US Open...BBC coverage

[Kilted Arab]

Just a quickie...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/default.stm

there are a few good US Open stories on this BBC link for those interested, including "Old World Woe" which looks into the poor Euro record at US Opens

 

[Bravo]

R:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4080428.stm

This article is priceless...schadenfreude....dominatrix. Words of power and sex...like a Brit Tab!! (But deservedly)

I am a USGA member. I pay some piddling amount annually (I think around $30USD) and I get a bag tag (which I don't use) and a series of periodicals that arrive in the post from time to time.

They did a big Mea Culpa on the USOpen in the issue they sent out last month. Very thinly veiled discussion of the fact that they really screwed up Shinnecock and tried their best to defend their "philosophies" of "identifying the best golfer in the world".

They have embarrassed themselves and the US Open.

Incidentally, I attended the 1999 USOpen and had a great time. There were no noteworthy complaints regarding course set up during that tournament. And in the article they published in their own rag - they were emphatic that "we plan no major changes to the 99 USOpen set up for the 2005 Open".

For those of you outside of North America - I will tell you that the weather forecast for the tournament is outstanding. June is a borderline month in the southern U.S. This is why a review of the US Open rota will reveal that 95% of the tournaments are held in the northern US. In 99, it was a break in tradition for the USGA to hold the tourney in the South. This weekend is going to have superb weather. The implication of this is that the USGA has NO Excuse as it relates to weather regarding Course Set Up - as they did in the final round of last year's tourney. Overnight at Shinnecock a big, dry wind dried the greens and they ignored it. Or rather - acted like chumps.

It's time they Put UP or Shut Up. No Excuses.

 

[Kilted Arab]

R:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4080428.stm

This article is priceless...schadenfreude....dominatrix. Words of power and sex...like a Brit Tab!! (But deservedly)

I am a USGA member. I pay some piddling amount annually (I think around $30USD) and I get a bag tag (which I don't use) and a series of periodicals that arrive in the post from time to time.

They did a big Mea Culpa on the USOpen in the issue they sent out last month. Very thinly veiled discussion of the fact that they really screwed up Shinnecock and tried their best to defend their "philosophies" of "identifying the best golfer in the world".

They have embarrassed themselves and the US Open.

Incidentally, I attended the 1999 USOpen and had a great time. There were no noteworthy complaints regarding course set up during that tournament. And in the article they published in their own rag - they were emphatic that "we plan no major changes to the 99 USOpen set up for the 2005 Open".

For those of you outside of North America - I will tell you that the weather forecast for the tournament is outstanding. June is a borderline month in the southern U.S. This is why a review of the US Open rota will reveal that 95% of the tournaments are held in the northern US. In 99, it was a break in tradition for the USGA to hold the tourney in the South. This weekend is going to have superb weather. The implication of this is that the USGA has NO Excuse as it relates to weather regarding Course Set Up - as they did in the final round of last year's tourney. Overnight at Shinnecock a big, dry wind dried the greens and they ignored it. Or rather - acted like chumps.

It's time they Put UP or Shut Up. No Excuses.

I like the final line of this article..

"Let the carnage begin"...!

I also liked this stat...

MAJOR MARKERS
US Open -3.8
Open -7.1
Masters -11.3
USPGA -11.4
Avg score to par for winners at the four majors 1995-05

 

[bdcrowe]

That was a great article. I absolutely agree concerning the USGAs egg-face last year. But there is something I don't understand:

Everyone makes a lot of noise year-round concerning equipment breakthroughs. They make a lot of course lengthening. They make a lot about the short rough and making it too easy on the pros-- catering to those who can bomb it.

Then we have the US Open that thins the fairways, grows in rough that will actually do it's job and penalize. They also set the greens up so that not just any shot from anywhere will hit and stick. So we have atricles and anylists poo pooing the setup now as not a true test. What the hell? Everyone should make up their mind.

I was the first to scream last year that the course was unfair. But I think this year will (barring another USGA screw up) be as close as it gets to a true test. Narrow fairways and penalizing rough will keep the grip-and-rip players honest. Greens that won't stick with a 3 wood will make the short/accurate players work for their score. R7 or persimmon. Pro-V or Balata. It should be great.

 

[Kilted Arab]

That was a great article. I absolutely agree concerning the USGAs egg-face last year. But there is something I don't understand:

Everyone makes a lot of noise year-round concerning equipment breakthroughs. They make a lot of course lengthening. They make a lot about the short rough and making it too easy on the pros-- catering to those who can bomb it.

Then we have the US Open that thins the fairways, grows in rough that will actually do it's job and penalize. They also set the greens up so that not just any shot from anywhere will hit and stick. So we have atricles and anylists poo pooing the setup now as not a true test. What the hell? Everyone should make up their mind.

I was the first to scream last year that the course was unfair. But I think this year will (barring another USGA screw up) be as close as it gets to a true test. Narrow fairways and penalizing rough will keep the grip-and-rip players honest. Greens that won't stick with a 3 wood will make the short/accurate players work for their score. R7 or persimmon. Pro-V or Balata. It should be great.

I'm 90% with you here, Crowe.

I've ranted about this before and I'll do it again. For the top golfers in the world to bleat and moan that a course is too tough for them is laughable. It's the same for all players and if course management becomes a bigger factor than normal, so be it. I see nothing wrong with making professional golfers think more about which club to use instead of regularly favouring the big hitters.

I use Carnoustie 1999 as an example. The players that did well were the ones who played for position rather than gripping and ripping. And if they got into trouble, they used their brains; took their medicine and got the ball back in play rather than trying impossible shots from knee-high rough.

However, the 10% of me that disagrees probably looks at the set up of the greens. Having pins set, for example, just over the rim of bunkers or on the edge of lakes when the greens are like glass probably isnt right.

Anyone else have thoughts on fairness or otherwise?

 

[bdcrowe]

I would agree about pin placement. And the US Open isn't alone on this. My point on greens was merely that they are much firmer than the weekly greens on tour and probably closer to what we hackers play weekly. Who here has tried to carry a 3 wood onto their muni green from the tee and have it check up like tiger did?

Good post, KA.

 

[Bravo]

I agree with both of you. The USGA Should narrow the fairways to reward straight shooters and penalize wayward shots and this has been a USOpen set up element for decades.

The biggest complaints have been concerning the pin positions and in last year's case, speed and dryness of the greens. On hole 7 last year, due to speed and dryness - a golfer had an area the size of a hula hoop to hit or the ball would not hold. It is fundamentally unfair to hit the ball on 98% of the green's surface and have it fail to hold.

That is not golf - not the game we are familiar with.

I attended the 99 USOpen at Pinehurst. Abusive pin placements are available on most of the holes there. In particular, the greens often have "knobs" on them. Placing a pin atop one of these (unless it is a short hole like #3) would be screwy.

Tom Meeks is under the microscope again this week. He claims it is his last USOpen.

There were few complaints from the players at the 99 Open. After seeing all the holes on the course in the first round, nothing stuck out in my mind about the pin placements that day that would suggest anything to complain about. And the USGA is indicating the course set up this year is going to be similar to the 99 tourney.

I think they have learned their lesson and this will become a non-issue in the future.