US Open Thread

[Thomkal]

The US Open is underway at Olympic in San Francisco. The pairing of Tiger, Phil, and Bubba are not off to a good start overall. Woods is fine, fairway, green, almost made birdie. Bubba was in the rough with a very bad lie, could only advance it a little way to the rough, on the green in three, almost made the par put. Phil drove it way left into the trees and apparantly it stayed in the trees. Had to go back to the tee, hit a good shot to the fairway and another to the green very close, made the putt for a bogey.

Excited to see how my boy Dustin Johnson does later after winning last week. Showing the Tiger group on ESPN right now, but just left it after their first hole. Also coverage on USOpen.com

[spleen1015]

Alvaro Quiros aces 288-yard par 4 during U.S. Open practice - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/8049787/alvaro-quiros-aces-288-yard-par-4-us-open-practice)

Thought this was a cool story, hole in one on a Par 4. I don't believe I have heard of one of those before.

[Thomkal]

Not looking good for Phil-bogeyed first three holes supposedly on the "easier" side of the course. Bubba not doing that good either at +2. Woods has been solid, good birdie chances none made so at Even.

[Thomkal]

14 year old Andy Zhang sadly makes a Triple Bogey on his first hole.

[AENeuman]

Lots of bummed spectators today. BART is down coming into the city and a day giants game. The main shuttle and will call is at a bart station (which almost no one can get to). News is saying this is the worst traffic they have seen in over 10 years.

Glad I picked tomorrow to go...

[spleen1015]

Lots of bummed spectators today. BART is down coming into the city and a day giants game. The main shuttle and will call is at a bart station (which almost no one can get to). News is saying this is the worst traffic they have seen in over 10 years.

Glad I picked tomorrow to go...

Why do you think traffic will be better tomorrow?

[Thomkal]

Tiger -1, Phil +6, Bubba +8. Current Leader is Michael Thompson in the clubhouse at -4. He was the runner up at the US Amateur at this course a few years back.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

knew bubba and phil were in trouble. might be the toughest driving course in the u.s.

someone has to kneecap kevin na before the weekend. i can't watch him.

[Thomkal]

knew bubba and phil were in trouble. might be the toughest driving course in the u.s.

someone has to kneecap kevin na before the weekend. i can't watch him.

He's actually better than he was a couple weeks ago when he was so bad with his preshot routine. US Open pressure won't help though.

Yeah I knew Bubba wasn't going to do well when he said he didn't really have a good feel for the course and was just going to play aggressive. Phil was pretty tired mentally and physically coming into the Open-having to withdraw from the Memorial so not real surprised he struggled. Wish he had done well though would love to see him get that elusive first Open win.

[AENeuman]

Why do you think traffic will be better tomorrow?

The fire damaged bart track should be somewhat fixed by tomorrow.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

it'll be some off the radar guy who's playing well that wins it. although tiger's whole new swing philosophy was made for places like this

[Thomkal]

14 year old Andy Zhang was 8 over after 4 holes, played well after that, was at 10 over coming to the 18th and birdied it to finish 9 over.

Meanwhile the top 3 players in the world pairing just teed off-Donald, McIlroy, and Westwood are all over par-+1 for Donald and Rory, +2 for Mcllroy. Dustin Johnson to tee off shortly.

Casey Martin also on the course and off to a bad start last I saw-bogeyed first two holes

[Young Drachma]

Casey Martin at +5 through 15.

[Thomkal]

Well is it all over? Tiger has taken the lead as the first day leader Michael Thompson is 3 over for the day through 3 or four holes.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

idk. if he has a lost confidence day he could shoot ten over. place is brutal.

i like furyk.

[Ryan S]

Well is it all over? Tiger has taken the lead as the first day leader Michael Thompson is 3 over for the day through 3 or four holes.

Tiger may have won a few weeks back, but he is still a long way from his best. Every player who makes the cut is still in with a shot, especially since the 10 shot rule is now gone.

I would love to see an amateur win the US Open.

[Young Drachma]

Tiger may have won a few weeks back, but he is still a long way from his best. Every player who makes the cut is still in with a shot, especially since the 10 shot rule is now gone.

I would love to see an amateur win the US Open.

Beau Hossler is going to give it his best shot. Just took the lead with a birdie.

[Young Drachma]

Tiger, Jim Furyk and David Toms all atop the leaderboard after day 2 at -1

17-year old boy wonder amateur Beau Hossler finishes the day tied for 11th at +3. But no matter what happens, being able to talk about what he did on his summer vacation with the words "had the lead briefly at a major" won't be too shabby.

Casey Martin missed the cut at +9, 14-year old Andy Zhang finished the two days at +15, but it beats playing a junior event I bet, especially since he beat out 11 other professionals and an amateur (who plays at Oklahoma State) on the leaderboard when the dust settled.

Apparently, some players were miffed at the new cut rules that only takes Top 60 and ties (http://www.majorschampionships.com/usopen/2012/news/Some-players-surprised-at-change-to-US-Open-cut-rule.cfm#)rather than the people who are ten strokes off the lead after the second day.

[kcchief19]

Based on past performance, Tiger's 80 percent or better to win. He's won 80% of the time when leading after 36 holes, and is 8-1 in majors leading after Friday.

From tee to green, this was the most Tiger-esque performance we've seen from him in a major in a while. The only thing keeping this from being a runaway is that he's not lighting it up with the putter. If continues to strike the ball the way he was today and can ram home a few putts, it's his to win.

That said, we also haven't seen Tiger strike the ball well for four straight days at a major in a long time.

[Thomkal]

Tiger/Furyk/Toms tied for the lead? No Phil trying to win that elusive first Open, most of the young guns missing the cut? Color me bored and uninterested, especially if Tiger goes on to win.

[spleen1015]

I'm the opposite. I want to watch because Tiger is in the lead.

[Sublime 2]

I'm the opposite. I want to watch because Tiger is in the lead.

Agreed.

[Young Drachma]

I'm firmly on the Beau Hossler bandwagon. Would love to see the kid do the unthinkable and win. Jack finished 4th as an amateur in '61 and the last amateur to win it was in 1933. But that'd such a cool feat.

Tiger squandered most of his chances today. But tomorrow will be no picnic. Would love to see the kid shock the (golf) world.

[Thomkal]

And its over for Tiger after three holes. Bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey.

[Thomkal]

Hossler has teed off-looked like he was in big trouble on hole 1, but chipped in from off the green for par.

[Big Fo]

And its over for Tiger after three holes. Bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey.

And yet the next time Tiger plays well in the first two rounds of a major many of the analysts will once again insist that he's back. I don't think it's going to happen for him, at least not to a major + several other tournament wins each year kind of level.

[kcchief19]

And its over for Tiger after three holes. Bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey.
As confident as I was he would win after Friday, I was equally as confident he wouldn't after Saturday. Until he comes from behind to win a major, you have to assume he can't.

Tiger looks in one of his pissed-I'm-phoning-it-in-moves. If this were the Tuscon Open, I think he'd discover an injury after 9 and call it a day. He's absolutely lost it.

I'm still watching because there's a lot of drama for the win. Would love to see Furyk, Els, Westwood or Hossler win. Don't care to see another Northern Irishman or any of the others at the top win. Would like to see The Open produce a genuine champion rather than some European/Nationwide Tour journeyman stumble ass backwards into a win.

[TroyF]

I'm firmly on the Beau Hossler bandwagon. Would love to see the kid do the unthinkable and win. Jack finished 4th as an amateur in '61 and the last amateur to win it was in 1933. But that'd such a cool feat.

Tiger squandered most of his chances today. But tomorrow will be no picnic. Would love to see the kid shock the (golf) world.

Didn't see this until today, but I never felt that way. I don't want to see him win. Don't get me wrong, it'd be a terrific story and I'd watch every second of it.

But the kid is 17 and it would put such ridiculous expectations on him from this point forward, I'd like to see him just be a kid for now. He has a long career and many majors in his future, no need to get one now. Stay in contention, be a great story and have fun with it.

[Buccaneer]

Tiger/Furyk/Toms tied for the lead? No Phil trying to win that elusive first Open, most of the young guns missing the cut? Color me bored and uninterested, especially if Tiger goes on to win.

Same here. We are all watching now, laughing at Tiger's bad attitude and thankful we don't have see his bad behavior in the last half of the coverage.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

imo this is the best open setup there's been in years and the direction most champ. golf courses should go. the equipment boom (and/or tiger boom) took all the driving trouble out of play. the response was to make everything longer which further rewarded the long hitters. the 260 yard bunkers became 280 yard bunkers. but it didn't matter because the long guys still hit it over everything. driving accuracy means nothing when your second shot is always a short iron.

open golf (and pro golf in general) should be a test of all skills.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

and modern bunkers are pointless. they're not penalties they're bail outs. you can spin it better out of a bunker then you ever could on grass.

i'd like to seem them go back to natural grass bunkers twice as high as the rough.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

poor jimmy. wheels started wobbling and he just burst into flames.