US Open 2014

SnowDrifts · 04-06-2014 02:00PM #1

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 · 04-06-2014 02:02PM

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

vienne86 · 04-06-2014 02:38PM

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 · 04-06-2014 06:01PM

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 · 05-06-2014 01:49PM

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 · 05-06-2014 03:39PM

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

Speak Now · 05-06-2014 04:04PM

jj99 wrote: »

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

156, top 60 and ties for the cut.

SnowDrifts · 06-06-2014 05:21PM

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 · 06-06-2014 05:50PM

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 · 07-06-2014 11:40AM

Jimmy Walker is my bet.

A.Partridge · 10-06-2014 10:24AM

Luke Donald might earn his first major this week.

The new flatter swing seems to suit him.

skippymac6 · 10-06-2014 10:36AM

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 · 10-06-2014 10:52AM

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 · 10-06-2014 11:28AM

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

force eleven · 10-06-2014 12:45PM

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 · 10-06-2014 01:27PM

Heres my bets

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

SnowDrifts · 10-06-2014 04:33PM

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 · 10-06-2014 04:46PM

And a photo showing the 18th today

Pinehurst18_zps564fa346.jpg~original

Speak Now · 10-06-2014 04:49PM

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

Rikand · 10-06-2014 04:56PM

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 · 10-06-2014 05:00PM

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 · 10-06-2014 05:14PM

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 · 10-06-2014 05:21PM

SnowDrifts wrote: »

And a photo showing the 18th today

looks a kip!!

SnowDrifts · 10-06-2014 05:31PM

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 · 10-06-2014 05:38PM

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 · 10-06-2014 06:12PM

Grass = loose impediment

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

John Divney · 10-06-2014 06:54PM

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 · 10-06-2014 07:00PM

Just dont ground your club anywhere. simples.

GreeBo · 10-06-2014 07:06PM

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

kiers47 · 10-06-2014 07:14PM

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 · 10-06-2014 07:16PM

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.

US Open 2014

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