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

[David in FL]

Worst US open ever? Runaway winner since Thursday... Terrible looking course.... No challengers... No Tiger.

Had it been Tiger instead of Kaymer who ran away and hid, people would have called it one of the best US Opens ever. Go figure......

[newtogolf]

Reminds me of the guys that go to Nascar races still wearing their black #3 shirts ...

NASCAR ratings and popularity are still fading, guess #3 moved the needle like Tigers does.

[tmac20]

If Phil was in it the ratings would have been excellent. Even Bubba or McIlroy. But Kaymer blowing away the field? I'm a die-hard golf fan and only watched 20 minutes before I turned it off.

[Dave2512]

Huge difference considering before the surgery Tiger was ranked number 1, by a wide margin too. People watch when he plays because they want to see history made.

[jamo]

Had it been Tiger instead of Kaymer who ran away and hid, people would have called it one of the best US Opens ever. Go figure......

Tiger would have been fist pumping the whole time. Kaymer's just not that kind of golfer. He's boring. The Open was boring.

[Elvisliveson]

Tiger would have been fist pumping the whole time.

Kaymer's just not that kind of golfer. He's boring. The Open was boring.

To me what was most boring about Kaymer was his use of the putter from off the green every time. Part of what makes guys like Tiger and Phil so interesting is their ability to play all kinds of crazy short game shots.

[saevel25]

To me what was most boring about Kaymer was his use of the putter from off the green every time. Part of what makes guys like Tiger and Phil so interesting is their ability to play all kinds of crazy short game shots.

Boring, but Kaymer didn't make one big number all week. So, who is correct, Kaymer or Phil?

[Jakester23]

The way phil was putting I think he was almost hoping to miss the green so he would have a wedge in his hand.

[Elvisliveson]

Discussing which play is more effective wasn't the point of my post in the least.

[saevel25]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saevel25

Boring, but Kaymer didn't make one big number all week. So, who is correct, Kaymer or Phil?

Discussing which play is more effective wasn't the point of my post in the least.

I know, but to prove a point, flashy doesn't get it done a lot of times.

[jamo]

FWIW, I'm picking Jessica Korda, E.

[Elvisliveson]

I know, but to prove a point, flashy doesn't get it done a lot of times.

But it doesn't get the viewership and that was my point. Look, I picked Kaymer in the contest and won second prize, so I don't need somone telling me what works and what doesn't  especially when that wasn't what was being discussed. JEEEEZZZZZE.

[3putter]

I'm sick and tired of the Tiger lovers ... a golf buddy of mine actually wouldn't watch because Tiger wasn't in the field.     Seriously.     Get over it, the guy is 38, back back and questionable knees, will never regain his past form (will continue to be a very good player no doubt, he will continue his limited schedule and contend at the few select courses he likes and choses to grace with his presence, but the domination days of yore are over and buried).       As any golf fan, I respect what he's accomplished, but I've absolutely had it with the Tiger lovers ...

Good for you, enjoy watching.

[skydog]

TV ratings were pathetically abysmal this weekend. It's a shame, but regardless of all the love Donald Ross gets for it, Pinehurst just isn't an enjoyable or interesting course to watch on TV. The sandhills of NC are not a particularly scenic area (nothing but sand and pine trees)...and while I like the idea of the "restoration" of the course it doesn't do the the event any favors when it comes to TV viewership. Personally I don't think Pinehurst is a course worthy of an Open.

Unless they want to only be seen on the Golf Channel and on tape delay on ESPN the Ocho, the young crop of American golfers- Fowler, DJ, Spieth, Etc.- need to man up and start winning tournaments or TV viewership will continue to go down the drain. Tiger and Phil's days are over, it's time for the next generation to step up to the plate.

[inthehole]

If Phil was in it the rating would have been excellent. Even Bubba or McIlroy. But Kaymer blowing away the field? Even a die-hard golf fan like me only watched 20 minutes before I turned it off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthehole

I'm sick and tired of the Tiger lovers ... a golf buddy of mine actually wouldn't watch because Tiger wasn't in the field.     Seriously.     Get over it, the guy is 38, back back and questionable knees, will never regain his past form (will continue to be a very good player no doubt, he will continue his limited schedule and contend at the few select courses he likes and choses to grace with his presence, but the domination days of yore are over and buried).       As any golf fan, I respect what he's accomplished, but I've absolutely had it with the Tiger lovers ...

Good for you, enjoy watching.

I sure did - watched every minute of it I could - that display Kaymer put on was nothing short of rediculous.

[phillyk]

I can't believe a lot of these posts.  I loved Pinehurst, wish I could go out there and play it.  Pinehurst was always known for its greens being difficult. Not sure that has changed these weeks from the last Open there.  As for it being boring, I don't know. I watched hours upon hours of it and was perfectly content.  Seeing pros shoot over par scores and struggle with some shot is fun to watch.  To see one person rise above the others by playing incredibly and smart is fun to watch.  I could care less about his personality.  I mean look at the field and how many were under par, this was by no means an easy course to score on.

[skydog]

One more beef I have with Pinehurst-

The USGA is trying to showcase it as a model for a lower resource/lower cost approach to design and maintenance. Great, I applaud that- but the flip side needs to be Pinehurst passing some of that lower cost onto the players to make the game more accessible...so far I don't believe they've done that. They're still trying to charge several hundred dollars to play a course that has seen its water usage cut by 70% and requires relatively few resources apart from the greens. Now the club is privately owned and they can set their rates at whatever they want, but that said, the USGA has to look at both sides of the cost equation if their going to praise them.

[CarlSpackler]

One more beef I have with Pinehurst-

The USGA is trying to showcase it as a model for a lower resource/lower cost approach to design and maintenance. Great, I applaud that- but the flip side needs to be Pinehurst passing some of that lower cost onto the players to make the game more accessible...so far I don't believe they've done that. They're still trying to charge several hundred dollars to play a course that has seen its water usage cut by 70% and requires relatively few resources apart from the greens. Now the club is privately owned and they can set their rates at whatever they want, but that said, the USGA has to look at both sides of the cost equation if their going to praise them.

Passing lower cost on these days typically means not raising prices. As gas prices, labor costs, etc. rise, cuts are needed elsewhere just to maintain.