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

[Bravo]

It has become interminably dull to watch. There was a thread earlier in the week about 'your favorite major'.

Here are my rankings now:

1) Masters
2) Open Championship
3) PGA
4) US Open

There's just NO excitement in watching it. No thrills of someone making an eagle....or a string of 2-3 birdies. Not only has Michelson hurt his wrist but I read this morning of a 16 year old qualifier who played several holes, got in the rough, hit his ball and blew out his wrist. Sadly, he had to withdraw. Nawwww...

None of the Par 5's are reachable in two.

I know this post will be controversial and there will be many out there who enjoy watching the world's best struggle for four days but I don't find it to be entertaining....

I think the USGA has its head up its ass....

 

[mont86]

I think ESPN's coverage is the worst, Berman sounds like a weekend golfer.

Only comments on TW, VJ and Phil.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Berman needs to go far, far away from golf.

I still enjoy the US Open. I like seeing grown men cry.

 

[gunning4u]

I totally agree with you Bravo I like to see guys rewarded for making a good golf shot. The USGA has an ego problem almost to the extent of being sadistic. They interviewed the head of the USGA and he was talking about the conditions and the ruff. He said the ruff is completely fair and is where they like it, then he started going off about square groves. I’m paraphrasing here but he said with square groves they can grab the ball so well that the ruff needs to be as high as it is to penalize the player for making a bad shot when we eliminate square groves it will make the game more challenging and we might not have to go the ruff as high. I almost wanted hop on a plane and fly to Pittsburg and punch this guy in the face. Last time I checked golf is hard enough for the average player using square groves on their local course with our 2 inch ruff. Man screw this guy and fu**ing USGA.

 

[dave.]

Totally disagree

The USGA have got it SPOT ON.The members there play the course in exactly the same condition,and par is just a comparable,its a meaningless figure.The pros are all playing the same course,it doesn't matter how many over par you shoot,all that matters is that you shoot the lowest number of shots,and you win.

Would Hogan complain? NO,he would not,and for many of those pros to miss fairways with irons is scandalous.Hogan would have used driver all week.Its a shame the standard of the modern game is now so low they have just got used to booming 460cc heads to massive fairways and then using u grooves for spin from the rough.Driving accuracy no longer means jack shit on tour.

But at Oakmont it bloody well does.You have to hit fairways then shape your shots to the flatteest part of the green.Hogan did that when he beat Snead,he aimed for the part of the green that gave him the easiest putt.If a modern pro can't boom a drive and hit a wedge they start crying.

I applaud the USGA for keeping the spirit of Hogan alive and well.

 

[Clugnut]

Totally disagree

The USGA have got it SPOT ON.The members there play the course in exactly the same condition,and par is just a comparable,its a meaningless figure.The pros are all playing the same course,it doesn't matter how many over par you shoot,all that matters is that you shoot the lowest number of shots,and you win.

Would Hogan complain? NO,he would not,and for many of those pros to miss fairways with irons is scandalous.Hogan would have used driver all week.Its a shame the standard of the modern game is now so low they have just got used to booming 460cc heads to massive fairways and then using u grooves for spin from the rough.Driving accuracy no longer means jack shit on tour.

But at Oakmont it bloody well does.You have to hit fairways then shape your shots to the flatteest part of the green.Hogan did that when he beat Snead,he aimed for the part of the green that gave him the easiest putt.If a modern pro can't boom a drive and hit a wedge they start crying.

I applaud the USGA for keeping the spirit of Hogan alive and well.

I agree with Dave here. This tourney punishes bomb and gouge, and rewards accurate tee shots and approaches. I doubt wrist injuries would occur if the players would wedge out like they are supposed to. Rough is punishment for a poor shot, just as bunkers are supposed to be.

 

[Fourputt]

Totally disagree

The USGA have got it SPOT ON.The members there play the course in exactly the same condition,and par is just a comparable,its a meaningless figure.The pros are all playing the same course,it doesn't matter how many over par you shoot,all that matters is that you shoot the lowest number of shots,and you win.

Would Hogan complain? NO,he would not,and for many of those pros to miss fairways with irons is scandalous.Hogan would have used driver all week.Its a shame the standard of the modern game is now so low they have just got used to booming 460cc heads to massive fairways and then using u grooves for spin from the rough.Driving accuracy no longer means jack shit on tour.

But at Oakmont it bloody well does.You have to hit fairways then shape your shots to the flatteest part of the green.Hogan did that when he beat Snead,he aimed for the part of the green that gave him the easiest putt.If a modern pro can't boom a drive and hit a wedge they start crying.

I applaud the USGA for keeping the spirit of Hogan alive and well.

Dave and I have our disagreements on this forum, but he is dead on the money here. This is one US Open where the USGA didn't HAVE to change the course, aside from removing some 5000 trees, and that wasn't solely the USGA's decision. This course is exactly like the members play it, and that tells you something about the membership at Oakmont. They are GOLFERS, not country clubbers. Oakmont may be the premier private GOLF club in the country.

And the course IS fair. It is SUPPOSED to be a rigorous test, and that is what it is. Maybe some of you haven't actually been watching, but good shots ARE rewarded... sometimes that reward is a par. But more to the point, poor shots are punished, as is right and proper.

IMO we see far too much of the 15-20 under par tournaments on tour, and this week's play isn't boring, it's refreshing. It is exciting when these players have to actually bring some game to the table, and those without the game for it are headed home. :thumbs up:

 

[Bravo]

I knew the greens are the same as the members play each week, but do they indeed keep the rough that high?

If they did, the pace of play at that course must be agonizingly slow. The balls are just disappearing into the rough to the point that I am seeing rules officials placing small colored flags next to where the balls lie, so that players and their caddies can locate it...I couldn't imagine weekend golfers out there hitting a ball 15 feet off the fairway and being able to find it.

Anybody know this for certain?

 

[gunning4u]

I guess I’m for growing the ruff up to make it hard for the players, however the ruff they have at this US OPEN if ruff on steroids. They use liquid fertilizer and special machines to get the fertilizer under the top of the grass to make it extremely thick that might be going too far. Guys are getting hurt and it’s not just going to be Phil. Grow the ruff up under normal conditions and it will still be longer and harder than any other course on tour. Someone said that if you don’t hit it in the ruff you won’t get hurt. Well I saw a lot of shots that hit near the middle of the fairway and then run threw the fairway because it is so hard and then end up into the ruff that’s why players complain. Face it the USGA is trying every year to get the scores as high as possible and some of the changes they want to make to the rules like square groves will come to effect us. I guess I would like to see the winning score around par instead of +5

 

[chemboy2]

I knew the greens are the same as the members play each week, but do they indeed keep the rough that high?

If they did, the pace of play at that course must be agonizingly slow. The balls are just disappearing into the rough to the point that I am seeing rules officials placing small colored flags next to where the balls lie, so that players and their caddies can locate it...I couldn't imagine weekend golfers out there hitting a ball 15 feet off the fairway and being able to find it.

Anybody know this for certain?

According to interviews eariler in the week, they did not grow the rough for the tourney. Supposedly, it is exactly how the members play it.

 

[Clugnut]

I knew the greens are the same as the members play each week, but do they indeed keep the rough that high?

If they did, the pace of play at that course must be agonizingly slow. The balls are just disappearing into the rough to the point that I am seeing rules officials placing small colored flags next to where the balls lie, so that players and their caddies can locate it...I couldn't imagine weekend golfers out there hitting a ball 15 feet off the fairway and being able to find it.

Anybody know this for certain?

Bravo, according to Golf Digest, 2/3 of the membership are single digit caps, caps established at Oakmont. They say a 7 or 8 at Oakmont is basically scratch anywhere else. So the membership can play pretty well.

On an aside, I'm a 7, and I think I'd need to play very well to break 90-95 there.

 

[VtDivot]

Bravo, according to Golf Digest, 2/3 of the membership are single digit caps, caps established at Oakmont. They say a 7 or 8 at Oakmont is basically scratch anywhere else. So the membership can play pretty well.

On an aside, I'm a 7, and I think I'd need to play very well to break 90-95 there.

You would not break 100 there.

TW said so in his interview

 

[Clugnut]

You would not break 100 there.

TW said so in his interview

LOL, well if "THE TIGER" said so, than it must be true!

Seriously, what did he say, I didn't hear. Something about the hackers at home, or something?

 

[flomarilius]

Lets put it this way this course is just agonizing. Those little red hazard flags oh boy those just don't happen at the OPEN that is at EVERY PGA STOP! They hit the ball in the rough and there is a beautiful flag telling them where to look. It is complete Bullshit and should be done away with. I have a hard time finding balls that land in the rough when I play at Doral let them have the same thing!

 

[DouginGA]

It has become interminably dull to watch. There was a thread earlier in the week about 'your favorite major'.

Here are my rankings now:

1) Masters
2) Open Championship
3) PGA
4) US Open

There's just NO excitement in watching it. No thrills of someone making an eagle....or a string of 2-3 birdies. Not only has Michelson hurt his wrist but I read this morning of a 16 year old qualifier who played several holes, got in the rough, hit his ball and blew out his wrist. Sadly, he had to withdraw. Nawwww...

None of the Par 5's are reachable in two.

I know this post will be controversial and there will be many out there who enjoy watching the world's best struggle for four days but I don't find it to be entertaining....

I think the USGA has its head up its ass....

I agree that the masters is more entertaining, but the Open is definately "golf at its best". The "game" rules, not the players.
To me golf is a game of "minimizing errors". In a typical pga event a missed fairway means the player is going to have a bit tougher time putting spin on the ball, but the penalty for hitting into the rough is fractional. fair enough, there is O.B. for a real penalty.