Farmingdale Professor Hands On at 2016 U.S. Open
June 27, 2016
Nick Menchyk, assistant professor in the Department of Urban Horticulture and Design and FSC’s resident turfgrass expert, is back from the 2016 U.S. Open golf championship in Oakmont, PA after 
volunteering as one of the ground’s crew (Nick appears at about 2:11).
Menchyk is a veteran of the Open, one of professional golf’s Big 3 tournaments, having worked the tourney at the same course in 2007. He also volunteered at the U.S. Women’s Open in 2010.
If he is still exhausted from the work he did, it is justifiably so. Menchyk says his day began at 3:45 a.m. and typically ended around 9 p.m. In between he supervised a dozen other turf professionals whose job it was to rake the bunkers on holes 10 – 18. He was hands on too, doing everything from repairing fairway divots to mowing around bunkers.
The only thing he didn’t get to do was schmooze with the golfers.
“Most of the volunteers and staff have been around professional golfers enough that it isn’t a big deal,” Menchyk said. “With that said, working next to the likes of Rickie Fowler and Rory Mcllroy is pretty unique.”
“It was a long but very rewarding week. I got to catch up with friends while working on one of the greatest golf courses in the world!”
Menchyk’s next stop – The Barclays tournament at the nearby Bethpage Black course in August.
