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Players Boycott US Open

fupresti said:
Can someone point me in the direction of any stories about how the USGA screwed up the US Women's Open, The US Amateur or the US Mid-AM?

I'll wait.
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The USGA doesn't do anywhere near the same thing to courses for those events that they do for the US Open. Since Merion is used so often as an example, they completely changed the course. Players said after the Chambers Bay debacle that half the field knew it would come down to missing a short putt because the greens were completely ruined. Players, coaches and so many others have been speaking out about this for about 10 years now, with it getting louder in the last 3-4.
 
JB said:
The USGA doesn't do anywhere near the same thing to courses for those events that they do for the US Open. Since Merion is used so often as an example, they completely changed the course. Players said after the Chambers Bay debacle that half the field knew it would come down to missing a short putt because the greens were completely ruined. Players, coaches and so many others have been speaking out about this for about 10 years now, with it getting louder in the last 3-4.
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here is my issue, everyone is playing the same course regardless of what the USGA does to it. Yes, the USGA has had a few hiccups but at the end of the day the problem is the PGA tour players are still competing against others on the same playing field.
 
fupresti said:
here is my issue, everyone is playing the same course regardless of what the USGA does to it. Yes, the USGA has had a few hiccups but at the end of the day the problem is the PGA tour players are still competing against others on the same playing field.
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They have been vocal about that very thing. In some eyes, it comes a point where it is not golf. It is some tricked out thing to prove a point. The Golf World piece was quite good at outlining all of the issues and how many players, former players, etc stand on the issues. Its definitely not about thick rough and faster greens.
 
JB said:
While it is not going to happen this year, there is some smoke out there that many of the top players were ready to boycott the US Open. DJ, Rory, Phil and many others are said to be on this list. What are your thoughts?
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This will only make an impact if many of the top players do it. It won't matter if 2 or 3 do it. If 8 or 9 of the top 10, 15 of the top 20, 40 of the top 50, or some such number do it, then that'll make a difference.

If Rory and DJ are the only top 10 players sitting out, it'll have no affect on anything.
 
I'm in the minority here but I'm with the players on this. It is unfortunate that they come off as whining to so many but they have valid points. The hubris of the USGA is unbounded. They come in and set up one professional event for the men every year. They do not listen to the experts from the Tour who do this week in and week out. They do not listen to the local superintendents who know the course like the back of their hand. The USGA is so obsessed with a winning score being close to even par that they set these course up nowadays right on the "edge" and if somehow mother nature goes a little awry and does something unexpected the course becomes almost unplayable. How does Fowler go from 84 on Saturday to 65 on Sunday, a 19 stroke difference. Something was wrong with the setup both days!

Back when the US Open was known for narrow fairways and thick rough everyone knew what to expect and it was what it was. It isn't difficulty that the pros are complaining about in regard to set up. Good shots should fair well the majority of the time; excellent shots should be rewarded always and poor shots should suffer consequences. Too many of the results with the way the USGA has been setting things up are left to chance not skill. The US Open is supposed to test all aspects of the players game not how many good bounces or lucky one gets.
 
I'll believe it when I see it. They arent going to boycott a major.
 
I cant support this at all.

While I agree that they have made a mess of a few Majors, I will never support the players boycotting something because it's too hard. Sack up and hit your ball like everybody else.
 
My thoughts are why are Tour golfers so whiny? Have they always been this way?
 
So I'm assuming not a single person in here has complained about their job before?

Yes, they're very fortunate to have the jobs they do. However, it's still their jobs and livelihoods. Not saying I've boycotted work before, but have definitely complained or tried to make suggestions hoping that a manger makes a change. The USGA hasn't listened to the players in years.


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Golf Ghost said:
So I'm assuming not a single person in here has complained about their job before?

Yes, they're very fortunate to have the jobs they do. However, it's still their jobs and livelihoods. Not saying I've boycotted work before, but have definitely complained or tried to make suggestions hoping that a manger makes a change. The USGA hasn't listened to the players in years.


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I'm okay with them not showing up. It's their prerogative. I'm just tired of hearing about it. And the US Open isn't a Tour event, so your analogy isn't exact. The players don't have any obligation to play it anyway if they hate it that much.

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I think with the margins the USGA runs that at this point the weather affects the US Open more than the Open Championship. With how dry and fast the courses run, a relatively brief rain shower can have a huge impact on how playable a US Open course can play. So it's not really the ultimate test of golf when a player can play a radically different course courtesy of 30 minutes of rain.

Also, I don't think that when Fox bought the rights to the US Open they planned to be treated to a literally brown course (Chambers Bay) a phantom penalty (Oakmont) Erin Hills with no rough, and Shinnecock II: Electric Boogaloo. I wonder if Fox is pondering a buyout clause by now. Fact is, the USGA maybe not making their courses potential disasters would probably help their relationship with the broadcaster that paid absurd money to host their event and has largely been met with disaster (and I'm not mentioning the women's US Open, which hasn't been much better.)
 
I think it is absolutely ridiculous. Grow up and accept the challenge! It is a major and these babies should expect to be challenged in a major. I personally like seeing them have to earn a win, especially in a major, with stellar play where par is to be celebrated. If you have an issue with penal rough, learn to hit the fairways instead of just bombing without concern. I personally have absolutely no interest in watching the birdie fests that happen all the time during regular tour events. Everyone is playing the same course and same setup so there no unfair advatange to anyone. I won't miss any of them that choose to not play.
 
I laugh every year when the players complain about the course. I actually like it when they make courses that challenge the players. Make them seem more human. And everyone is playing the same course, so stop whining and just play the course. Or don't. I will still watch the US open.
 
It wouldn't go over well with the public but they can do as they wish. Imo just play. It's the exact same
For all competitors so there is no advantage. And I really hate whiny rich people that complain about trivial stuff
 
I still remember Chambers when a putt that slowed and stopped a foot from the hole rolled back 20 feet. That to me is a ****ing joke. Not to mention Davis dried out the course so bad the fairways were like concrete.
 
Chambers Bay was a low point, but set up is a tough job. A sudden dry spell can seriously damage growth, while a storm can see rough double in thickness. I played the Marquess course at Woburn twice last week, eight weeks before the ladies visit for a Major, the Open. Last summer was the driest on record and a lot of courses here ran out of water. Woburn was two weeks away from no water when it rained. The course is in good condition, but it is fragile.


The US Open prides itself on par being the target winning score, but the set up penalises good shots and crucifies shots that were 99% good. The players think they are being made to look foolish. They need to talk, and both sides need to listen. I do not believe that anyone will boycott a Major , but then US players avoid the Open
 
It's crazy. There's no way they would do it.
 
DataDude said:
I think their complaint is mainly with green setup. I also think it is not speed which is fast and hard, but making it fast and hard, then putting the hole on a slope that no ball can stop when putted to. That is putt-putt and amateurish imo. It definitely seems entitled for them to say something about it, but that one par 4 last year where Phil had his moment had the pin location on a false front. That's not golf, that's a clown show.
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I agree that they set up the greens way too tricky but it will be harder to do at PB. It’s won’t be easy to get those greens running super fast.
 
tahoebum said:
I agree that they set up the greens way too tricky but it will be harder to do at PB. It’s won’t be easy to get those greens running super fast.
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Going to have to disagree on that one. I played Pebble last year on the week before the US Am and they had the greens really fast at that point. Plus this is the time of year where they barely get any rain at all. If the players complain about the greens, it won't be the speed, it will be about a dicey pin position or two. Hard to find lots of good pin positions at times with those greens being so small.
 
It’s been less than stellar since Chambers Bay.
Some of the problem is course selections like Chambers Bay & Erin Hills.

Letting Shinnecock get away from them last year was in response to the AT&T Pro Am breaking out at Erin Hills, and inexcusable.

I thought Oakmont was taken to the edge and didn’t have to be.

The USGA has to let go of the thought of 280 wins the US Open, and just sent the course up and go with the flow.


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Players Boycott US Open

The way to fix this is pick a rotation and stick to it.

The United States Open should only be held on the following courses: (Listed in order of personal preference)

Oakmont
Pebble Beach
Pinehurst #2
Winged Foot
Shinnecock Hills
Baltusrol
Bethpage (Black)
Olympic Club
Congressional
Torrey Pines

And throw in Merion once every 15 years for old time sake... Every 5th year the US Open goes back to Pebble Beach.

Allow the local Superintendents to determine how much water the course gets, and go with it.





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JDax said:
It’s been less than stellar since Chambers Bay.
Some of the problem is course selections like Chambers Bay & Erin Hills.

Letting Shinnecock get away from them last year was in response to the AT&T Pro Am breaking out at Erin Hills, and inexcusable.

I thought Oakmont was taken to the edge and didn’t have to be.

The USGA has to let go of the thought of 280 wins the US Open, and just sent the course up and go with the flow.


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I agree with this completely, but I think there have been a few more really bad setups.
Im also very vocal in that if a course has a regular tour stop event, it should not be used as a major.
No reason to play a course twice in a year. Too many great golf courses and locales out there.
 
JB said:
I agree with this completely, but I think there have been a few more really bad setups.
Im also very vocal in that if a course has a regular tour stop event, it should not be used as a major.
No reason to play a course twice in a year. Too many great golf courses and locales out there.
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Before Erin Hills only two players had ever finished the Open -10 or better in a 116 Opens. And one of those, Mcllory’s -16 at Congressional should have an asterisk because the rain made the course defenseless.

At Erin Hills, 7 players finished at -10 or better, it was a joke. But the answer wasn’t to lose control of Shinnecock again the following year, the answer was to never pick Erin Hills again.


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JB said:
I agree with this completely, but I think there have been a few more really bad setups.
Im also very vocal in that if a course has a regular tour stop event, it should not be used as a major.
No reason to play a course twice in a year. Too many great golf courses and locales out there.
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I never understood why use a regular tour stop. Made no sense when there are so many venues we don't see that can host the tournament. I get that weather (heat specifically) plays a role, but I've gotta believe there are better places to host than Pebble, and I love pebble for how it presents itself on TV
 
mikeg_74 said:
I never understood why use a regular tour stop. Made no sense when there are so many venues we don't see that can host the tournament. I get that weather (heat specifically) plays a role, but I've gotta believe there are better places to host than Pebble, and I love pebble for how it presents itself on TV
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This is why I think that Oakmont is the quintessential US Open venue, playing Pebble every year hunts it in my opinion.


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