U.S. Open Golf (2018)

[JasonEvans]

Early disasters:
Day 2-over thru 3; Bubba 3-over thru 3; Schwartzel 4-over thru 3; and Spieth 4-over thru 2.

Add Mickelson, Rory, and Lieschman to the group of top tier players who are 2-over through just the first couple holes.

[mr. synellinden]

Add Mickelson, Rory, and Lieschman to the group of top tier players who are 2-over through just the first couple holes.

The average score might approach 80 today the way things are going.

[rsvman]

Rory makes the turn at 42!

My picks are starting to look pretty lame. Go Tony Finau and go Jon Rahm!

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Rory makes the turn at 42!

Somehow that reminded me of the old Paul Harvey quote after Nicklaus carded an 83 at an Open. Harvey said something like "I've always wanted to play golf like Jack Nicklaus....and now I do..."

[JasonEvans]

ESPN's Michael Collins just wrote --

The super group of Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth is not so great just 9 holes into the U.S. Open. They combined to play their opening 9 in a combined 15 over par, with just 2 birdies between them. McIlroy made 2 double bogeys and Spieth had a triple. Mickelson had no birdies.

-Jason "can I adjust my winning score prediction from 6-under to 6-over? Ha!" Evans

[JasonEvans]

The 2016 British Amatuer champion, 25 year old Scott Gregory, qualified for the Open this year... his first Major as a pro (he's played 3 other Majors as a amateur). He parred hole #1 and was probably feeling pretty good.

He then went on to bogey 6 of the next 9 holes. The three he did not bogey, he double-bogeyed. He finished the round with a 92, 22 strokes over par. A new US Open record. Wow.

-Jason "I say anyone +5 or better is still very much in contention at this super early point" Evans

[Tripping William]

Scott Piercy is your current clubhouse leader at -1, but only Ian Poulter (also -1 through 15) is even par or better. Everyone else is over par at the moment. Shinny showing her teeth!

[DUKIECB]

The 2016 British Amatuer champion, 25 year old Scott Gregory, qualified for the Open this year... his first Major as a pro (he's played 3 other Majors as a amateur). He parred hole #1 and was probably feeling pretty good.

He then went on to bogey 6 of the next 9 holes. The three he did not bogey, he double-bogeyed. He finished the round with a 92, 22 strokes over par. A new US Open record. Wow.

-Jason "I say anyone +5 or better is still very much in contention at this super early point" Evans

My God this is a bloodbath. Rory will most likely finish with a score in the 80's along with several big names in the high 70's. 76 of the 78 players in the morning wave are over par. Could it possibly be even worse for the afternoon group? The course actually got rain yesterday so you would think if it was that bad in the morning the course will continue to dry and the afternoon scores could even be worse. Yuck. I hate watching golf like this.

[rsvman]

Winds are supposed to kick up in the afternoon, so it should be harder, if anything. Yikes.

[killerleft]

My God this is a bloodbath. Rory will most likely finish with a score in the 80's along with several big names in the high 70's. 76 of the 78 players in the morning wave are over par. Could it possibly be even worse for the afternoon group? The course actually got rain yesterday so you would think if it was that bad in the morning the course will continue to dry and the afternoon scores could even be worse. Yuck. I hate watching golf like this.

That makes two of us. The top golfers in the world should not be restricted to scores like this. The USGA has gone overboard again. I'd rather they err on the easy side. I want to see the best players making beautiful birdies, not hoping for pars.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

That makes two of us. The top golfers in the world should not be restricted to scores like this. The USGA has gone overboard again. I'd rather they err on the easy side. I want to see the best players making beautiful birdies, not hoping for pars.

In general, I agree - but I think there's something kind of neat about a tournament that tries to set up the course for a winning score of even par or -1, which is what I think the USGA aims for. The tour has those "first one to 30 under" courses and pretty much every other kind of course. For the US Open to be like this is fine. British Open too...which is different in so many ways.

That said, they have gone overboard before....and may have this week.

[Tripping William]

That makes two of us. The top golfers in the world should not be restricted to scores like this. The USGA has gone overboard again. I'd rather they err on the easy side. I want to see the best players making beautiful birdies, not hoping for pars.

I will admit, I'm a bit snobbish when it comes to the US Open, and am what is probably the minority side of this one. I tend to buy into the notion that "we're not trying to restrict the greatest players in the world; we're trying to identify them" (*sniff*; nose in air). I like Even Par to be truly meaningful, and if that means there are some days like this, well, "mama told me" that would happen. Plus, it gives me the faintest little glimmer of hope (until I go play again, and then I come crashing back to earth).

[nmduke2001]

Giving how well Mickelson is putting this year (2nd in strokes gained and first in putts per round), his short game and US Open history; if you told me that he would hit 13 of 14 fairways, I would have thought he'd be leading by several strokes. Instead, he's 7 over. US Open golf is a funny game.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

It appears Tiger triple bogeyed number one. That's not a great start...

[CDu]

Woods' short game fails him on the first hole. Hit his tee shot to the middle of the fairway (nestled between Johnson and Thomas at 150 yards). Then sent his approach long and well past the green. Then, couldn't chip or putt his way on the green in his next two strokes. Two-putted for a triple.

It's going to be an uphill battle for him right out of the gates unless his short-game touch comes back soon.

[CDu]

Nothing like hitting a triple, and then having the next hole be a 252yd par 3 with a skin tight cut on the green.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Nothing like hitting a triple, and then having the next hole be a 252yd par 3 with a skin tight cut on the green.

Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, #4, used to be about that long. I knocked in a blind three wood with the sun bad in my eyes playing with my Dad in about 1982. Took us a minute to find that ball. The hole was the last place...

[DUKIECB]

I will admit, I'm a bit snobbish when it comes to the US Open, and am what is probably the minority side of this one. I tend to buy into the notion that "we're not trying to restrict the greatest players in the world; we're trying to identify them" (*sniff*; nose in air). I like Even Par to be truly meaningful, and if that means there are some days like this, well, "mama told me" that would happen. Plus, it gives me the faintest little glimmer of hope (until I go play again, and then I come crashing back to earth).

I'm not advocating for a major that turns into a birdie fest but when 99% of the field is over par and the guys are just praying they can somehow manage to grind out a par, to me it makes for boring viewing and takes the entertainment value of it.

I think this is one of the reasons the Masters is so entertaining. There are a lot of hard holes at Augusta for sure but there are also 4 fairly benign par 5's for major golf standards and a few easier other holes out there. This makes for a lot of wild swings of scores and the entertainment value coming down the stretch on Sunday is usually phenomenal.

[Tripping William]

I'm not advocating for a major that turns into a birdie fest but when 99% of the field is over par and the guys are just praying they can somehow manage to grind out a par, to me it makes for boring viewing and takes the entertainment value of it.

I think this is one of the reasons the Masters is so entertaining. There are a lot of hard holes at Augusta for sure but there are also 4 fairly benign par 5's for major golf standards and a few easier other holes out there. This makes for a lot of wild swings of scores and the entertainment value coming down the stretch on Sunday is usually phenomenal.

As with beer (Ymmm, Beer), I suppose it's a matter of taste. I don't think the US Open, historically, has lacked for Sunday drama, though.

[left_hook_lacey]

As with beer (Ymmm, Beer), I suppose it's a matter of taste. I don't think the US Open, historically, has lacked for Sunday drama, though.

I agree. To me, it doesn't matter if they are fighting to win at +1 or -10. Drama and pressure are entertaining, regardless of the score.