Official 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Discussion Thread

[Zwick]

Nice to see Rose get his first Major. (And to add to his glory: The first time I picked the winner in a Sandtrap-Contest).

All in all pretty boring final day, as I expected. The course/pins were just too tricked up to defend par, especially down the stretch. I think it would have been more fun to watch if (at least) the 18th would have been a realistic chance for a birdie. As soon as Mickelson didn't birdie 17 it was over. Very anticlimatic. I doubt there will be another US Open at Merion.

[France46]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Golfer

What a jack-ass...how could anyone think such a thing!

thumbs up for making fun of yourself!

What does everyone think the winning score would have been had the course be hard and fast?

Having played a very wet, short and hilly course over the weekend, it was no bargain.  I know firm greens/fairways are harder to hold, but having to play out of a downhill embedded lie in the rough and losing a ball you hit towards the middle of the fairway is not good for scoring either (and that was only the first two holes).  The most tired I have been after a round in a long time.

[Kujan]

I said earlier in the week that the best driver of the golf ball stood a great chance of taking the title, and that Justin Rose led the tour in total driving. Rose's week: 75% of fairways hit (field average: 62.18%), and an average driving distance of 300.38 yards (field average: 287.79). As I predicted, the best player off the tee prevailed; as the statistics suggested, Rose was that player.

Right on. Hit his irons great too.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

ESPN coverage was horrible.  I'll listen to Chris Berman talk football but he's horrible announcing golf, ESPN needs to find someone else.

Yeah I don't know what it is about Berman doing golf; I get the impression he demands it from his ESPN bosses so he can show us how much he knows about the game. But his voice is all wrong for the sport - gravelly, rough. Yeah, stick to football.

[France46]

Do players who missed the cut get a check?  I didn't think so, but I see this in the Euro Tour site-

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2013/tournamentid=2013044/leaderboard/index.html

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=1768/

Tournament	End Date	Pos	Prize Money	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	Par
U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP	16/06/2013	T74	€ 1,529.72	74	75			149	+9

Looks like it counts for the Order of Merit but not PGA Tour official money

[boogielicious]

17 and 18 won it for Rose.  He was brilliant on those two holes.  Great win for the most steady player of the tournament.

I thought Mahan had a shot, but mistakes at the end cost him a shot at a playoff.

Phil oh Phil.  Fan favorite, but too many missed 3 footers.

I was pulling for Jason Day as well.  He made a great surge at the end, but not close enough.

And my man, Steve Stricker, had the nightmare hole on 2.  I saw the hope just leave his body after the shank.  He would have been in it otherwise.

Poor Luke became unglued when he hit the volunteer on 3.  But WTF!  YOU ARE AT A GOLF TOURNAMENT!  FACE THE TEE AND WATCH FOR BALLS COMING YOUR WAY!

Because it was Father's Day weekend, I had control of the TV, so it was golf all the time!

[ScouseJohnny]

Quote:

I dunno. 'Sir' Nick never won a US Open. Justin may have already done enough for the Brits to deify him.

In which case, Tony Jacklin was cheated out of a knighthood, given he won The Open and the U.S. Open.

Knighthoods used to be reserved for the most spectacular of sportsmen, I suppose, which Faldo was. The greatest golfer of the late 1980s to the mid 1990s.

Not sure the government's honours committees differentiate too much between golf's majors - although the fact Faldo won three times on his home turf might have counted for something.

All of which is by the by.

I'd imagine that winning a major probably means more to Justin Rose than any gong the Queen might or might not hang around his neck on the advice of a bunch of politicians.

[Eddie Weatherby]

I wonder if the powers to be at Merion will return the course to what it was before the USGA made various changes like moving the fairway towards the road on #2 and moving the bunker closer to the green and more into the fairway.  It seems some bunkers were added, too.

If the course was firm and fast, the rough would not have been as sticky although it always seems difficult to advance the ball from the rough at Merion.  I'd guess 5 over might have won with firmer conditions.

The USGA made a bonehead move on #3 and #4 tees yesterday.  The" up tees" on #4 are adjacent (maybe 12 yards offline) to the green on #3 where players are hitting driver from 266.  Dangerous to say the least.  Would have been different had #3 been playing like 210 and the boys were hitting 5 irons into the green.

[Eddie Weatherby]

There was a chance for birdie on the 530 yard 18th and Rose made a brilliant one, it is called a four.

[nevets88]

PHILLY TOUGH. Golf Channel tease. The golf shots aren't in it though, I guess this was made before the tournament started. but still, good to charge you up if you're not feeling like exercising.

[DReynolds86]

Originally Posted by ScouseJohnny

In which case, Tony Jacklin was cheated out of a knighthood, given he won The Open and the U.S. Open.

Knighthoods used to be reserved for the most spectacular of sportsmen, I suppose, which Faldo was. The greatest golfer of the late 1980s to the mid 1990s.

Not sure the government's honours committees differentiate too much between golf's majors - although the fact Faldo won three times on his home turf might have counted for something.

All of which is by the by.

I'd imagine that winning a major probably means more to Justin Rose than any gong the Queen might or might not hang around his neck on the advice of a bunch of politicians.

Maybe if he wins The Open Championship, Her Majesty will see fit to knight him.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Felt bad for Phil, he was close but couldn't avoid a few critical mistakes.  I wonder if he regrets not having his driver in the bag.  I know he hits the 3Deep long for a 3W but on the tough holes he was still missing the fairway, so why not miss the fairway 30+ yards  closer to the hole?

Because it's not 30 yards, it's more like 10 according to Phil.

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by Eddie Weatherby

I wonder if the powers to be at Merion will return the course to what it was before the USGA made various changes like moving the fairway towards the road on #2 and moving the bunker closer to the green and more into the fairway.  It seems some bunkers were added, too.

If the course was firm and fast, the rough would not have been as sticky although it always seems difficult to advance the ball from the rough at Merion.  I'd guess 5 over might have won with firmer conditions.

The USGA made a bonehead move on #3 and #4 tees yesterday.  The" up tees" on #4 are adjacent (maybe 12 yards offline) to the green on #3 where players are hitting driver from 266.  Dangerous to say the least.  Would have been different had #3 been playing like 210 and the boys were hitting 5 irons into the green.

From what I've read elsewhere, the course will be "restored" to it's normal state. The fairways will be back where they belong.

[saturday]

What amazes me is how difficult the course plays. Although there are some very opportune scoring holes they're masked by difficult rough's and hidden tee locations.. loved it. Merion has won me over. Can't imagine what I would shoot on that course.... 300 strokes? lol

[LucasBP]

Congrats to Rose on his well deserved win. I do find myself gutted for Phil, although he seemed to be taking the riskier shots when they weren't needed. The galley chanting Phil's name on the 18th was a great moment. Hopefully next year Phil will be able to get the job done. Also a nice shout out needs to go to Michael Kim. Absouletly dominated the other Amaeturs and it was nice to see him do well after meeting him 2 weeks ago at the NCAA National Golf Championship in Milton, GA.

[nevets88]

Els, McIlroy, Scott, Rose - last 4 majors won by internationals so all 4 trophies are currently held by internationals.

Call it the international slam.

[Lash]

The amazing thing about Phil, to me, was that he was incredibly close to being well under par for the weekend. I know you could say this about anyone in any round of golf, but he had to have had at least 10 putts that lipped out or just missed by inches just in the last two days. If he makes half of his putts that barely missed over all 4 days, he probably runs away with the tournament at -5 or better.

[chriskzoo]

Glad to see Rose win - guys is class act.

Phil makes dumb decisions and those decisions catch up with you at a US Open - Sunday was no different and got lucky to even be as close as he was with the hole-out on #10. #13 was playing 121 yards and instead of hitting an easy gap wedge, he tried to get cute and hit a low draw with a PW - bogey. On #16. Hit the green, take your chance at birdie, and move on with par.

Then on #15 he just hits a bad pitch - landed it at the hole when he could have probably putted up over the collar to within 5 feet - not a sure par, but a lot better than where he ended up.  Point being, if he's smarter on either of these shots, he is probably tied going into #18, not 1 shot down.

What I still haven't heard anyone talk about on #13 was that the audio from the TV had Bones saying "I have it playing 127"  - was there any wind on that hole?  It was listed as 121 all day on the TV and Phil landed it long - could have been a bad yardage.