[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

...Watching this is not much different than watching any other weekly PGA Tour tournament.

I don't feel that way at all. I like the course, and with some cooperation from the weather, the weekend should be very challenging and interesting.

I love the open and still have high hopes for this one...even without some of the top players.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

Sometimes there are external factors that cause players to play poorly. Dustin Johnson just became a father for the second time. He might not have put in the time that usually would for a major.

Jason Day's mother is dying of cancer. He withdrew from one tournament and didn't make the cut in the Masters. I'm sure that his mind is not on his golf.

Bubba has been playing poorly all year. Adam Scott has been inconsistent at best. Rory is just coming back from an injury and is going through an equipment change.

The OWGR does not, IMHO, account enough for recent play. Players don't play for months and retain their position.

Even the greats don't play their best every week.

What I like to see in the majors is the cream rising to the top. What this course is liable to produce is another one hit wonder.

I like to see the best players in the world have to hit it on the fairway in order to make par. I also like to see them have to hit crisp irons to firm greens and have to putt on difficult surfaces in order to win a national championship.

Watching this is not much different than watching any other weekly PGA Tour tournament.

You're entitled to your opinion, which is obviously not shared by everyone.

Even the greatest players in history, were only "one hit wonders" when they won their first major...and until they won their second. Their 'greatness' has to start somewhere.

As far as this being 'any other PGA Tour event'...we must be watching different tournaments.

This is the US Open, one of only four majors a year and where the mental side of the game...becomes as big a component as the course on which they play.

I'm enjoying the heck out of golfers manufacture shots when in trouble and not just watching them constantly hacking out of thick, wet rough...just to get back to the fairway.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I guess your logic escapes me because you can win a major by one lucky stroke on the 72nd hole. So, why then, if two players are tied, they need to come back the next day and play another 18 holes?

I believe The Open has the best playoff format, of using a four-hole aggregate to determine the winner...in case of ties after 72 holes.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I guess your logic escapes me because you can win a major by one lucky stroke on the 72nd hole. So, why then, if two players are tied, they need to come back the next day and play another 18 holes?

A player that makes one shot on the 72 hole has played 71 holes before that.

If two players are tied after 72 holes, they worked hard to get there. I don't see it right that one of them should lose based on one hole.

But back to the original subject matter. Forty -two players under par after 54 holes. The most ever for a US Open. The lowest score ever shot in a UIS Open. A lot of no names in the mix. The USGA blew it with Erin Hills.

I hope they get back to traditional US Open courses and conditions in the future.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

In 120 of US Opens, 5 players have ever gotten to 10 under par at any point in the tournament. Six players are currently at 10 under or better.

Forty-two players are under par. The most ever by a long shot.

Yes, it rained and the course is soft, but it's rained and the courses still held up. I went to the Open in 1974. It rained on Saturday and Sunday the course was still brutal on Sunday. Hale Irwin won at 9 over.

It rained on Saturday at Oakmont in 1973. Yes, Johnny Miller shot 63 and Lanny Wadkins shot 65. The best score after that, however, was 68. And Miller shot eight under to win the tournament at five-under. The leaders after the third round were at four under.

Wide fairways and flat greens result in low scores on the PGA tour.

They also can't make these course long enough today. I agree with Jack Nicklaus that something has to be done about the ball in order to rein in the distance these guys hit it. 7,800 yards and four par fours over 500 yards and some of these players never hit more than a seven iron all day.

When Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus were winning opens they had to hit driver 2 iron to some holes. In fact, I was there when Hale Irwin hit Driver, two iron to the eighteenth at Winged Foot in 1974. That and Nicklaus' one iron to the 17th at Pebble Beach are two of the greatest shots I've ever witnessed.

Today, it's drive wedge, driver wedge driver eight iron. Yes, the players are bigger and stronger.Yes, the clubs are longer. But the biggest factor is the ball. Unless they are going to start making courses over 8,500 yards, they're going to have to do something about the ball if they want to bring all the clubs in the bag into play.

[ColdNoMore]

Much like Augusta, what makes this course special is the opportunity on the finishing holes for players to make the risk/reward decision...and see big swings in their scores.

It's been a great US Open and I can't wait to watch...what happens on the back 9 today.

Those who aren't interested in watching, can always go play one of the extremely daunting executive courses...that we have here in TV.

[Polar Bear]

I agree they should use equipment to rein in distance . I've thought this for a long time. Courses are huge and expensive. They should be able to maintain their difficulty without the need for constant modifications, especially lengthening.

[ColdNoMore]

Well...Koepka it is!


He certainly proved to be the best golfer this week and it wouldn't surprise me, to see him feed off of this and get into the top 5...in the very near future.


Hats off to one heck of a display of power AND touch.


On my next trip to Milwaukee, I will definitely be bringing my sticks and playing what is to me...an awesome looking course.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

Much like Augusta, what makes this course special is the opportunity on the finishing holes for players to make the risk/reward decision...and see big swings in their scores.

It's been a great US Open and I can't wait to watch...what happens on the back 9 today.

Those who aren't interested in watching, can always go play one of the extremely daunting executive courses...that we have here in TV.

Actually, the final three holes were the easiest, second easiest and fourth easiest on the course today. They did not require a lot of risk reward decisions. The fifteenth did, but after that, it was pretty straight forward. And we didn't see a lot of big swings in their scores. Koepke kept making birdies while Harman didn't. Matsuyama had a low round but he was too far behind. Thomas and Fowler just shot themselves out of it early. Rickie didn't look confident at all. He seemed to have a worried look on his face all afternoon. It would have been a shock and a disappointment to see Tommy Fleetwood win, but he made a good showing.

I like Brooks Koepke as the winner. I think we'll see great things from him in the future. It would have been disappointing to see some of the other's win our national championship. We don't need more Jack Flecks or Lucas Glovers winning the US Open.

Hopefully, next year they'll put some teeth in Shinnecock.

As far as the executive courses you really should try to play Amberwood, Oakleigh, Belmont, Pelican, Yankee Clipper Truman and Roosevelt from the back tees if you think that they all that easy.

I'm a decent player and I had to hit several long irons into a lot of holes on those courses. And some of them have some very undulating greens. I played Palmer today from the blue tees and I'd say that those executives that I list are more challenging than Palmer.

[ColdNoMore]

Yeah....OK.

[Fredman]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

Actually, the final three holes were the easiest, second easiest and fourth easiest on the course today. They did not require a lot of risk reward decisions. The fifteenth did, but after that, it was pretty straight forward. And we didn't see a lot of big swings in their scores. Koepke kept making birdies while Harman didn't. Matsuyama had a low round but he was too far behind. Thomas and Fowler just shot themselves out of it early. Rickie didn't look confident at all. He seemed to have a worried look on his face all afternoon. It would have been a shock and a disappointment to see Tommy Fleetwood win, but he made a good showing.

I like Brooks Koepke as the winner. I think we'll see great things from him in the future. It would have been disappointing to see some of the other's win our national championship. We don't need more Jack Flecks or Lucas Glovers winning the US Open.

Hopefully, next year they'll put some teeth in Shinnecock.

As far as the executive courses you really should try to play Amberwood, Oakleigh, Belmont, Pelican, Yankee Clipper Truman and Roosevelt from the back tees if you think that they all that easy.

I'm a decent player and I had to hit several long irons into a lot of holes on those courses. And some of them have some very undulating greens. I played Palmer today from the blue tees and I'd say that those executives that I list are more challenging than Palmer.

What did u shoot on palmer?

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by Fredman

What did u shoot on palmer?

I'm also curious as to the OP's HI.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Fredman

What did u shoot on palmer?

I putted very poorly. The yips have reared their ugly head once again. I was two over on the nine with two three putts. I started out pretty good on the back nine and was even after four holes with yet another three putt and then my legs gave out and I made three bogies and a double.

I don't usually play eighteen holes and I don't usually play championships. I have some physical issues involving my back, lower body and foot where they sort of stop working after too much stress.

When I have played eighteen on the championships in the past, the same thing usually happens. I crap out on about the fourteenth hole.

I played OBH a few weeks ago and the same thing happened. I was even through fourteen and made bogies and doubles coming in.

The reason that I made the comment about some of the execs being more difficult is that on the ones I listed there are several holes that I have to hit a 3 or 4 hybrid. I believe that I hit one five iron and maybe one four hybrid at Pamer. All the rest were between eight iron and sand wedge.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

I'm also curious as to the OP's HI.

I've never had one. I'm a retired PGA professional. I was never a great player, but competed in state opens and section PGA events usually coming in the middle of the pack. I also played on the Space Coast Tour back in the late seventies and got my butt whipped playing against people like Skip Kendall and Scott Dunlap.

I was forced to retire about nine years ago when I sustained a serious injury to my left foot. I was told at that time that the prospects of my playing golf again was unlikely.

I went trough all of the PT and tried to hit balls, but had a very difficult time and was in a lot of pain. That added to the fact that I had undergone three back surgeries, a shoulder operation and a knee operation, I decided to give the game up.

I didn't play for seven years. I hit a few balls here and there to see what it felt like. After living in TV for four years I was feeling pretty good and decided to see if I could play nine holes on the execs. I reasoned that maybe I could make nine or ten swings without being in too much pain. So I started doing that again. I've been back playing for about a year now. I hit balls a few times a week ad I play the execs three or four times.

I go through periods of the putting and chipping yips which has been going on for thirty years or so. I have days where I putt OK and days where I am terrible. I never know what's going to happen when I chip or pitch. Sometimes I hit great shots but I'll often stick the club in the ground behind the ball or skull it over the green.

Ball striking also comes and goes. I hit it a lot shorter than I did ten years ago and I am nowhere as consistent. I've shot as low as three-under on some of the easier execs and as high as five over when I go bad.

This is me.

Jim Fraser, PGA in Lady Lake, FL | PGA Professional | PGA.com

[dewilson58]

Great Open.

Really enjoyed the Tourney and the course.