With several inches of rain falling at the course in Ardmore, Pa.,  in the week leading up to the event and the challenges it brought, Shaffer, his crew and his volunteer army of superintendents faced a stiff challenge to get Merion ready for the Open and keep it that way.

But succeed they did, and Shaffer has been widely credited for his ability to provide a course that not only was playable, but, despite its length of just less than 7,000 yards, left the world’s best golfers battered and bruised, including one who said via social media that he could take no more.

For his ability to maintain his composure under pressure and present a U.S. Open that is talked about for all the right reasons, Shaffer is has been named as one of six finalists for the 2013 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.