2014 U.S. Opens (Plural!) at Pinehurst #2 Discussion Thread

[CarlSpackler]

Brought this up in another thread and wanted to get some opinions on here.....was this US Open a result of Kaymer playing good and the rest of the players playing bad or was the course really that tough and only Kaymer just had an incredible week? Some reasons I bring it up....Johnny Miller yesterday and then Nick Faldo this morning both said they feel that the players did not have a good week and that scoring was out there and players failed to execute. Also, in 1999 and 2005 this course had much harder greens, penalties for missing the fairway and they didn't make par-4s reachable like they did this one and if you take away Kaymer's score, the rest of the scoring was pretty much the same as '99 and '05. Personally, I think it's somewhere in the middle. I think Kaymer played out of his mind, but I also think with the greens on Thursday and Friday as soft as they were and the lack of penalties for missing the fairway, there should have been lower scores. Same with Merion last year. For as soft as those greens were and as many wedges as players had in their hands, there was a surprisingly low amount of birdies made. It makes me question whether with the game today we just have a lot of "pretty good players" and no real elite players right now?

I think Kaymer was the only one to figure out the course was easier before the weekend. He was even for the weekend.

[iacas]

I think Kaymer was the only one to figure out the course was easier before the weekend. He was even for the weekend.

He was one over, but yeah, I concur. Plus, he had to make every putt in order to shoot those 65s. It was an aberration.

[MS256]

I think Kaymer was the only one to figure out the course was easier before the weekend. He was even for the weekend.

Yeah Kaymer had a couple of unconscious days. Other than that everything seemed fairly equal and fairly normal.

[colin007]

seriously, how many putts did Kayms make over 15 feet?  inlcuding the one on the last hole?  so many of those saving par, he had two bombs for birdies on Friday...putted lights out.

[CarlSpackler]

He was one over, but yeah, I concur. Plus, he had to make every putt in order to shoot those 65s. It was an aberration.

Oops. Thought he finished at -10. I tuned out at the end. His performance was unreal on Th-Fri. I'm still calling for a drug test. ;-)

[Crim]

I just realized Rickie Fowler tied for 5th at the Masters...

Two top 5's in the first two majors? Not too shabby at all.

[Wally Fairway]

I know that a week ago there was rain predicted for the Open....now for the Womens Open it is heat that is in the forecast

[iacas]

Extreme heat favors my pick, Michelle Wie, no? :)

[CarlSpackler]

Extreme heat favors my pick, Michelle Wie, no? :)

She's not as hot as some of the others playing. ;)

[iacas]

The final round of the 2014 U.S. Open scored a 3.3 rating.

Uhhhhhh… yeah.

In other words, Martin Kaymer is over twice as boring as Tom Kite was over 20 years ago. :)

[BerkeleyRehab]

The final round of the 2014 U.S. Open scored a 3.3 rating.

That is some seriously low ratings.

I know a lot of serious golf fans that didn't even watch.

[Valleygolfer]

The final round of the 2014 U.S. Open scored a 3.3 rating.

Uhhhhhh… yeah.

In other words, Martin Kaymer is over twice as boring as Tom Kite was over 20 years ago. :)

I don't think 1981 should count. I would have watched snails race, the first year of cable tv...

[Crim]

That is some seriously low ratings.

I know a lot of serious golf fans that didn't even watch.

All the pubs (4 different ones...don't judge me) I went to over the weekend were showing the world cup exclusively. It was pretty clear that I was the only one wanting to watch the US Open. Even though it was very boring....I'd still take it over soccer any day.

Fake injuries more please...

[Gunther]

No surprise there. I am surprised the '08 US Open was so low given the excitement around Tiger that week. Maybe cuz they averaged in Mon and fewer people could watch?

[k-troop]

one of the top-ranked amateur players in the world in reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Emma Talley.

As many rounds in the 80s this year as in the 60s.  I think that just shows the massive talent gap between men's and women's golf.  I'm still going to watch, of course.

[newtogolf]

The final round of the 2014 U.S. Open scored a 3.3 rating.

Uhhhhhh… yeah.

In other words, Martin Kaymer is over twice as boring as Tom Kite was over 20 years ago. :)

I wish the ratings were better but I'm not shocked at how low they were.  I think the fact Tiger was on IR, Phil was struggling and no one able to chase down Kaymer made it a really boring Major.  I also heard a lot of criticism about the condition of the course and how it didn't look deserving of a Major so the USGA has some work to do on re-educating the public.

I barely watched the coverage on Saturday or Sunday so I didn't help the weekend numbers.

[Crim]

I also heard a lot of criticism about the condition of the course and how it didn't look deserving of a Major so the USGA has some work to do on re-educating the public.

It wasn't "pretty enough" for the casuals.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

It wasn't "pretty enough" for the casuals.

It was downright ugly. The fairway on the crossings was nice and spongy though. Almost all the fairway was brown. No rough and ugly wasteland. Sloppy bunkers. What was nice about it? I am sure the greens rolled true but I kept getting turned down for my request to check them out for a review.