2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Discussion Thread

[Golfingdad]

17 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

How often does a caddie act as a second eye to a pro's swing or help them stay focussed? Especially when things fall out of place a bit. "Seemed a touch quick there pro...", or stuff like that too heavy for a..err..caddie? I would think long time caddies are part of the arsenal in a way, yeah? Local knowledge worth a ton I suppose but nothing that couldn't be gained by consulting with knowledgeable local/locals before play I would think.  

Right - many of those guys are so close to each other that the caddy is nearly a full-time on-call therapist.

[newtogolf]

13 minutes ago, Hardspoon said:

So, it's unlikely this would happen in 2016?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/golf/2016/06/02/Former-teenage-Oakmont-caddie-remembers-working-1951-PGA-Championship/stories/201605200052

I'm pretty sure I remember reading in a book about Hogan that pro's in the early days of professional golf were required to hire local course caddies and could not bring their own.  

[Chilli Dipper]

Just now, newtogolf said:

I'm pretty sure I remember reading in a book about Hogan that pro's in the early days of professional golf were required to hire local course caddies and could not bring their own.  

Pros were required to use Augusta National caddies at the Masters until the early 1980s.

[Golfingdad]

Just now, Chilli Dipper said:

Pros were required to use Augusta National caddies at the Masters until the early 1980s.

Yup, 1983.  That same wiki article also goes on to say:

Quote

The other majors and some PGA Tour events formerly had a similar policy concerning caddies well into the 1970s; the U.S. Open first allowed players to use their own caddies in 1976.

 

[newtogolf]

4 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Yup, 1983.  That same wiki article also goes on to say:

 

 

7 minutes ago, Chilli Dipper said:

Pros were required to use Augusta National caddies at the Masters until the early 1980s.

Thanks, I would have never found the exact quote but knew I had read it.  I didn't know this practice lasted until 83 at Augusta National.  I also didn't watch golf then, did most golfers have their own caddies as they do today?  Hard to imagine how Phil would handle not having Bones by his side.  

[Golfingdad]

7 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

 

Thanks, I would have never found the exact quote but knew I had read it.  I didn't know this practice lasted until 83 at Augusta National.  I also didn't watch golf then, did most golfers have their own caddies as they do today?  Hard to imagine how Phil would handle not having Bones by his side.  

I don't know, but I do know that some of them continued to use their "Augusta" caddies even after the rule change.  Ben Crenshaw won twice after 1983 using the same Caddy he'd used since 1976.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jackson_(caddie)

[Chilli Dipper]

39 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I don't know, but I do know that some of them continued to use their "Augusta" caddies even after the rule change.  Ben Crenshaw won twice after 1983 using the same Caddy he'd used since 1976.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jackson_(caddie)

I was going to mention Crenshaw. Other than him, I think it's mostly amateurs and older champions who make use of local caddies at the Masters these days.

[ChrisP]

Interview with Snedeker who played in '07, he doesn't think scoring will be as penal this year. Said the rough isnt as bad as it was that year and the expected downpours Thursday should soften things up a bit. He did say Even Par is still gonna be a good score come Sunday, though, but doesn't itll be as bad as '07.

Edited June 13, 2016 by ChrisP

[nevets88]

How fast are the greens? This fast:

 

[iacas]

I can read the greens there better than the local caddies. You would gain very little hiring a local caddie. The yardage books have a lot of detail too.

[Golfingdad]

59 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

How fast are the greens? This fast:

 

Hopefully these videos we're seeing are due to the fact that the USGA knows it's going to rain and are trying to keep them from being too soft and easy.  Because if they are like this when the tournament starts and it goes, as per usual, downhill from there (pun intended) then it's going to be a mess come Sunday.

[iacas]

5 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

Hopefully these videos we're seeing are due to the fact that the USGA knows it's going to rain and are trying to keep them from being too soft and easy.  Because if they are like this when the tournament starts and it goes, as per usual, downhill from there (pun intended) then it's going to be a mess come Sunday.

Not really. That's the second green. You don't play to certain places there. It's steep.

It's not unfair, either… it's just something you have to play positionally, smartly.

[ChrisP]

They were predicting crazy scores last year at Chambers too and it never happened. Ended up with 7 guys finishing under par. I truly don't think this will be as tough as 2007, particularly if the forecast holds true and this course gets drenched on Thursday. I think in the end, there will be some good scores and under par may even win this. Spieth said today that if it rains, you'll see guys shooting good scores.

Edited June 14, 2016 by ChrisP

[mvmac]

 

288yard par3. Driveable par3 lol #usopengolf #oakmontcountryclub #crazygolf

A photo posted by Kevin Na⛳PGA TOUR PRO (@kevinna915) on Jun 12, 2016 at 1:38pm PDT

[newtogolf]

7 hours ago, mvmac said:

For the pro's it's not that tough as most can likely hit an iron into it, but for any of the guys I play golf with (including me) a par 3 that length is a nightmare.  

[Chilli Dipper]

1 hour ago, newtogolf said:

For the pro's it's not that tough as most can likely hit an iron into it, but for any of the guys I play golf with (including me) a par 3 that length is a nightmare.  

If conditions are soft on Thursday and Friday, some players may have to hit driver, especially if the pin is in the back.

Still, someone like Jason Day is going to hit a 2-iron all four days. That club served him very well at the Players.

[ChrisP]

It was 288 in 2007, too. I don't think they ever played it to the back tee, though. A lot of times the USGA won't use the far back tees depending on conditions. If it's hard and fast, they might because there's a fairway in front of the green and you can land it 20 yards short and run it up to green. It's not like 13 or 16 where if you hit it short, you're in the hay.

Edited June 14, 2016 by ChrisP

[Chilli Dipper]

6 minutes ago, ChrisP said:

It was 288 in 2007, too. I don't think they ever played it to the back tee, though. A lot of times the USGA won't use the far back tees depending on conditions. If it's hard and fast, they might because there's a fairway in front of the green and you can land it 20 yards short and run it up to green. It's not like 13 or 16 where if you hit it short, you're in the hay.

Par 3s are never played to their maximum distances in any case, just to preserve the tee boxes. If the pin is tucked in front one day, the tee will be up. If it rains one day, the tee will be up. The 288 tee will be used twice, at most.