Golf fans, do you think the USGA screws it up? I hope the rough is long and the fairways are narrow, but the greens aren't so stupid that you can't put on them. Sounds like the weather is going to be great.
OT - US OPEN
- Thread starter ZJSARENOTFREE
- Start date
rough certainly looking US Open-ish! haven't seen anything about the greens, but I'm sure they'll be blazing.
can't wait!
Looks like Pebble will be playing pretty short, so the rough and greens should be a s#*t show. With that said, I hope that it isn't a run away be someone.
IMO every US Open should be on the west coast. Prime time golf is the bomb!
IMO every US Open should be on the west coast. Prime time golf is the bomb!
They have certainly screwed things up in the past, but have a new USGA official for this one. I heard on the radio yesterday that he said they have listened to the players. We shall see....
The problem with the USGA in the past is the mindset that even par over 4 rounds HAS TO BE the target score for the winner. That may be OK, but only a handful of players have their best game during the US Open and it makes those that don't have their best game look like chumps. I've played golf for 50+ years and could care less if an under par score wins. I want to see good golf. I don't want to see guys hack out of 4 inch rough after missing a 15-yard wide fairway and 3 putting on greens that measure 15 on a stimp meter (embellished, but you get my drift).
Or if they insist on making the greens lightning fast, they need to show some restraint on the pin placements. Effective lag putting is especially important on a U.S. Open course, and players need a target to putt to.
Yeah. I hate the greens that are unputtable. I actually like having the players have to deal with a little tougher conditions to the point it make them whine, but I hate unputtable greens that are just straight unfair.
Played Pebble two weekends ago to include SpyGlass, my favorite. The fairways have been reduced 18 feet from normal, some fairways down to 28 yards wide. The greens are tiny. Conditions then were soft. However, considering the weather we've had here, could be fast. This is a 3 wood, 4 and 5 iron course for the professionals this week. Should be a fun week of spectator golf.
I agree with you. I love Spyglass. Monterrey Peninsula is fun too, but I guess all golf is awesome. But great info, thanks.
When I opened this thread up I was expecting to read about tennis, shows how out of touch I am with the sports world right now.
anyone in a pool or have picks?
I'm going chalk with DJ, hope Tiger plays well. Of course Brooks will be in the mix, and should be interesting to see if Rory keeps it up from last weekend
I'm going chalk with DJ, hope Tiger plays well. Of course Brooks will be in the mix, and should be interesting to see if Rory keeps it up from last weekend
I love DJ, generally. However, not at pebble and not the US open the way it's designed for this week. I'd love to be wrong
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"all golf is awesome" made me laugh. The key is not to ever take it to serious
set the win line at minus 6.5 or 8.5, either way, guessing these modern day bombers won't be going into the teens on it.
USGA is overly sensitive to their recent setup fiascos. The rough looks modest by Pebble standards. Pin placements will be fair wo the craziness of recent years. Unless it dries out considerably over the next several days or winds are high, these guys will go low and the golfers will be happy.
Listened to radio guys tout Woodland breaking Tigers -12 record at Pebble. Thirty one guys broke par vs one in 2000. Tiger in 2000 was still more impressive to me vs today when lots of guys tore the course up. Radio guys seem to think guys now are all the equal to Tiger in his prime years.
Keopka is giving it a run. Runner up at the Masters, a PGA championship, runner up at the US Open. He’s won or been runner up in at least 6 of the last 9 majors. He has to win a few lore but he’s making a Tiger like run.
That said. Tiger didn’t just win. He obliterated the field. During that run from 200-2003 it wasn’t “is Tiger going to win?” It was “How many strokes is he going to win by?” That run was not just winning, it was dominance on a level I don’t think the game has ever seen.
Keopka was the first man to shoot under 70 in four rounds of the U.S. Open, and still lose. Woodland was simply incredible in defeating that beast. Lots of Rock Chalk, Jayhawks from that crowd on 18.
Doesn't BK have 4 majors? Why are people acting like he is closing in on Tiger. Shoot, Tiger might have had the best run ever and still (probably) won't catch Jack...but people are acting like BK is "right in the thick of it".
great tourney, congrats to Woodland, an all-around solid American
I don't know that anyone with close in on Tiger or Jack from this generation. Simply because there are some many good young golfers right now. Right now the top 30 in the world rankings are sick, which Tiger is #5 right now. Plus I don't know if many or any at all have the red *** that Tiger had to be the best. There are dudes like McIlroy and Speith who have a great runs for a year or two and have fallen off, to some extent. BK may have the best chance because he has a pretty big chip on his shoulder, but I just think there are too many contenders out there now.
In 2000 after Tiger won at Pebble the top 30 in the world was not very good. A fair amount of guys who were on the tale end of their career and not much fire power. The most current rankings have a ton of young guys who are either in their prime or have their best golf ahead of them.
Koepka's not going to make a run at Jack or Tiger, but four majors over the course of two years is an impressive run. Needs one more to match Mickelson and Ballesteros, two more to match Faldo and Trevino. That ain't the Jack & Tiger Club, but it's a pretty stout group.
I get what you are saying but I do wonder how the money impacts things now. BK pretty much already never has to win again and it set for life. The other 4-5 young "studs" are pretty much in a similar boat. They all room together during events, they party together, they have fun (as they should) and they are all already rich beyond their wildest dreams. It can be hard to want to go pound balls for 10 hours a day when you can be at your fun *** house, drinking, eating, chilling and hanging with your buds and hot beaver.
I don't think Koepka and Tiger are really comparable. It's impressive as hell the way Koepka is able to turn it on for majors. But when Tiger was winning, he was dominating all events, not just the majors. In my opinion, it's hard to make a comparison between them though Koepka is impressive in his own right.
In my opinion the winning score in a US Open should be -2 or -3. These double digit scores under par are an embrassment. The putting looked way too easy this year.
My favorite US Open was the one Payne Stewart won. Balls were all over the place there. A 12" putt was an adventure. Payne won at -1.
If they make the courses that tough though the players complain and the golf gods give in. If 1 guy can shoot under par for 72 holes it's not too tough.
Huh, had pebble beach experienced weather other than spectacular, then you would've seen your score expectation. Question: how should the USGA design and prepare the course months in advance to accommodate your expectations, given weather unpredictability?
Exactly. The wind blows the greens dry out more making everything harder.
The British Open has it right in my opinion. Set it up and whatever happens, happens. Score is what it is.
Shoot...make them play the US Open on a typical public course and literally set it up like a typical Saturday.
1. Grounds crew still out on the course mowing and working on ****
2. Sprinklers going off
3. Tee Times separated by only 4 minutes
4. Bitter old ranger yelling at you
5. Super happy old ranger stopping to talk to you about life
6. Other dudes playing your ball "on accident"
7. No water
8. 6 dollar beers
1. Grounds crew still out on the course mowing and working on ****
2. Sprinklers going off
3. Tee Times separated by only 4 minutes
4. Bitter old ranger yelling at you
5. Super happy old ranger stopping to talk to you about life
6. Other dudes playing your ball "on accident"
7. No water
8. 6 dollar beers
Yeah I completely agree with you there. Plus a lot of those younger dudes get in to other lines of business, designing golf courses, clothing lines and god forbid getting married. Tiger included, most of the $ these guys make is from endorsements and other businesses anyway. Tits Mickelson is an example with his insider trading.
You have already seen this with McIlroy and Speith for sure. They knocked out their 3-4 majors and have kid of set things on cruise control. I want to say McIlroy even admitted to that after his run in 2011-2014, he started dating a broke up with a hottie tennis player and spending more time with other none golf related business opportunities.
****, Fowler has never won a major and he is already set for life. You can't swing a dead cat with out hitting Rickie's face in a Farmers Insurance commercial or a Rocket Mortgage commercial. Same thing with a guy like Poulter. He has money beyond what he can spend and he aint done dick. That's why I said BK may be as close to that type of dude this generation of guys has because he has the chip on his shoulder. Those type of guys come along once a generation or even two, and I can't blame them either. I love playing golf, so what better way could you make a living IMO. Hell now with the Senior Tour these guys can play and make bank in to their 60's, tough to do that in any other major sport unless you are a coach.
They all know now (because of Tiger) that they are their own business, their own brand. And they know that the real (easy) money is in all the non-golf area, like you said. Million dollars to help design a course is an easy way to make cash...much easier than trying to win a tourney.
9. Round of shots with the cart girl every 4 holes.
And most of em suck at designing courses. But I'd take the money too if some schmuck thinks simply because you play really well you can design.
Rarley hear good things about top player designed courses. Nicklaus has one or two that people like (others like Dismal River in NE are huge disappointments). Usually its ok players such as Ben Crenshaw (along with Bill Coore iirc) that end up being very good designers.