2011 U.S. Open: Has the USGA Let This Tournament Get Away from Them?
By
Michael Fitzpatrick
ABS Advanced Student:
Styles,
I don’t see any disrespect. Twomasters posted the greens stat, and mentioned how solid that was. I think Johnny Miller was spot on when he said that those GIR stats are unheard of in modern-era golf. Nobody here disagrees what Rory is doing is head and shoulders over the rest of the guys out there. The thing is, as the numbers posted show, the course isn’t really set up to U.S. Open conditions, at least as they are traditionally defined. One record that is still very significant is margin of victory. If everyone is playing the same course with the same era of equipment and 1 guy stomps 155 others, that is quite an accomplishment. I am sure LCDV, Lag, and Two would agree with me there. Just because he is on pace to set the lowest winning total ever in a US Open, does that really make it the best U.S. Open perfeormance ever? Not necessarily. If he were to win by an unimaginable margin today, then quite possibly.
I see his ballstriking as outstanding in the modern era (but not comparable to other eras), regardless of the effective length (or lack thereof) of the course. Just look at how some others in the top 20 in the world are struggling. The thing is, as lag and company have pointed out, there is very little premium placed on ballstriking in the modern game. Guys just don’t need to hit 85% or more greens to win. Look what is happening this weekend when one of them does, along with putting well and hitting it 300+. If someone does have solid ballstriking stats in todays game, and the length and putter to go with it, they run away with events.
There are certainly lots of guys who are putting up more typical U.S. Open numbers who are considered stars in the modern game. Paul Casey, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Nick Watney, etc. all missed the cut. An Amatuer that holds several scoring records at my high school and just graduated after 4 years at a golf powerhouse D1 school qualified and came in near dead last. He gets a whole lot of praise around here, and won a collegiate event against a strong field. He was ranked in the top 20 Golfweek high school prospects when he graduated and committed to his D1 school of choice. He got into his first major, and really struggled, yet beat some pretty accomplished guys. What does it say about the “stars” of the modern era who play a course that is set up really easy by US Open standards yet still don’t scare par? Are todays players better or worse as a whole? I definitely believe they are inferior ballstrikers. They are probably better putters as a whole, and the length off the tee of modern players is impressive, but how do they stack up against other generations?
This is a lot like when Els lapped the field at Westchester back in '97?? while he was on a big time heater. It was a very very impressive win by one of the best in the world on a good but not great course with history. Was it impressive and fun to watch? Hell yes. Was it a transcendent moment in the history of the game? Not even close. Same thing here. This is not in the discussion with the 1918, '30, '46, '51, '53, '60, '62, '67, '68, '72, '80, '86, '00, or '02 US Opens. It’s a good young player dialed in hitting a high hard hook with perfect timing and riding a smoking hot putter. It’s not a coronation as long as his stock shot is that high hook & because of that shot 80 is always lurking around the corner. Ask Kenny Venturi, Tom Weiskopf & Bobby Clampett about the high hook on Sunday at majors, they know it’s three 66s followed by an 80. Standing ovation to a very very good young player and a dominant win. He COULD become one of the all time greats, time will tell & I will enjoy watching very much. I raise my glass.
Records mean nothing if the institution that hosts the event fails to uphold the integrity of the event.
It’s unfortunate for Rory, because over the course of history, this stuff will be discussed, and an event like this
will have some sort of an asterisk next to it… whether subjectively implied or not.
I am sure Rory would rather win it on a proper test that could in fact be compared to the legacy that once was The US Open.
It’s not his fault at all… unlike someone like Barry ***** Bonds.
My point is that history has a way of setting things straight over time.
Records become silly like NFL records. Players in the past played a 12 game season. Then it went to 14 then 16. Is it really shocking that all the records have been broken by the players playing 16 game seasons? In football, at least they have kept the ball basically the same and the field locked in at 100 yards so “averages” can have some relevance.
Exactly the point, how much different do you think his timing would be hitting that bomb release hook if he knew there was knee high hay on both sides of 20 yd fairways? No way does he keep his mechanics together if he knows he’s screwed with a block or an overcook… that hook is on an eggtimer & everybody knows it.
Though I agree with LCDV on the rough and Rory’s stock shot maybe not being as effective if the rough were more penal, one has to wonder if his performance would look even better on a better test. How many of the other guys would dissapear from the leaderboard if the USGA appointed John Erickson to oversee the course layout? On Saturady morning they mentioned Yang had 21 1-putts in 36 holes. He would have been struggling to make the cut with longer rough and a tighter layout. With Rory playing this well, it seems he might have an even bigger margin of victory on a tougher course. Another thing to consider when lag mentions how Rory is getting ripped off due to the technology era of golf. If he were to dominate with old technology on a tougher course against this field, it would go down in history as even more impressive, and it would be easier to compare apples to apples with previous generations.
One thing I have enjoyed is that you get the sense the world has forgotten about Tiger for a moment. The Tiger network (Golf Channel) has something more interesting to talk about for a while, thankfully. It has to be weird to be Tiger watching someone else dominate in a way that only he has done in today’s game.
Did anyone catch it when Miller made several remarks about how all the pin placements allowed the ball to funnel back to the hole from several directions, instead of away from it?
Then he follows it up by saying “If I was in charge of the layout, it would NOT be that way”
Andy
He should be pissed, he was the first to shoot 63 in a US Open & his piece of the record was in jeopardy every single day with this ladies pro am setup. Johnny Miller should be more pissed than anybody. 38 years later he still has a piece of the record of the lowest score in any major & it was on Sunday & it was in the US Open, the hardest to score in of the four by a mile & it was to come back and win in a close finish against all time great players & it was at Oakmont one of the toughest courses in the world. It was his crowning achievement (yes I know it rained & the greens were soft there too but come on) & he’s got every right to be absolutely furious that the USGA was doing everything in their power to take his record away with their same old limpdick moneysuck.
The 1974 US Open (video) and Ben Hogan playoff pic from 1955 US Open-
distant reminders of what a US OPEN MAJOR Championship is meant to be like for the contesting players
No doubt it is the USGA’s event… and they can do with it what they want. However, due to the historical significance of the event that was once deemed the toughest test in golf, I think it’s beyond embarrassing, but I doubt anyone there actually cares. It’s pretty obvious at this point.
Prior to 2000, only 4 players in the history of the event ever got to 8 under.
This year 8 players were within 3 strokes of that or better with 19 players under par.
Obviously the USGA is acting like a lost puppy. One year it’s tough as nails, the next it’s a cakewalk. All the hype about the grooves was utter nonsense. No difference. Zero.
My email box has been flooded with comments today… but one that stood out from a respected NY businessman hit home.
Given that viewpoint, it really is the PGA Tour that should see the light and cut the umbilical cord with the USGA. Let them hold their silly events on silly course set ups with silly clubs made to cater to their amateur clients or following.
An organization run professionally, by professionals, to cater to professional competition which would make sure the gear is properly set up for the events and in sync with the design of the golf course and uphold the integrity and fine history of the game AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.
Let the amateurs do what they want.
cardgolf.com/golf_course_sco … lympic.htm
golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=40054.0
Hey that’s great, my favorite short 3 par in the world is gone. Thanks for that…This whole thing just stinks to high hell. I haven’t played Olympic in over ten years, never with a solid ball. Has anybody been there in the last couple of years, maybe share some insights how bad it is so I can come to terms? I am scared to play it myself at this point if 8 was demolished, I cringe at what else they’ve done. Reseeding the greens & trying to get the Poa out I can see but it won’t work for more than 20 minutes. But I definitely don’t think I can watch these players hit wedge into one & seventeen… If they cut the trees down on 18 to make it drivable I don’t think I could ever look at a ball again.
If the USGA was an amateur organization how come they have over 500m in the coffer? I’d sure rather have the R&A do it than Tim Finchem. Lesser of two evils but what other choice is there?
LAG, you are the man! I have learned all about your methods for ABS and love them, but time after time you prove true to them. No matter what you always stay true to what you teach. Regardless of what anyone says you always defend your position and back it up with physical evidence. Just an example, have been playing with persimmons for the past two months and have estimated my score to be 3 to 4 strokes higher than it was before I began playing them. I consider myself a descent player but nowhere in the league of yourself and two, but making the point that it IS different than it use to be. Those great ballstrikers of the past were leaps and bounds past the ballstriking capabilities of today. Johnny Miller even said that Rory’s 32 out of 36 greens was the best he had seen out of modern day players, but would have been what was needed to contend in the past. HOGAN would literally win every tournament he entered with his SUPERIOR ballstriking with ease.
If Hogan was in today’s era he WOULD be in contention every event
Thanks Flat, I’ll keep hitting persimmon and enjoying everything about them and continue shooting 68s with them whenever possible. 
Twomasters and I played there a while back, and we were shocked at some of the changes they had made. But if you play it with persimmon from about 6800 like we did… it’s a real treat and still a great golf course. The thing is that the design is set up for certain shot shapes from each tee, and specific trajectories into each green. This concept has all but been forgotten by the amateurs who now run the game.
Last week I played the sister course “Lake Merced Golf Club” next door with their chairman of the board and Barkow, and they really feel they have a golf course of equal quality. I would tend to agree. It’s kept it’s integrity very well and I mentioned the idea of hosting a National Persimmon Open there, and in all honestly, I saw a twinkle in his eye, and he liked the idea. It would be a great venue, and help give Merced the credit it deserves.
Here’s what I found most nauseating;
During the press conferences, when asked about the prospect of Rory winning, just about every pro talked about how great he was, how it would be great redemption, what a nice kid he is, McDowell even says Rory makes him feel inadequate about his own game…WTF? Is this a golf tournament or a roast? Even Annika made the remark she had NO idea what these fools are thinking saying these sorts of things about a fellow competitor. It’s the “U.S.By God Open” for goodness sake, somebody grow a pair and stomp him!
Can you imagine what the response would have been if somebody would have asked Hogan what he thought about the prospect of one of his competitors winning the tournament? No wonder Tiger hates the press…they’re all a bunch of lunatics.
Andy
What’d you think of 7&8 if that was after the changes? I like Lake Merced but it’s always been miles behind Cal, O & old Harding as far as quality of the holes go. Played a bunch at Merced & the membership is great to players but the course isn’t in the same league. I hope nobody ever changes the Cal Club, it’s got such a low profile maybe nobody will.
picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#al … 3476342497
Construction work '08 on #7&8 Olympic (Lake)
golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=36431.0
So two members & a board of directors on the cheap took the the bulldozer to two of the highest character golf holes in the world & basically turned the Big O into Bayonet. It’s not bad enough that there’s no balls to use & nowhere to compete, now anyplace that’s sacred has to be bulldozed and turned into an airstrip. Aronomink, converted… Olympic, flattened… Augusta, botoxed… LACC, stretched… Colonial, obselete & barren… Doral, Disneyland… Merion,?? Son of a bitch…
Lag,
You read my mind…all day today I kept remembering Watson’s shot out of that wicked rough. I still remember watching that live as a kid. That rough was nowhere to be seen today.
Andy