The OFFICIAL US Open Discussion Thread

[Undershooter]

Is it just me or have the post round interviews been awkward as shite?!

 

Fyi: I'm behind and watching in on dvr

[Undershooter]

Edit: I've had more double posts in this thread than I've had all year. Wtf

[Fireinthehole]

That DJ interview was so akward.

 

Is it just me or have the post round interviews been awkward as shite?!

 

Fyi: I'm behind and watching in on dvr

[GilB]

I'm convinced that the weekend will bring disaster to the entire field after watching the play today. Rory looked like he was coming on but he flamed out the last few holes, Tiger was a sad shadow of a once dominant player, the first day leaders didn't separate themselves from the rest of the field, and the course just chewed them up. If not for the sideboards that allowed some creative shotmaking by having the ball funnel back down to the hole nothing was holding the greens. That makes for a very scary weekend. This could be ugly.

[Undershooter]

That DJ interview was so akward.

The guy was begging DJ to say something negative about the greens. I mean common! We know they are bad bro, don't get him to throw himself under the bus.

[Kor.A.Door]

Anything on the market comparable style?

Isn't it a similar style to the old wilson 8802 he used to use?

[Kor.A.Door]

Late in the day today they said the second round afternoon round average was 4 shots worse than the second round early score average that's a huge difference.

[Fireinthehole]

Us open is a great test. Love that its played on a different course each year. This ain't no beauty pageant that's for sure. Challenging course is an understatement.

those 15 who didn't get +4 should send the am Hardy a gift for pushing the cut to +5

[AH1980MN]

i'm thinking DJ-Spieth-Reed, with Rory making a run. Would really love to see Phil finish the Mickelslam, but i just dont see it happening this year- he dosent seem to be going after anything...

[Ashton Plumley]

I wanna see Bubba get up in that

[mizuno_lover]

Wow how tough is the course playing?  I'm not sure I like watching the best in the world humiliate themselves or get humiliated by a course that is set up so tough they struggle.  There must be a balance there somewhere.  Those greens look tough as and certainly not what I have come to expect watching the PGA tour for so long.  This is a USGA tourny though I guess, how much do they have to do with set up on the PGA tour? 

 

As a Golf lover I have heard a lot of negative stuff about Patrick Reed who is right up there and I find it hard not to form an opinion on the guy even though there seems to be no proof against him just rumour and innuendo.  Also after the Ryder cup it is even harder to like the guy.  I hate being judged by people that don't even know me and I'm sure he's the same, does anyone have any good oil about the accusations that have been made?  Are they true?  I want to know because if I'm going to root for someone they better deserve my support and not be a cheating, thieving, scumbag - know what I mean? C'mon Jason Day! And in lieu of an Aussie or European winning go Dustin Johnson!

[westy]

Earlier in the thread I said how well behaved the crowd was, oh dear spoke to soon.

 

See other thread I know......

 

Think we all know that the late starters are going to get it very tough - everything firming up and greens just awkward. Which is why anyone within 6 or 7 is still in this. Rory? Not sure but it'd be great to see him make some sort of charge.

 

I'm enjoying what i see, but having to watch highlights when I wake up in the morning!

[revkev]

@mizzie lover - the USGA has nothing to do with the set up on courses at PGA tour events. 

 

I don't know why everyone is so surprised at how tough the course set up is - the USGA could take your local muni and make par a reasonable score if it wanted to pour the time and money into it.  I've seen enough US Opens to know that they want a winning score of -2 at the lowest - the range typically is plus 2 to minus 2, they've had a few get away from them on either side of those numbers but that's the range they're looking for. 

 

Without being too over the top I am a pretty good player, I regularly shoot in the 70's and when I have time to practice 75 and below.  I've had my handicap index dip below 1 on a couple of occasions and generally speaking will spend some time around 2.0 every year.  The handicap is up right now at 4.0 but that means I still don't suck.  I once was a young pretty good player who could move my ball out fairly far (for the equipment of my day.)  I've been to two US Opens, Shinnecock and Oakland Hills and my first thought each time was - "Wow, could I even break 100 here!"  

 

The par 4's are long and they are relentless, it's not just that one par 4 that's 480 its 6 that are 500 or whatever is needed to stretch the course.  In a normal tour event the average iron in is 8, at a US Open it may be closer to 6 and there are only 2 par 5's instead of 4.  The rough is thick and long so much so that I saw a leader almost lose his ball on the 71st hole at Oakland Hills when it was just two feet off the green - that would have been something. The greens are like concrete - I saw balls bouncing head high at times at Shinnecock and that was in the balata days. Then there are the pin placements that border on ridiculous or the fairways that are like ribbons.  It's all about he who endures to the end and its once a year, that's it, once a year.  It's why its so tough to win all four of the majors, each demands a little something different. 

 

BTW the first shot that I saw at a US Open was by Andy North out of thick rough and it was a shank and he won two of these things.

 

On to this year's event - It's a great leader board - just consider these three guys, Johnson, Reed and Spieth. Three very different players - long and when on good wedge player - up and down putter, very solid ball striker above average distance and when the putter gets going look at, great manager of the course, his game and his mind and unreal short game including being a rock solid short putter.  I'd say the course is doing its job, its opened the tournament up to a variety of different playing styles so long as the guy playing his style is doing it well.

 

Should be a delightful weekend, because the golf is primetime and I'm still on vacation I can play, come home and watch - so, it's time to go play.

[Kor.A.Door]

I would like to see it play even more difficult. This under par crap is no good for the US open

[apprenti23]

6 amateur golfers made the cut, two of which play for University of Illinois. Senior Brian Campbell (-1) played in The 2014 U.S. open I believe and a kid who's local to me Nick Hardy (+5) who just completed his freshman season down in Chambana. Nick is pretty well known on the state junior and manure tour levels and is going to be one hell of a stick as he grows up!

[apprenti23]

Speaking of IL junior golfers, huge congratulations for making the cut to a kid I played Junior golf with/against, Andy Pope! Looks like he has moved to Florida and has been trying to "make it" for awhile. Good for him!

[clarkgriswold]

Off the goat path, over the one tree, through the 18 bunkers, off the third train car........nothing but cup. Whoever wins better payout their caddy nice. Walking 18 with a full tour bag for 4 days is gotta be a hike.

[clarkgriswold]

Double post. Delete

[Tony Covey MGS]

Here we go...moving day, what do we think of the leaderboard?

 

Just a few of the storylines to watch:

 

Callaway is winning the US Open. Look at the leaderboard...

 

Reed, Grace, Finau...and at least Phil made the cut.

 

Can Spieth cement is his place at the next great thing?

 

Will Patrick Reed and his bottom 5 personality live up to his top 5 talent?

 

Will DJ give us a redemption story?

 

Can someone else come from the back of the pack?

 

One other thing to keep an eye on...and this is something I'll be approaching Callaway about...

 

As you may have noticed, Callaway has spent big on the US Open (we'll see if that includes the weekend), but in addition to the standard run of ads, updates are coming from the "Callaway Golf Fox Sports News Desk".

 

What does Callaway's sponsorship deal with Fox get them? Is it merely a logo and a mention, or does the deal include more airtime for Callaway staffers, or at a minimum, a closer focus on logos when Callaway staffers are on TV?

 

It's little things, was Patrick Reed's post round set up such that the Callaway logo on his shirt and XR logo on his hat was more prominent than the Tax Slayer logo?

 

I'll fully admit to being a conspiracy theorist for this sort of thing, and as a business trying to make money, Callaway probably should be buying all the publicity it can afford, but wouldn't it be something if tournament sponsorship could impact what gets sent to our televisions from the tournament itself. Can a golf company buy additional time for its logos during the tournament itself?

 

It's worth keeping an eye on... 

[mizuno_lover]

Great post Rev that helps put things into perspective, certainly from my point of view living so far away from it all

[wbealsd]

Playoff between Speith and Reed, battle between "Good & Evil?"

[Fireinthehole]

Going to run a 5k here soon, but going to try and watch the opening rounds.

if spieth can get over his hissy fit on 18 I think he'll be at the top through Sunday. Reed is looking relentless and I hope he stays aggressive. Kids got character and no shortage of confidence. Itd make a good story if DJ won. That straight tee shot is giving him a huge advantage.

[GilB]

Okay, I'm ready to watch the debacle at Chambers Bay. They should all line up and tell of their displeasure about any and all facets of the course. Boo-hoo, welcome to our world on muny courses guys. It'll be even more interesting if the wind picks up and starts pushing their ball all over the place. They'll all need some form of therapy after this weekend. I just hope that Jason Day can resume his play. He appears to be one heck of a nice kid. 

[kingcscott]

I have loved the parts I have seen this week. I just Hope fax is done with golf. Or at least done not showing the shits you want to see while the camera is panning elsewhere or stuck on the golfer or jiggling arohnd. They have shot sports before right? This is terrjble

[GilB]

One other thought for the day is that I understand this is a public course. I can't imagine how long it takes to play this monster, even from the forward tees. They must have the old "if you make the green, consider it a 2 putt and move on" rule. I doubt if they have any corporate tourneys there where half of the entrants don't even play golf. A tourney like that may take 2 days for 18 holes.

[revkev]

I'm going to say that DJ fades and that Spieth wins it at -4 over Reid who finishes -2. Only three guys break par.

 

I'm in a rain delay in my round. Don't think they will get us back out but we shall see.

[golfgreg74]

Gary Player really likes the golf course!  That was a phenomenal rant!

[golfgreg74]

Well...thirty minutes into the broadcast and we have seen two live golf shots?  Fox = EPIC FAIL.

[apprenti23]

Haha Fox is more obsessed background stories than the live action. I actually prefer this to watching boring shot after boring shot. Cool little thing on Spieth. You guys gotta realize, they're trying to replace Tiger. They think they need to create a NEW SUPERSTAR.

 

I'm sure Callaway is obsessed with "leading the open" but there's about 0.5% of the golfing population that will care.

[apprenti23]

I like Corey Pavin as an announcer and also like Jay Delsing, especially when he comments, "hey shark, what do you think about..."

 

The foreign guy, Joe Buck, Steve Fleshlight, and Brad Faxon can beat it.