How to hole a 2 foot putt at Winged Foot

Orikoru

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Yeah I saw that. Continuing the Major trend of ridiculous greens I guess. I'm sure we'll see a few more tantrums. I'm looking forward to it, I always prefer it when they struggle!
 
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sunshine

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I saw this, it was a fun putt.

But all he was doing is putting up a slope on a two tier green. You could do this on any number of courses, at least 5 greens on my course alone if the pins were in the right place (admittedly some of them would be silly pins).
 

Orikoru

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I saw this, it was a fun putt.

But all he was doing is putting up a slope on a two tier green. You could do this on any number of courses, at least 5 greens on my course alone if the pins were in the right place (admittedly some of them would be silly pins).
Could do it on the first at Haste Hill if the pin is down the front! Not to this distance though to be fair. :p
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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We visited Winged Foot no more than a day or two after the conclusion of the 2006 US Open. They were already digging up the 18th Green as they wanted to rectify what they had seen as 'sub-optimal' during the previous week's play.
 

Foxholer

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While I love to see the top Pro's 'struggle' rather than simply 'bomb and gauge', this could into something of a farce but I hope not.
It's why I believe The Open is 'the fairest' Major. If the weather is benign, then it's a putting comp; if it's breezy, then course management becomes the key. And, over 4 days, it's likely that there will be elements (hah!) of both. And I don't really have any issue when TOC is 'taken apart' in benign conditions and 18 under is the winning score. Nor when similar happens at Augusta! It simply means that the leaders are always under pressure to make birdie at any hole.

The US Open is purely about 'survival'!
 

PhilTheFragger

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US open is often tricked up to the extreme.

I take little joy in very good golfers being made to look distinctly average, so yes it’s a survival issue, winner will be the person who gets into the least trouble
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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While I love to see the top Pro's 'struggle' rather than simply 'bomb and gauge', this could into something of a farce but I hope not.
It's why I believe The Open is 'the fairest' Major. If the weather is benign, then it's a putting comp; if it's breezy, then course management becomes the key. And, over 4 days, it's likely that there will be elements (hah!) of both. And I don't really have any issue when TOC is 'taken apart' in benign conditions and 18 under is the winning score. Nor when similar happens at Augusta! It simply means that the leaders are always under pressure to make birdie at any hole.

The US Open is purely about 'survival'!
I watched a Rick Shiels video (I think) - of him playing one of Troon's par 3s four days in a row as if in a tournament.

He did so on basis that when Tom Watson won there in 1977 he didn't manage to birdie it across the four rounds. Shiels played it four times in four subsequent days and the weather conditions varied significantly, almost chipping a short iron one day - and having to blast a wood another...that's the glory of links golf :)
 

sunshine

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While I love to see the top Pro's 'struggle' rather than simply 'bomb and gauge', this could into something of a farce but I hope not.
It's why I believe The Open is 'the fairest' Major. If the weather is benign, then it's a putting comp; if it's breezy, then course management becomes the key. And, over 4 days, it's likely that there will be elements (hah!) of both. And I don't really have any issue when TOC is 'taken apart' in benign conditions and 18 under is the winning score. Nor when similar happens at Augusta! It simply means that the leaders are always under pressure to make birdie at any hole.

The US Open is purely about 'survival'!

I think the Open is often the least fair major. Due to the changeable weather conditions if you get on the wrong side of the draw you have no chance. Plenty of examples of contenders being blown off course.

The US Open is a super tough examination and I enjoy watching the best players having to adjust their game and expectations for the week. Would be pretty boring if it was the same every week though.

ps I think the Masters is the fairest major. It's the most consistent venue and doesn't rely on long penal rough as a defence. Long penal rough is the least interesting way of protecting a course and is one dimensional. No imagination required.
 

IainP

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I think the Open is often the least fair major. Due to the changeable weather conditions if you get on the wrong side of the draw you have no chance. Plenty of examples of contenders being blown off course.

The US Open is a super tough examination and I enjoy watching the best players having to adjust their game and expectations for the week. Would be pretty boring if it was the same every week though.

ps I think the Masters is the fairest major. It's the most consistent venue and doesn't rely on long penal rough as a defence. Long penal rough is the least interesting way of protecting a course and is one dimensional. No imagination required.
Just on your PS. For me the fact it is played on the same course every year takes away a degree of "fairness", favours those with more invites, hence experience. The (proper?) majors that rotate venues level this out more. IMO.
 

Imurg

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If the greens are going to be like that then I won't be watching any of it....
In my opinion, Majors should be won by whoever plays the best..not by whoever plays the least worst.
Typical US Open......:sleep:
 

Foxholer

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I think the Open is often the least fair major. Due to the changeable weather conditions if you get on the wrong side of the draw you have no chance. Plenty of examples of contenders being blown off course.
...
H'mm! We'll have to agree to disagree there! My view is that if they are 'contenders' they won't be 'on the wrong side of the draw'!
...
ps I think the Masters is the fairest major. It's the most consistent venue and doesn't rely on long penal rough as a defence. Long penal rough is the least interesting way of protecting a course and is one dimensional. No imagination required.
But it's certainly in competitors heads - which is where Golf tournaments are really won/lost! (As in Montgomery's disaster!).
 
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Ethan

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I think the Open is often the least fair major. Due to the changeable weather conditions if you get on the wrong side of the draw you have no chance. Plenty of examples of contenders being blown off course.

The US Open is a super tough examination and I enjoy watching the best players having to adjust their game and expectations for the week. Would be pretty boring if it was the same every week though.

ps I think the Masters is the fairest major. It's the most consistent venue and doesn't rely on long penal rough as a defence. Long penal rough is the least interesting way of protecting a course and is one dimensional. No imagination required.

On the other hand, The Masters is usually won by a long hitter. Zach Johnson was an exception. It rewards hitting high shots into the par 5s. The Open can be won by short hitters, long hitters, low ball hitters, high ball hitters. the Masters has a limited list of possible winners, The Open really doesn't.

I agree that long penal rough is boring. The US Open used to be like that, with players hitting 2 irons off the tee and then 2 irons into the green, and having tomchip out sideways if they hit the rough. You get winners like Hale Irwin and Andy North from that.
 

Tiger man

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On the other hand, The Masters is usually won by a long hitter. Zach Johnson was an exception. It rewards hitting high shots into the par 5s. The Open can be won by short hitters, long hitters, low ball hitters, high ball hitters. the Masters has a limited list of possible winners, The Open really doesn't.

I agree that long penal rough is boring. The US Open used to be like that, with players hitting 2 irons off the tee and then 2 irons into the green, and having tomchip out sideways if they hit the rough. You get winners like Hale Irwin and Andy North from that.
I dont mind the long rough, but when you have navigated that and hit the green you should not see good shots punished.
 

Ethan

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I dont mind the long rough, but when you have navigated that and hit the green you should not see good shots punished.

But the tree lined fairways and hideous rough made for boring plodding golf won too often by boring plodding players.

They may have over compensated a bit with places like Chambers Bay, but Winged Foot could be a massacre.
 

Orikoru

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On the other hand, The Masters is usually won by a long hitter. Zach Johnson was an exception. It rewards hitting high shots into the par 5s. The Open can be won by short hitters, long hitters, low ball hitters, high ball hitters. the Masters has a limited list of possible winners, The Open really doesn't.
Really? It doesn't seem that way from looking at the list of winners... Reed, Garcia, Spieth, Willett.. Schwartzel? Cabrera?

The positive summary though is that it would be boring if all the majors were the same wouldn't it? We know the greens are going to be carnage this week, and I think it'll be fun to watch. Guess I'm a golf sadist.
 

Ethan

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Really? It doesn't seem that way from looking at the list of winners... Reed, Garcia, Spieth, Willett.. Schwartzel? Cabrera?

The positive summary though is that it would be boring if all the majors were the same wouldn't it? We know the greens are going to be carnage this week, and I think it'll be fun to watch. Guess I'm a golf sadist.

Cabrera was a very long hitter, Schwartzel no slouch. Garcia is pretty long, Spieth and Reed not so much. But you left out Bubba, Woods, Scott, Mickelson, all long hitters.
 

Orikoru

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Cabrera was a very long hitter, Schwartzel no slouch. Garcia is pretty long, Spieth and Reed not so much. But you left out Bubba, Woods, Scott, Mickelson, all long hitters.
Meh, if they're all "long hitters" then 60-70% of the field are long hitters aren't they? ?‍♂️
 
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