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Stimpmeter: How a 3-foot-long ramp breaks golfers' hearts (The Associated Press)

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FILE - In this June 15, 1973, file photo, Arnold Palmer waves his putter and smiles after putting, and …

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) -- A 3-foot-long ramp invented in the 1930s could have more say about who wins the U.S. Open come Sunday than all the swing coaches, sports psychologists and fitness gurus in the wide world of golf combined.

It's called a ''Stimpmeter'' in honor of inventor Edward S. Stimpson and in a nice bit of serendipity, the device traces its origins back to storied Oakmont Country Club, site of this season's second major.