US OPEN...first group of players at a disadvantage???

[Three Putt]

Seems to me the guys playing will have played at a disadvantage in all the rain to the guys yet to tee off?

[Chilli Dipper]

Conditions at Bethpage are sloppy, and are only going to get worse through the weekend. The players yet to tee off are not going to wake up to a pristine course when they reach the first tee tomorrow morning, so I don't think the players already on the course are at a disadvantage as far as the first round is concern. The potential problem I see for the groups that started this morning is that they were scheduled to start their second rounds Friday afternoon. Since the groups yet to tee off are supposed to be the first ones out for the second round (which won't get underway until mid-afternoon tomorrow in a best-case scenario), the real danger is that the players already on the course may not play their second rounds until Sunday (if the weather on Saturday is as bad as forecasted right now).

[Three Putt]

Conditions at Bethpage are sloppy, and are only going to get worse through the weekend. The players yet to tee off are not going to wake up to a pristine course when they reach the first tee tomorrow morning, so I don't think the players already on the course are at a disadvantage as far as the first round is concern. The potential problem I see for the groups that started this morning is that they were scheduled to start their second rounds Friday afternoon. Since the groups yet to tee off are supposed to be the first ones out for the second round (which won't get underway until mid-afternoon tomorrow in a best-case scenario), the real danger is that the players already on the course may not play their second rounds until Sunday (if the weather on Saturday is as bad as forecasted right now).

Sounds like a mess.

Perhaps the golf gods are going to take the "crowd" out of the rounds, at least for the first 2 or 3, which I am all for.

[Parker0065]

Roughly half of the 80 players that have started play are no worse than +1 over par, not exactly a disaster, but it was good they called play when they did!

Considering that this is probably not the end of the rain for this weekend, eventually all the players will get thier chance to play in the rain! This is no where near as tough as how the British Open Wind can blow between morning and afternoon, causing a huge change in course conditions.

No advantage or disadvantage for the players who have already started play IMO. They will all get a chance to play on a soft course this week!

[wrx_junki]

I guess the first group was at a disadvantage since today's conditions are looking much better. Helicopter helped with the drying of the fairways, very interesting.

[SpacklersEdge]

Seems to me the guys playing will have played at a disadvantage in all the rain to the guys yet to tee off?

At the pace it's going now, by the time Tiger hits the tee for his second round, he could easily be 10+ shots back. Guys in the lead could be sitting at -10 after two rounds. If the course gets harder overnight or it rains again tomorrow, those in the first groups are for sure in HUGE trouble.

[P3R3]

Tiger got the short end of the stick when it came to conditions. Part of the game though.

[kris]

They are definitely at a disadvantage. I'm wondering why the group that finished this morning couldn't start at 5 or whenever they restarted this evening. The guys that played all day today got the benefit of good conditions and soft greens/fairways and it's reflected in the scores. It's possible that the first group could be delayed twice by rain if it rains tomorrow while the group who played today could get in two rounds rain free.

But I guess with this weather it's impossible to be fair to everyone.

[lobsterzilla]

they showed a graphic of the people that started on thursday they averaged almost 2 full shots higher.