OT: US Open - Men's Golf - LA Country Club - are you following it?
It's Father's Day weekend - and, in my sports calendar, that means it's US Open golf week.
This year's host is - the Los Angeles Country Club.
Will you follow it? Any golfers you're cheering for - or, rooting against?
My hope is - the USGA has set up the course "tough" - but, not turned it into a joke - with greens baking / dying because of the speed and firmness the USGA tries to attain. If the final score was "single digit under par", I would be quite content.
So, here's to a tight leaderboard on Sunday afternoon - with some very competitive golf from the field. Enjoy!
P.S. though a few days early - Happy Father's Day wishes to all...
Love the US Open and definitely enjoying Fowler's start.
I've got it on. The course seems to be a bit controversial but it looks pretty sweet to me. Ironic to have the US Open at perhaps the most exclusive club in the US.
I'm rooting for Viktor, Rickie, Sahith, JT, and Rory.
Nothing controversial about this George Thomas masterpiece, it's one of the most inspiring and influential designs in the history of American golf.
In terms of exclusivity, it's in that top tier but certainly not #1.
A great four days ahead.
Well, the controversy isn't the course design, just the scoring, but it's early.
Not #1 in terms of exclusivity --- correct --- but definitely #1 in terms of the value of the real estate.
Maybe someday they'll pay their fair share of taxes on said real estate like the rest of us have to.
You are not wrong as regards how absurd some things have become.
But nobody is ever going to touch that 3rd (or 13th, you surely get the inside joke) rail.
Indian Creek would like a word…
I am having trouble getting into professional golf right now. It is a variety of factors. It has been difficult post-Tiger generally. The good news is we lived through Tiger, and it was awesome. The bad news is, we lived through Tiger, and golf simply will not be that exciting again.
Further, the "new generation" of golfers is cycling so rapidly I can barely keep up. Rory was holding the torch and then he was gone and then I get used to Speith and Dustin and Rickie and then they are yesterday's news and then DeChambeau is great and then he's not and Sheffler's up. It's confusing. I am an avid golfer and I find myself saying "who is this guy" a lot of the time when I watch golf, even majors. A lot of the time I find myself just looking for Justin Rose because he always seems to be hovering.
To make matters more complicated, I don't see a lot of these players very often due to LIV. When Koepka won the PGA, it wasn't part of any "story" to me. I was like, "oh yeah Brooks Koepka exists" and that was pretty much it.
I will probably watch on Sunday, but it is unfortunately not appointment watching at this time.
the venue is the star this week, watch for the course.
People's feelings on Koepka are kind of a mixed bag. Many people dislike him but, personally, I love his game. He isn't "the next" Tiger but he is an absolute killer in the Majors. Supremely talented when he's focused.
Koepka seems like a douchenozzle, but he’s really really good, when healthy.
Beautiful course. One of the holes backs up to the Playboy mansion.
this is the hard hitting coverage I come to MGoBlog for
I love it when the PGA or US Open is on the west coast cause it means the golf coverage goes well into the evening.
Xander, Rickie or Homa would be my preferred winners.
Personally, I enjoy it when the course is a bitch. Whether it’s deemed “unfair” or not. If the winner is more than a couple strokes under par, it’s a bad setup IMO. It’s a unique course so I’ll enjoy it regardless, but most weeks the pros are tearing up courses. I think it’s fine for a major to be as difficult as possible.
I just don't like when they have to make the course artificially hard. Like, Bethpage is a nearly impossible golf course. That's fine. It is just really hard. Shinnecock, on the other hand, is not suitably difficult for a US Open any longer so they have to brown it to concrete to keep scores down. That isn't golf.
I can’t blame the USGA or courses with how equipment continues to evolve and players are able to just hit it past or through trouble.
I think the brand equity of the US Open is that it's the most difficult of all the majors. Without that it's just another one. So I love it when they struggle. To me the best US Open outcome is the winner at 1 or 2 under, tops, and everyone else over par.
This one may not be for you, then. Looks like these guys are going low.
yep, two guys at 62 makes this major nothing special, it loses what makes it great, these are scores more suited to the Rocket classic in Detroit than a US Open
I saw an interview with Homa last night on ESPN. He apparently shot a 61 course record at LACC in college when he played at Cal.
I'm rooting for Jack and Arnie to battle it out down the stretch.
I am out on pro golf. The PGA taking the Saudi money and combing with LIV is too much for me.
The USGA isn't either of those organizations, so the US Open should be in play for you.
Not only that but the PGA didn’t have much of an option. The litigation would drag on and bankrupt the PGA long before the PIF would run out of $$$$ to throw around.
PGA either joined them or get litigated to death
The merger will never happen. So says Sherman (the Act, not Peabody's sidekick).
I think that the other major american sports leagues, and the PGA before LIV, are evidence to the contrary.
I honestly just don’t see how it possibly could. I think the PGA just should have allowed LIV players to be in and compete in limited tournaments. Like 5 per calendar year. They took a pretty unsustainable stance and got themselves into a bind.
I dont think many people believe a merger was part of the plan. Not many people I talk to did and I certainly don’t. It’s likely a deal to allow players from one your to freely play the other if they qualify. Kinda like DP and PGA were.
Lots of guys played both tours. Now guys will likely play certain events on all three tours.
I didn’t know that the PGA doesn’t own the majors until last year when this LIV thing started up
I get it, but as I said I am done with pro golf. The hypocrisy from all parties is too much for me to stomach at this point. Would have loved to see the PGA actually take a stand for what is right and see just how much money the Saudis are willing to throw down the tank for a money losing venture.
I'll keep tabs and watch some on the weekend, especially Sunday, but without Tiger the first 2 rounds don't interest me a ton anymore.
Tigah Tigah Woods y'all
What do you mean he's not playing.
No, I'm not.
But I follow mgoblog like it's part of my job.
Yup!
Yup. Expecting Fowler, who is on fire right now, to choke as he usually does in majors. Would be nice to see him win a major though. Scheffler looks excellent as well.
Rooting for my fellow Cal Bears. Max Homa and Colin Morikawa. Homa looks solid, Morikawa not so much.
the course looks phenomenal.
Probably the most "fun" course we've seen in golf since Chambers Bay, and that one was ruined a bit because the USGA didn't know how to handle the greens. People are gonna bitch because the winning score won't be around par, but you're gonna see some shots played that you never see anywhere else. Also the type of course where the cream should rise to the top due to the mental and ball-striking commands (as I type this the top 4 are Rickie, Xan, Scottie, Bryson. A lot of pedigree there).
Pro golf is dead to me with the merger.
I’ve struggled to get into golf lately. I just find most of the best players to be conceded and pretentious. And the way they bicker with one another is off putting to me.
Watching it now, Fowler just set the all-time record for low round at the U.S. Open w/an opening 62. Meanwhile I found "Full Swing" on Netflix, a close-up view doc in episode format that helped me catch up on current players. I agree with a previous poster who said that post-Tiger the players are generally unexciting personality wise.
Thanks for the comments - and, looking at Rickie Fowler's scorecard - he only made ten (10) birdies today. Yes, he's at 8 under after the first round - but, that included two bogies. IMO, just insane. I haven't been able to watch any of the golf - so, I don't know if it's just fantastic play by Fowler, course setup, or a bit of both.
Xander Schauffele is also at 8 under and about to finish his first round.
Enjoy...
Are the Saudis playing?
Yup...and their public relations long game is in rare form.
Course rangers are hardasses in L.A. IIRC
Peacock coverage sucks. Way too much studio blah, blah...show us shots. And Spieth hit a shot toward the green from the rough and they close up on the ball, for like three seconds. Give us perspective on what that shot looks like in relation to the green and the hole. McIlroy apparently hit an approach within 3 feet of the hole, but all they showed was him picking up his ball and his easy put for birdie. Show us the awesome shot that gave him an easy birdie.
I'll say it again, Peacock coverage sucks. Give us a different producer or something. I hope the weekend coverage isn't like this.
I was very excited the US Open would be at LACC, something different, big renovation but I just haven't been able to get into golf for the last few years. I'll probably watch some on the weekend. I think it will be a good tournament, excellent course but I doubt it holds up to US Open historical standards of low single digits (less than -5) winning.
The USGA has kinda lost the plot on US Open setups, in my opinion going all the way back to Pinehurst. But thats just me I guess.
It would appear that LACC will not be a stern test for these players…. Five par threes.. Not enough length. And, though the greens have some gradation to them, the players are reading the break and putting accurately.
I will just say one thing… “ball spinning back to the hole”. US Open greens shouldn’t have that characteristic.
Enjoy…