Winner of the US Open?

[raybo]

Who's your choice to win the US Open this weekend? I tend to think it will be someone who hits most fairways and putts well. Snedecker and Horschel fit that bill for me.

Those who end up in the rough will be severely penalized, that's why I didn't include greens hit because that's a factor of fairways hit.

[ManU918]

I think Luke Donald and Nick Watney can be in the mix.

[raybo]

I think Luke Donald and Nick Watney can be in the mix.

Yeah, Donald was 3rd on my list.

[ManU918]

It's early but this course is playing a helluva a lot harder then anyone thought it would.

[raybo]

I thought it would be a severe test, from the beginning, rain, or not. There are some short holes but there are more difficult holes. Rough is terrible too, so driving accuracy and greens hit are big factors.

[raybo]

Well, Donald is doing well now. My other 2, in my top 3, aren't too far back, but this is day one, lots of golf to play.

[LottaKash]

I think that Adam Scott has a decent shot at adding another big-one to his record....

I watched him play today, and he just seems to be getting used to the idea that he really belongs now with this bunch, real well...

Nothing like a young gun who has become a believer in himself....He will improve, I think...

I enjoy watching him play, he has "the touch".....

[raybo]

Yeah, playing with Tiger and Rory will do that for you. But, like I said, there's a of of golf left. I still like the guys that hit fairways and putt well. That rough is a killer!

[LottaKash]

Yeah, playing with Tiger and Rory will do that for you. But, like I said, there's a of of golf left. I still like the guys that hit fairways and putt well. That rough is a killer!

Still, Scott, Tiger and Rory aside, did show much poise and courage when winning the Masters....I became a fan that day...

And the rough, gosh, I couldn't even see Tiger's shoes when he was hitting out of that stuff...

[raybo]

Well, I've got the first 2 "running styles" covered so far, Luke came out as a front runner in round 1, Horschel got there at the 2nd call. Woods is laying back in the middle of the pack, (ready to make his move to the stretch?). Snedeker is definitely going to have to close strongly to get in contention, but it's happened before.

The course just keeps playing tough and today will be no different, with the fairways and greens becoming firmer. The premium is in hitting fairways, and greens, with putting as the ultimate test. This course is a perfect track for a US Open, highly technical and bringing back the fundamentals of the game, stay in play and putt well.

Looking forward to the rest of the tournament!

[LottaKash]

Looking forward to the rest of the tournament!

Me too...One of the most interesting and challenging golf courses I have ever seen....(on TV)

I wonder tho, if the very top players relish this type of tournament, or will just be relieved, to just get the heck out of there, with some sort of prize or possibly their sanity in tact....?

If was even a mediocre golfer, this course would just piss me off, endlessly...What I mean is, if the greatest golfers around are just making pars as a glad measure of excellence, than what would an average golfer think about playing this venue ?...

[raybo]

Me too...One of the most interesting and challenging golf courses I have ever seen....(on TV)

I wonder tho, if the very top players relish this type of tournament, or will just be relieved, to just get the heck out of there, with some sort of prize or possibly their sanity in tact....?

If was even a mediocre golfer, this course would just piss me off, endlessly...What I mean is, if the greatest golfers around are just making pars as a glad measure of excellence, than what would an average golfer think about playing this venue ?...

The US Open is traditionally a low scoring tournament. That's what the Open is all about, testing the best players in the world, in ways that few other tournaments do. To win this tournament you must play the course as it is designed to be played, in this case, staying out of the rough and putting extremely well. US Open courses are picked primarily for their difficulty. So, lower scores are supposed to happen, at the Open.

Yes, this course is frustrating for all players, as it should be.

For the amateur players, club members and guests, this course would be a ball-buster, but that's the beauty of it. I would love to play it because it doesn't reward a bomber, like so many other courses do. It rewards solid, accurate ball strikers, fully in control of their game.

[cj]

The US Open is traditionally a low scoring tournament...

In golf, low scoring means well under par. I think you meant to say NOT low scoring.

[raybo]

In golf, low scoring means well under par. I think you meant to say NOT low scoring.

"Low" numbers under par, of course.

[raybo]

Well, I guess all those worried people concerned with someone shooting 15 under par, had never seen much of Merion. This has got to be one of the most difficult courses in the world.

Congratulations to Justin Rose! Showed a lot of guts out there today.

Phil has a few more shots at winning an Open, doesn't appear his game has lost much over the years.

Mahan surprised me most of all I think. Lots of game there.

[wiffleball whizz]

Well, I guess all those worried people concerned with someone shooting 15 under par, had never seen much of Merian. This has got to be one of the most difficult courses in the world.

Congratulations to Justin Rose! Showed a lot of guts out there today.

Phil has a few more shots at winning an Open, doesn't appear his game has lost much over the years.

Mahan surprised me most of all I think. Lots of game there.

Exactly what I though...How hard is Johnny miller laughing inside right now after hearing all week how his -7 would be broken....

Justin rose seems like a class act....really like how he handled himself....did anybody catch him in clubhouse watching the tv waiting to see Phil's chip and then heard the crowd before they showed shot hahahaha that was good!!

[raybo]

Yeah, Miller knew it would take a miracle tournament by someone to shoot much under par on this course.

[wiffleball whizz]

Did anybody see rory today go in the creek on back to back shots and then jam his club into the ground and ruin it then try to straighten ur out lolololol?

To be honest I never knew if u self intentionally damage your club u can't use that club anymore for the round.....for some reason that suprised me

[buzzy]

Fun to watch, I bought into the local(I live in Philly) and the national media that these guys would be shooting darts on this short course. Merion held its own, congrats to Justin Rose he really earned this.. Hope it comes back

[wiffleball whizz]

Fun to watch, I bought into the local(I live in Philly) and the national media that these guys would be shooting darts on this short course. Merion held its own, congrats to Justin Rose he really earned this.. Hope it comes back

I dont think there is any shot the us open wont come back here....this was a great event and opened the younger crowds eyes to the history of this golf course......until this week I wasn't aware of the Ben hogan 1 iron or the wicker baskets....I think everybody knows know about this place

No doubt when the usga determines future sites this course will have it again....very mad there wasn't a playoff cus I would have gone tnrw...

Read somewhere this course is walking only and costs $300 is that true?

[NJ Stinks]

I dont think there is any shot the us open wont come back here....this was a great event and opened the younger crowds eyes to the history of this golf course......until this week I wasn't aware of the Ben hogan 1 iron or the wicker baskets....I think everybody knows know about this place

No doubt when the usga determines future sites this course will have it again....very mad there wasn't a playoff cus I would have gone tnrw...

Read somewhere this course is walking only and costs $300 is that true?

I heard it a private club and pretty snooty at that.

But what a golf course! Watching pros miss 3 footers like I do is G-R-E-A-T! :)


The first tee being about 10 yards in front of the clubhouse is G-R-E-A-T! :)

Watching pros pay for being in the rough is G-R-E-A-T! :)

Having WW runaway with the golf contest is not so G-R-E-A-T! :)

:ThmbUp:

[ManU918]

Read somewhere this course is walking only and costs $300 is that true?

Private with a $70,000 initiation fee and $25,000 in yearly fees. Money is not a factor. You have to know someone within the club to become a member. That fee isn't that much considering some of the other local clubs around are just as much or more expensive. I have been lucky enough to play on a few local private clubs.

[raybo]

Did anybody see rory today go in the creek on back to back shots and then jam his club into the ground and ruin it then try to straighten ur out lolololol?

To be honest I never knew if u self intentionally damage your club u can't use that club anymore for the round.....for some reason that suprised me

Yeah, it's tied into the rule about starting and ending a round with the same clubs (14 max). If the club is considered damaged, meaning, I assume, a significant change in the settings to the club (loft, lie, face angle, etc), then the club is no longer the same club you started with. By bending the shaft on that wedge, Rory significantly altered the loft/lie/angle of the club. Once a club is deemed to have changed from the original, it cannot be used in that round.

The rule is meant to prevent players from deliberately altering a club to, in effect, add another club to the set they started with. That's also why, if you have adjustable loft/lie/angle clubs like they offer now, you cannot change any of those settings during a round.

[raybo]

Fun to watch, I bought into the local(I live in Philly) and the national media that these guys would be shooting darts on this short course. Merion held its own, congrats to Justin Rose he really earned this.. Hope it comes back

Merion has always been a very difficult course. If, somehow, they were able to significantly add distance to the course, like some thought needed to be done for the Open, the course would have become, literally, unplayable. At 6800 yards you saw how tough it was, now add 200 or so yards to it to make it 7000+, and you can imagine what the scores would have been.

The members have complained about the rough forever, and the majority of them aren't even playing the pro tees.

[raybo]

I heard it a private club and pretty snooty at that.

But what a golf course! Watching pros miss 3 footers like I do is G-R-E-A-T! :)


The first tee being about 10 yards in front of the clubhouse is G-R-E-A-T! :)

Watching pros pay for being in the rough is G-R-E-A-T! :)

Having WW runaway with the golf contest is not so G-R-E-A-T! :)

:ThmbUp:

Who were his players? I thought I had some good ones picked out (didn't enter the contest), but they all faded into obscurity in the last round.

I know Phil can scramble as well as anyone, but on this course, I didn't think even he could survive being in the rough as much as I figured he would be. He proved me wrong on that one.

[wiffleball whizz]

Who were his players? I thought I had some good ones picked out (didn't enter the contest), but they all faded into obscurity in the last round.

I know Phil can scramble as well as anyone, but on this course, I didn't think even he could survive being in the rough as much as I figured he would be. He proved me wrong on that one.

Phil mickelson
Luke Donald
Dustin Johnson
Ernie els
Steve stricker

[raybo]

Phil mickelson
Luke Donald
Dustin Johnson
Ernie els
Steve stricker

I haven't read the rules for the contest, but I assume it is "cumulative" strokes, for 4 of your players, throughout the tourney? How does the 5th player enter into the equation (injury/illness withdrawal?)?

Also, I noticed many people posting their players after the first round had started, how does that work?

[wiffleball whizz]

Here was the rory mcilroy blowup if you didn't see it



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTOZcLhD23g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[raybo]

Here was the rory mcilroy blowup if you didn't see it



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTOZcLhD23g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Yeah, I saw that and he definitely "significantly damaged" that club! :lol:

[TJDave]

Merion has always been a very difficult course. If, somehow, they were able to significantly add distance to the course, like some thought needed to be done for the Open, the course would have become, literally, unplayable. At 6800 yards you saw how tough it was, now add 200 or so yards to it to make it 7000+, and you can imagine what the scores would have been.


Dude, the final round was 6,966. 20 yards longer than in 1950 when Hogan won in a playoff...Shot a 69

[LottaKash]

Here was the rory mcilroy blowup if you didn't see it



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTOZcLhD23g&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Maybe he had a "toothache" again....:D




One of the most interesting tournaments I have seen in quite some time....I was glued to the screen for days, out of the fascination of it all, I guess...:ThmbUp:

[raybo]

Dude, the final round was 6,966. 20 yards longer than in 1950 when Hogan won in a playoff...Shot a 69

"Dude" (you may be a dude but I am not), that was only in the final round, and you saw what happened to the scores in that round. I stand by my statement.

[raybo]

Maybe he had a "toothache" again....:D




One of the most interesting tournaments I have seen in quite some time....I was glued to the screen for days, out of the fascination of it all, I guess...:ThmbUp:

Yeah, my better half wasn't too happy with my watching golf and golf commentary, for 4 straight days! But, like the Masters, it's the "Open"!

[LottaKash]

Yeah, my better half wasn't too happy with my watching golf and golf commentary, for 4 straight days! But, like the Masters, it's the "Open"!

Contrary to your "better-half", my better half, who at 68, just started playing the game this year....And, she got hooked on it very late in this tourney, and thus enjoyed it as much as I did, to the finish....

P.S. she stinks at golf, but she loves it so, now....Me, I just like to go to the driving range and hit-em out, or play the pitch and putts, for the relaxation of it...Too hot in FLA for long stints on a hot course...

[raybo]

Contrary to your "better-half", my better half, who at 68, just started playing the game this year....And, she got hooked on it very late in this tourney, and thus enjoyed it as much as I did, to the finish....

P.S. she stinks at golf, but she loves it so, now....Me, I just like to go to the driving range and hit-em out, or play the pitch and putts, for the relaxation of it...Too hot in FLA for long stints on a hot course...

Mine likes the game, as a spectator, but 4 days in a row (actually the coverage was much more than 4 days) of 6-8 hours of viewing, not so much. I pushed it on that, and I don't think she appreciated it, although she was a "sport" about it.

She also is probably not crazy about my spending 8-10, or more, hours most days, working on racing spreadsheets and racing, but she knew that going into our relationship. I should add that she's only 30 years old, while I'm 64, so there is quite a difference in some of our priorities, as you can imagine.

I love the driving range also, however, the closest range is at the closest course and that's 10+ miles away. If it was a bit closer I would spend much more time there. Probably a good thing it's not closer.

[wiffleball whizz]

Mine likes the game, as a spectator, but 4 days in a row (actually the coverage was much more than 4 days) of 6-8 hours of viewing, not so much. I pushed it on that, and I don't think she appreciated it, although she was a "sport" about it.

She also is probably not crazy about my spending 8-10, or more, hours most days, working on racing spreadsheets and racing, but she knew that going into our relationship. I should add that she's only 30 years old, while I'm 64, so there is quite a difference in some of our priorities, as you can imagine.

I love the driving range also, however, the closest range is at the closest course and that's 10+ miles away. If it was a bit closer I would spend much more time there. Probably a good thing it's not closer.

34 years younger then you.....my hero!!!!!

I'm 32 my gf 45 but she Asian and don't look it lololololo....she too knew what she was getting into with me....I worked with her but never talked to her til I met her at other casino.....she realized when she met me I'd either be betting horses or sweating football games from 12pm to 2am.....Hahahahahahaha

Now she lives 4 hours away and I've never been happier....but I stay faithful to her :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :lol:

[TJDave]

I should add that she's only 30 years old, while I'm 64, so there is quite a difference in some of our priorities, as you can imagine.


You ARE a dude! ;)

[raybo]

34 years younger then you.....my hero!!!!!

I'm 32 my gf 45 but she Asian and don't look it lololololo....she too knew what she was getting into with me....I worked with her but never talked to her til I met her at other casino.....she realized when she met me I'd either be betting horses or sweating football games from 12pm to 2am.....Hahahahahahaha

Now she lives 4 hours away and I've never been happier....but I stay faithful to her :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :lol:

Well, mine was born and raised in the NE Virginia/DC area, was in the midst of the federal government, matured quite early. She declared her emancipation at 16, temped at Boeing for a year, then went straight to General Dynamics at 17 and was office manager of their NE Virginia communications division at 21, all without ever attending college, making more money per year than I ever made in a single year in my whole life. Quite a special individual.

[raybo]

You ARE a dude! ;)

Just because I live in Texas doesn't mean i'm a cowboy, or a wanabe cowboy (otherwise known down here as a dude). ;)

[TJDave]

Just because I live in Texas doesn't mean i'm a cowboy, or a wanabe cowboy (otherwise known down here as a dude). ;)

I know. I'm from Oklahoma, dude. ;)

[raybo]

I know. I'm from Oklahoma, dude. ;)

Cool, then you're familiar with the old joke, "Did you hear about the Texan who moved to Oklahoma, and improved the average IQ of both states?". :p

[Zydeco]

34 years younger then you.....my hero!!!!!

I'm 32 my gf 45 but she Asian and don't look it lololololo....she too knew what she was getting into with me....I worked with her but never talked to her til I met her at other casino.....she realized when she met me I'd either be betting horses or sweating football games from 12pm to 2am.....Hahahahahahaha

Now she lives 4 hours away and I've never been happier....but I stay faithful to her :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :lol:

" I ain't seen my wife in 2 or 3 years..I'm a happily married man" - Duane Allman 1970

[NJ Stinks]

I haven't read the rules for the contest, but I assume it is "cumulative" strokes, for 4 of your players, throughout the tourney? How does the 5th player enter into the equation (injury/illness withdrawal?)?

Also, I noticed many people posting their players after the first round had started, how does that work?

OK, Raybo. Since you must be tired :p , I'll explain and then somebody can correct me. Let's say I have Woods, Rose, Mahan, Day, and Phil. Only the top 4 scores on the first day count. Here's some fake scores:

Woods +2
Rose -3
Mahan -4
Day - even
Phil +3

First, remove the worst score. That means Phil doesn't count on Day 1. Then take the net score of the remaining 4 golfers. In this case, the net score for the day is -5. That score stands on it's own. Day 2 we start over. Here's some scores:

Woods -2
Rose -1
Mahan +2
Day - +3
Phil +7

Net for Day 2 is +2 after eliminating Phil's +7. So my net score after two days is -3.

Let's say Phil did not make the cut. That's alright. I've still got 4 guys playing and only the top 4 count. But if I had two players not make the cut - that happened to a lot of us in the U.S. Open - I'd be in deep do-do. Let's say Day and Phil both missed the cut. Day 3 scores are computed as follows:

Woods -4
Rose +2
Mahan -3
Player 4 now becomes the highest score recorded on Day 3. Let's say it was +8. Day 3's net score is +3. Net score after 3 rounds is even.

To close it out fast, let's just say on Day 4 my net score was +6.

Final score computation:
Day 1 -5
Day 2 +2
Day 3 +3
Day 4 +6

Final score for the tournament is the combined net for each day or in this case +6.

We are playing 7 tournaments this year. Running individual scores for each entry from each tournament are determined as follows:

Contest Points are awarded for each entrant you beat.
Double Contest Points will be awarded for the four Majors -- The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open & PGA.

Finally, nobody should have started before they teed off last Thursday and I just checked. Nobody did. In fact, Jay closed the contest to entries when they teed off.

Any other questions?


Note: Trotter seems to be having trouble keeping score but golf ettiquette has kept me from saying anything. :cool:;)

[Jay Trotter]

Note: Trotter seems to be having trouble keeping score but golf ettiquette has kept me from saying anything. :cool:;)Hey, I resemble that comment!

Just as an FYI....my son created a spreadsheet that grabs the scores directly from the PGA Tour website and does everything automatically. The problem has been that I input the player names with spelling errors which throw things into disaray. (or maybe we're just seeing if people are on their toes, eh!)

[Zydeco]

Hey, I resemble that comment!

Just as an FYI....my son created a spreadsheet that grabs the scores directly from the PGA Tour website and does everything automatically. The problem has been that I input the player names with spelling errors which throw things into disaray. (or maybe we're just seeing if people are on their toes, eh!)

I did see the Michaelson typo...but you corrected....good job Jay...aprreciate it.

[raybo]

So, if 2 of my players missed the cut, leaving me with only 3 players, then one of my 4 scores for day 3 would be the highest score recorded by the whole field on that day?

[NJ Stinks]

So, if 2 of my players missed the cut, leaving me with only 3 players, then one of my 4 scores for day 3 would be the highest score recorded by the whole field on that day?

Yes. On Saturday Robert Karlsson shot an 86 - that was 16 over par and the highest score for any player that day. If an entry only had 3 players who made the cut, +16 was one of their 4 scores used to compute their net score for Saturday.

[raybo]

Yes. On Saturday Robert Karlsson shot an 86 - that was 16 over par and the highest score for any player that day. If an entry only had 3 players who made the cut, +16 was one of their 4 scores used to compute their net score for Saturday.

Brutal! :bang:

So, it's about contenders not the winner. I like that, "value" play.

Well, I would have only had 1 player who missed the cut, Snedeker. My 4th pick was Woods, Horschel, Donald, and Schwartzel were the others in my top 5.

[TJDave]

Cool, then you're familiar with the old joke, "Did you hear about the Texan who moved to Oklahoma, and improved the average IQ of both states?". :p

This must have been after I moved away.

[raybo]

This must have been after I moved away.

I'm sure it was. Are you sure you weren't born in Texas? :lol: