[BarryRX]

So far Pinehurst is a bit of a paper tiger. Not only is the course playing soft because of some rain, but how they've redone the rough since the last time the open was there is not working out. I'm used to seeing a US Open where if you don't drive it in the fairway, you're not going to make the green on your second shot. The turtle backed greens are still just as tough to hit and hold as before. It's still early, but nobody is making a run at Martin Klaymer and he is playing brilliantly. I can't remember ever seeing two players taking two stroke penalties for playing each others balls instead of their own. It will be an interesting weekend if the course dries out.

[coloradotim]

Originally Posted by BarryRX

So far Pinehurst is a bit of a paper tiger. Not only is the course playing soft because of some rain, but how they've redone the rough since the last time the open was there is not working out. I'm used to seeing a US Open where if you don't drive it in the fairway, you're not going to make the green on your second shot. The turtle backed greens are still just as tough to hit and hold as before. It's still early, but nobody is making a run at Martin Klaymer and he is playing brilliantly. I can't remember ever seeing two players taking two stroke penalties for playing each others balls instead of their own. It will be an interesting weekend if the course dries out.

I agree - it seems like they turned the US Open into a regular tournament. Yesterday I saw Phil Mickelson miss the fairway by a lot on one hole but he had a good lie in the "dirt" that Pinehurst has now instead of thick rough. His second shot easily made the green. Under classic US Open courses Mickelson would have been in much more trouble, probably having to chip out to the fairway with a 3rd shot to the green.

I was watching ESPN's pretourney special and Andy North was saying when you miss the fairway at Pinehurst its a matter of luck on how good your lie will be - it could be quite good (like Mickelson's on that one hole). Under classic US Open courses if you miss the fairway you are going to be in deep, thick rough.

I prefer the thick rough US Open courses, like when Hale Irwin won with a 7 over par score at Winged Foot in 1974. Pinehurst still has its challenges, like lightning fast greens, but it just doesn't seem like a US Open to me.

[aln]

I agree with both of you. Just to add that I think Pinehurst was just too young. The remake hasn't grown in yet. When it matures it'll probably be more like Whistling Straits (where Kaymer won the PGA).

[BarryRX]

Well, as predicted, conditions are very different on Saturday. It's starting to look like a US Open. Greens are lightning fast and the holes are in tougher positions. Now the only question is if Kaymer is too far in front to be caught.

[chuckinca]

Only 2 players of the 67 remaining shot under par on Saturday!

.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I really look forward to watching this tournament every year and yes, this is a huge disappointment for all of the reasons mentioned. It's not usually good to see a player running away with any tournament unless they are making history. It's also disappointing that the course is playing so easy. The greens being so soft are of course a big reason and there's not much they can do about that. But the biggest thing is that there is virtually no rough. The "stuff' as they call is is not very effective in stopping these guys from scoring. It seems that there's about a 95% chance of getting a good lie when they hit it in there. This is demonstrated by an interview I heard the other day. I think it was Matt Kuchar, but it could have been someone else. They asked why this player who has never had any kind of success in past US Opens was suddenly doing well at Pinehurst. the player got a big smile on his face and said, "No rough" with a look that showed that he was surprised that the interviewer didn't understand that.

[Villager Audio Video]

Are we watching the same tournament? 156 of the best players on the planet and 6 are under par after 54 holes.

"Disappointing that the course is playing so easy?"

[chuckinca]

[rubicon]

NBC won't be happy if Kaymer runs away with the Open bad drama you know.
NBC lost the Open and other USGA events after 20 years to FOX Sports. Joe Buck and Greg Norman will be lead announcers.
since this is NBC's final season you may want to stick around to watch the networks sign off today.

As for play , the USGA , et al wanted it to be more difficult hence more drama to attract viewers. Clearly broadcaster and the golf industry are concerned about attracting people to the sport. "The "while I am young"commercials continues in order to make the game faster and blunt one of the prime complaints by consumers.

I believe in ready golf but gosh I tired of the wham bam thank you mam attitude of pushing people off the course nmd I tired of dumbing down the game

P.S. I thought Pinehurst 2 played very hard and didn't much like the native rough or stuff

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by TheVillagesAV.com

Are we watching the same tournament? 156 of the best players on the planet and 6 are under par after 54 holes.

"Disappointing that the course is playing so easy?"

While that may be true, the scoring average is almost four strokes lower than previous years. It's almost two strokes lower than it was last years on a 6900 yard Merion.
This is also a course where a five stroke lead is not safe as it is very susceptible to low rounds. I don't think that Kaymer will fold, but if he doesn't shoot under par today, it's possible for someone to come from four or five back and catch him.

Usually the US Open is an event that we watch waiting for someone to completely collapse. It's normally an event that the winner survives rather then wins. That doesn't seem to be the case this year.

[coloradotim]

Originally Posted by rubicon

NBC won't be happy if Kaymer runs away with the Open bad drama you know.
NBC lost the Open and other USGA events after 20 years to FOX Sports. Joe Buck and Greg Norman will be lead announcers.
since this is NBC's final season you may want to stick around to watch the networks sign off today.

I didn't know NBC was losing the US Open. I saw on Friday ESPN is losing the first two rounds of coverage, too (Chris Berman gave a sendoff message at the end of Friday's telecast). I figured at the time that NBC was going to move the first two rounds coverage to NBC Sports Network, but with this news I guess it'll all be on Fox next year.

Andy North on ESPN said the pin placements were much tougher on Saturday. That combined with the drier conditions led to higher scores.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Johnny Miller just made an interesting observation. The announcers were talking about how, although the greens are fast and faster than they have been for the first three rounds, they are not scary fast like they usually are in the US Open. Miller suggested that the USGA may be keeping them green and watering them so that the course in not toast for the Women's US Open that begins next Thursday on the same course.

I have friends who have worked at US Open courses and I've played them on the Monday following the Open when the leave the tees and holes in the same position so that members and a few guests can try it out. I can tell you that when the event ends, the course is destroyed. Many need to be completely rebuilt. The greens are allowed to completely dry out and the fairways are not much better. The USGA wants balls that are not driven perfectly to run into the rough.

The fairways in Pinehurst #2 have been widened considerably because of the fact that they removed all the rough. They are much easier to hit than in previous Opens and the penalty for missing them is not so severe. The "stuff" is a crap shoot, but by my observation, it hasn't been very penal for most of the players. It seems that you have to get very unlucky to get a bad lie in it.

BTW, I never root against anyone and whoever wins will be a great champion, but how can you not root for Erik Compton. If he were to win, they'd make a movie about him.

[Bruiser1]

Had to laugh when one of the announcers (Roger Maltby) was watching the competitive play of the 2nd & 3rd place players. Something like "this would be a heck of a tournament if Martin Kaymer wasn't in it".

Make sure you spell his name right on the trophy. Put a fork in it -this one is over!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Congratulation ot Martin Kaymer. He played great and is a deserving champion.
With this victory he surpasses the record of his idol Bernhard Langher.

Too bad no one made a run on him to keep this from being the snooze fest that it was.