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Post by SUVFan on Jun 19, 2021 9:39:27 GMT -5
2021 US Open
Torrey Pines GC
This year's US Open returns to Torrey Pines in the San Diego area. I played it back in the late 90s but they've made a ton of changes since then. The bones are much the same and the canyon and coastline bring back great memories.
Tiger won the first US Open played at this venue 13 years ago and also had a lot of success at the yearly tournament held there in the spring. An insurance company is the current sponsor but it doesn't look close to right to see that name used with winners back when a car company was the sponsor. Until '85, it was the San Diego Open and singer Andy Williams was the celebrity host from '68 through '88.
Tiger's US Open win back in 2008 -- his 14th major victory -- was quite remarkable. He won a in a 19 hole playoff against Rocco Mediate. Tiger was hardly at his best that week, plagued by a bum knee that, at times, I wondered if he'd be able to finish. At the time, it seemed nearly certain that he'd easily win four more majors and break Jack Nicklaus' record. 13 years later, Tiger has added only one more major win -- the 2019 Masters -- and now, ironically due to his "driving", appears to be finished with golf.
The names at the top of the 2021 leaderboard headed into moving day are not recognizable. An unheralded American named Russell Henley and an even more obscure Englishman named Richard Bland share the lead at -5. Henley should have the lead by a stroke but missed a 2 foot par putt on the last yesterday to drop back into the tie for the lead. He seemed to shrug it off.
Jon Rahm is in the hunt, 3 strokes back of the leaders at -2. Surprisingly, Bubba Watson is just two behind at -3. Bubba explained in a pos round interview yesterday that he curves it too much to do well at most US Open venues but he said the Torrey Pines rough is a little more fair than most, giving players who hit wayward shots more of a chance. Guys are missing a ton of greens and the short game is really where they are differentiating themselves.
Phil Mickelson, hot off his huge win at the PGA last month, was straddling the cut line all day yesterday until coming to life with a couple of late birdies to get to 2 over par, only 7 strokes back. Phil hurt himself badly with an opening round, 4 over 75. Yesterday's 69 was so close to being a 65, maybe even better. His touch around the greens remains nothing short of magical. He goes off relatively early at 1:06 pm EST, about 10 am local time. That should get him done ahead of windier weather that often hits in the afternoons and before the greens get crispy, which was a problem with his late tee time yesterday. I won't bet on him to win but I won't count him out yet.
Enemies Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau both stand at level par but are not paired together today. Brooks was two over yesterday as he couldn't find the fairway while Bryson managed 2 under. Also at level par is Colin Morikowa, last year's PGA champ and another of the game's rising stars. If the top 4 leaders do no better than tread water, any of these three but especially Colin could easily be in the thick of it by tomorrow.
If I had to bet on anyone right now, my money would be on American Mathew Wolff. He's just a shot back at -4 but his game looks to me to be the soundest of those in contention. He took some time off to clear his head and seems to have it in great place now. He'll be paired with Louis Oosthuizen today. I'm looking for Wolfe to post a 67 or better today -- 8 under will likely be good enough to make the final pairing on Fathers Day.
Developing.
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Post by SUVFan on Jun 20, 2021 20:11:05 GMT -5
2021 US Open Wrap up
Spaniard Jon Rahm shot the tournament's best round and won the US Open, Rahm's first major. It's redemption of sorts for Rahm, who was leading the Memorial by 6 strokes after the 3rd round just two weeks ago when a positive Covid test knocked him out of the tournament and into isolation. Quite a rebound!
Through 10 holes, it seemed like Bryson DeChambo would repeat as champ. Sitting at -5 he pushed his tee shot way right and couldn't get up and down on the par 3 11th, his first bogey since Friday. He also bogeyed 12 and then double bogeyed the par 5 13th, pretty much ending his bid to repeat. The meltdown continued on the par 4 17th on which Bryson carded a snowman.
My favorite, Matthew Wolff, was in it for the first 9, getting to -3 at one point but ended up fading.
Louis Oosthuizen vaulted into what appeared to be a commanding lead at -5. But the Rahm made the two unlikely birdies (both long breakers, from an average of 21 feet), applying pressure and on 17, Louis followed Bryson's lead and put his tee shot into the penalty area. He might have been able to get a club on the ball but it was smarter to take the penalty and try to make par. His approach was about 10 feet from the hole and he read more break into his putt than was there, dropping 2 strokes behind with the par 5 18th to go. His realistic chance at an eagle ended when he drove into the left rough. He considered trying to run the ball through a narrow lane onto the green, but from the rough, that would have been most unlikely. So he laid up and tried to hole out from 69 yards but couldn't spin the ball back down a hill far enough. He made the birdie but that was too little, too late.
Rory McIlroy also made a run, as did Brooks Koepka but both had issues down the stretch.
What a fun tournament!
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Post by SUVFan on Oct 17, 2021 8:39:42 GMT -5
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Post by SUVFan on Nov 26, 2021 16:50:12 GMT -5
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Post by SUVFan on Nov 30, 2021 20:16:23 GMT -5
The golf world was saddened this week by the passing of Lee Elder. He was 87. I've posted more about that here.
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Post by SUVFan on Jan 29, 2022 21:01:17 GMT -5
The 2022 golf season has been fun so far but today's San Diego Open at Torrey Pines (that was the original name back when Andy Williams hosted it -- several sponsor names have replaced the city in the Open's title) was stunning. It had it all!
World #1 Jon Rahm was in the thick of it but faded. Former world #1 Jason Day seemed to be out of it and then made an amazing eagle only to make a bogey and fall out of the lead. Another former @1 and Olympic Champion, Justin Rose, had a shot until he dunked his approach into the greenside pond on the last.
Meanwhile, 2 hours before the leaders finished, unheralded Luke List managed to birdie the last to tie for the lead at -15. It seemed doubtful that his score would hold up.
Co leader coming into the day Will Zalitoris, a 2nd year player and winner of the 2021 Arnold Palmer rookie of the year award (though he never won an event) played the entire back nine at level par -- no birdies, no bogies, just pars, was sitting at 1 under for the day), was sitting pretty. He had about 9 feet for birdie on the last for a win but just missed. It looked to me like the putt never had a chance, barely left all the way. It didn't look to me like he hit it too soft as a couple of the talking heads commented -- I didn't see any of his putts all day go far past the hole. He didn't leave it short -- I think he just misread it.
So it went to a playoff that began as the sun dipped into the Pacific Ocean. Either way it would be a first time winner.
They both hit their tee shots into a bunker on the right side of the fairway, less than a foot apart. Their 2nd shots on the par 5 18th ended up within 9 yards of each other. List had 133 to the pin. He hit a towering PW that landed behind the hole on the "backstop" and the ball rolled down the slope, stopping a foot from the hole! He tapped it in before Zalitoris putted.
Zalitoris hit his gap wedge from 123 and ended up just slightly longer on the same line as the putt he had missed 20 minutes earlier. He pushed that even further left, slightly longer. That was it. Luke List had his first PGA tournament victory!
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Post by SUVFan on Jan 8, 2023 19:59:59 GMT -5
2023 Golf Season
When I first tuned into the coverage of today's first 2023 event, the Tournament of Champions out on Maui, I expected to be watching a battle for 2nd place. Colin Morikawa looked unbeatable all week, taking a 6 shot lead into play today. A couple of early birdies confirmed the lack of a contest.
2nd place this year is still worth winning -- the prize is $1.5 Million.
By the time Morikawa made the turn, he had cooled off a bit but he still had a 6 shot lead. Then Jon Rahm, who was actually 9 strokes back after Morikawa finished the 1st hole, began a charge. I still think he was playing for 2nd at that point, not expecting that he'd catch Morikawa because of the obvious birdie holes on that last 9. But Rahm got to -26 with an eagle on the par 5 15th, just a stroke behind Morikawa.
It had been some time since Morikawa had made a birdie but, teeing off on 14, he was the only player in the field who had not made a bogey during the tournament. That changed when he put his drive on a reachable par 4 into a bunker and then blasted the ball over the green into the rough. He couldn't get up and down and so he and Rahm were tied. Then Morikawa proceeded to bogey the next two holes as well, becoming the only player in the field to bogey both 14 and 15 and probably the only one to make 3 bogeys in a row. Rahm had a hiccup with his approach on 17 but managed to make par, heading to the last up by 2.
Morikawa got off the bogey train on 17, but he just missed a birdie to get him within a single shot.
Rahm made an aggressive play on the last and sent his approach on the reachable par 5 past the hole, across the fringe, and into a nasty lie in the greenside rough. Paul Azinger says it's an easy chip for a tour pro and should lead to a birdie. Rahm left himself 5 feet for birdie, which if made would force Morikawa to hole out for double eagle to level what is now a match. Rahm drained the putt, giving him an all but insurmountable 3 shot lead after shooting a 10 under par 63 in the final round.
Morikawa's drive, though not as long as many in the field, leaves him 255 away, and gives him a lottery-like chance at that double eagle. The 18th green slopes severely and the play is to bounce the ball off a hill and onto the green and have the ball roll down the slope toward the hole, hoping that somehow it drops in. The approach ended up short, and Rahm has won.
It's the 9th time a player has melted down from a 6 shot lead going into the final round.
Golf can be an exceptionally cruel game -- it certainly was for Morikawa today. This experience is going to take a psychological toll on him -- he'd lost a 5 stroke lead last year, I believe -- so he's going to have to overcome a lot if he finds himself out in front down the road.
But he did manage a birdie on the last to finish under par for the round and maybe the $1.5 million will soften the disappointment slightly.
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Post by SUVFan on Apr 9, 2023 11:19:27 GMT -5
2023 Masters
It's tough to believe that round 3 of the year's first major has been completed. I've posted about Tiger's performance and withdrawal mid round in the TW thread.
After 3 rounds, LIV competitor Brooks Koepka has a 2 shot lead at -11. Jon Rahm trails Koepka by 2 shots with Victor Hovland back one more. In theory, Patrick Cantly at -6 still has a shot but everyone else appears to be battling for 2nd.
That includes a remarkable effort so far by amateur Sam Bennett, who is the reigning US Amateur champ. That used to count as a major victory back in Jack's heyday but no longer does, it seems. Bennett is currently tied for 7th at -4, the best 3 round performance by an A since Ken Venturi. Tiger missed the cut in his last (2nd) amateur appearance, to put it in perspective.
I was struck today by how lucky Rahm was. At least 4 of his drives or approaches were exceptionally lucky, for example, having his ball hit a tree but end up in the short rough with no impediment to reaching the green. Or having it appear to be headed for the pine straw and bushes behind the 12th pin, only to find its way to an unimpeded chip. I'd have had to take an unplayable both of those times! He did run out of luck eventually, missing a 2 foot par putt. But he'd rolled in several 10 foot or longer putts for par or birdie. That will be a huge thing in round 4 if he's to win.
We'll see!
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Post by SUVFan on Apr 9, 2023 18:54:25 GMT -5
Jon Rahm ended up cruising to a 4 shot victory! He did it on Seve Ballesteros' birthday and the 40th anniversary of Seve's 2nd Masters win. Jose Maria Olethabal, sporting his own green jacket, congratulated Rahm on his way to sign his scorecard.
LIV stars Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka finished tied for 2nd. Phil made an incredible charge, shooting a 65 -- the lowest final round ever turned in by a 50+ year old. Koepka melted down, losing the lead on the front 9 and never really challenging on the back.
Rahm has won several other events this year and is looking like a lock for 2023 player of the year.
I wonder what LIV may offer Rahm?
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Post by SUVFan on May 22, 2023 19:36:00 GMT -5
2023 PGA
This year's tourney is in the books. It was an incredible Sunday!
The winner was Brooks Koepka, who vaulted into the lead on Saturday, slept on it, started hot before fizzling a bit and then pouring it on for a 2 stroke victory. It's his 3rd PGA win and 5 Major championship -- he's only 33!
The turning point occurred on the 17th, when Koepka, leading by one stroke, put his drive in the center of the fairway. Norwegian star Victor Haviland started the day in 2nd place, one stroke behind Brooks. He put his drive in a bunker on the right side of the fairway. Mirroring Corey Conners shot from nearly the same spot on Saturday, Victor's 9 iron started too low and the ball was embedded in the base of the front bank of the bunker. Because it was an embedded ball outside of the bunker, he got a free drop. But relief was limited to a clublength from the embedded ball. The only option was to drop above the bunker (same for Conners on Saturday) and all Victor could do from that lie was to pitch the ball down the fairway. He ended up making a double bogey. Meanwhile, Koepka smelled blood and put his approach 4 and a half feet from the hole. He drained that putt for birdie and a 4 shot lead.
Ahead of him, Scottie Sheffler managed to birdie the last and close to 7 under par, now 3 strokes behind Koepka. Keopka knew he had strokes to burn on 18 and ended up bogeying the hole to fall back to -9. Victor birdied the last to tie Sheffler for 2nd place.
Earlier in the day, I was talking to one of my golf buddies on the practice green before our round. I said that I thought Koepka would win and the Sheffler would finish 2nd. So while the finish was most interesting, it wasn't all that surprising.
There was also a sideshow! PGA professional Michael Bloch was one of the 25 PGA professionals to qualify for this year's PGA. What was unusual was that Bloch was level par after 3 rounds and was paired with Rory McIlroy in one of the last groups. He continued to play very well but reached the par 3 15th at 2 over par. He was just outside of 15th place -- if he finished that high or better, he would automatically earn a spot in next year's PGA. He aced the hole, pulling to even par! He didn't see the ball go in and said after the round that he thought it was weird that Rory hugged him for hitting a good shot. Then it hit him, hearing all the cheers and he asked Rory if it went in? It was bedlam! Then on the last, after a bogey on 17, Bloch needed a par to finish 15th. His approach found the rough and the pin was tight -- he was shortsided. He hit this delicate little pitch that landed just short of the green and trickled toward the hole. It stopped about 6 or 7 feet away. The same putt had been missed right all day but Bloch's effort fell into the right side of the hole before the ball could slide by. Bloch has probably rec'd more attention at this point than Koepka and I'd expect that we'll see him in some ads! Dude's got schtick!
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Post by SUVFan on Dec 3, 2023 10:35:47 GMT -5
As I just noted in the Tiger Woods thread, Scottie Scheffler has the lead after 3 rounds of the Hero World Championship at 16 under. It's a small field but star studded! Scottie's putting has been remarkably good this week -- a huge improvement from last season -- and the rest of his game continues to be strong. So with the January events just around the corner now, Scottie looks to have a very strong 2024.
Only 2 other players are within 5 shots of Scottie: Michael Fitzpatrick is 3 behind and Justin Thomas trails by 5. Four others are tied at -10, including Jason Day and Jordon Speith. I doubt anyone else has a chance.
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Post by SUVFan on Dec 4, 2023 15:43:40 GMT -5
Scottie shot 4 under yesterday, getting to -20 for the tournament and securing a 3 shot victory over Shep Straka, who got to 17 under. They reported during the telecast that it was the first time Scottie has played since the Ryder Cup. He said he felt burned out and now feels very refreshed.
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Post by SUVFan on Dec 4, 2023 16:02:30 GMT -5
A bit of a side show emerged yesterday at the Hero World Challenge. Colin Morikowa was called to a meeting by the head referee and informed that he was being assessed a 2 shot penalty. What was the penalty for? Golf Digest's headline explains it about as well as possible:
It certainly hurt mine. Apparently Morikowa used a level when working on the putting green. That's ok under the rules. The mistake occurred, apparently, when a note was placed in his yardage book that somehow related to the use of the level -- a measuring device -- on the putting green. How a player could possibly gain an advantage by knowing something about the slope of the putting green when playing on another green is beyond me but that must be what those morons that run the game believe. The referee's comments show that he's a true believer in those morons.
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Post by SUVFan on Dec 4, 2023 16:07:35 GMT -5
It does make me wonder, though. Under the USGA and R&A rules, I believe use of GPS and Rangefinders is verboten. But I'm sure they use them all the time in casual play or practice rounds. I would expect that those devices count as measuring devices, too. It seems likely that players have made notes that find their way to the yardage books based on those devices. Or maybe just from using Google Maps on an aerial/sattelite mode and then using the measuring feature to figure out a distance. That must not be ok, either?
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Post by SUVFan on Jan 7, 2024 20:15:54 GMT -5
The first PGA event of 2024 is in the books! What used to be a previous year champions only event has an expanded field that includes making the final round of the huge delivery company year end championship -- 32 qualify for that -- and maybe some other ways.
It's played at Kapalua on Maui. This year, there was a real question about whether the tourney could be held due to the devastating wildfires but they were able to put the tournament on.
Normally there's a ton of wind out there that affects play. Not this year. Chris Kirk won at 29 under par. His win was worth 700 delivery company points toward qualifying for this year's event. I think it also paid a whopping $3.5 million. Not a bad Hawaiian long weekend!
Jordan Speith put on a charge but came up two shots behind in third. He missed a 3 footer yesterday and he drew a buried lie in a bunker on the 16th, making a bogey that really cost him.
But Kirk came up huge on 17, putting his approach from 205 yards just 2 and a half feet from the hole and making an easy birdie that ended up being the difference.
Sahith Theegala, the first round leader, finished -28 in 2nd and put on a great show. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish his round strong, making par on both 17 and 18. The latter is a par 5 that's easily reachable in two for most pros but Theegala left himself a long pitch to the green, ending up outside 10 feet for birdie and he couldn't drain that. From a similar spot, Xander Shaufle in the final group went directly at the hole, risking a penalty, but ended up inside 3 feet for eagle. Xander had difficulties with his putter on the back 9 and ended up -24, back a bit in the field, but showed that an eagle could be had on 18. In a post game interview, Theegala is saying he wishes he could have his second shot back on 18. I look for him to be a big factor this year on the tour.
Next week is the Japanese electronics company Open, also out in Hawaii.
NBC had the coverage and on Friday, introduced Kevin Kisner as a commentator. Kis did an hour and a half on his first day and then put in the full 4 hours for the last two rounds. He is a very colorful personality and made it a lot more fun to watch. He has some inside baseball thoughts to add and is just refreshingly direct in his comments. Kis is playing a full schedule this year but expressed interest in returning to the broadcast role. Paul Azinger, who replaced Johnny Miller several years back, was not out in Hawaii and has to be thinking about retirement. I could see NBC grooming Kis to replace Zinger in a few years.
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