U.S. Open thread

Mickelson's complaints would hold more weight if Oakmont really were an unfair setup. Thus far, it is not. They'd hold more weight if he'd stood up for his fellow golfers and ripped the setup of Bethpage in 2002 - which was a joke. As I recall, he did not. Wouldn't want to alienate his adoring fans.

Know why this is a good Open? Because there are, right now, 26 guys within 6 shots of the lead, and they're all different kinds of players. Because there are six legitimate birdie holes. Because, unlike Olympic in 98, if you hit a drive in the middle of the fairway, it might actually stay there. And because, unlike Olympic and Shinnecock in 2004, the greens, while unbelievably tough, have not been unfair.

I'm not sure what exactly motivated the USGA to make the courses borderline sickening, starting with Olympic in 98 (right after one of the best Opens in history, Congressional in 97, when four golfers were all within one stroke of each other with five holes to play). But Oakmont looks to be the best tournament since then.

And I think it's quite possible that you'll see some red rounds today among the leaders.

 

Deep grass is deep grass wherever it is, Junkie. Since they're better than we are, I have no problem with that anomaly. Repeat: It's one week a year. To me, a 15 foot putt is a 15 foot putt. Whether it's for par or birdie doesn't matter. It's whether it goes in or not that makes it worth watching.

 

Junkie...

There are 5 or 6 birdie holes on this course. Not birdie opportunities...birdie holes. And those are for any golfer, not just the four golfers in the field with nutso length.

This course is playing so hard largely because of the course setups since 1998. Players are simply not used to the finesse game that has to be player on this setup. We'll see how they adjust over the weekend. Cabrera is playing the best.

As for Bubba Watson...I think he's about to have his Jason Gore moment.

 

Again, this isn't Olympic, where a ball that hits in the middle of the fairway slides off into the rough anyway. If you hit it in the middle, it'll stay.

Anyway, driving is not the issue. The approach shots have been. The green complexes are built to resist a lot of shots that work on usual courses...even some US Open courses.

 

I don't think it's out of line to have one tournament a year when the course is like this.
That it's the Open just makes that cooler.

 

Is it my imagination, or is everyone wearing light blue today?

 

All but the last two groups are on the course and the only two people under par today are Tiger (-2) and Steve Stricker (-1).

 

Junkie, you haven't began to see the dropping of cash.

Hit the merchandise tent during a U.S. Open. Insanity doesn't begin to describe the feeding frenzy to buy $80 shirts and $30 hats.

At Olympic in '98, I actually got a column out of standing in the merchandise tent for an hour, talking to people, talking to the cashiers and just observing. I'll never forget these two old men, who reminded me of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show, sitting calmly on this bench as people rushed by with their baskets of merchandise.

Last year, I went to Winged Foot early in the week on behalf of a client. On Monday, we walked around the course, then he wanted to hit the merchandise tent. We spent nearly an hour there and when the dust and my laundry list was complete, I was $294 lighter... and he had me beat by more than $150.

 

My dad goes to the Masters on the final day just about every year -- a friend gives him a badge -- and he typically heads to the less crowded sections of the course to watch. Then, as the leaders make the turn, he heads home (90 minute drive) so that he can watch the finish on TV. He used to stick around, but he got tired of missing a lot of the action because of the crowds.

 

Casey still going strong -- 2 under after 4.

 

Geez, is Dan Hicks going to go down and give Tiger a hummer? He says Tiger just shot "a brilliant round of 69" but he hasn't said anything about Furyk's 70. And since I've got Furyk in my fantasy lineup this weekend, that's all that counts!