US Open

[MashieNiblick]

Thought I might start a thread for general discussion.

Course looks awesome but is the usual US Open test with par looking not just good but a potential winning score.

Certain Mr Woods currently second along with GMac and Justin Rose on -1.

Mickelson apparently only got to the course 30 mins before his tee time and seemed all over the place but still managed a 76.

Picked Luke as the potential winner - shot 79! same as the 14 year old Zhang.

74 for Casey Martin which he must be really pleased with. Watching him limping to his ball you couldn't begrudge the guy a buggy.

Hoping to see more of the Donald, Westwood, McIlroy group later today. They are out early so hopefully won't clash too much with the footy.

Interesting watching on the Red button (Tiger, Leftie and Bubba group then Luke, Lee and Rory) just how much time they spend waiting to play. As the commentators pointed out though Tiger's group were behind Kevin Na.

Fianlly as often the case there is a first round leader no one's heard of (Michael Thompson) but a 66 on that course was some going.

 

[ScottishDave]

Yeah that 66 was amazing golf but obviously wont last.

I heard one of the commentators mentioning that if he was given even as a final 72 hole score he would take it. After watching the best players in the world struggling, I can't disagree with him.

I think it's a great test for the golfers but for the spectator I think I prefer watching birdies rather than bogies.

 

[Oddsocks]

I expected alot bigger things from our 3 ball, alrhought to be fair there are some big names on the list that aren't where you'd expect

 

[upsidedown]

Interesting watching how they cope with all the slopes compared to the relativity flat courses they normally play.
Greens look awesome and also have great admiration for Casey Martin.
Did you see that Quiros all but slam dunked the 7th with a 3 wood

 

[bobmac]

I havent watched the US Open for years, it's always the same.
They trick the course up to make it all but impossible to play.
It's a bit like F1 covering a race track in oil and watching the worlds best going round the track at 50 mph

 

[G1BB0]

went to bed, got bored watching it tbh. Not my cup of tea watching a bogey fest. while I dont like courses being to easy I also want to be able to see quality shots hold a green.

Not my favourite tourney so far, even some of the lesser tournies have been better to watch!

 

[need_my_wedge]

What I saw of it was tough, not many able to stop the ball on the greens, even pitching it in two yds in front of the green Fowler, Ishikawa and Dustbin all ran on 30 yds through the green. Brutal conditions, and not fun to watch really. Although I do suppose it shows us that these very class players are mere mortals after all.

Couple that with the appalling US TV coverage, e.g. see Westy and Luke putt, then just as Rory was about to, camera switches to Keegan Bradley, doesn't come back to Rory until next tee shot, what's that all about.....? You'd think with all the ad breaks and stuff, they'd be able to buffer the footage and cover it all. Someone really needs to take the yanks by the scruff of the neck and let them know that us paying TV viewers want to see the shots played......

 

[Imurg]

I havent watched the US Open for years, it's always the same.
They trick the course up to make it all but impossible to play.
It's a bit like F1 covering a race track in oil and watching the worlds best going round the track at 50 mph

+1

If you like watching Bogey Golf so much, come and watch me today - I won't charge...........

 

[bobmac]

+1

If you like watching Bogey Golf so much, come and watch me today - I won't charge...........

Only if you promise you'll get round in under 6 hours

 

[Imurg]

+1

If you like watching Bogey Golf so much, come and watch me today - I won't charge...........

Only if you promise you'll get round in under 6 hours

3 and a bit do Ya?:thup:

 

[thelank1985]

The course look really hard nothing is holding. The top 3 got off to the worst start they were collectively +4 after the first hole!

I agree with you guys I prefer watching the guys make birdies and being rewarded with good approach shots, not bogeys and approach shots running through the greens.

I think the winning score will be -2

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I havent watched the US Open for years, it's always the same.
They trick the course up to make it all but impossible to play.
It's a bit like F1 covering a race track in oil and watching the worlds best going round the track at 50 mph

Have to agree Bob and I think after last year they may have gone a bit over board. Someone will win, that is for certain but does that mean they have found the best golfer of the week which they claim to want or someone who didn't do quite as badly as the others.

Narrowing the fairways I have no problem with
Making the rough penal if you miss the fairway I have no problem with

Making the greens so hard and fast that you can't stop the ball on them even if you do hit the fairway is just plain daft. There should be a benefit for hitting the fairway but as it is the balls are just running through the back no matter where they come from there is no benefit at all.

 

[need_my_wedge]

3 and a bit do Ya?:thup:

Only playing 9 holes today then.......

 

[timchump]

haven't managed to watch it yet, though looking forward to seeing how they have made it soo tough,
morbid curiosity

 

[shewy]

Man that was just Mickey Mouse in the afternoon, how can it be deemed a fair test when from the fairway you land the ball on the front edge of the green and it rolls off? Also splitting the fairway only to see it roll off due to the stupid camber? Got to say westwood was impressive on the back 9,I'm thinking the USGA need a swift kick in the plums if they don't sort it out for the weekend,they have to keep it the same today so the field gets a fair crack of the whip.

 

[garyinderry]

im actualy really enjoying it so far. love how hard it is for the worlds best. they cant just fire the ball at the pins and get them to hold. they have to use alot of imagination and a bit of luck. the players short game gets a real examination here!

its changes the game of golf frm the pro game of driver-wedge-putting competition!

 

[robbest3offthetee]

Have to say Lee Westwood played great after a double on the first, To shoot 73 is really good, Think Luuuke was trying to hard, bit of expectation on his shoulders maybe, thought the coverage at first was the Tiger Woods Show, but still managed to stay up till 2 a m, Knackered now though, have to get some sleep before tonights coverage.....

 

[CMAC]

to all the moaners who say its too hard and you want a birdie fest as opposed to tough golf, you get that everyweek on the US tour where -20+ wins from john-no name-golfer, where you can miss every fairway and still fire an 8 iron onto a soft green and get spin.......

This is a Major and these guys are elite and can do things with the ball you and I only dream of, I absolutely love seeing them challenged, don't mistake that statement with punished but I want to see them useing imagination and flair to manufacture shots....

I get bored with the weekly US stuff, but this is entertaining and I love it:thup:

 

[doc333]

I have no problem with a tough test in a major, and it makes for compulsive viewing, but a lot of top players are going to look stupid on this track. Classic case is Luke who has some of the best stats on tour, including GIR, putts, fairways hit etc, etc, etc. But there's no way he can compete on this track as you need a longer game, so that more irons can be used off the tees. So he's going to be chasing everything and being punished all the way. Its not much better for the bombers as players like Bubba can't hit a straight ball because of tight fairways with trees, so only players who can hit straight, longish will benefit around this track. Winning score will be around 3 under and have no problem with that as it should be tough, but reckon its not a fair test for everyone.

 

[garyinderry]

rubbish about a fair test for everyone. if it doesnt suit certain players games then they will simply have to like it or lump it. we cant just mirror agusta for the people who like to fade the ball.