U.S. Open Final Round Underway

[Bully13]

4 guys tied for 1st including Dustin Johnson and all are 3 over. Gonna be fun to watch this course eat their asses alive. There have been a flurry of birdies this morning turning stragglers into lurkers with a ton within striking distance.

Phil had an uncharacteristic melt on the putting green where he ran one by the hole and he intentionally ran up to the ball while it continued it's down hill roll and hit it while it was still moving for an additional 2 shot penalty. he took a 10 on that hole.

[Coursesuper]

4 guys tied for 1st including Dustin Johnson and all are 3 over. Gonna be fun to watch this course eat their asses alive. There have been some birdies recorded so far this morning though from some who have gone from stragglers to lurkers.

As usual the USGA let the course get away from them yesterday and are playing catchup today. They laid the water to the greens last night and the hole locations are much more friendly today, someone is going to go low today.

[sleepy dawg]

I watched most of Saturday and Sunday coverage. As a fan, they can't make it too hard to me. I know it frustrates these guys b/c they're used to being in total control and don't know how to respond to adversity like athletes who have to compete against each other rather than a course. I love actually seeing the best in the world have a challenge once a year and will absolutely be tuning in next year and hope they keep it just as hard.

[RocketDawg]

As usual the USGA let the course get away from them yesterday and are playing catchup today. They laid the water to the greens last night and the hole locations are much more friendly today, someone is going to go low today.

Prophetic. Tommy Fleetwood had a 63, tying the record for a major. Really should have been a stroke or two lower, but you can probably say the same about the other record holders.

He seems like a nice enough guy. I thought there was a good chance for a playoff when Koepka hooked his second shot into the grandstand area, but he got a good bounce and played it well from there.

[thf24]

I watched most of Saturday and Sunday coverage. As a fan, they can't make it too hard to me. I know it frustrates these guys b/c they're used to being in total control and don't know how to respond to adversity like athletes who have to compete against each other rather than a course. I love actually seeing the best in the world have a challenge once a year and will absolutely be tuning in next year and hope they keep it just as hard.

I agree to a point, but there are times like yesterday where it crosses a line from challenging to unfair. Questionablely difficult pin placements combined with the greens getting away from them caused a lot of great shots to be penalized instead of rewarded. That shouldn?t happen.

[Coursesuper]

I agree to a point, but there are times like yesterday where it crosses a line from challenging to unfair. Questionablely difficult pin placements combined with the greens getting away from them caused a lot of great shots to be penalized instead of rewarded. That shouldn?t happen.

Exactly, it's the US open it's supposed to be a hard true test. But yesterday was just dumb, Mike Davis needs to just walk away from it and let a professional handle things. No room for amateurs here. I've dealt the USGA reps and PGA reps numerous times in my career and I'll take a PGA guy ten times out of ten.

[Dawg61]

I watched most of Saturday and Sunday coverage. As a fan, they can't make it too hard to me. I know it frustrates these guys b/c they're used to being in total control and don't know how to respond to adversity like athletes who have to compete against each other rather than a course. I love actually seeing the best in the world have a challenge once a year and will absolutely be tuning in next year and hope they keep it just as hard.

US Open is my favorite tournament because it's so difficult but I don't enjoy when they make the greens so ridiculous that putts role off the back. Not a big fan of the crested greens where you either have to hit it absolutely perfect or you're chipping it from 40 yards off the green. Make the rough thick and make the course long but don't over do it with impossible greens and pin placements. Josh Brolin aka Brooks Koepka is ridiculous and his confidence is the most impressive part of his game.

[RocketDawg]

US Open is my favorite tournament because it's so difficult but I don't enjoy when they make the greens so ridiculous that putts role off the back. Not a big fan of the crested greens where you either have to hit it absolutely perfect or you're chipping it from 40 yards off the green. Make the rough thick and make the course long but don't over do it with impossible greens and pin placements. Josh Brolin aka Brooks Koepka is ridiculous and his confidence is the most impressive part of his game.

I pretty much agree with what you said, and yesterday was pushing the limit a bit. They might have overdone the watering a bit overnight though, but then the winds didn't come as forecast. What I'm wondering is ... how do they ever get a course to host the tournament when they come in and abuse the place like that? Surely they have to pay for a renovation to make it playable again. I don't see how those greens could come back to normal without redoing. Fairways looked OK. Nothing was as bad as Chambers Bay though ... that place was a cow pasture.

[Dawg61]

I pretty much agree with what you said, and yesterday was pushing the limit a bit. They might have overdone the watering a bit overnight though, but then the winds didn't come as forecast. What I'm wondering is ... how do they ever get a course to host the tournament when they come in and abuse the place like that? Surely they have to pay for a renovation to make it playable again. I don't see how those greens could come back to normal without redoing. Fairways looked OK. Nothing was as bad as Chambers Bay though ... that place was a cow pasture.

Shinnecock Hills has made hundreds of millions by being the US Open course several times. They might lose money the 6 months surrounding the tournament (doubtful) but they more than make up for it the next decade from the notoriety it gets. Most if not all US Open courses are public so the fans can play them after they've seen them on tv. I know Pebble Beach has over a year long waiting list to get a reservation every year and a round there takes like 5 hours for something like $500 a person just for greens fee. These courses are making bank.

[Lord McBuckethead]

And everyone is competing in the same conditions. I don't see an issue.

[Dawg61]

And everyone is competing in the same conditions. I don't see an issue.

Not on Saturday they weren't. Berger and Finnau teed off 5 hours before the leaders and both posted a 66. They were both tied for the lead after the original leaders finished their sounds on Saturday. Berger and Finnau had the final pairing on Sunday. That's unheard of and shouldn't happen. The course got exponentially more difficult after the greens dried out and the winds picked up. Dustin Johnson had 37 putts. Ouch

[Coursesuper]

And everyone is competing in the same conditions. I don't see an issue.

That's just it the course in the morning and the course in the afternoon were completely different. It could still be gotten in the AM in the afternoon it was next to impossible due to the setup and the green speeds getting away from them.

[RocketDawg]

That's just it the course in the morning and the course in the afternoon were completely different. It could still be gotten in the AM in the afternoon it was next to impossible due to the setup and the green speeds getting away from them.

I don't remember where it was, but the last time that happened didn't they come in and water the greens during the middle of the round?

[Coursesuper]

I don't remember where it was, but the last time that happened didn't they come in and water the greens during the middle of the round?

Shinny in 2004. Same place, same guys same poor decisions. The USGA pushed the envelope at Pinehurst went to far at Chambers Bay and then dialed it to far back at Erin Hills last year.

[RocketDawg]

Shinny in 2004. Same place, same guys same poor decisions. The USGA pushed the envelope at Pinehurst went to far at Chambers Bay and then dialed it to far back at Erin Hills last year.

Chambers Bay was the worst excuse for a professional tournament golf course I've ever seen. I don't think it would be in good shape regardless of what they did.

A tidbit: During the women's US Open a couple of weeks ago, they said the USGA had never had a lift/clean/place situation in any tournament.