OT - US Open

[whaler11]

What does this mean? Did he complain about hole placement or something?
Far as I can tell, Speith is nowhere near as marketable as McIlroy, who is fun to watch and has a ton of personality. Jason Day and a couple other players are also very marketable.

Yes he complained about 18 as a par 4 and the USGA used the wind as an excuse to make it a 5 on Sunday.

The United States Golf Association is interested in marketing Rory McIlroy? Jason Day? You do know they aren't from the United States right?

Pretty much every legitimate golf writer talked about it this morning - as they say you could look it up.

 

[storrsroars]

Pinball greens? Wait til next year when it's at Oakmont. They will be impeccably manicured and as fast and slick as you can imagine. Players will be begging for greens as forgiving and manageable as they had this week.

You're confusing "pinball" with "pool table" (or as Gary McCord would put it, "bikini waxed"). The latter is slick and fast, the former means the ball goes in here and ends up there due to the aggressive contouring.

If I'm still living here next year, I'll be at Oakmont. It's only a half hour drive. Sadly, I've lived here 13 years and still haven't met a single member who'd invite me for a round.

 

[jleves]

For all the angst about the tournament being played on that course, holy crap - what more can you ask for? 4 guys tied for the lead on the final day, the lead going back and forth and when Spieth teed of on 18, it was a three way tie. Scores not reaching double digits before Saturday of a major - check. As much was made about the greens and the length of the course, it came down to the best putter winning, not the longest. Great putters can put on concrete (actually something I heard Tiger did before the Masters a long time ago).

Dustin is really fun to watch drive the ball and his touch out of bunkers is amazing for a guy his size, but his putting sucks and his ability to manage pressure is not great (it's not all that bad, but obviously not championship level). He gave up 2 or 3 shot leads every afternoon since Friday. I was actually surprised he had a chance at the end. I would have thought he would have blundered his way out of it earlier. Actually, Spieth's complete decimation of 17 was the only reason Dustin had a chance - he had shot himself out.

And how can you not like Spieth - great kid, respect for the game, respect for history and the guy is just freakin clutch when it matters.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Yes he complained about 18 as a par 4 and the USGA used the wind as an excuse to make it a 5 on Sunday.

Interesting, but how does it matter? They could make it a par-8 and the results are the same, no?

 

[whaler11]

Interesting, but how does it matter? They could make it a par-8 and the results are the same, no?

Seriously? Is this a real question?

They don't just change the scoring- they change the tee and Speith can't play a short iron in when it's a 4.

 

[TasteofUConn]

They don't just change the scoring- they change the tee and Speith can't play a short iron in when it's a 4.

Well then what they're doing is changing the distance, which is not what you said. The par is irrelevant. The distance is crucial.

 

[storrsroars]

Interesting, but how does it matter? They could make it a par-8 and the results are the same, no?

Speith complained that when it was a par 4, there was no place to land a drive unless you could hit it 310 on the fly. The distance difference was in which tee boxes they used.

 

[jleves]

Imagine you're Jordan Spieth. You've just won the Masters and US Open and you no longer need to worry about your receding hair line at 21.

 

[whaler11]

Well then what they're doing is changing the distance, which is not what you said. The par is irrelevant. The distance is crucial.

Good lord you really doubled down?

They can play the hole two ways. As a 4 or a 5. The USGA was on the record saying they wanted to play it as a 4 on Sunday...

Magically after Speith's complaints they made it a 5 and blamed the wind forecast.

Maybe notice how many international players have won the last 11 US Opens and maybe notice the fans chanting USA when Speith looked like he was going to win late.

Then maybe make the connection they gave him an advantage he asked for because almost everyone else on tour can carry the drive.

 

[formerlurker]

And they conspired to make DJ the bed.

Shark said on Friday that there was no "par" 45 years ago. You played 72 holes, counted your score and the lowest score won. That's exactly how the game is played today aside from the stupid practice of deciding a random "par" figure for each hole on every track.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Then maybe make the connection they gave him an advantage he asked for because almost everyone else on tour can carry the drive.

Dude's 21, just won his 2nd major, and he's already got haters. Unreal.
Stay with me on this. Par is irrelevant. Distance matters.

 

[formerlurker]

Dude's 21, just won his 2nd major, and he's already got haters. Unreal.
Stay with me on this. Par is irrelevant. Distance matters.

 

[whaler11]

Dude's 21, just won his 2nd major, and he's already got haters. Unreal.
Stay with me on this. Par is irrelevant. Distance matters.

Pointing out you are beyond clueless doesn't make someone a Speith hater.

You've gone from assuming they just change the par on the hole without changing the setup to the USGA marketing guys from Northern Ireland and Australia to talking out of your a** with no understanding of how it impacted a player.... and got likes for your total and complete ignorance on the topic.

Instead of hitting google and actually better understanding what happened you actually told me to 'stay with you'. That's pretty impressive.

 

[jleves]

Good lord you really doubled down?

They can play the hole two ways. As a 4 or a 5. The USGA was on the record saying they wanted to play it as a 4 on Sunday...

Magically after Speith's complaints they made it a 5 and blamed the wind forecast.

Maybe notice how many international players have won the last 11 US Opens and maybe notice the fans chanting USA when Speith looked like he was going to win late.

Then maybe make the connection they gave him an advantage he asked for because almost everyone else on tour can carry the drive.

OK - I guess I am confused. If they make it a par 5 that means they move the tee back to make it a longer hole and thus a longer drive needed to carry the bunkers. As a par 4 they move the tees up so it's easier to carry. I have no idea how it gives a slightly shorter player an advantage to move the tees back. Maybe I'm mistaken about this and there is something else in play, but longer doesn't make sense to me as an advantage to Spieth.

Honestly it gives a player behind more opportunity to catch up - particularly if he's a longer hitter just as we saw today. Justin was hitting a hybrid into the green and Dustin was hitting a short iron. Advantage longer hitter who was behind.

And for the record - if you listen to the audio from Spieth, he doesn't call it the stupidest hole he ever played, he is saying it's the stupidest he's ever played a hole. The media just twisted it to make a story. Seriously, I'm sure you can find it on the net - he is not calling it the stupidest hole ever.

Finally if they have more majors at this course, I hope they keep the 18th as a par 5 on the final day every time - it made for very dramatic final hole major tournament action.

 

[whaler11]

OK - I guess I am confused. If they make it a par 5 that means they move the tee back to make it a longer hole and thus a longer drive needed to carry the bunkers. As a par 4 they more the tees up so it's easier to carry. I have no idea how it gives a slightly shorter player an advantage to more the tees back. Maybe I'm mistaken about this and there is something else in play, but longer doesn't make sense to me as an advantage to Spieth.

Honestly it gives a player behind more opportunity to catch up - particularly if he's a longer hitter just as we saw today. Justin was hitting a hybrid into the green and Dustin was hitting a short iron. Advantage longer hitter who was behind.

And for the record - if you listen to the audio from Spieth, he doesn't call it the stupidest hole he ever played, he is saying it's the stupidest he's ever played a hole. The media just twisted it to make a story. Seriously, I'm sure you can find it on the net - he is not calling it the stupidest hole ever.

Finally if they have more majors at this course, I hope they keep the 18th as a par 5 on the final day every time - it made for very dramatic final hole major tournament action.

If they set it up as a par 4 most guys on tour can play driver then 8/9 iron.

Speith can't.

 

[whaler11]

The record is quite clear on Speith's opinion. He threatened to play it into the first fairway if they made it a 4.

 

[formerlurker]

Pointing out you are beyond clueless doesn't make someone a Speith hater.

You've gone from assuming they just change the par on the hole without changing the setup to the USGA marketing guys from Northern Ireland and Australia to talking out of your a** with no understanding of how it impacted a player.... and got likes for your total and complete ignorance on the topic.

Instead of hitting google and actually better understanding what happened you actually told me to 'stay with you'. That's pretty impressive.

Your dumbf^ckery on the Football Board made me curious about what you post here on your own turf.

Haha!

You're just kind of a , huh?

 

[whaler11]

Your dumbf^ckery on the Football Board made me curious about what you post here on your own turf.

Haha!

You're just kind of a , huh?

Yeah I have a severe aversion to stupidity.

 

[Fishy]

I'm not a golfer, so I don't actually know the answer....

But didn't Spieth and Johnson both basically end up with the same putt for eagle?

It took them both two shots to get to where they were...so, what's the difference?

 

[jleves]

If they set it up as a par 4 most guys on tour can play driver then 8/9 iron.

Speith can't.

And as a par 5 Dustin can play a drive and a short iron and Spieth couldn't - he used a hybrid. And he still used fewer strokes. Better putter and pressure player won. Not sure what the issue is.

 

[jleves]

I'm not a golfer, so I don't actually know the answer....

But didn't Spieth and Johnson both basically end up with the same putt for eagle?

It took them both two shots to get to where they were...so, what's the difference?

Actually not the same. Same distance, maybe Johnson's was a bit shorter, but Spieth put himself into a position for a much easier 2 putt. Going up the hill is way easier than coming down the hill. That and Dustin missed so many 4 to 5 foot puts it was ridiculous. He's just not a good putter and started from a more difficult position after 2.

 

[whaler11]

I'm not a golfer, so I don't actually know the answer....

But didn't Spieth and Johnson both basically end up with the same putt for eagle?

It took them both two shots to get to where they were...so, what's the difference?

The difference would be the hole would be played completely differently if they set it up as they claimed they would before his complaints.

From where the tees are set up as a par 4 Speith would be disadvantaged because he can't reach the ideal landing spot.

That DJ gagged the tournament away isn't really related. That the USGA reacted to his comments is interesting.

 

[Fishy]

Actually not the same. Same distance, maybe Johnson's was a bit shorter, but Spieth put himself into a position for a much easier 2 put. Going up the hill is way easier than coming down the hill. That and Dustin missed so many 4 to 5 foot puts it was ridiculous. He's just not a good putter and started from a more difficult position after 2.

Oh, for f---'s sake, you're more confused than I am.

 

[whaler11]

And as a par 5 Dustin can play a drive and a short iron and Spieth couldn't - he used a hybrid. And he still used fewer strokes. Better putter and pressure player won. Not sure what the issue is.

The issue seems clear. The USGA shouldn't change how they announced the course was going to be set up off the comments of someone at the top of the leaderboard.

 

[whaler11]

If 18 is set up as a par 4 Johnson has a better chance of making up a stroke on Speith than if it's set up as a 5. That Johnson gagged away the tournament with his putter is immaterial.

It has nothing to do with par it has everything to do with the difficulty of their second shot based on how the hole is set up.