirky corner of Pennsylvania.
The words "under par" and "US Open' are usually mutually exclusive, at least in the minds of the venerable USGA, and, with no real way to add any length to its V-shaped layout, there seemed no way back for this heritage-laden Club.
Happily, neither the club itself nor the USGA were ready to give up on the idea of Merion hosting the big-hitters of today and, with a few judicious tweaks and enhancements (if, by enhancement, you mean adding rough that resembles the Matto Grosso in places!), the East Course was proudly proclaimed Open-worthy once more.
The fact few current players will have even heard of it prior to this year, let alone played it, means no-one can claim an advantage of any kind prior to Thursday's big tee-off - unless they are already familiar with St Andrews and Co. Which is where that big British advantage should kick in. Throw in a few gorse bushes and any visiting Scotsmen will feel right at home.
Domestic golfers have also got used to stonking great long courses in recent years, like the monstrous 7,574-yard Congressional (2011), 7,468-yard Bethpage Black (2009) and 7,255 Oakmont (2007). They may well be thrown, therefore, by one that measures a mere 6,846.
Other idiosyncrasies abound: the par-three 13th that measures just 115 yards; and the par-three third at 256. Hole 4's par-five challenge at 628 yards (one of only two par-fives on the whole course); and the closing 18th at 521 yards - but only a par-four.
Fiendish
In fact, the final hole concludes a run of the most fiendish closing five of any Major anywhere, a collection of twisted challenges that are tantamount to torture and will surely claim numerous agonised victims over the four days.
And those golfers who blithely believe that an errant drive into one of the bunkers is merely a precursor to another long iron shot will be better off packing a shovel in their bag instead. Advantage, once again, to those with intimate knowledge of Scotland's mischievous links.
This minnow also still has serious fangs. Fairways will be narrower even than the USGA's usual exacting standards; the rough will have a unique graded profile, from 1½ inches at the lower edge immediately off the fairway to 4½ inches just a few feet in (for which the club developed a one-of-a-kind mower that allowed that 3-inch gradient from one side to the other); and those malevolent bunkers will be tougher to escape from than the Hampton Court Maze.
The one wild card that nobody can forecast (almost literally), is how soft the East Course might stay in light of the recent deluge. A soft course plays into the hands of the big-hitters who can drive with relative impunity and land the ball on the greens with little fear of it careering off in unexpected directions.
But such are the other individual mannerisms and peculiarities; it will surely reign in anyone who tries to take liberties, while the overall novelty of Merion will ensure no-one can take any shot for granted.
What does that mean in terms of picking a winner, I hear you ask? Well, if you're looking for a wild and unpredictable Major, this could well be it. Woods may be an overwhelming favourite with the bookies (anywhere from 7-2 to 9-1 are the odds I've seen quoted), but Merion is made for an upset.
First-timers
It's already been the Year of the First-Timer on the US PGA Tour (with nine men claiming their inaugural victories), so it wouldn't be surprising if a new name came through in terms of Major titles. Westwood and Donald are names that certainly spring to mind; Rose and Matt Kuchar are two more.
Nobody is going to walk away with this one, that seems sure, and a bunch finish is a distinct possibility. Only three Britons have claimed the US Open in modern history (Tony Jacklin in 1970 and those Northern Irishmen McDowell and McIlroy in 2010 and '11) but the time could well be ripe for a fourth.
Merion is certainly set up for it. Now, how about that elusive first Major, Lee...?
