Dukeman, the fact that Rory won the US Open in the same sorts of conditions that most PGA tournaments are played during the year speaks to why he won. It was the same course conditions and his advantages on those courses that got him to number one with. The US Open is supposed to be a different test, the biggest being accuracy over distance. This allows anyone that is accurate but not necessarily long a chance to win. Hence, your steady stream of Jack Fleck/etc types. If your both long and accurate, even more power to you.
As for the Masters, you have to invited to play (usually by winning other tourneys) so by default you are getting a different mix in the Masters winners because you are getting the winner of winners.
Would Francis Ouimet have won the US Open against Harry Vardon and Ted Ray if the course conditions were more regular PGA like? Maybe or maybe not but it did make for some amazing golf and and an amazing story of the US Open.
The US Open was always about being a tough test with a winning score of par to win as a USGA goal. McIlroy shooting 16 under was extreme but having 20 players under par at the end was also. That definitely was not what I would call a US Open.
I think the PGA and PGA players didn’t like the fact that “These guys are good.™” didn’t seem to be true when they got embarrassed at the Canadian Open that played more like a real US Open than the US Open itself in 2011. This is why the US Open will probably just be another PGA tournament now with PGA “friendly” conditions. $$$ talks and the PGA and manufacturers don’t want to show you that being 325 yards off the tee and into the rough doesn’t do you any good in real rough. The USGA is being pushed into easing up on the course conditions by the PGA. It’s a shame really.
14 guys under par this week at the Congressional Classic. Looks like the same set up as last year’s so called major event. Figuring there was a stronger field at the “major” event last year… if I remember right, 30 something players were under par. It looked like a regular tour event last year, just like this week. They really should put an asterisk next to the record breaking effort. Did Rory not show up to defend his title?
The rough this week in July 2012 looks deeper than it was for the 2011 US Open. Olympic was a much more proper set up.
2011 Looks like a regular PGA Tour event. Called a US Open… but I can’t agree it was a proper US Open set up. This was a shock to see this. Even from a US Amateur standpoint, rough was twice as deep or more in the three US Am’s I played in. Rory is not a straight driver of the ball. Merion was the only proper US Open set up in modern years prior to Oakmont in 2025. Rory shot 14 over par at Merion two years later after shooting 16 under par at this questionable (more than) US Open. Hogan never finished out of the top ten from 1940 to 1960 at his US Opens. Rory has missed the cut in 5 US Opens to date. His win came when it was set up as a regular PGA Tour event.
They added 300-400 yards because of one player and one player only Tiger Woods. They even called it Tiger proofing the course but it didn’t work. Now 99% of all the guys on tour are hitting it out there where Tiger was. The modern ball has been a game changer for Joe and Sally golfer.
