Boston Celtics vs U.S. Open: Is the Perfect Sports Euphoria Storm Brewing?

Euphoria hits Boston and New England sports fans next week when the Boston Celtics try to win an 18th World Championship at the same time the world's premier golf tournament - the U.S. Open - is played at The Country Club in Brookline June 13-19.

WORCESTER, Mass – The Country Club in Brookline has planned for seven years to host the U.S. Open next week, but the toughest test in golf could be upstaged in Massachusetts by the Boston Celtics.

The U.S. Open is sold out June 16-19, but the Celtics could be celebrating their record 18th NBA championship with a ‘Duck Boat’ rolling rally in downtown Boston that week.

Hundreds of thousands of fans attended the last Celtics rolling rally in June of 2008 after the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals for their first NBA championship in 22 years.

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Don’t cue up the Duck Boats celebration parade yet for the Boston Celtics since the last parade was June 2008, but if Celtics win banner number 18 it will certainly upstage the U.S. Open next week that was seven years in planning. (Getty Images)

The Celtics split the first two games of the NBA Finals at Golden State and the next two games are scheduled to be played at TD Garden in Boston, at 9 p.m. Wednesday and at 9 p.m. Friday. The NBA Finals are assured of lasting at least five games and Game 5 is scheduled to be played in San Francisco at 9 p.m. Monday, June 13, the day of the first practice round at TCC.

If the Celtics win the next three games and claim the championship, they would travel back to Boston and the ‘Duck Boat‘ parade would be held sometime during the next few days. It could even take place on the following Thursday, the day of the opening round of the U.S. Open.

If necessary, Game 6 would be played that Thursday in Boston at 9 p.m. If the Celtics win the championship in six games, the ‘Duck Boat’ parade could take place the following weekend during one of the final two rounds of the U.S. Open.

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Next week New England sports fans will be in state of frenzy with the Boston Celtics seeking to win an 18th World Championship and the world’s premier golf tournament – the U.S. Open – being played in Brookline.

If a Game 7 is needed, it would tip off on Father’s Day at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 19, in San Francisco. That would be two hours after the U.S. Open is scheduled to end, but a playoff could extend golf at TCC until much longer. Each of the previous three U.S. Open championships held at TCC required playoffs.

Nevertheless, if the Celtics win the title in seven games, the ‘Duck Boat‘ parade wouldn’t conflict with the U.S. Open.

Of course, the Warriors eliminate any possibility of the Celtics upstaging the U.S. Open by winning the NBA championship themselves. If the USGA rooted for Golden State, it would be understandable.

The U.S. Open draws fans from all over the world, but Bostonians love their professional teams. A ‘Duck Boat’ parade wouldn’t interfere with golf at TCC, but it could take the focus off the U.S. Open.

TCC didn’t have to worry about the Celtics stealing the spotlight from the previous U.S. Open championships it hosted.

There weren’t any Celtics or NBA in 1913 when amateur Francis Ouimet of Brookline defeated Britons Ted Ray and Harry Vardon in n 18-hole playoff at TCC.

In 1963, Julius Boros defeated Jacky Cupit and Arnold Palmer on June 23 in an 18-hole playoff in the U.S. Open at TCC. The Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals that season in Bob Cousy’s final year with the team, but Game 6 was held on April 24 so there was no conflict. They didn’t have ‘Duck Boat’ parade celebrations back then either.

In 1988, Curtis Strange defeated Nick Faldo in an 18-hole playoff on June 20 to win the U.S. Open at TCC. The Celtics lost the Eastern Conference Finals that year in six games to Detroit and their season ended on June 3.

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One thing is certain about the 122nd U.S. Open hosted by The Country Club: Golf history will be made! (Getty Images)

If a playoff is needed at the U.S. Open this year, it would be a two-hole aggregate contest after the final round is completed. If the players were still tied, extra sudden-death holes would be played.

The Red Sox are scheduled to be home during the week of the U.S. Open. Oakland will visit for games at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16, 7:10 p.m. Friday, 7:15 p.m. Saturday and 1:35 p.m. Sunday. Any ‘Duck Boat’ parade for the Red Sox, unlikely as it now may seem, would have to wait until the fall.

On the web: USOpen.com, Celtics.com

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Bill Doyle brings 45 years of professional sports writing experience to New England dot Golf. His resume includes 40 years as a sports writer for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette where he wrote a Sunday golf column and covered professional and amateur golf. He also wrote about all four of the major professional sports teams in the Boston area, mostly about the Boston Celtics, as well as college and local sports. Working for the newspaper in the city where Worcester Country Club hosted the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927, Doyle covered the improbable comeback of the U.S. team at the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline. He also covered the 1988 U.S. Open at TCC, the 2001 and 2017 U.S. Senior Open championships at Salem Country Club, the U.S. Women’s Open championships at The Orchards in South Hadley in 2004 and at Newport Country Club in 2006, the PGA Tour stops at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton for nearly 20 years and at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, for several years; and every PGA Tour event at TPC Boston in Norton from the inaugural event in 2003. He will provide regular contributions ranging from interviews, travel, lifestyle, real estate, commentary and special assignments. Bill can be reached at bcdoyle15@charter.net.

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