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It's Official with me now: the US Open is the worst

dave.

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2005
5,926
2
Omega

There have been many adventurous shots.I just can't see the fascinatioin for birdies,its a irrelevant term.Just watch the shot,enjoy it and forget the fact the next putt is for a 4 not a 3.Why does it matter? No offence but it seems US golf has been de-sensitised to decent golf,unless they are pounding irons in for birdies you get bored.Why? Some of the creative shots they had to play yesterday was outstanding and Tiger's round was simply superb golf,he was puncing in low irons,floating in high fairway woods,hitting stingers left and right and all sorts of spin control was going on.

I say watch the golf carefully and forget the words birdy and eagle,they are irrelvant apart from helping you understand where they are against their competitors.The golf is just the same.

They ruined The Masters because that course is not meant to play like that but the US Open is,its meant to be your national championship,its a tough test.I am sick of -20 winning on the US tour,the courses are set up for boredom,the US Opens are set up to reward clever golfers who have some strategy,course mgt,strong mental skills and above all else superb shot making.At last we don't just see 460cc,wedge then putt.

Cabrera hit drive sand iron to 18 on Friday,484 yards long.That was great to see because no one else was doing it,but on every hole? No.
 

VtDivot

SLIGHTERED
Supporting Member
Apr 16, 2005
7,154
32
Sopt on dave...

I think this thread is one that truly identifies the knowledgebale fan... no offense meant of course.

dave - what did you think of the aerial flybys they were doing of the course? Are you getting this feed?

I don't think I've ever seen a more brilliant set-up for a golf course. Perfect bunkering, very playable wideish fairways and strategic cross bunkering and the rough is perfect. With the water on the greens yesterday it was an awesome set up.

My hats off to the architect(s) and USGA for this one!
 

dave.

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2005
5,926
2
Yep,we are getting those,and its even better when they get the cameras on the floor and really show the undulations.For example Baddley's shot from the side of the bunker at 17 I think,we would have hacked out with a wedge,he got it on the green,and incredible shot.

I just wish TV properly represented the undulations on the greens.And incredibly the members play this course in the same condition,triple cut,little or no water and rolled twice a day.Incredible really but then again its 75k joining fee I believe so you should know what to expect.
 

VtDivot

SLIGHTERED
Supporting Member
Apr 16, 2005
7,154
32
I just wish TV properly represented the undulations on the greens.

Exactly.

Somebody earlier posted they played a course with greens very similar to Oakmont. I say no effin way.
 

dave.

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2005
5,926
2
That was a fabulous tournament,highly exciting and superb to watch.The course made birdies ard to come by so Tiger had to attack.Utterly absorbing.And I can't believe Cabrera took iron on 17 and Furyk a driver.Pivotal shot choice for both of them.

Brilliant stuff,best major for years
 

IrishGolfer

Fac ut gaudeam
Supporting Member
Sep 1, 2004
6,542
4,976
I watched about 2 hours down the pub last night, and yep, that looked like a US Open alright. Some thoughts:

  • Angel played the best golf on Day 4. He got a few breaks driving into bunkers etc. but he was able to convert that luck. He also could have won it by miles but didn't convert a lot of makeable putts. I'm glad he won, I feel he deserved it. He's won a few biggies before but this was a good time for him to step onto the World stage. He's a very popular player on the European Tour, well regarded. Only negative now is that he will probably move his circus over to the US now to play and cash in!
  • The rough was punishing, but good shots were rewarded. I also saw a lot of really poor shots played from the tee and fairway, just poor, no other excuse. Striker, Casey, Baddley all hitting it sideways. I know it's hard but these guys were missing the fairway by miles at times!
  • I knew Cabrera was long but the dude smashed a 400 yard drive on 12!! He was within range with his 2nd on a 667 yard par 5. (Actually should have made a bird). Did Woods really hit a 300+ yard iron off the tee on 10, and let go of the club, like he didn't hit it? Did Cabrera really hit a 180 yard 8 iron? And Woods hit a 9 iron for his second at 18, a 484 yard par 4?
  • Baddley had 34 putts but looked like he actually had a lot more. I know how this Aussie feels :( btw his teeth need some attention!
  • The Brits sucked toilet when the spotlight was on them.
  • Tiger tries to hit it 120% all the time with everything and I think that is a mistake. But he holed out several clinch putts time after time to keep himself in with a shout. He's a playa!
  • What the hell was Furyk thinking on 17!!?? He'll regret that tee shot for a long, long time. I mean the theory was good, he was on massive momentum, but he missed it on the wrong side and basically took himself out of the winners seat with that. Big Angel was beginning to falter, so it was probably shot of the tournament, maybe????
  • Ended up being an exciting toruney to watch.

Next stop, Carnoustie!
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
I don't know if the best golfer is going to win. More likely the "luckiest" golfer.... :D

There is certainly luck involved, but I think it's the other way round. The unluckiest golfer (Tiger, who had WAY too many good birdie putts miss on Saturday) lost the tournament. Cabrera hung in there and did well to post a target. Tiger just couldn't summon up the "Tiger magic" down the stretch.
 

VtDivot

SLIGHTERED
Supporting Member
Apr 16, 2005
7,154
32
There is certainly luck involved, but I think it's the other way round. The unluckiest golfer (Tiger, who had WAY too many good birdie putts miss on Saturday) lost the tournament. Cabrera hung in there and did well to post a target. Tiger just couldn't summon up the "Tiger magic" down the stretch.

It was def playing tougher on Sunday for sure. Saturday was about as perfect as you could get for a US OPen
 

sandwedge

Well-Known Member
Oct 19, 2006
790
0
I like the deeper rough on the course. I like the fact that it penalizes players for missing fairways.

What I don't like are the greens. There is nothing fun about watching guys miss 4 foot birdie putts when they hit 2 good shots to get there. The greens should be tough but not unfair.

As far as the ESPN coverage, I like Berman when he does football but it was painfull to listen to this guy cover golf. He was terrible!!!
 
OP
Bravo

Bravo

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2004
5,822
15
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #40
I am not a 17 inch by the hole kind of putter, so I THINK I would be able to handle the slick greens of Oakmont fairly well, but I will never know for sure.

Our course has two greens like Oakmont....8 and 15. In the case of these greens, the putts can break 8 feet or more. When its slick in the Fall and MAYBE our greens stimp out a 11-12, these greens are brutal. I've played them for years and am overjoyed with a 2 putt. If you are not underneath the hole, it is quite easy to three putt from five feet away. If you are five feet above or to the side of the the hole and miss it, it is not uncommon to find yourself 7 feet past.

Based on what I saw and my experience on these two holes, I think I would three and four putt frequently there...

Just IMHO....:confused:
 
OP
Bravo

Bravo

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2004
5,822
15
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #41
I watched about 2 hours down the pub last night, and yep, that looked like a US Open alright. Some thoughts:
  • Tiger tries to hit it 120% all the time with everything and I think that is a mistake. But he holed out several clinch putts time after time to keep himself in with a shout. He's a playa!
  • What the hell was Furyk thinking on 17!!?? He'll regret that tee shot for a long, long time. I mean the theory was good, he was on massive momentum, but he missed it on the wrong side and basically took himself out of the winners seat with that. Big Angel was beginning to falter, so it was probably shot of the tournament, maybe????
I agree about Tiger....virtually every swing looks massive. There seems to be very few times in which he tries to finesse it. He seems to attempt to overpower every shot...but he is a really good putter and that's why I thought he would win.

I was stunned when I saw Furyk taking that gamble on 17. It's so unlike him....

I enjoyed seeing Cabrera win. I wish he spoke English, because I think much was lost in translation during the interview...
 

dave.

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2005
5,926
2
last 6 majors for Tiger,3 wins and 3 seconds

and when he has come second he hasn't looked like he was on at all.

astonishing really

At Oakmont he just looked out of sorts yet still came second
 

Sandy

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2006
907
0
When I sat down and thought about Dave's comments on not even bothering with the 'par' relationship to their scores it made a lot of sense, and I started to enjoy the way the championship developed, just watching the drama develop in the scores relating to each other.

I think the whole par thing was the one element of this weekend that went a bit sour though. Firstly all the comments about 'well, this is the same course the members play all year round' isn't strictly true, seeing as they took a stroke off the par rating for this event.

But more annoying for me was having a 300yd par3 as the big talking point, but then having the ridiculous situation of a 306yd par 4 just a few holes later. The whole thing smacked of a gimmick and an attempt by the USGA to flex their muscles and say 'That'll teach the big hitters', which I thought was a little 'cheap' for such a great tournament. Would it *really* have made much difference for that 300yd hole to be a par 4? The players would have played it just the same way they played the 306yd par 4 anyway!
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
Still, I have to question his choice of 3-wood on 17. Why, when he knows he needs a birdie to tie, doesn't he just hit 5-iron and wedge it 80 yards next to the flag? You don't want to stand on the 18th knowing you need to birdie that hole to win. The 17th was his chance. He went for it because he was looking for eagle - it's the only thing I can figure. This is the same thing he did on #15 at Augusta. He tried to get on in two and ended up hurting his chances too much. If he had birdied then, he would have had a chance to win there as well.

Dave's right - his play in the majors is astonishing. And his Saturday round at Oakmont was one of the finest rounds of precision golf I've ever seen. Comparable to his surgical dissection of Hoylake last year.

It's easy for me to question his choice on Oakmont's 17th. Maybe I don't know how hard it would have been to get a wedge to stick from 80 yards. Still, I'm surprised that more people aren't questioning it the way they question Furyk's choice.
 

cabinessence

Never Say Die
Jul 28, 2005
534
0
Would it *really* have made much difference for that 300yd hole to be a par 4? The players would have played it just the same way they played the 306yd par 4 anyway!
Yes -- #8 was totally open in the front right of the green and almost no one needed driver to get there. Both Cabrera and Anthony Kim birdied it yesterday, I don't think there were any 2's at #17 the whole week.

#8 scoring average - 3.452
#17 scoring average - 4.066
 

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