2015 US Open Does Not Top 1951 US Open for Players Complaining

[billchao]

http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2015/06/us-open-chambers-bay-complaining-oakland-hills-ben-hogan.html

Quote:

In Tim Scott's, Ben Hogan: The Myths Everyone Knows, the Man No One Knew , the author chronicles some of the reactions Dan Jenkins reported hearing from the golfers who participated that week.

"You have to walk down these fairways single file." -- Cary Middlecoff.

"I thought I was going to a golf tournament, not a safari." -- Sam Snead.

"If I had to play this course for a living every week, I'd get into another business." -- Ben Hogan.

Hogan won with a winning score of seven over par thanks to a closing 67 and then at the trophy presentation famously said, "I'm glad I brought this course -- this monster -- to its knees."

The 1951 US Open at Oakland Hills is still the champion of player complaints. Hogan won (at +7) and even he complained about it.

[newtogolf]

I think players felt pressure from the USGA and PGA Tour to not be too outspoken about the course.  Horschel had to get his wrist slapped given his apology later on.  Jordan Spieth completely ignored the question about course conditions and talked about how great the fans were instead (very quick thinking on his part).

[billchao]

I think players felt pressure from the USGA and PGA Tour to not be too outspoken about the course.  Horschel had to get his wrist slapped given his apology later on.  Jordan Spieth completely ignored the question about course conditions and talked about how great the fans were instead (very quick thinking on his part).

I don't know what did or did happen behind the scenes, but I agree Jordan handled that line of questioning pretty well. I think the pros complain too much sometimes. The winning score was -5, so it's not like the course was too hard or anything. Plenty of people did well out there.

[imsys0042]

Some pros are more adaptable to different conditions and when you throw something like Chambers Bay at them, it'll throw them. It's different from most courses out there, at least in the U.S. Couple of observations though. 1 - Tom Watson hated links golf from what I've read when he first went over seas. Worked out well for him. 2 - Jack Nicklaus once stated that when he heard someone complaining about the course or conditions he crossed their name off as a potential competitor that week. Lords knows I've been picky about course setup and I did much better when I shrugged my shoulders and said "that's how it is. Accept it"

[turtleback]

Hazeltine took a lot of criticism in 1970. Dave Hill, who finished second was even fined for his comments.

[saevel25]

Some pros are more adaptable to different conditions and when you throw something like Chambers Bay at them, it'll throw them. It's different from most courses out there, at least in the U.S. Couple of observations though.

1 - Tom Watson hated links golf from what I've read when he first went over seas. Worked out well for him.

I think that was more that Links golf takes getting use to. Also back then it cost a lot of money to travel overseas and The Open didn't have a big payout.

Really, The Open was only popular in the USA back when Bobby Jones won it and then when Arnie made it his commitment to bring it back into popularity.

[oregongolfguy]

I think that if people go back and look at past us opens players and people complain pretty much at every us open.  The rough is too deep, the greens are too fast, too severe slope, no landing spots, too many trees, not enough trees, too green, too brown etc etc etc....

WInged foot was too fast and too hard, congressional was too soft and too easy, Pinehurst had impossible gimmicky domed greens,.........

USGA purposely sets up the us open to play around par as winning score.  Or they at least try to.  The vast majority of the field is gonna be over par at every us open unless something weird happens.  Fairways are gonna be harder to hit, landing spots are gonna be much smaller, rough is either gonna be almost unplayable or fairways are gonna run off.  Greens are going to be difficult in some fashion, whether its speed, slope, bumpiness whatever....

Joe blow pga tour golfer is not going to walk into a us open and shoot in the 60's by hitting iron off the tee then 7 iron into the centerish of a receptive green like they do at a regular tour event.

Its getting ready to head for Oakmont....and I know that it has been changed/renovated, but do people remember the carnage last time?  Cabrera was what +5, +6 as the winner....What are these golfers gonna do when the best scores out on the course is 70-74 and not 64-67????

[Wally Fairway]

Its getting ready to head for Oakmont....and I know that it has been changed/renovated, but do people remember the carnage last time?  Cabrera was what +5, +6 as the winner....What are these golfers gonna do when the best scores out on the course is 70-74 and not 64-67????

I did a quick look, and when Cabrera won in 2007 at Oakmont there were 8 rounds under par for the whole tournament (played to a par 70).

Cabrera opened and closed with 69s, Nick Dougherty 68, Paul Casey 66, Tiger 69, Stricker 68 and AK 67 were the players and scores under par for the 4 rounds.

[BunkerKing]

I did a quick look, and when Cabrera won in 2007 at Oakmont there were 8 rounds under par for the whole tournament (played to a par 70).

Cabrera opened and closed with 69s, Nick Dougherty 68, Paul Casey 66, Tiger 69, Stricker 68 and AK 67 were the players and scores under par for the 4 rounds.

Oakmont is going to absolutely destroy the field.

[saevel25]

I did a quick look, and when Cabrera won in 2007 at Oakmont there were 8 rounds under par for the whole tournament (played to a par 70).

Cabrera opened and closed with 69s, Nick Dougherty 68, Paul Casey 66, Tiger 69, Stricker 68 and AK 67 were the players and scores under par for the 4 rounds.

Oakmont will demolish them. Besides Chambers Bay, Oakmont had the highest three putting percentage in 2007 of any US Open.

If players complained about Chambers Bay, I can see Davis just sticking it to the players. I'm not sure I would want to piss off the guy who has the final say on how the course is set up ;)

[J Cream]

I've already got my tickets for Oakmont next year.  Should be pure carnage haha.

[Spitfisher]

Two things....... How much did we read about of players really taking several in a lot of practice rounds at Chambers Bay? I got the impression some of these guys just showed up and only plaed it once or twice. if I was Michelson for example I would played it dozens and of times this year alone. Next: as Mike Davis said, " if players are not complainting about the US open, then we are doing something wrong..."