Boring U.S. Open

[1ironrocks]

I want the pace of play to speed up big time. Bryson should only get 15-20 seconds to read a putt. If he takes his regular 2-5 minutes then penalize him a stroke each time.

 

[TrapGodEvan]

I think the most interesting thing about this weeks tournament is the USGA turning over the course set up to Wingfoots maitenance after the first day.

 

[blueonblack]

I think the most interesting thing about this weeks tournament is the USGA turning over the course set up to Wingfoots maitenance after the first day.

Had not heard that. The rough was this year's equivalent to the burned out greens getting out of hand.
N.Y. area once again.

I guarantee Jack and friends saw deeper rough in their day, but modern agronomy is grass on steroids now compared to then. It was too thick to allow any sort of meaningful recovery from it quite often, and THAT was a skill that used to be more tested. It's just "gouge" now.

 

[Scorp]

I thought the coverage was terrible. I don't think Azinger is very good. I thought that Bones was great when they went to him. I missed the FOX coverage. I get the need to switch networks and stuff that didn't bother me. I couldn't believe it on Sunday when the tournament was in the balance they went to commercial with the little side window when Wolff and BDC were teeing off then came back and just filled time while they were walking down the fairway. They have to have the capability to manage that better.

Coverage on Golf Channel, NBC, then Peacock. Choose one and stick with it.

And I don't like the "playing through" commercials... splitting the screen and shrinking it down. I can't see golf like that.

And I wasn't fond of the commentators either. Azinger sucks.

 

[Chef23]

Coverage on Golf Channel, NBC, then Peacock. Choose one and stick with it.

And I don't like the "playing through" commercials... splitting the screen and shrinking it down. I can't see golf like that.

And I wasn't fond of the commentators either. Azinger sucks.

NBC isn't going to give it enough time and it won't soon go on a pay channel full time. Golf Channel full time wouldn't bother me but is Peacock a pay channel? It might be the only one I don't have.

 

[TrapGodEvan]

Had not heard that. The rough was this year's equivalent to the burned out greens getting out of hand.
N.Y. area once again.

I guarantee Jack and friends saw deeper rough in their day, but modern agronomy is grass on steroids now compared to then. It was too thick to allow any sort of meaningful recovery from it quite often, and THAT was a skill that used to be more tested. It's just "gouge" now.

It is the US Open so I expect a course that rewards accurate shots and this one did it. The rough was thick but you had to be pretty far offline to be in the thick stuff. I think the last three days of the course were set up really well.
It is also interesting that Bryson had a strategy of just hitting the ball as far as he could as he knew that it was hard to be in the fairway on this course and that everyone would be hitting recovery shots. He wanted his recovery shots to be shorter and it ultimately paid off.

 

[blueonblack]

It is the US Open so I expect a course that rewards accurate shots and this one did it. The rough was thick but you had to be pretty far offline to be in the thick stuff. I think the last three days of the course were set up really well.
It is also interesting that Bryson had a strategy of just hitting the ball as far as he could as he knew that it was hard to be in the fairway on this course and that everyone would be hitting recovery shots. He wanted his recovery shots to be shorter and it ultimately paid off.

I don't mean to take ANYTHING away from Bryson. His game is super impressive and was so long before this narrative around him started.

It's not just THIS tournament, but hasn't anyone else just sat back and noticed over the last few years the SIZE of the avg PGA tour guy getting to the top of leaderboards? They're about 6'3" and 230. Rahm, etc. Tom Kite winning again? Not a chance in HELL. These guys are all linebackers now with the same short career span.

A few courses remain on tour for the "ballstrikers." Harbor Town and Webb Simpson, for example.

 

[blueonblack]

Bryson is juicing. (Oh gawd the pitchforks, the torches! Have mercy on me!!)

The Tour's doping program is very hush-hush, and ultimately, the commish and maybe a few select people know the real deal.
There, I said it. The signs are all there. I was a big baseball guy for years. Its so blatant.

I think Rory is saying, "I don't wanna go there." In different words. Because he can't say it.

 

[TrapGodEvan]

I don't mean to take ANYTHING away from Bryson. His game is super impressive and was so long before this narrative around him started.

It's not just THIS tournament, but hasn't anyone else just sat back and noticed over the last few years the SIZE of the avg PGA tour guy getting to the top of leaderboards? They're about 6'3" and 230. Rahm, etc. Tom Kite winning again? Not a chance in HELL. These guys are all linebackers now with the same short career span.

A few courses remain on tour for the "ballstrikers." Harbor Town and Webb Simpson, for example.

Collin Morikawa would like to have a word with you...
I think hitting the ball far has its advantages but I think accurate iron play is and always will be the biggest factor in winning on the tour.

 

[blueonblack]

Collin Morikawa would like to have a word with you...
I think hitting the ball far has its advantages but I think accurate iron play is and always will be the biggest factor in winning on the tour.

So would a lot of young guys that can swing it hard, FOR NOW. Colin is 21. Do we care enough for these guys to allow them to have a career long enough so that they can challenge all time records too?
Colin's body is not set up for the abuse it will take to do it long term out there. That is part of the Bryson formula.
Perfect example, thanks.
Colin Morikawa. Cut. +7.

 

[golfinnut]

I enjoyed it. The first round was more like a Masters or PGA scoring wise so I was pretty disappointed about that. The others 3 rounds turned back into a typical U.S. Open. Bryson was just better than everybody else throughout the tournament so you can't fault the man for that. The fact that everyone else was Even or over par proves it was a stern U.S. Open test, as it should be for a major IMO.

exactly
This is the way a US Open should be ... a brutal test of your skills, both mentally & physically. That way whoever comes out on top, is the best of the best that week. I enjoy watching the course beat them up for at least a weekend.
Now we can all go back to the -20 under & on a "58" watch that everyone enjoys so much.

 

[blueonblack]

By the way, it takes skill to hit a certain spot on those greens, but do you notice how they can funnel it into the cups once on the green?

Plays right into taking some of the putting OUT of the equation. Also lessens iron and wedge errors to some extent.
Mr. Morikawa would like to have a word...
Bryson didn't have a complaint at all.

 

[OITW]

I think it was a mix of the venue and the lack of fans. You can't begin US Open week, showing off these ridiculously firm and fast greens and rough as much as a foot long on some parts of the course, and then having 27? people shoot under par in the first round? Yes, they recovered the rest of the weekend, but man. That's a tough look to come back from.

agreed

 

[blueonblack]

Grow the rough like this at Augusta. See what you get.

 

[JMB3]

I enjoyed this major. I had Bryson in a pickem bet so that may have made it more interesting. Watching Wolff rise and fall was entertaining even though I cannot stand his swing. Xander had a shot but the eagles by Wolff and Bryson were too much and he faded down the stretch.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Grow the rough like this at Augusta. See what you get.

I have been saying that for years. Heck grow it half of what they have at U.S. Opens. It is major after all.

 

[TrapGodEvan]

So would a lot of young guys that can swing it hard, FOR NOW. Colin is 21. Do we care enough for these guys to allow them to have a career long enough so that they can challenge all time records too?
Colin's body is not set up for the abuse it will take to do it long term out there. That is part of the Bryson formula.
Perfect example, thanks.
Colin Morikawa. Cut. +7.

You previously said on tour and now your just talking about this event. Bryson has missed cuts this year at his size.
The players on tour today are for sure a different type of athlete than previously so longevity will be something we will have to wait and see about. I think Bryson and Morikowa both will have long successful careers going about the game in different ways. The strength training aspect of swinging hard will prevent injuries and encourage longevity.

 

[skujan]

Let's hope Bryson has been tested for PEDs. It's like he was super-human, even with the putter. You have to question any athlete that makes a dramatic change to their body in order to get an advantage. Seriously, how do you do that naturally?

Perhaps the rough was too high and only a few would figure out how to deal with it.

For the most part the coverage was terrible and I had to mute the TV in order to hang in there.

 

[BigMac]

I don't mean to take ANYTHING away from Bryson. His game is super impressive and was so long before this narrative around him started.

It's not just THIS tournament, but hasn't anyone else just sat back and noticed over the last few years the SIZE of the avg PGA tour guy getting to the top of leaderboards? They're about 6'3" and 230. Rahm, etc. Tom Kite winning again? Not a chance in HELL. These guys are all linebackers now with the same short career span.

A few courses remain on tour for the "ballstrikers." Harbor Town and Webb Simpson, for example.

Collin Morikawa, Xander Schaufelle, Matt Wolff, Louis Oosthuizen, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson are all holding on Line 1 for you. More calls still coming in....

 

[blueonblack]

Collin Morikawa, Xander Schaufelle, Matt Wolff, Louis Oosthuizen, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson are all holding on Line 1 for you. More calls still coming in....

Young guys all.
Except for Bubba. He's lanky and weird body like me. Just natural.
Louis? Falling apart. Rory? Saying "uncle" yesterday.
Morikawa? +7.
Xander? 10 shots back. (With game very much on point.)
Webb, 9 shots back. (Took some of the best golf of his life to do it.)
Berger? 19 shots back. ((19 shots back!!))

Remember when Bubba was the long guy? Now he's on the list of supposed short hitters?! Rory is short now?

Keep 'em coming, you guys are proving my points very nicely for me.

 

[Bjornjorg]

I'm glad I had it recorded. I could literally hit the fast forward 30 sec button once after he got to the ball, and once after he pulled a club in the fairway before DeChambeau hit his shot and not miss a thing. Then I could hit it twice after he put his ball back on the green by the mark and not miss his putt. Too slow IMO

 

[blueonblack]

You previously said on tour and now your just talking about this event. Bryson has missed cuts this year at his size.
The players on tour today are for sure a different type of athlete than previously so longevity will be something we will have to wait and see about. I think Bryson and Morikowa both will have long successful careers going about the game in different ways. The strength training aspect of swinging hard will prevent injuries and encourage longevity.

You took one miniscule point of what I said. I don't do straw man.

 

[BigMac]

Young guys all.
Except for Bubba. He's lanky and weird body like me. Just natural.
Louis? Falling apart. Rory? Saying "uncle" yesterday.
Morikawa? +7.
Xander? 10 shots back. (With game very much on point.)
Webb, 9 shots back. (Took some of the best golf of his life to do it.)
Berger? 19 shots back. ((19 shots back!!))

Remember when Bubba was the long guy? Now he's on the list of supposed short hitters?!

Keep 'em coming, you guys are proving my points very nicely for me.

I guess if you want to use one tournament to prove your point, you win. That's viewing things with a pretty narrow lens, but whatever. At least it gave you a few more posts.

 

[HipCheck]

Young guys all.
Except for Bubba. He's lanky and weird body like me. Just natural.
Louis? Falling apart. Rory? Saying "uncle" yesterday.
Morikawa? +7.
Xander? 10 shots back. (With game very much on point.)
Webb, 9 shots back. (Took some of the best golf of his life to do it.)
Berger? 19 shots back. ((19 shots back!!))

Remember when Bubba was the long guy? Now he's on the list of supposed short hitters?!

Keep 'em coming, you guys are proving my points very nicely for me.

Rory could have the poorest putting/wedge game for someone as talented as he is.

For 2020, he was 64th SG around the green and 122nd in putting. If you look back, he constantly is near the bottom of the list in SG putting. It's crazy.

 

[blueonblack]

I guess if you want to use one tournament to prove your point, you win. That's viewing things with a pretty narrow lens, but whatever. At least it gave you a few more posts.

The time and mental energy it took to look up those results, make a very well thought-out conversation for this place and specifically to your response, and that's all ya got for me?
Take your ball and go home then, seriously. That's just plain rude bully behavior.