2008 US Open Thread (TP South)

[wilbur.kay]

Iacus, were you getting behind Appleby to continue the streak of Southern Hemisphere players in the US Open?

If Scott was actually able to convert half the putts that Tiger or Phil have been making it would have him at least 4 shots better this round. Painful to watch.

[iacas]

Iacus, were you getting behind Appleby to continue the streak of Southern Hemisphere players in the US Open?

More like just pointing out that he's one of the few "southern hemisphere" guys to be high on the leaderboard. Ogilvy is next, then Els, Allenby, Romero...

If Scott was actually able to convert half the putts that Tiger or Phil have been making it would have him at least 4 shots better this round. Painful to watch.

Including those testy one-footers.

[golf_junkie27]

I wished the announcers stopped making issue of Mickelson not having a driver. More often than not, he's been hitting his 3W over 290 yards. It's his accuracy that's killing him and these god awful second shots with his irons. Just now, WTF was that with his 7I from the bunker? He had a really good lie and tries to run it up. Ugghhh.

Please stop the driver nonsense.

[Ceej]

Spectators climbing trees? Where are the people who always complain about them yelling?

[iacas]

Why does everyone keep saying Tim Clark's putt was a "440°" lipout?

It went 270 degrees, TOPS, around the hole. It started to go in the left side, and it was rejected out the front.

Even Dave Pelz, a "NASA scientist," got it wrong.

270° tops!

[Chas]

I wished the announcers stopped making issue of Mickelson not having a driver. More often than not, he's been hitting his 3W over 290 yards. It's his accuracy that's killing him and these god awful second shots with his irons. Just now, WTF was that with his 7I from the bunker? He had a really good lie and tries to run it up. Ugghhh.

Exactly. It's really getting on my t*t* as well. Just stupid. As you say he's been hitting it plenty long, sometimes out-driving the others indeed. AND, if he'd been hitting driver today, he'd prolly have fared considerably WORSE - for reasons that should be obvious even to the most dim-witted golf commentator.

But then again ......

[Chas]

... and another thing: when are we going to see some photos from Erik?

And don't be telling us you couldn't get a camera on the course, not with your massive internet pull ....

[Chas]

Cortisone shots are like unplugging the oil light when it comes on. Sure, the annoying oil light goes away, but you're just running your engine into the ground. I know some people with mild arthritis who feel the same way: they want to feel the pain so they can not do the things that cause pain. Pain means more damage. Numbing the pain would let them do more damage to themselves unknowingly.

This is very true, and very well put. Did you come up with that yourself? I'm in the field (pharmaceutical research), including antiinflammatories many years ago, and I haven't heard the concept so nicely expressed. If you don't mind I'll borrow the metaphor .....

Me, I think Tiger is feeling a certain amount of pain, especially towards the end of the round, and is playing through it. But he isn't superman, so if it were as bad as all that he'd wouldn't be ending up with 80 yard wedges on some of the par 4s, nor would he be putting the lights out like he did on the back 9. You can't drive or even putt like that when seriously distracted with an injury.

[wilbur.kay]

Spectators climbing trees? Where are the people who always complain about them yelling?

As long as they are just up there for a better view and not to have their yells carry further then they can stay up there as long as they like.

[wilbur.kay]

I would also like to ask for any hard luck stories on the cut line. Starting with Mathew Goggin who is from my home club in Hobart, I can guarantee he looked at the cut line when he was on the 15th and realised he had to get it to 8+ from 11+ at the time. He proceeded to birdie 16 and par 17 and obviously when he teed off 18 he needed an eagle. Having smashed a drive and long second to about 8 feet he holed the eagle putt and pumped his fist after what he must have thought was a cut making putt, only to find out that Appleby had holed a 40 foot+ monster to push the cut to 7+. You would think the Australians would look out for each other and Appleby might have just lagged it up the hill...

[kekoa]

was there some incident on the 18th today when tiger was finishing? supposedly some fans got into it w/ security? thats kind of surprising. i thought golf fans were much more civilized and cool headed?

[Akers]

The only issue I heard off was with Adam Scott's caddy and two spectators, apparently they were abusing one of the golfers so Adam's caddy went over to sort it out and apparently they hit him or something.

[Lemay427]

You would think the Australians would look out for each other and Appleby might have just lagged it up the hill...

You are joking, right?

.. .. On another note. I am super pumped that Tiger came back and is near the top. If Tiger wins the US Open I told my wife we would be heading to Michigan for the PGA Championship...

[wilbur.kay]

Yes I was joking.

And committing to an expensive journey based on Tiger doing well (ie winning) a tournament is a pretty dangerous thing to do! One legged or not I don't think many people would be surprised to see him on top on Sunday afternoon.

[iacas]

... and another thing: when are we going to see some photos from Erik?

Maybe the next time the Open comes to Oakmont? I dunno. I'm not in California.

Exactly. It's really getting on my t*t* as well. Just stupid. As you say he's been hitting it plenty long, sometimes out-driving the others indeed. AND, if he'd been hitting driver today, he'd prolly have fared considerably WORSE - for reasons that should be obvious even to the most dim-witted golf commentator.

I don't know. Phil couldn't have done any WORSE with his driver today, and he would have gotten 25 yards. He'd have been able to go for the par five in two - instead he made par while Tiger made eagle.

It's not like he hit the 3W accurately. He could hit the driver as accurately as he hit the 3W. The logic of the announcers makes sense. Phil could have shut them up by hitting more than 40% of his fairways.

[golf_junkie27]

It's not like he hit the 3W accurately. Phil could have shut them up by hitting more than 40% of his fairways.

That is the whole story, right, there. He's been awful with the 3W. Hit some fairways and there is no issue.

As for the coverage, geez, can we please stop bowing down to Tiger? Yes, he had a great back nine but what about Miguel Angel Jimenez? He shot a 66 that could have been a 64. He's in the middle of it and hardly a mention. You have Rocco Mediate playing really good golf, a guy no one mentioned as a possibility, sitting in great position and he's the third story. I guess casual fans of golf only care about Woods. Some of us, though, would like to see attention given where it's deserved. Mediate, Jimenez, D3 deserve just as much as Tiger and definitely more than Phil's 3W.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Been a little busy. Before I head out again this morning, I wanted to say hi. The army behind the super group way insane. I was hole #1 because I sat in the grandstands about 1 hr 30min before that group rolled thru. Insane start to Tiger's back 9. The course is perfect for watching golf. High temps are in the low 70s and there are grandstands on every hole other than #2. The course is fair. If you play well, you can score. If you're a little off, you'll pay for it. Many players are having trouble with reading the greens. I've seen a lot of 5 footers misread. Sorry I haven't posted more, but I have to get ready to go again.

[iacas]

I guess casual fans of golf only care about Woods.

a) Hard-core golf fans care about Tiger. They also care about other golfers.

b) Casual golf fans care only about Tiger, Phil, and their personal favorite (maybe Sergio, maybe a hometown guy, whatever). c) Non-golf fans who watch because it's a spectacle care about Tiger Woods only (and maybe a hometown guy). Everyone cares about Tiger to some extent. I'm not saying I LIKE everything about network coverage of golf, but group "a" is in the minority when it comes to events like this, and I'm fairly certain the networks know what to show and what not to show in order to earn the most money. Miguel Angel Jimenez is not going to earn them any money. So complain all you want, but it ain't changin'. It's pretty much been "perfected" as far as the networks are concerned.