Watched some Golf Channel lead up to the Open and they were showing how fast the greens are and how the unique pitch of front to back impacts shots. It looks brutal Going to be some great shots that end up rolling off the greens and end up 20 - 30 yards away. Saw an interview with the current Club Champion and he thinks a couple under par will win it, and of course if you don't hit in the fairway the rough is going to force a lot of 9 iron or Pitching wedges just to get out of it.
Scottie, Bryson, Rahm and Rory are the favorites. Rory is going to have to find his driver or he won't make the cut.
Course played as advertised, hit the fairway or pay the price. Min Woo Lee hit 3 fairways and was way over par in the area where he might not make the cut. Brooks Koepka finished birdie/birdie and is at -2 and JJ Spaun got out early and finished -4 for the lead. 10 guys under par. Jon Rohm is at -1 and Scottie and Bryson at +3, Rory at +4/ I don't think I'd want to play this course, even from senior tees...if they even have them.
Somebody asked me what I thought I could shoot on this course, I figured if they even have senior tee's that it'd be 150-175. The announcers have talked about what a 10 handicap could shoot from the tips and most think it'd be tough for them to break 140 and that they'd 4 putt (at least) every green. I have to ask if it's even fun to be a member of that club. Only 6 guys under par right now.
3 guys under par and some big names not around for the weekend, like Bryson, JT, Phil and some big names way behind like Rory and Scottie. Here's Scottie on the Range after his round.
My wife wants to know why there are no trees along the fairways at Oakmont, only long way off the playing area?
There used to be a lot of trees, but they decided to renovate the course to it's original design and to do that they cut down 10,000 trees. I personally don't care for the renovation
What a finish. Spaun earned it with great play on the back 9. Burns and Scott just catered after the restart.
That was a wild final day and Spaun coming back to win after a disastrous front 9 was amazing. After watching Oakmont chew up and spit out the greatest golfers of this era, my mind is still trying to figure out how great Johnny Miller must have been to shoot a 63 using the clubs of the early 1970s.
I will say that I didn't really enjoy the tournament as much as I enjoyed the RBC Canadian Open, that is until the back 9 after the restart...then things really got interesting and great to watch.
You have to admire how Spaun held it together after that terrible break when he hit the pin and his ball rebounded all the way off the front of the green. The real winner was Oakmont which kept its reputation as the toughest of all US Open courses. Their greenkeepers sure know how to grow rough.