111th U.S. Open Championship

[trifectarich]

Luke Donald and Lee Westwood are co-favorites at 10-to-1; Mickelson is 12-1 and there's no Tiger. The USGA can stretch Congressional C.C. to 7,600 yards if if wishes. Weather is supposed to be good. Don't know what the odds are that the First Golfer puts in an appearance.

 

[Double Down]

Worth a laugh. Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Ben Crane and Justin Fowler, being awesome.

http://bit.ly/mdC2hT

 

[playthrough]

I'm in the golf biz and thought the vid was supremely lame at first, but then realized this isn't bad for the game's image. It's certainly no worse than the Super Bowl Shuffle.

As for the Open, watch Thurs/Fri for guys teeing off on the 10th hole, a monster par-3 over water. Not what you want for your first shot of the day. Should be fun.

 

[Cosmo]

No. 6 will be fun to watch. They stretched it from a long par-4 to a risk-reward par-5. No. 18 will be a bear. Even the long hitters will have 200-plus downhill into a green with a lake on the left and sand on the right.

 

[MileHigh]

Always a fun tournament with an expected off-beat winner. Not the greatest Open track when compared to recent and future courses. Feels like a return to Olympia Fields when compared to being at Torrey in 2008, Pebble in 2010 and going to Olympic in 2012. Non-American probably a 1-3 bet to win it, but expect some fireworks at 18 (it was 17 in 1997) and Johnny Miller to say some candid stuff.

 

[Cosmo]

For some reason I really like Jason Day this week.

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

Just took a look at the course. Hopefully they make the pin placement impossible on No. 10 and 18, just for kicks.

 

[hunter121]

Always a fun tournament with an expected off-beat winner.

 

[JackReacher]

I like Kuchar or Kim.

 

[trifectarich]

Just took a look at the course. Hopefully they make the pin placement impossible on No. 10 and 18, just for kicks.

If they put the hole at 18 as far back and as far left as they can go on Sunday, the scores will look like the D Flight from a member-guest. I hope NBC has the tape ready from Monty playing that hole on the last day in '97; it's 10 priceless seconds of what it's like to be in the hunt in the last 5 minutes of the U.S. Open.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

You can have the Masters, and I understand why it's popular. But this is always my favorite tournament. I don't watch much golf on TV, but I almost always make sure to watch this tournament, especially the final round. It's always thrilling and entertaining.

 

[Cosmo]

There's some concern that the rough hasn't grown enough thanks to a recent heatwave in the D.C. area. Also, the greens aren't rolling as fast as the USGA wants. Scores may be a bit lower than in U.S. Opens past. I'm guessing something like -8 will win it this week.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Cosmo, the USGA will put land mines in the rough before they'll let 8 under win this tournament.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Some rain is expected to move through at times tomorrow. Maybe some in the morning, and then later in the afternoon/night time hours. Probably won't be a lot, but that little bit could help make things more difficult as the tournament goes on.

 

[hondo]

I like Kuchar or Kim.

Kim won't win again until he starts hitting the rack before midnight. The caddies call him "The Grey Goose."

 

[Cosmo]

Cosmo, the USGA will put land mines in the rough before they'll let 8 under win this tournament.

One would think. I walked part of the course yesterday, and the rough just wasn't hurting guys like it should have. A little rain would definitely help muck up the works. And no one is going score on No. 2. What a ***** of a hole, especially if the pin plays up front.

 

[MileHigh]

Shinnecock Hills gets 2018 Open. Fourth Open for the club, including the disaster that was 2004.

 

[ShiptoShore]

I like Kuchar or Kim.

Kim won't win again until he starts hitting the rack before midnight. The caddies call him "The Grey Goose."

Well, at least Kim can beat Robert (Grinch) Allenby heads-up when Allenby calls him out for partying the night before... then beat him again in a WGC match play event later that season.

That was one of the more entertaining Presidents Cup stories.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Aside from being impossible to reach from New England except by sea, Shinnecock is an excellent Open course.

 

[Birdscribe]

Cosmo, the USGA will put land mines in the rough before they'll let 8 under win this tournament.

This -- along with dragon's teeth and barbed wire (which even the graduated rough will represent if things get too crazy).

There is no way in the name of Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones that 8-under wins this week. Aside from Congressional's length, the undulating, rather large greens allow for pins that would be suicidal to shoot for.

That said, Mike Davis' set-ups -- especially with the aforementioned graduated rough -- will not preclude some great golf. This is in stark contrast to his predecessor, who was Denzel Crocker from the "Fairly Oddparents" or insert-your-least-favorite-sadistic-teacher's-name-here, when it came to inflicting gratuitous punishment.