I disagree entirely. They’re scared of pissing off the players with setup. Reality is, the US Open used to be set-up way, way more difficult than it is nowadays. Rough used to be taller. Fairways used to be narrower. And almost all of the renovation work Gil Hanse has done has made those courses easier, especially compared to their Rees Jones iterations.
I don’t think it needs to be at or around par to be successful but I can’t stand the players bitching either. I don’t think they should be appeased.
While I agree with you, we were also all mad like 2 days ago because nobody was going for a par 5 green in two
I think the US Open needs to be decoupled from PGA Tour events in every way. It should be the single tournament that’s resembles the Tour the absolute least. Let players sit out if they don’t like it. Honestly, who is going to sit out? Zach Johnson? Need some more Sandy Tatum in the USGA again. We’re not looking to embarrass the best players in the world. We’re looking to identify them.
Separate the field and identify the best golfer over four days that stresses the players. Idgaf if it is Erin Hills score or over par.
rando major/US Open facts ahead of tomorrow 6 of the last 7 majors held at Oakmont produced a first time major champion 1962 Jack Nicklaus 1973 Johnny Miller 1978 John Mahaffey (this was a PGA) 1994 Ernie Els 2007 Angel Cabrera 2016 Dustin Johnson 1983 Larry Nelson is the outlier; he had won the 1981 PGA something to keep in mind; I mentioned a few weeks ago, this place seems to produce "upsets". Jack over Arnie in 62, Miller over Arnie in 73 (plus Boros, Weiskopf, Trevino, Player, Nicklaus), Ernie in a playoff over Monty and Loren Roberts in 94, The Duck over Tiger in 07. in that sense, it tends to remind me of Olympic and Hazeltine, also known for their upsets over the years also, the last time we saw 5 consecutive majors won by guys who already had a Major was 2000 Masters through 2001 Masters (Vijay, TW x4). prior to that it was 1982 US through 1983 Open (Watson x2, Floyd, Seve, L Nelson, and Tom again) another random tidbit; only 6 times since the start of the OWGR has a top 4 player in the world won the US Open; #4 Strange in 89, #1 TW in 00, 02, 08, #2 Jordan in 15, and #3 Rahm in 21. if you want to expand it to top 5, add in Strange in 88 and Rose in 13. the average OWGR rank of US Open winners 1986-24 is 23.7. 22 of the last 39 US Open winners were outside the world top 10 when they won including 2 of the 3 played at Oakmont (#11 Els, #41 Cabrera; DJ was #6) just sayin, don't be too quick to write Scottie's name in pen this week
also, you better start fast tomorrow. 6 of the 8 US Opens at Oakmont in the modern era saw the eventual champ in the top 10 after 18 holes. and 7 of 8 were top 7 after 36 holes. you aren't likely to chase down a lead on this golf course no matter how many times Johnny reminds folks of his final round 63
Honestly, I have no idea Full transparency, my mom passed away in the early hours of Monday so I haven't put in near the effort l normally would the week of a major
Appreciate the words, fellas. Here's to a fun tournament. She loved major championship golf, so an exciting drama filled 72 holes would have made her week
One of the best parts of the us open is that it’s a mental grind. It’s exhausting and it’s a test of all areas of one’s game. It should be hard. Make guys come close to crying. Trying to make the final score a certain number is wrong, everyone has to play the same course, just make it challenge all parts of the game.
coincidence this would be the 10th year of his LIV deal? started in 2022. he'll be 47 in the summer of 2031
anyone who has played in at least 15 of the last 21 majors (2020-present) Scottie with a 9.9 avg finish lol. Xander at 11.5 is impressive though here's some key figures in history and their competitive years for a frame of reference on Scottie's play since 2020 (spoiler: it's hoganesque)
Had an outside chance to break 40 over 9 holes then had a total meltdown on hole 9. Pulled iron left, chip from rough rolls off green, blade second chip back over green, chip back to about 15 feet, 2 putt.
I knew I was 4 over. Didn’t calculate total strokes. Hit a good shot about pin high, but just closed the face too much and pulled it left. A more enlightened person would say I misjudged the lie from the rough, but in actuality I just got lazy and didn’t do my usual routine before the chips because my short game had been on point mostly (for me). The big takeaway is realizing to commit to each shot, take a deep breath, and stay in it mentally.
They’re actually using a few of the recaptured hole locations. Good for the USGA. That’s new for them.
So Bryson is just going to hit driver into the shit and hope for the best. Don't know why I expected anything else.