US Open 2014

SnowDrifts

A week to go until the 2nd major of the year at Pinehurst No.2. Most of the pre-tournament talk this year has been about the restoration of the course and how instead of rough, there are now sandy waste areas.

USGA director, Mike Davis, believes that featuring both sandy areas and bunkers will allow tournament officials to remain more in line with how the course was originally meant to be played.

"There's a definition to what a hazard is and what a bunker is, and that's what we follow," Davis said. "Just to make everything 'through the green' so it's easier - well it may be easier for the player to understand, but it really compromises the architectural intent of the golf course."

He also went on to say that in event of a close call, a rules officials will be following each group will make the final determination - often erring on the side of caution.

There will be a lot of "luck of the draw" with these sandy areas and unfortunately, I think slow rounds may be the talking point of the tournament with lots of rulings needed.


Rory's thoughts on the course. (check out JP's "just gimme the bag" reaction at 1:32 )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lquUVV5WL8w

Rikand

Really think gmac could do it this year. Straight hitting be the order of the day!

vienne86

Rikand wrote: »

Really think gmac could do it this year. Straight hitting be the order of the day!

Would love to see it - he's playing nicely at the moment and should do well on this course.

spacecoyote

Rikand wrote: »

Really think gmac could do it this year. Straight hitting be the order of the day!

Wasn't he being interviewed & said because of the lack of rough it could turn into a bombers paradise & he didn't fancy his chances

SnowDrifts

spacecoyote wrote: »

Wasn't he being interviewed & said because of the lack of rough it could turn into a bombers paradise & he didn't fancy his chances

He talks about the course in this clip although I have a feeling he was trying to put a positive spin on his opinion when he knows it's a big hitters course. Does anyone know if and when Lowry will get to play any practice rounds?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga9j1XAL7YE

jj99

Out of interest, how many players play in the US open?

Speak Now

jj99 wrote: »

Out of interest, how many players play in the US open?

156, top 60 and ties for the cut.

SnowDrifts

Groupings and tee times for the first 2 days. Shame to see Web Simpson out with Gmac and Rory. They should group Web with the other slow players and put them out last

And what are they trying to say putting Lowry out with Kevin Stadler and Brendon DeJonge :D
http://www.usopen.com/en_US/scoring/groupings.html

spacecoyote

SnowDrifts wrote: »

And what are they trying to say putting Lowry out with Kevin Stadler and Brendon DeJonge :D
http://www.usopen.com/en_US/scoring/groupings.html

Ha, love it, will look a bit more like a pre tiger era style golfing group alright

thegolfnut

Jimmy Walker is my bet.

A.Partridge

Luke Donald might earn his first major this week.

The new flatter swing seems to suit him.

skippymac6

Big driving, putting and scrambling the order for this week.

When analysed with those three attributes to the forefront Sergio comes out on top!

I don't think I can handle losing any more money on senor Garcia this week....

SnowDrifts

A.Partridge wrote: »

Luke Donald might earn his first major this week.

The new flatter swing seems to suit him.

Unfortunately I think this course is just too long for him. A lot of his shots to greens are going to be from 200+ yards which, given the upside down bowl nature of the greens, will be very tricky.

Hopefully I am wrong, would like to see him do well.

ForeRight

As with every major this year I'm going for Jordan Speith

force eleven

skippymac6 wrote: »

Big driving, putting and scrambling the order for this week.

When analysed with those three attributes to the forefront Sergio comes out on top!

I don't think I can handle losing any more money on senor Garcia this week....

He's had a knee injury recently . May still play, but you'd wonder if he's fully fit.

hairynipple

Heres my bets

Billy Horshell e/w @ 70/1
Jimmy Walker e/w @ 45/1
Bubba to win @ 18/1

SnowDrifts

Just watching some live practice on the golf channel - Pinehurst really won't look very spectacular on tv but I think it's a welcome change from the majority of other venues on tour.

It's gonna play very linksy with a lot of brown instead of green unless they get a lot of rain this week.

SnowDrifts

And a photo showing the 18th today

Speak Now

Shame about the forecast. Hopefully they will avoid the worst of the thunder storms. Love majors when its hard and firm.

Rikand

Hard for him, but if he thinks he did it then he probably definitely did it

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/24583364/jason-millard-disqualifies-himself-after-maybe-grounding-club-in-sand

Jason Millard disqualifies himself after maybe grounding club in sand

Jason Millard is not a name you should know but his story is one you should read.

Jason Sobel of Golf Channel profiled his tale in this piece and told of how Millard qualified for the US Open in a sectional qualifier on Monday in Memphis, Tenn.

On the final hole Millard may have grounded his club in a bunker (he says he's not sure) and it ate at him all week until he disqualified himself from the Open on Saturday.

Extreme? Maybe, but a golfer's conscience is sometimes all a golfer has.

"I literally thought about it for every single second of the day," Millard told Golf Channel. "I just kept asking myself what to do. I kept saying, 'I'm not 100 percent sure,' so I never did anything. But it kept on eating at me inside."

He was driving to Pinehurst when he made the call.

"It's heartbreaking but what I was feeling in my heart didn't feel right," said Millard. "It's the right decision and I am sticking with it."

A.Partridge

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Just watching some live practice on the golf channel - Pinehurst really won't look very spectacular on tv but I think it's a welcome change from the majority of other venues on tour.

It's gonna play very linksy with a lot of brown instead of green unless they get a lot of rain this week.

You gotta favour the europeans on this type of set-up

John Divney

Looking at that picture, have they designated all sandy areas as hazard, where does that right bunker begin otherwise?

Could get a bit messy with the rules officials .

Telecaster58

SnowDrifts wrote: »

And a photo showing the 18th today

looks a kip!!

SnowDrifts

John Divney wrote: »

Looking at that picture, have they designated all sandy areas as hazard, where does that right bunker begin otherwise?

Could get a bit messy with the rules officials .

Covered in post #1

Speak Now

A.Partridge wrote: »

You gotta favour the europeans on this type of set-up

Strangely enough it's the Americans that seem to come out on top when this happens.

SnowDrifts

Grass = loose impediment

http://www.mobypicture.com/user/Graeme_McDowell/view/16984981

John Divney

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Covered in post #1

Hmmm, not great from the Usga, the players know what a bunker is, but not where it begins going by that photo.

Just saw this, seems to be confusion for some players

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/players-concerned-bunkers-pinehurst/

One of them said 'use your imagination' to find the bunker lol

There will be trouble

Rikand

Just dont ground your club anywhere. simples.

GreeBo

Betting is not allowed in this forum outside a specific betting thread.
No warnings, no excuses, no ifs, ands or bets.

kiers47

A.Partridge wrote: »

You gotta favour the europeans on this type of set-up

Out of the last 20 open championships. There have been 12 US winners and only 4 Europeans. With 3 from SA and Nick Price. So I would say on this evidence i wouldn't be putting to much faith in the Europeans having an advantage on a links style set up.

PropJoe10

John Divney wrote: »

Hmmm, not great from the Usga, the players know what a bunker is, but not where it begins going by that photo.

Just saw this, seems to be confusion for some players

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/players-concerned-bunkers-pinehurst/

One of them said 'use your imagination' to find the bunker lol

There will be trouble

Didnt Dustin Johnson fall foul of an issue such as that a few years ago in the USPGA that Martin Kaymer won? Thought he wasnt in a bunker when he actually was. It was on the last hole of Sunday too, if I remember correctly.

John Divney

PropJoe10 wrote: »

Didnt Dustin Johnson fall foul of an issue such as that a few years ago in the USPGA that Martin Kaymer won? Thought he wasnt in a bunker when he actually was. It was on the last hole of Sunday too, if I remember correctly.

Yeah he did, Whistling straits. Problem there was it was outside the ropes so he was caught out because the galley were standing in it.

In Pinehurst the bunkers are all inside the ropes, and that WS bunker would not be considered as one.

badbeatcentral

A.Partridge wrote: »

You gotta favour the europeans on this type of set-up

Is it really going to play linksy?

All the holes seem very protected by trees beyond the 'rough' so it doesn't seem like there'll be much requirement for variation in ball flights as would be needed in the open links courses for example.

I can see the course setup benefiting the big hitters who if anything will have less fear of just bombing it and taking their changes with the lie in the scrub.

Going to be an interesting few days anyway.

PropJoe10

This one will be won by the player with the best shortgame. The greens are like upturned saucers apparently. I dont think its going to suit the huge hitters, from what Bubba Watson was saying, there's going to be a lot of laying up required. I'd love to see Mickelson winning it, he deserves the career grand slam.

Tiger Mcilroy

Been having a look at the stats and have a sneaky feeling that a guy like zach johnson could have a big week.

Accurate off the tee and although not being the biggest hitter his approaches stats from 150 - 250 is respectable and from 125 yards in he is lethal. Decent putter and has a solid attitude when faced with adversity..remember the chip in par after putting it in the drink against tiger.

LinksLad

Tiger Mcilroy wrote: »

Been having a look at the stats and have a sneaky feeling that a guy like zach johnson could have a big week.

Accurate off the tee and although not being the biggest hitter his approaches stats from 150 - 250 is respectable and from 125 yards in he is lethal. Decent putter and has a solid attitude when faced with adversity..remember the chip in par after putting it in the drink against tiger.

For the same reasons I'll be keeping an eye on how Steve Stricker is doing, very much an under-the-radar type of golfer these days.

Dtoffee

Matt Kuchar for me.

mike12

It looks like it is going to be tough to hold greens from the 200 yard mark. Gmac says anying holding 12 greens a day will win it.

sunbabe08

Had my mind on stenson. But my gut is telling me no.

Can't wait for this though

blackwhite

Any word on how the weather is predicted to be? Heard a long-range forecast that thunder storms were a possibility this week.

Heavy rain would turn this into a bomber's paradise, with the challenge of holding the greens being greatly lessened.

spacecoyote

John Divney wrote: »

Hmmm, not great from the Usga, the players know what a bunker is, but not where it begins going by that photo.

Just saw this, seems to be confusion for some players

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/players-concerned-bunkers-pinehurst/

One of them said 'use your imagination' to find the bunker lol

There will be trouble

As far as I know there will be a rules official walking with every group to remove any ambiguity

Rikand

SERGIO!

Festinalente

Paul Casey....

Adamocovic

Would like to see Lowry have a good event and make the weekend, would be brilliant also to see Garcia finally win a major, if there's one that he can win this is the one! 8 top 25s in 14 appearances, would love to see him finally win it. But knowing Garcia he won't believe in himself at all ha

onlyme!

Here come the heavies

Brendon De Jonge, Kevin Stadler, and Shane Lowry all grouped together!

PropJoe10

Adamocovic wrote: »

Would like to see Lowry have a good event and make the weekend, would be brilliant also to see Garcia finally win a major, if there's one that he can win this is the one! 8 top 25s in 14 appearances, would love to see him finally win it. But knowing Garcia he won't believe in himself at all ha

Unfortunately, Garcia's putting isnt good enough to win a major. Same with Westwood. Until they sort out this aspect of their game, they'll never win a major, in my view.

Adamocovic

PropJoe10 wrote: »

Unfortunately, Garcia's putting isnt good enough to win a major. Same with Westwood. Until they sort out this aspect of their game, they'll never win a major, in my view.

Yeah that's dead right, Garcia's poor mentality like the world is out to get him isn't helping him either, think he was quoted saying something along the lines that he thinks he will never win a major.

SnowDrifts

Apparently Sergio's knee injury still isn't fully healed - http://hotlinks.golf.com/2014/06/11/sergio-garcia-suffering-from-knee-injury-at-pinehurst/

sunbabe08

Adamocovic wrote: »

Yeah that's dead right, Garcia's poor mentality like the world is out to get him isn't helping him either, think he was quoted saying something along the lines that he thinks he will never win a major.

Yup, just what his supporters really want to hear especially after such a promising early career :-(

Think his beating at the 2007 British open against Harrington really affected him

Speak Now

sunbabe08 wrote: »

Yup, just what his supporters really want to hear especially after such a promising early career :-(

Think his beating at the 2007 British open against Harrington really affected him

And Padraig again 12 months later holing everything coming home in the pga :-)

woodoo

onlyme! wrote: »

Here come the heavies

Brendon De Jonge, Kevin Stadler, and Shane Lowry all grouped together!

THis guy will be following them around..
http://travellingdave.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/doughnut-seller-marrakech-morocco.jpg?w=1092