2012 US Open at Olympic Club Discussion Thread

[ApocG10]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Can we get guys at our public courses to wander the rough on every hole and stick little red flags next to our balls so we don't have to search for them?

Legend has it that my home course had a bandit raccoon living on the north side of the 8th green, and he would steal balls on a daily basis, to the point that the club had to make a rule that if Rusty (Called Rusty the Restigouche Raccoon) stole your ball, you could take a free drop within a club length, no closer to the hole. Supposedly when he died, they dug open the green, buried him, filled it in, and returfed. This was in the 1940's, and nobody currently playing there knows if its actually true or not.

Kind of unrelated to people finding balls, but I find it to be a good story.

[bplewis24]

Just wanted to state that the coverage of this Major confirms my growing disdain of the Masters' coverage.  Good online coverage of groups the majority of people want to see, as well as broadcast coverage of most of the tournament, on a couple different channels.

[iPutt]

I honestly cannot believe some of the carnage that this course is instilling on the world's best. Kaymer +4, Stricker +5, D. Johnson +5, Mickelson +6, McIlroy +6, Watson +8, Donald +9. And the worst thing about those types of scores is that it's next to impossible to fight your way back to the top because the course best on any given day will be around 66. It just goes to show that the winner will have to play 4 solid rounds and that even one bad round can essentially knock you out of the tournament. I really do love when the course plays like this because I believe that it's the truest test of golf.

[jamo]

I honestly cannot believe some of the carnage that this course is instilling on the world's best. Kaymer +4, Stricker +5, D. Johnson +5, Mickelson +6, McIlroy +6, Watson +8, Donald +9. And the worst thing about those types of scores is that it's next to impossible to fight your way back to the top because the course best on any given day will be around 66. It just goes to show that the winner will have to play 4 solid rounds and that even one bad round can essentially knock you out of the tournament. I really do love when the course plays like this because I believe that it's the truest test of golf.

Yes but Westwood is +3. Set up perfectly for his annual backdoor top 10!

[zipazoid]

After watching about 3 hours of play, I am at least happy to see the USGA hasn't gone sinister sadistic on these guys....yet.

But I get a feeling these greens, which are already pretty quick, are gonna be baked out come Sunday. Could have a Shinnecock 2004 redux.

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by iPutt

I honestly cannot believe some of the carnage that this course is instilling on the world's best. Kaymer +4, Stricker +5, D. Johnson +5, Mickelson +6, McIlroy +6, Watson +8, Donald +9. And the worst thing about those types of scores is that it's next to impossible to fight your way back to the top because the course best on any given day will be around 66. It just goes to show that the winner will have to play 4 solid rounds and that even one bad round can essentially knock you out of the tournament. I really do love when the course plays like this because I believe that it's the truest test of golf.

I would say of those mentioned only Bubba and Donald have no chance. There may be some 66's out there but with the winning score probably being -1 to +1 unless Tiger goes nuts, they are still in the hunt.

[zipazoid]

Yep, 76 isn't out of it...

Says the guy who picked Mickelson in the contest.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

OK, guess not.  Westwood took a big divot, but I guess Rory did not have to put his ball back in it.

You are always entitled to the lie you had when your ball stopped.

Originally Posted by preisman

Anyone think Berman should not be doing the broadcast. His voice is fine for football, but not golf.

Can't stand the guy for anything.  It isn't his voice so much as his faux-cleverness.  His little wordplays (Gee, Ricky ran afoul of hole number 12) got old about 12 years ago.

Originally Posted by MSchott

I would say of those mentioned only Bubba and Donald have no chance. There may be some 66's out there but with the winning score probably being -1 to +1 unless Tiger goes nuts, they are still in the hunt.

How nice for Andy Zhang to shoot, at age 14, the same score as the #1 player in the world.  LOL

Sorry, but I regard that grouping as a bunch of pretenders.  The #1, #2, and #3 players in the world - with one major between them.  LOL

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by turtleback

How nice for Andy Zhang to shoot, at age 14, the same score as the #1 player in the world.  LOL

Sorry, but I regard that grouping as a bunch of pretenders.  The #1, #2, and #3 players in the world - with one major between them.  LOL

Sorry, but I'm confused as to what this has to do with my post. Please explain.

[colin007]

You mentioned Luke Donald.

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by colin007

You mentioned Luke Donald.

Originally Posted by colin007

You mentioned Luke Donald.

I guess I didn't make my point very clearly. The point is that a player currently at 5 or 6 over is not out of this tournament. Donald has very little chance at 9 over.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by MSchott

I guess I didn't make my point very clearly. The point is that a player currently at 5 or 6 over is not out of this tournament. Donald has very little chance at 9 over.

I would agree that 5 or 6 isn't out of it but I think they will need 3 solid rounds to have any chance. I think that either tomorrow or saturday will be a tougher set up so to have a low round will be tough but possible. I still think the winning score is right around even especially with how fast those greens got today.

[jamo]

Can't stand the guy for anything.  It isn't his voice so much as his faux-cleverness.  His little wordplays (Gee, Ricky ran afoul of hole number 12) got old about 12 years ago.

I muted it every time he came on. I've said this before but I finally gave up on listening to him at last year's U.S. Open, when he started "back back back"ing a hole-out by Rory McIlroy from the fairway.

[preisman]

I did not care to watch the second going of golfers today. The morning groups were much more entertaining to watch. Good luck Andy Zhang and Beau Hossler (top am).

[preisman]

Oh yeah, GO Tiger

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by jamo

Yes but Westwood is +3. Set up perfectly for his annual backdoor top 10!

Let's give Westwood some credit though.  He was 4 or 5 over par pretty early in the tournament and could have easily folded like Watson or succumbed to the course like Donald.  But he put himself in position to post 3 good rounds and have a chance to contend.  I'm rooting for him.

On another note, remember the weeks after the Masters when everybody on the Golf Channel was talking about how creative Bubba was, and how people "can learn the most about golf" by watching him swing?  They waxed on poetically about how loose and free his swing is, and that too many "people" are mechanical and try and perfect the swing.  Clearly a jab at Tiger.  I wonder if any of them commented on the array of different shots Tiger was hitting today?

[rossvanwyk]

Man alive Tiger hit the ball beautifully yesterday. I haven't seen him hit it that well in absolutely ages.

[Zeph]

On another note, remember the weeks after the Masters when everybody on the Golf Channel was talking about how creative Bubba was, and how people "can learn the most about golf" by watching him swing?  They waxed on poetically about how loose and free his swing is, and that too many "people" are mechanical and try and perfect the swing.  Clearly a jab at Tiger.  I wonder if any of them commented on the array of different shots Tiger was hitting today?

Heh, yeah. With all the "creativity" Bubba got, how come he has to hit that pink driver on every single hole and knock the ball into the trees time and time again? You really can't make too many mistakes on this course. It's about making pars and avoiding bogies, more than making birdies. To win it, you have to play smart. When they're hitting into greens from 200+ yards away, it's about missing in the right place rather than going pin hunting.