Send a Fellow Golfer to Certain Doom at Bethpage Black

This summer one of golf's most feared major championship venues and host of this year's U.S. Open, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, will welcome an unworthy challenger picked from the masses to gauge just how average a slightly above average golfer is when compared to the best golfers in the world.

The best part is that we the people get to pick this sacrificial lamb and the watch him squirm on national television, in what I can only presume will be the most thrilling and awful day of his golfing life.

Golf Digest, in conjunction with the USGA, once again gave all amateur golfers with a USGA Handicap Index between 4.0 and 8.0 a chance to play under U.S. Open conditions with a goal of breaking 100.

The field has been narrowed to four finalists from a robust 73,581 six-word entries by the magazine's editors USGA officials. Through April 30^th, golf fans can go to www.gdopenchallenge.com (sorry you can't text or twitter for your choice) and vote for their favorite golfer after watching videos of the four finalists.

This year, you can win just by voting. Voters will be eligible to cast one ballot each day and will be automatically entered into a drawing with a chance to win daily prizes, a golf vacation for four to Myrtle Beach sponsored by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday or one of two trips to the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

After careful consideration, I'm endorsing Philippe de Kerillis, an ER doctor from Philadelphia, whose six-word entry was, "ER doctor ready for Bethpage Trauma." His entry was clever, his story is solid and at age 39 and frequently exposed to high-stress situations, he has the best chance of standing up to the pressure. Kerillis has played the Black Course before, and he used to caddy at National Golf Links of America in Southhampton, NY.

The other candidates are Scottsdale's Larry Giebelhausen (I'm a cop, I'll shoot low), Virginia's Dale Matthews (I'm a doctor. I understand pain) and Maryland's Bob Ray (Fire chief burns up the course).

The winner will play an 18-hole round on the Black Course from the U.S. Open tees. Joining the winner will be Michael Jordan, with Fred Couples as his caddie, along with two other celebrities who will be announced at a later date.

Last year's winner, John Atkinson, who was battling lung cancer at the time, wound up shooting a 43-over-par 114 on the Torrey Pines South Course. He was joined by the celebrity trio of Tony Romo, Justin Timberlake and Matt Lauer. Romo, who carded an 84, Timberlake, who shot a 98, were able to break 100.

As we saw last summer, breaking 100 on a U.S. Open course is extremely difficult for the average golfer, yet this year we received almost 20,000 more entries," said Jerry Tarde, Chairman and Editor-In-Chief of Golf Digest. "We couldn't be more proud of this contest, and we're looking forward to making one of our finalists' dream come true."

It's acknowledged that the contest originated when Tiger Woods speculated that it would be nearly impossible for a 10-handicapper to break 100 on the 2007 U.S. Open course, Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, the way it was set up for that tournament.

Ironically, the only man who broke par at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black was Woods, who won the tournament at 3-under-par.

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