U.S. Open Championship

[fixyurdivot 17,410]

After a brief walk in the park at The Palmetto Championship at Congaree, the field moves to Torrey Pines for the 3rd major of the season.  The 121st U.S. Open.  Often cited as the toughest test in pro golf (depending on course and conditions), it rarely disappoints.  An event anyone on this forum could play in (well, technically ).  The qualification rounds are grueling and every year we hear of "no names" getting their chance at becoming a Cinderella story.

Will Phil chase after a putt and take another swat before it comes to rest?  Will #1 Dustin Johnson make the weekend play? Will Major Koepka dig deep into his "I'm mad at the world" locker and get his pound of flesh for his runner-up performance at the PGA Championship? Will the defending champion have both distance and accuracy off the tee, simply out distance the field, and celebrate the win by filling the cup with an ice cold Michelob Ultra? 

Personally, I'd love to see an underdog win this years event... a lightening in a bottle 4 days of stellar play by someone very few are expecting to win. Who are you picking?

[GolfSpy_APH 7,919]

Can't wait for this. Hope the course lives up to expectations and can provide the proper challenge for these guys! With such a deep field and so many good players it is hard to pick one, but I think Spieth will be right there at the end. I have a few others who I believe could be close, but I will go out on a limb and say that DJ will not win. A top 10 I think is certain for him, but I believe another few golfers (hopefully Hovland) show up big and can provide some good drama down the stretch. 

[PMookie 17,323]

Here’s a great article about one of the qualifiers this week, and the challenges his newborn’s going through. If you’re going to cheer for someone to make the cut, let it be this guy!!!

https://firepitcollective.com/against-overwhelming-odds-springer/

 

[Mtbryant01 1,522]

50 minutes ago, PMookie said:

Here’s a great article about one of the qualifiers this week, and the challenges his newborn’s going through. If you’re going to cheer for someone to make the cut, let it be this guy!!!

https://firepitcollective.com/against-overwhelming-odds-springer/

 

I was about to post this. Hard not to root for Hayden. He's got game, I mean he beat Hovland in BIG12 championship in 2019...Great story by Ryan. 

[JeremyD 225]

I've seen pictures of the rough, and it looks imposing. A Fred Funk type straight hitter probably isn't in the field, so I'm looking for one of the longer hitters to step up, since they may have a much shorter iron into greens out of the rough. Webb Simpson could be a "shorter", straighter hitter and could possibly win his second US Open. I'd like to see how Wilco handles this course. Was Bryson at home trying to see how he could hit as far as this kid? Probably not. If Rahm could hit like he was before unfortunately being forced to bow out at Memorial, then this may be his major to win. 

[Ben_Howell34 636]

11 hours ago, Mtbryant01 said:

I was about to post this. Hard not to root for Hayden. He's got game, I mean he beat Hovland in BIG12 championship in 2019...Great story by Ryan. 

It’s getting dusty in here… that’s a great story, saying a prayer for them and rooting for him this week. 

[PMookie 17,323]

2 minutes ago, Ben_Howell34 said:

It’s getting dusty in here… that’s a great story, saying a prayer for them and rooting for him this week. 

It really is. Sadly, I don’t think he’ll get any air time, but it would be the coolest thing if TV HAD to show him because of his scoring.

[revkev 25,411]

Oh dear - we had a baby born with trisonomy 2 years ago.  He lived for a year.  I was with his family when he passed - righT before COVID.  His funeral was the last thing we did before shutting down for two months.

 

Prayers Hayden! 

[PMookie 17,323]

Anyone seen THIS story of a fight at a qualifier?! Wow. How embarrassing. 
https://firepitcollective.com/lets-get-ready-to-rumble/

[Tom the Golf Nut 8,202]

17 minutes ago, PMookie said:

Anyone seen THIS story of a fight at a qualifier?! Wow. How embarrassing. 
https://firepitcollective.com/lets-get-ready-to-rumble/

That was crazy. 

[PMookie 17,323]

So is this a TaylorMade club, or a Callaway? I can’t seem to identify the OEM or which series it might be, like The Original One/Sim/Epic/Mavrik etc.

[PMookie 17,323]

Well. Here’s the answer.

[Middler 3,584]

(After last week where all but one player in contention collapsed on Sunday) I’m just looking forward to quality play at the US Open, my second favorite tournament. As for picking a winner, my short list changes glacially - and I don’t think I’ve ever successfully predicted a winner, not that there’s anything wrong with trying. Even the paid talking heads rarely get it right.

I’ll watch some Thur-Fri-Sat, and be glued to the TV Sunday afternoon. Great course, great field, what’s not to like?

[revkev 25,411]

From everything that I'm looking at and reading plus a review of the 2008 results the winner will be someone who hits greens in regulation, hits fairways (leading to greens in regulation) and holes short putts on poana.  This will be a tough week to bomb and gauge it.  Should be old school golf.

[LICC 380]

1 hour ago, Middler said:

(After last week where all but one player in contention collapsed on Sunday) I’m just looking forward to quality play at the US Open, my second favorite tournament. As for picking a winner, my short list changes glacially - and I don’t think I’ve ever successfully predicted a winner, not that there’s anything wrong with trying. Even the paid talking heads rarely get it right.

I’ll watch some Thur-Fri-Sat, and be glued to the TV Sunday afternoon. Great course, great field, what’s not to like?

Torrey is a nice course, and the overall venue is good for holding a big tournament, but the course is nowhere near being great. It is by far the weakest of the regular US Open courses.

[revkev 25,411]

14 minutes ago, LICC said:

Torrey is a nice course, and the overall venue is good for holding a big tournament, but the course is nowhere near being great. It is by far the weakest of the regular US Open courses.

You mean in your opinion - it is in some people's opinion, not in others.  So in your opinion its not great.  I might agree with that opinion but it doesn't make it fact.  Quality of course at this level is almost always subjective.

[PMookie 17,323]

Paul’s pet peeve: lost balls for amateurs

Scenario… We play public courses with high rough. We tee off and see our ball is going offline, so we watch intently and try to “mark” it so we can find it. We get to where we thought our ball landed, look for three minutes, can’t find it, then head back to re-tee.

Scenario 2.. We’re on Tour. We hit a drive and it looks like it’s going offline. We watch intently and try to “mark” it so we can find it. We get to where we thought our ball landed and a volunteer/fan/someone points right to it. We identify it and play on.

I don’t want to see posts/tweets from a Pro about how long the rough is and how hard it will be to find a ball this week during the US Open…. There are volunteers and fans along every fairway helping show a player where there ball is, so don’t whine to me. We amateurs don’t have that luxury. We lose a stroke, they don’t. This is what drives me nuts when I play and hit one offline. I get a penalty when a Pro wouldn’t. Ugh. Drives me nuts. 
Wahhh, Ian Poulter, cry me a river. I answered him with “Zero. Fans and workers would show me where it is just like they will for you.”

Rant done……. I think.

[Chip Strokes 6,755]

34 minutes ago, PMookie said:

Paul’s pet peeve: lost balls for amateurs

Scenario… We play public courses with high rough. We tee off and see our ball is going offline, so we watch intently and try to “mark” it so we can find it. We get to where we thought our ball landed, look for three minutes, can’t find it, then head back to re-tee.

Scenario 2.. We’re on Tour. We hit a drive and it looks like it’s going offline. We watch intently and try to “mark” it so we can find it. We get to where we thought our ball landed and a volunteer/fan/someone points right to it. We identify it and play on.

I don’t want to see posts/tweets from a Pro about how long the rough is and how hard it will be to find a ball this week during the US Open…. There are volunteers and fans along every fairway helping show a player where there ball is, so don’t whine to me. We amateurs don’t have that luxury. We lose a stroke, they don’t. This is what drives me nuts when I play and hit one offline. I get a penalty when a Pro wouldn’t. Ugh. Drives me nuts. 
Wahhh, Ian Poulter, cry me a river. I answered him with “Zero. Fans and workers would show me where it is just like they will for you.”

Rant done……. I think.

not to mention that by the weekend, so many people have walked through and stood on the rough that it's pretty well matted down

[fixyurdivot 17,410]

Speith/Zalatoris/Scheffler is a great grouping.  Crazy to hear Will talk about Jordan as one of his childhood golf hero's... Speith still looks like a kid to me .  Just watched the Koepka interview and growing less and less impressed with this guys "chip on my shoulder" attitude.  

[LICC 380]

23 hours ago, revkev said:

You mean in your opinion - it is in some people's opinion, not in others.  So in your opinion its not great.  I might agree with that opinion but it doesn't make it fact.  Quality of course at this level is almost always subjective.

https://golf.com/travel/course-rater-confidential-torrey-pines-overrated/