The Official Golf Thread

[lebron]

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2015/06/18/players-react-to-chambers-bay-after-round-1-us-open.html

 

Couldn't find an apt thread for the greatness shown by Ms Balionis. Enjoy!

 

Edit: Seems I can't post the link for it, but look at the videos of "top moments from round 1" on the pga.com website

[lifetime fan]

Woods cards a 10 over par 80.

[Stickman]

I think Nicklaus can rest easy now regarding his 18 majors , I think that is one record that will never be surpassed.

[Josef Svejk]

Woods cards a 10 over par 80.

 

I assume you were watching a delayed broadcast?!

[lifetime fan]

I assume you were watching a delayed broadcast?!

Haha - looks like.

[mouse1989]

I've gone for Reed, Scott and Moore

 

Good start from Reed, average from Scott and poor from Moore

[G Richards]

Some of the greens are a disgrace. Not just poor, but an actual disgrace. That's not good enough for a Major course. But other than that I like it.

 

 

Agree with this bit. As I've watched the tournament so far the greens are a bit of a joke. If you are a world class golfer you want the greens to roll and be fair. The rest of the course - elevation changes, layout etc. is a great test of golf. But the greens are a bit of a lottery. At the end of yesterday's round Rory had about a 50 footer, and he almost went as far past the hole again. Not his best putt for sure, but that bad? No way. 

 

But it's not just the long putts. Good golfers make a decent amount of 10-15ft putts. It's what sorts the men from the boys, as they can all hit the thing tee to green (obviously if you drive it like Dustin Johnson you are well placed for doing well on this course). The problem with the greens is that I'm not sure the putting surface is able to separate the better putters out from the rest. It bobbles and moves all over the place. 

 

The greens are better in the morning, so hopefully Rory will put a decent round together as he is going out earlier today. Spieth is a very good player but he has also benefited from going out at the right time so far. 

 

Anyway, I'm planning to watch more of this today/tomorrow. Reed/Spieth/Johnson all look good so far. If I had to pick one I'd go for Dustin Johnson. 

[magicrat]

I backed Speith at 17/2 after the first round, Happy with that

 

I really don't like the course and the greens are horrible. Don't understand why they want to try and recreate links golf in the States when they have so many magnificent parkland courses. Just leave the links golf to the Brits you fucking dickheads 

[Vincent Vega]

Not had a bet for this and am pissed off that two of my regulars when I do have a bet - Day and Dustin Johnson - are joint leaders going in to the final round. I would still have Speith as favourite with him being red hot this year and coming off the back of winning the Masters. Not been watching much of this with it being played at Pacific time and finishing at after 2am over here, but as usual, the US Open has been making mugs of some excellent golfers.

[lebron]

Not had a bet for this and am pissed off that two of my regulars when I do have a bet - Day and Dustin Johnson - are joint leaders going in to the final round. I would still have Speith as favourite with him being red hot this year and coming off the back of winning the Masters. Not been watching much of this with it being played at Pacific time and finishing at after 2am over here, but as usual, the US Open has been making mugs of some excellent golfers.

 

You should put a few bob on Oousthuizen (23-1) if you want an outsider for tonight. I think DJ will take it home, but the South African has had countless birdie chances the last two rounds and has made quite a few of them as well. If he can post another 66 he's going to be pretty close. Can't see Spieth keeping up when he's hitting it with such instability, and Day must be pretty close to knackered... Thought both Grace and Johnson played really well yesterday, but when DJ hits every fairway it's hard to look past him.

 

I'm rooting heavily for Spieth even if he's almost a little too clean-cut for my normal taste in sportsmen. Having made quite a profit on him over the last couple of years helps his popularity with me of course...

[magicrat]

Not had a bet for this and am pissed off that two of my regulars when I do have a bet - Day and Dustin Johnson - are joint leaders going in to the final round. I would still have Speith as favourite with him being red hot this year and coming off the back of winning the Masters. Not been watching much of this with it being played at Pacific time and finishing at after 2am over here, but as usual, the US Open has been making mugs of some excellent golfers.

 

The USGA get so fixated on making par a winning score that they make mugs of themselves and the public by setting up a course like this for their championship . Luck always plays a part in golf,  good bounce here , bad bounce there but provided the penalties for small mis-judgments or errors aren't too severe then it evens out . With this course a good shot can land a yard the wrong side of ridge and end up 50 yards away. It's ludicrous and leaving aside the silly topography the condition of the greens is a joke,

Gary Player is right when he says the answer to length of players now with the latest equipment is to re-design the ball  

[RobbieOR]

Anyone else watching this?

 

Spieth looking good again.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Mental at the end.

 

Johnson three put from twelve feet.

 

Could have won, needed the next for playoff and fucking blew it.

 

In front of Wayne Gretzky as well. The coke head twat.

[lebron]

Wow! Most dramatic finale to a major that I've seen. Some fantastic golf coupled with mind-numbing mistakes over the last three holes.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Wow! Most dramatic finale to a major that I've seen. Some fantastic golf coupled with mind-numbing mistakes over the last three holes.

Yeah, the RSA lad there blew it driving his ball to the train tracks and then Speith three putts to let Johnson back in, then makes his birdie with that other RSA lad, Ossterhouzen or whatever in the clubhouse oogling that weird chick in the golf skirt that Fox decided was going to do post round interviews whilst Johnson was already thinking of rattling Paulina Gretzky whilst doing lines of blow off the trophy before he choked

 

they actually put comet trails on the drives, rattled on non-stop aboot the tree, the trains and the browns...err..greens. But in the end it was exciting stuff.

 

Speith looks like he is 16 years old, never had a dirty thought in his life and says ma'am and sir all the time.

[Special K]

Spieth is a robot. Can't take to him at all

[lebron]

Spieth is a robot. Can't take to him at all

Really? I think he's very likeable, and I've backed him (both betting- and otherwise) for the last couple of years. I find his enthusiasm/energy very infectious. He's no "rebel" of course, but a robot? Nah, not having that at all.

 

Anyway, his win (s) this year is great news for the sport (and not just because he beat cokehead), as the U.S. needs another superstar now that Tiger is finished for good. Media/sponsors/the crowds love Spieth already, and there's every chance of him challlenging Rory for the no 1 spot over the next couple of years. Rory obviously has the higher ceiling, but Spieth's stability, competetiveness and putting is scary!

[Total Longo]

Warmed to Spieth a lot after the Masters win, very humble, affable and most of all not Mcilroy.

[RobbieOR]

Biggest choke of all that was. He'll never win a major after that.

[lebron]

Biggest choke of all that was. He'll never win a major after that.

It was pretty epic, but both Grace (16th) and Spieth (17th) had some mindblowing mishits too. Johnson's drive and approach on the 18th were pretty impressive too. The final two putts were awful though...

[lebron]

Biggest choke of all that was. He'll never win a major after that.

It was pretty epic, but both Grace (16th) and Spieth (17th) had some mindblowing mishits too. Johnson's drive and approach on the 18th were pretty impressive too. The final two putts were awful though...

[RobbieOR]

It was pretty epic, but both Grace (16th) and Spieth (17th) had some mindblowing mishits too. Johnson's drive and approach on the 18th were pretty impressive too. The final two putts were awful though...

 

Spieth did go a bit wayward but i wouldn't call it a choke when he's 1) won a major and 2) managed to birdie the last. It's the third time Johnson has thrown it away from this position. He's like the American Sergio Garcia.

[G Richards]

I was pleased Rory gave it a good go. When he had a chance to go three under I thought he might go on and post a four under par target, which would have put him right in the thick of it. After rallying he missed the chance to go three under, then a couple of bogies saw him finish even. Still, that's what you want to see from the no.1 golfer in the world. A bit of fight. I though McIlroy missed loads of putts all week long just shaving past the edge of the hole. If even a usual portion of them would have dropped, he'd have won that. 

 

I quite like Spieth as well. Seems like a good kid. He's won the last two majors and is a worthy no.2 in the world rankings. Perhaps Spieth and McIlroy can go at it for the next decade and bring the best out in each other. Obviously the talent pool is much deeper and there are loads of good players in the mens game, but I reckon Spieth and McIlroy will take half of the available majors in the next decade between them. Spieth is good at everything, and very good at putting. McIlroy has more distance and flair, and when he is on I think he can be unplayable, but it's impossible for any sportsman to be at their very best all the time. 

 

Final word goes to Dustin Johnson. Should have let his father in law come down off the hill and hit that puck in! Three putting from only twelve feet will be very hard to shake off mentally. He can bounce back from this and still win a few majors, as he has the game for it. But on the other hand it could just as easily make him veer off course, at which point the drug testers will be busy. I very much hope it is the former. He's too talented to not be a significant factor at the top end of golf.  

[alles ist gut]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/33407734

 

Rory McIlroy sustains major ankle injury ahead of Open

 

World number one and defending champion Rory McIlroy is a doubt for the Open after totally rupturing an ankle ligament playing football with friends.

The 2015 Open begins in nine days' time at St Andrews in Scotland.

McIlroy, 26, wrote on Instagram: "Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage in a soccer kickabout with friends.

"Continuing to assess extent of injury and treatment plan day by day. Rehab already started."

 

BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter :

 

"This could not have come at a worse time and the wisdom of having a kick-about is sure to be questioned. Clearly it was a freak accident at a time when McIlroy was relaxing ahead of the most important period of the season. The fact it is his left ankle is also problematic. This is the side he hits towards and that bears his weight through the impact and follow through."

 

A spokesman for McIlroy, who will have further scans on his ankle over the next 48 hours, said he has not yet ruled himself out of the Open.

McIlroy, who has won four majors so far in his career, was set to play in the Scottish Open this week, but he will definitely miss that event.

He could also miss the chance to defend his US PGA Championship title in mid-August.

McIlroy has had a mixed season so far, finishing fourth at this year's Masters back in April, and joint ninth at last month's US Open - both tournaments were won by Jordan Spieth.

He missed the cut at the Honda Classic in March, but won the World Golf Championships Match Play and the Wells Fargo Championship in May.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, etc.

[JohnnyH]

First up is the Scottish Open on one of my favourite courses.  Gullane on the outskirts of Edinburgh.  A fantastic links course surrounded by a bunch more fantastic links courses.  In fact, another personal favourite, North Berwick is just up the road.  Courses I've played many many times and never tire of.