He was already +10 and going for at least a double, was not trying to sneakily cheat, anyone who is upset by it can seriously go fuck themselves
Literally every fan who has ever golfed before has done the exact same thing. And now we’re mad when a pro does it? I wish pros did shit like us more often
Fans don't get paid to play, pros do. Phil knows better but his frustration forced his hand in a way I'm sure he regrets. Don't care whether he's dq'd, but his "explanation" was bullshit.
I wish all athletes just held in their emotions when they get frustrated. That’s way more relatable for us fans and definitely more entertaining
If anything, he further incriminated himself with his explanation. Not the opposite. He looked retarded doing it. He should’ve been penalized and probably DQ’d. He was also way out of contention at that point so it’s immaterial.
Me neither. Yea he should of been dq'd but I think the we should be looking at it like a pro (one of the best ever) who is playing scores that we shoot, gets mad like us.
Absolutely loved the golf yesterday. Great shots were rewarded, good to average you were making bogey, bad shots were severely penalized.
I loosely follow golf enough to read and occasionally post in this thread. Can anyone explain why the USGA has “ruined” the tournament? Seems like a bunch of dudes are just butthurt they played like shit
The main complaint is that they let the greens dry out too much so they weren't holding even decent shots and then putts weren't rolling true. On top of that they put some pins in spots that were overly difficult to get the ball near on hills or dicey spots like that. Like hole 14 yesterday, the closest approach all day was 39 feet. Guys were taking the smart play to the middle of the green but the ball was landing so hard that it wouldn't stop and run off the back
My big issue is not the greens drying out or the pin placements, it’s the difference between the morning round and afternoon rounds. It was essentially two different courses.
Had to love Phil telling people to toughen up after acting like a huge vagina. Thought the whole thing was hilarious but feel he came off like an idiot afterward.
Pretty obvious Phil just stopped giving a fuck once he was out of contention. If he only said as much, it wouldn’t have turned into such a fiasco.
I thought it was a bad look for Phil, who's been a player I've enjoy watching over the years. He was clearly frustrated, and understandably so, but he made a poor choice and then doubled down on it with a lame explanation. He should have just owned it and this would be a non-story today. As for the real controversy, I don't understand why the USGA keeps taking great courses and tricking them up. By all accounts Shinnicock is hard as fuck on a Tuesday in August, so leave it alone.
Golf folks care. He’s a HOFer and came off as a clown. Golf essentially is a sport built on honesty after all. There is no official watching you play.
Well yes. Point is I’d have no issue if the greens were that dry in the morning. This ain’t brain surgery.
I think you’re missing the point. Shinnecock is the one course on the US Open “rota” where the dryness of the golf course naturally changes from morning to afternoon as long as you have dry, breezy (or more) conditions during the time of play. Consistent conditions are impossible without installing a sub-air system. Or without watering mid-round...which wasn’t gonna happen again after the 2004 fiasco.
What course does not dry out over a day? I realize Shinnecock does more than many others, especially when its windy, but it can be prevented. I feel like your arguing just to argue so I'll drop it. But the USGA can't let the conditions of a course swing that dramatically during a day.
a lot. probably over 100 now. some courses have it on only certain holes and some have portable units.
Future US Open venues announced 2019 -- Pebble Beach 2020 -- Winged Foot 2021 -- Torrey Pines 2022 -- The Country Club 2023 -- Los Angeles Country Club 2024 -- Pinehurst No. 2 2025 -- Oakmont Country Club 2026 -- Shinnecock Hills 2027 -- Pebble Beach Golf Links
That’s got to be such a pain in the ass for an old established course. Do they have to completely tear up the greens? I could see it being pretty prevalent in any newer high end courses.