OK, remember in April when we talked about Augusta playing like US Open conditions? Well, if you listen to the players, looks like Oakmont might set new records for futility. I don’t happen to believe them, the players always lob some shots at a course before a major. We won’t see another 63 though.
So, who’s going to win? Tiger? Limp wristed Phil? Dark horse?
I believe the winning score will hover around 10 over par, or higher. None of the ‘bomers’ will be even close. I’d pick Zach Johnson over Tiger Woods and Phil’s wrist will be trashed. I’d bet there will be many DNF’s due to wrist, shoulder, and back injuries.
Should be very fun to watch. Then they go to Carnouste (sp?) which is supposedly the hardest on the British Open rotation… There are going to be some depressed golfers by the end of the major season…
And then Southern Hills in August for the PGA. ESPN had a story on whether this is the hardest year ever for majors, and it looks like it might be. Although, rain is expected on Thurs at Oakmont, so that may slow the greens down quite a bit.
I am with you though, between 8 and 10 over will win it, and Phil will tweak his wrist after a few shots out of that rough. This is a course where being in good shape is a prime asset.
I always get a kick out of the organizations who run these tournaments trying to make things look tougher by playing with par. Par is an arbitrary number. The US Open in particular is really bad for taking a course that would normally play to a 72 for example, take two of the par fives, move the tees up 10 yards, and call it a par four. Basically you’re mainpulating about 130 of 156 guys into “bogeying” a hole.
Take that with the fact that a ball that comes straight down and stops on the green means the green is too slow, If you can see the bend in a guy’s knees when he is in the rough it is too short, and the fairway to which you are trying to get to the green on those mainuplating holes should barely allow for single file walking, and you guarantee yourself higher scores, “plus whatever for winning scores.” A guy shoots 285. The fact that it’s 5 over or 1 over or 3 under is really irrelevant. Over/under just gives you a sense of where guys are in relation to each other while the play is in progress.
More importantly though, how long do the USGA, etc, think that people will want to watch this type of golf? I’m not saying I want to see major championships where guys hit the green in regulation and one put 12-13 times a round, but even good shots are penalized, and it seems to come down to which guy has the least amount of bad luck. 300 yard par 3s? C’mon. You’re not playing golf now, you’re just trying to inflate the scores to make it look “really tough.”
I was there for the practice round on Monday. I was also there back in 94 and even caddied there (once…it was miserable) back in 92. I’m tellin you that course the way they have it set up now is HARD. I was at Shinnecock 3 years ago and Oakmont is the same as that course but Oakmont is a lot hillier.
Based on things today (Sat afternoon) the way Tiger is playing my money is on him at 3-4 over.
I’d like to see Casey, Docherty or Rose win but the smart money has to be on Woods unless his other half goes in to labour…
Here’s an idea. Stop watching golf, assorted television series, and chasing boy scouts so you can get off your fat ass and start training. I am starting to think that you want to race in a pink speedo, you are just looking for an excuse. I should have known when I saw the tie!!!
I’ll still beat your ass by an hour.
That is all you got. Looks like Jeanette took your brains and your balls in one swipe. It’s good to see that you’re not training, now I only have to worry about Thompson.
One thing I learned today from the announcers while watching the US Open on and off while “spring cleaning” the garage and basement (On Father’s Day no less, Sheesh) … Tiger Woods “makes a bad shot”, everyone else “succumbs under the pressure”. I caught this while watching the first 5 holes where Woods put together 3 consecutive “bad shots”. The same situation described on others is “succumbing to the pressure”. Little thngs like this by the announcers/media just get under my skin.
It is possible for both other players to just make a bad shot or a mistake, and Tiger to feel the pressure a bit. It’s okay. We don’t have to make each situation more/less than it actually is. Obviously, golf is not exclusive to this.
Well Dan Hicks and some of the others kept repeating the secret to Woods’ success. “He hates making more than par on a hole.” All those other guys like it, enjoy it, probably throw parties once in a while, in honor of their bogeys, but since Woods hates them, that’s why he is successful.
If someone would have only told me that when I was 8.
Well then, there’s a future Gold Glover on our T-Ball team. He throws an absolute Sh!tfit everytime the ball isn’t hit to him. =)
Interesting that they’ll say that and then comment about how un-upset Woods was about hitting those 3 consecutive horrible shots early in the last round.
I’m convinced that if you listen to announcers long enough the same guys will say everything about everyone, regardless of how contradictory the statements may be. That’s why they’re the experts.
Jim Rome is my personal favorite. I’ve never seen someone so unqualified be so certain of everything. I love it when he refers to players as “my guy …”