Official Thread: 2009 U.S. Open (Bethpage)

[alf174]

Trahan bent his putter out of frustration during Round 2.

[lobsterzilla]

haha i must have missed that.

[Chilli Dipper]

Are Anthony Kim and Rory McIlroy trying to get paired with each other in every major championship round this year? This is the fifth out of seven rounds between here and the Masters.

[wrx_junki]

It's pretty cool to see a tournament (esp. a Major) held on a course that you have played. Wish I can play some of the other tournament courses in the future. Thinking of going to play the Black once the US Open ends but doubt I'd be able to reach the fairway from the tees taht they play at.

P.S. I saw that Sergio was using the R9 again. I could be wrong though since I only caught a glimpse of it when he teed off in the 3rd round.

[Brad913]

It's pretty cool to see a tournament (esp. a Major) held on a course that you have played. Wish I can play some of the other tournament courses in the future. Thinking of going to play the Black once the US Open ends but doubt I'd be able to reach the fairway from the tees taht they play at.

That's awesome, which course did you play at? One of my buddies has the r9, it's a great club.

[AmenCorner]

It's pretty cool to see a tournament (esp. a Major) held on a course that you have played. Wish I can play some of the other tournament courses in the future. Thinking of going to play the Black once the US Open ends but doubt I'd be able to reach the fairway from the tees taht they play at.

You can play at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach. I can't think of any others off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are a few more.

[Zeph]

Anyone else see the guy (not sure who it was) hit in the deep rough next to the green, swing and the ball went nowhere so he hit it down into the sand and holed it? Haha that was great.

What? He missed the ball or hit it into the bunker and went on to hole the bunker shot?

[lobsterzilla]

this is what happened.

The (A) hit his 3rd on 18 into the DEEP DEEP rough/fescue on the side of the left green side bunker, so deep you couldn't even see the ball. The cut was +4 and he was on the cut at the time, so to save par he had to jar the chip out of the fescue. Well he took a huge whack at it trying to get out and it didnt even move an inch.

So of course knowing he just missed his shot to make the weekend he was very angry and just overhand chopped it into the bunker to move it out. Walked over to his ball in the bunker and without any look or practice and about 4 seconds of time between swatting at it and walking over to his ball, he stepped up and JAR'd it to the delight of the crowed.

[lobsterzilla]

that may be the end of the tourny for mister eldrick

[Zeph]

Was over for him almost after the first round, definately after the second. We'll probably have a new major winner this tournament.

[RC]

I really don't get the fans at Bethpage. This is a US Open and our game has a history worth preserving. There are the usual Tiger fans who yell out "Get in the hole" even as he hits a tee shot on a long par 4 (are they expecting a 450+ yard drive?) But why would there be yells like "Ricky Who?" I don't know Barnes, but every competitor deserves respect at a US Open.

[Chilli Dipper]

Ricky Barnes is the fourth player to reach 10-under at a U.S. Open. Gil Morgan was the first to do it in 1992, making it all the way to -12 early in the third round, but the Doctor gave up 17 shots to par in the last 29 holes to finish as an afterthought. Then, of course, was Tiger's 12-under finish at Pebble Beach in 2000. Most recently, Jim Furyk finished his third round at -10 in 2003, but he closed with a 72, which was good enough for the win, but not double digits under par or the championship record. Is Ricky going to go the way of Morgan, Woods, or Furyk over the next day and a half?

[Chilli Dipper]

Ricky Barnes is a Wilson Staff player, but his caddie is wearing a Nike cap. C'mon, Wilson! Give that man a proper hat!

[lobsterzilla]

really like the classic look of his bag tho !

[iacas]

I really don't get the fans at Bethpage. This is a US Open and our game has a history worth preserving. There are the usual Tiger fans who yell out "Get in the hole" even as he hits a tee shot on a long par 4 (are they expecting a 450+ yard drive?) But why would there be yells like "Ricky Who?" I don't know Barnes, but every competitor deserves respect at a US Open.

I heard that and was shocked too. I'm getting tired of NBC sucking up to the "fans." A healthy dose of them (nowhere near the majority) are acting like schmucks, and all the promotion that NBC and other media made about the crowds didn't help things.

I'm also not quite sure I agree with David Fay on the whole "Ricky Barns did not improve the area of his stance or swing" thing on the 10th hole. He swung only a few inches left of the ball, removing a BUNCH of tall grass in doing so - grass that could easily grab his shaft on his backswing or downswing. I'll give him and David Fay the benefit of the doubt, but I think he should have swung away from the area where his ball was sitting and through where his shaft would be swinging.

[justinbaker]

what did bones hand to the scoring kid, as they were walking off the 18th green? did he tip him?

[nico002]

I think the fans at Bethpage make the course more unique. Its part of what you have to deal with, just another thing to factor when competing. It adds a extra mental element to the challenge.

[RC]

Yeah, I watched his practice swings with interest as well... dangerously close to bringing in the "improvement" clause -- but I don't know it would be called since the backswing area seemed unaffected but the forward swing might have been. Certainly it would have been safer to swing a yard or so away. Another worry in such cases is that the ball might move -- had that happen once, thick grass is sometimes entangled, the ball was sitting up slightly, and it settled down, moving forward slightly. Bingo... heartbreak.

The biggest thing I've noticed about this Open is how amazingly well these guys are hitting the ball out of the rough on longer shots. That takes strength and balance, but they are the best in the world I guess. Still, amazing. The second observation is these must be the slowest greens in many years of US Opens, but cudos to the grounds crews for the outstanding work under very trying conditions. Not sure any other alternatives would be possible. Admirable.