USGA Takes it On the Chin from Anonymous Whiny Tour Babies

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, BillK said:

The petition was for Active duty troops to attend the actual event. If it is not a player complaint it is not important?

They can buy their own tickets.

It isn’t “unimportant,” but it is off topic.

[Pastalini13]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

They can buy their own tickets.

It isn’t “unimportant,” but it is off topic.

That's cold man

[klineka]

46 minutes ago, Pastalini13 said:

That's cold man

No it's not, it's a fact, and we as a community here make a conscious effort to keep threads on topic. This topic is about the USGA and anonymous tour players complaining.

The military petitioning the USGA each year for active duty ticket has nothing to do with the players complaining about the USGA and their course setups.

This isn't a general US Open thread or a general "Bash the USGA" thread.

[BallStriker]

20 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

They deserve Mickelson's criticism?  The USGA has screwed up every US Open for 30 years?  The USGA has made some mistakes, but not nearly to the level that many of the players are alleging. 

 

20 hours ago, iacas said:

The Tour player whined about the size of the purse. It’s the largest in golf.

So no, they don’t.

 

I will agree that "some" of the criticism seems to be over the top, but you cannot argue with a straight face that they do not deserve some of what they are getting......the bottom line is that this stuff is coming from folks that simply have greater information, knowledge and perspective than anyone around here..so it is

Edited June 14, 2019 by BallStriker

[iacas]

2 hours ago, BallStriker said:

I will agree that "some" of the criticism seems to be over the top, but you cannot argue with a straight face that they do not deserve some of what they are getting......the bottom line is that this stuff is coming from folks that simply have greater information, knowledge and perspective than anyone around here..so it is

I disagree: I think much of the criticism is undeserved. I think the complaining is way overblown, and the result of that complaining is the "too soft" and "too easy" course we saw yesterday.

I also disagree that they have "greater information, knowledge, and perspective." PGA Tour players can be wrong about things, and they can say things that advance their own agendas without consideration for much else. The USGA just became a punching bag; had the Masters done even a few of these things, you can bet nobody would have said a thing, even (chickenshit) anonymously.

[mcanadiens]

Saw a bit on TV last night and it didn't appear that anyone had much to complain about yesterday.

 

[ncates00]

5 hours ago, BallStriker said:

 

 

I will agree that "some" of the criticism seems to be over the top, but you cannot argue with a straight face that they do not deserve some of what they are getting......the bottom line is that this stuff is coming from folks that simply have greater information, knowledge and perspective than anyone around here..so it is

What criticism do you think is valid? To me, I can’t think of one. Everyone plays the (same) course. The setup is what it is and go play. I can’t think of anything that’s inherently unfair or worthy of criticism. 

[saevel25]

5 minutes ago, ncates00 said:

What criticism do you think is valid? To me, I can’t think of one. Everyone plays the (same) course. The setup is what it is and go play. I can’t think of anything that’s inherently unfair or worthy of criticism. 

I think it has to do that the course ends up out of pristine condition that some think that if it was under normal conditions they would not get the bad break. 

[ncates00]

On 6/13/2019 at 7:18 AM, BillK said:

Each year, the military has petitioned the USGA to allow a limited amount of tickets to be given to active duty troops for USGA events. The bow-tied aristocrats refuse the request each year.

Off topic, and they’re not entitled to free tickets just because they’re military. There are plenty of other professions that could potentially be entitled to tickets- doctors, nurses, etc. Wanna go? Buy a ticket.

But again as @klineka pointed out: read the thread title. 

Edited June 14, 2019 by ncates00

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, mcanadiens said:

Saw a bit on TV last night and it didn't appear that anyone had much to complain about yesterday.

 

Except for Spieth because the USGA went and put a wet ocean over a cliff on #8.  And in the middle of the fairway, no less!

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Except for Spieth because the USGA went and put a wet ocean over a cliff on #8.  And in the middle of the fairway, no less!

I'm pretty sure he had a yardage to that cliff, he just hit it too far.  if I heard right, he was blaming his caddie, or just complaining that his "perfect" shot ended up in a bad place.  if you're going to lay up, then really lay up.

[Double Mocha Man]

22 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I think it has to do that the course ends up out of pristine condition that some think that if it was under normal conditions they would not get the bad break. 

The US open is known for tight fairways, long rough and fast greens. Sparingly, once a year, it makes for a more interesting tournament.

[saevel25]

That’s not what I’m taking about. It’s when they push greens to the point only parts are usable and by even elite standards a good shot is not rewarded. 

[Double Mocha Man]

9 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm pretty sure he had a yardage to that cliff, he just hit it too far.  if I heard right, he was blaming his caddie, or just complaining that his "perfect" shot ended up in a bad place.  if you're going to lay up, then really lay up.

I once played that hole and hit my tee shot well and it ran out right up to within two feet of the cliff.  It was nerve-wracking to take a stance for my approach shot with that chasm lurking directly in front of me. It wasn't so much the shot having to travel over the ocean to a small green but the concept that if I transferred 95% of my weight to my left side at impact that a chunk of land beneath my feet might give way.

[rehmwa]

28 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm pretty sure he had a yardage to that cliff, he just hit it too far.  if I heard right, he was blaming his caddie, or just complaining that his "perfect" shot ended up in a bad place.  if you're going to lay up, then really lay up.

The announcers commented he was 'chastizing' his caddies over those two shots.  Nonsense - he was just talking and noting he caught both of those shots "perfect" and paid for them going the extra distance.  Sometimes people just talk aloud about their shots.

the other funny comment was later and Tiger and Jordan were chuckling over something and one announcer noted how nice it was when the players show some "brevity" - apparently he thinks brevity must be a mashup of 'levity' and, well,....."brevity"

On 6/13/2019 at 7:06 AM, Pastalini13 said:

That's cold man

Actually I agree with the sentiment.  I'm a vet (and I'm actually getting free admission to the women's PGA this month if I'd like).  But I'm not a fan of 'freebies' or favoritism based on demographics or any other criteria.  It's philosophical to me.  I served, it was my contract, I got paid, I can leverage the experience.  I don't need freebies, I don't need preferential job consideration, etc etc.  The experience speaks for itself and is worth what it's worth.

Picking winners and losers is a lose-lose sentiment in pretty much ALL endeavors and slows the ability to achieve true fairness - no matter how well meaning it is......or how much of a suckup it is.  either way.

 

 

On topic - I think the course looks fair enough, they can dial it harder if they need to, or just let the weather changes over the next 3 rounds dictate new or harder conditions.

Edited June 14, 2019 by rehmwa

[ncates00]

33 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

That’s not what I’m taking about. It’s when they push greens to the point only parts are usable and by even elite standards a good shot is not rewarded. 

Are you referring to pin locations or the stimp, or both?

[imsys0042]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

That’s not what I’m taking about. It’s when they push greens to the point only parts are usable and by even elite standards a good shot is not rewarded. 

I happen to agree with that.   Generally I feel like the USGA has taken extreme steps to protect par, and while making a course hard is really something the pros should complain about....when you basically set the stage for things to go screwy that is crossing a line.   A good example is Shinnicock when they had to water the greens in between groups.    I feel like these episodes are few and far between, so there shouldn't be the level of complaints are there seem to be out there.

[ChrisP]

1 hour ago, imsys0042 said:

I happen to agree with that.   Generally I feel like the USGA has taken extreme steps to protect par, and while making a course hard is really something the pros should complain about....when you basically set the stage for things to go screwy that is crossing a line.   A good example is Shinnicock when they had to water the greens in between groups.    I feel like these episodes are few and far between, so there shouldn't be the level of complaints are there seem to be out there.

Shinnecock was really the only course where I thought they tried really hard to protect par since 2011. Going back this past decade, they let Erin Hills play long and easy. Chambers Bay wasn't that hard. A lot of guys broke par...it was just the greens were messed up. Oakmont played much easier in 2016 than it did in 2007. The main complaint was the DJ ruling, not the course. Pinehurst didn't play all that difficult in 2014 until the final day. Still Kaymer finished -9 and a lot of guys shot under par rounds that week. Merion was tough but it was moreso the rough, not the greens. Olympic played like your typical Olympic at a US Open.  And Congressional was easy. 

I think when they've had shorter tracks, they've tried harder to protect par. You don't have to do much to make Oakmont, Winged Foot and Olympic play hard. But when you have shorter tracks like Pebble, Shinnecock and Merion, they'll push things a little bit more to the extreme.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2019 by ChrisP