US Open Challenge - He shot 114!!!

[Serenity Now]

Mickelson shot in mid 70s last week according to the head pro there. In most cases, a guys's index is based on playing at his home course. Get him (most anyone) away from home and he is not going to shoot his handicap. Throw in a course like Torrey and you are talking unchartered territory.

Last week, 20 guys who belong to my club went on an outing up to a new course that just opened and has the rep for being the most difficult course in Riverside County. Crap on every hole so guys were losing balls on every shot. In my group was a 3, 2 9s and myself a 7 and I was the only one to break 90. My buddy the 3 was 1 under after 2 holes and then took a 14 on the 3rd. I 4 putted 18 to shoot 88 with a quad on the first hole. I was happy to only have played with 2 balls all day. I won 100 bucks for low net and lost low gross by one shot. Only 2 out of 20 ended up breaking 90. The one guy who is a 9 at our course (allegedly) kept saying he could shoot 74 at home and ended up shooting 102 (with help from us that know the rules counting all his shots). Not knowing the course and hitting some bad shots (which us ams are going to do) on a track that is sloped at 145 adds up to a bad day for regular Joe. Now make it Torrey and that 102 goes up by 10 percent. I think that the Golf Channel should do a show like Big Break that has regular guys playing this weeks' tour stop on the Monday after the regular event. That would make for some good reality show moments. They could offer big prizes for any 10 hdcp who breaks 100 and any 5 who breaks 90. It would sure beat watching that cow Lori on BB Kaanapali.

[RX Phoenix]

. . . Romo's 84 has established a Mendoza-line for the pros. I wonder how many will shoot higher than the QB.

Talk about bragging rights, Romo's going to have them if a pro does go higher! And the pro is never going to hear the end of it, a little bit of pressure now and a side story to watch.

[nlowplacez]

remember when Roy McCavoy shot like an 81 or 82 in the open a few years back and then almost came back and won it. He actually would have if he hadn't blown up on the LAST whole. I bet you if Romo played three more rounds he would do the same thing and beat Tiger. He didn't even get a practice round in on the course, so he was playing it for the very first time. He's the new world's number 1 as far as I can tell. GO COWBOYS!!!

[Ben]

Last week, 20 guys who belong to my club went on an outing up to a new course that just opened and has the rep for being the most difficult course in Riverside County.

Where is this?

As far as Torrey Pines goes, if you take a look at last month's Golf Digest you'll read the article on the course, describing it as being made easier than most US Open courses. Wide-ish fairways. Rough not that thick, but inconsistent in density. Long, yes. US Open unfair, didn't sound like so much so. I bet I could shoot under 114 with my busted ankle. Then again, as someone pointed out, a busted in ankle is probably nowhere close to substandard health due to cancer...

[iacas]

I'm pretty proud of Romo if I do say so myself.

Why? To me that's like being proud of a PGA Tour pro for breaking par now and then. He's a 2.2 (or a 1.4) - he should have broken 90. I'd be bummed if I didn't break 90. He said he was looking to break 80, after all, so he may be disappointed.

If I have the course rating and slope right (79.7 and 153), that gives us: Romo (2.2) played to a 3.2 index (1.45x) Timberlake (6.0) played to a 13.5 index (2.25x) Lauer (6.2) played to a 15.0 index (2.42x) Atkinson (8.0) played to a 25.3 index (3.16x) I do think this illustrates quite nicely the gaps between players of various skill levels.

Last week, 20 guys who belong to my club went on an outing up to a new course that just opened and has the rep for being the most difficult course in Riverside County. Crap on every hole so guys were losing balls on every shot. In my group was a 3, 2 9s and myself a 7 and I was the only one to break 90. My buddy the 3 was 1 under after 2 holes and then took a 14 on the 3rd.

The 14 would obviously get thrown out with ESC, and shows (partly) why ESC exists.

For anyone from about a six handicap on down, the slope has very little impact on what they should shoot, particularly so for a 3 index. When you get down to the low single digits, the slope almost doesn't matter. It's the course rating that matters. To wit, a 3.0 index on a course with a slope of 145 is only a 4 handicap. That's only one stroke - hardly much effect at all. This is off topic, but I'm surprised he'd not break 80, as I can't imagine the course rating was 74 or higher (putting his "shooting his handicap" number at 78).

[rudygu]

According to the Golf Digest article, Atkinson had only played one tournament in his life. No way he was ready for the pressure.

[golf_junkie27]

He didn't even get a practice round in on the course, so he was playing it for the very first time.

He had a practice round on Thursday.

[nlowplacez]

he was supposed to but he didn't get to it in time, so only the other three got one in

[CG031]

That's a pretty good score for Romo though...

[wolverine318]

he was supposed to but he didn't get to it in time, so only the other three got one in

He did play, there are pic on golf digest from the thursday practice round and he is in them.

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2...actice?slide=3

[kekoa]

is the round going to be televised at all?

[golf_junkie27]

is the round going to be televised at all?

One hour of the round will be televised. It's scheduled to air before Sunday's final round.

[Hays33d]

Romo's 84 has established a Mendoza-line for the pros. I wonder how many will shoot higher than the QB.

Ha...I didn't consider that.

Yeah....a pro better shoot better than 84 or they are going to get ripped by the writers, not to mention in the locker room.