118th U.S. Open Championship

[Guest]

Bit of a minter for the USGA this is farcical

[Jupiter Jazz]

Just now, Ro Sham Bo said:

The USGA have screwed up yet another US open.

Butch Harmon on the 15th: "hit it through the windmill into the clowns mouth you get a free ice cream" 

[Ro Sham Bo]

And as if the course isn't bad enough, then there is the usual moronic element in the galleries.

 

 

[peasy23]

Seeing a lot of people saying Michelson did that to get an advantage. 
But a 2 stroke penalty and realistically a minimum 2 putts is 4 strokes.
Surely he has disadvantaged himself if anything? You’d imagine he’d get down in 3 tops from off the green? 
Think a 2 shot penalty is right. 

He would have struggled to get down in 3 from off the green tbh, his ball would have run off down behind the bunker, it would have been virtually impossible to stop the ball below the hole so he would have been faced with another downhill putt that was going to be very difficult to stop.

[Raidernation]

My concern is at next year’s master: hit your putt hard then sprint to stop it within 3 feet of the hole?

[Distant Doonhamer]

Well that was entertaining.

I  like Butch Harmon but really poor to hear him say some of the pins were unplayable today when he specifically said at the start of the programme tonight that the pin positions  were fair. It`s a matter of opinion that the course was unfair today but you can`t have it both ways Butch. Clearly upset that his man DJ had struggled.  Koepka was only 2 over and Rose 3 over today, The course is extremely tough but in my view it`s not unplayable. The guys who scored really well earlier today were those on the rough side of the draw in first 2 rounds. Them`s the breaks.

Anyway 29 players within 6 shots of the lead going into the final round. Bring it on.

Edit to add that Mickelson should withdraw. Really poor from him. I`m a huge fan of his but to claim what he did was a calculated strategy is absolutely shocking. An absolute legend of the game has totally fucked up today. Really sad.

See link.

Disgraceful

[Distant Doonhamer]

52 minutes ago, Raidernation said:

My concern is at next year’s master: hit your putt hard then sprint to stop it within 3 feet of the hole?

Suspect today`s incident will generate a rule change of some sort. As you say the prospect of players chasing a ball down the green at 12, 13 or 15 at Augusta to stop an errant putt heading to Rae`s Creek isn`t an appetising thought. Going forward what Mickelson did today should be an automatic DQ. 

 

[RedRob72]

Butch Harmon on the 15th: "hit it through the windmill into the clowns mouth you get a free ice cream" 

Shortly after which Rose Birdied it.
Butch is great to listen too but his griping about pin positions was getting a little tiresome yesterday.

For the average punter, watching the world’s best players tackling some of the toughest greens (approach & surface), makes compelling viewing.
A number of players spoke about mental exhaustion after the first 3 Days, Wow!! perhaps even more of an achievement then for whoever wins it this year, and someone has to come out on top, even with a 286!?

Bring it on, can’t wait for tonight.

[peasy23]

Well that was entertaining.

I  like Butch Harmon but really poor to hear him say some of the pins were unplayable today when he specifically said at the start of the programme tonight that the pin positions  were fair. It`s a matter of opinion that the course was unfair today but you can`t have it both ways Butch. Clearly upset that his man DJ had struggled.  Koepka was only 2 over and Rose 3 over today, The course is extremely tough but in my view it`s not unplayable. The guys who scored really well earlier today were those on the rough side of the draw in first 2 rounds. Them`s the breaks.

Anyway 29 players within 6 shots of the lead going into the final round. Bring it on.

Edit to add that Mickelson should withdraw. Really poor from him. I`m a huge fan of his but to claim what he did was a calculated strategy is absolutely shocking. An absolute legend of the game has totally fucked up today. Really sad.

See link.

Disgraceful

The moment that Phil came out in his interview and admitted it was a deliberate strategy to take the 2 shot penalty then the rules committee should have had a meeting, decided it came under rule 1-2 rather than 14-5, and kicked him out.

 

Although the pins weren't unplayable, they weren't fair either, you had players play shots where the ball was almost stopped a couple of feet from the hole, only for it to then roll off the green. That's reducing the competition largely down to luck rather than skill.

 

[Distant Doonhamer]

54 minutes ago, peasy23 said:

The moment that Phil came out in his interview and admitted it was a deliberate strategy to take the 2 shot penalty then the rules committee should have had a meeting, decided it came under rule 1-2 rather than 14-5, and kicked him out.

 

Although the pins weren't unplayable, they weren't fair either, you had players play shots where the ball was almost stopped a couple of feet from the hole, only for it to then roll off the green. That's reducing the competition largely down to luck rather than skill.

 

Yep totally agree he should have been kicked out, He`s one of my all time favourite golfers but his actions yesterday and in particular his explanations leave a sour taste. Poor show.

On reflection I think what you are saying re the pins is sound. Have to say I quite enjoyed it to an extent though.

Looking forward to it tonight. I wonder what the set up will be. The USGA don`t take criticism well but given the issues at "Shinycock" (as I heard it referred to yesterday)  when US Open was last there they will surely what to avoid any further criticism today.

[Ro Sham Bo]

They have to make some of those pins accessible. The USGA seem to make a big deal about par being the winning score so they're going to need to set up a few birdie chances. I suppose a lot will hinge on the weather conditions as well.

[Peppino Impastato]

Absolute farce of a tournament.  The American majors are shite, the masters and US open have been ruined.  Though the masters has always been shite.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

The USGAs obsession with their Open being won by Par at best is bizarre. Between the laughable course set-up and galleries rammed full of pished hicks, it must be rubbish to play in at times.

[peasy23]

The USGAs obsession with their Open being won by Par at best is bizarre. Between the laughable course set-up and galleries rammed full of pished hicks, it must be rubbish to play in at times.

Usual embarrassing arseholes in the crowd last night giving Poulter dog's abuse, subjected to USA chants a few times.

They will have soaked the greens after the end of play last night, but if it is sunny and windy again then there is a good chance that by the time the leaders go out the greens will be just like yesterday.

[Ro Sham Bo]

Poulter was getting a tough time but in general the galleries seemed to be cheering every shot that run off the greens. Really poor.

[printer]

The moment that Phil came out in his interview and admitted it was a deliberate strategy to take the 2 shot penalty then the rules committee should have had a meeting, decided it came under rule 1-2 rather than 14-5, and kicked him out.  

Agreed.

I've never taken to Phil though.

The USGA are twats.

[RedRob72]

The moment that Phil came out in his interview and admitted it was a deliberate strategy to take the 2 shot penalty then the rules committee should have had a meeting, decided it came under rule 1-2 rather than 14-5, and kicked him out.  
Although the pins weren't unplayable, they weren't fair either, you had players play shots where the ball was almost stopped a couple of feet from the hole, only for it to then roll off the green. That's reducing the competition largely down to luck rather than skill.
 

Surely the skill and mental toughness to suck it up and try to recover the hole still applies? The entire field has experienced their own ‘bad luck’ this week.
Mickelson surprisingly threw the towel in yesterday. Astonishing really for such a great player.

[Fuctifano]

For the second major in a row I'm sitting with a Reed in play bet hoping it loses.

[Ro Sham Bo]

Looks like there's a good score to be had today. Koepka fast out of the blocks.

[Ro Sham Bo]

If Fleetwood can find another couple of birdies on the way in he could win this.