You want a damned if you do damned if you don't job? Try setting up courses for the Open. What should we do find the perfect course and hold it there every year? Like center court at Flushing Meadows? It's so bad only 9,000 people tried to get in this year. If there's a bitch it's with the committee not the idea of the open itself! Geez.
My least favorite major
- Thread starter mgranato
- Start date
- Status
mgranato
New
Our cars might not be reliable but at least they go round corners
Like the idea of World PGA. I would add in a couple of Australian courses such as Royal Melbourne and Moonah Links and Fancourt in South Africa
Sorry, mate, where was the Reliant Robin built?
Good idea about Royal Mel and Fancourt... done.
Burner
New
Sorry, mate, where was the Reliant Robin built?
Good idea about Royal Mel and Fancourt... done.
The Seven Worst-Built Cars on U.S. Roads are American.
The Seven Worst-Built Cars on U.S. Roads are American - autoevolution
Nuff said.
mgranato
New
The Seven Worst-Built Cars on U.S. Roads are American.
The Seven Worst-Built Cars on U.S. Roads are American - autoevolution
Nuff said.
Don't have any of those in my garage, but if I were win the US Open, I'd have a DB9 sitting in it... reliability be damned.
Dariusz J.
New member
So just to be clear... you're not in favor of 39 gram graphite shafts?
The Masters is perfect in every way. It tests driving, has incredibly difficult approaches, and is the best test of putting. It's perfect. But as an American, I'm tired of our national championship ending with an apology from the USGA. They get it right 1 out of every 5, that's a joke. What they did at Winged Foot should have been enough to take away their keys to the car.
I'm with you on the Open Championship. For a country that struggles with a few simple concepts (ice cubes and reliable cars), the Brits do know how to put on a championship. I just want a national championship I can be completely proud of, so if I'm ever made King of Golf this is what I'd do for the majors...
The Masters: it's perfect, happens at a perfect time, wouldn't change a thing.
The US Open: revoked, discontinued. USGA go help the NCAA, you guys would get along good together.
The Open Championship: it moves up in the calendar to replace the US Open. Love the rota, wouldn't change a thing.
The World PGA Championship: This replaces the US PGA. It will be held on a rota of Ireland's brilliant links courses and Bandon Dunes. Golf was born out of that style, and should be represented with two majors.
And to finish the season off right...
The Augusta National Open: To be held in the fall, and qualified for like the current two Opens. Unlike the Masters, the course setup will be wall-to-wall TIGHT lies with no rough.
Pure coincidence that two of the majors will be held in Georgia each year.
I also like what you proposed except your attitude towards US Open. There must be a tournament that is being setup the way the course wins over incompetent pros to show to the whole golfing world how much they are away from being true golf gods.
Scorewise I'd like it to be done the way Oakmont in 1953 -- only the best ballstriker won the course and ended with red numbers. This year's was similar, but simply noone deserved to be in red numbers with Furyk the closest as the only one who never played over par through all 3 first rounds.
Your idea of World PGA Championship is marvellous and would change the most boring (anti-)major into a great popularization event of this beautiful sport on the whole world.
Cheers
Mike Richardson
New
Harrington was interviewed on Sky and he said he thought the US Open was easier to win than a regular tour event. He likened the US Open to a marathon whereas a regular event was a sprint where, if you weren't 4 under after the first 9, you were out of it.
Lindsey Newman
New
I often times think the U.S. Open course should simply be 3 holes in a triangle that everyone plays 6 times.
1- dead straight 25 yard fairway with graduated shin high rough 500 yard par 4
2- dead straight 600 yard par 5 same rough
3- 205 yard par three over water
All greens elevated and sloped exactly the same from back to front.
Then put stands on the inside walls of the triangle like a NASCAR event.
1- dead straight 25 yard fairway with graduated shin high rough 500 yard par 4
2- dead straight 600 yard par 5 same rough
3- 205 yard par three over water
All greens elevated and sloped exactly the same from back to front.
Then put stands on the inside walls of the triangle like a NASCAR event.
Dariusz J.
New member
And he was right. It is much easier for a good ballstriker to win US Open than any other tournament. The best example is Furyk -- the most consistent US Open contender in last 10 years I guess -- except last year when the setup was ridiculously easy which made it possible for whackers to score better.
Have you wonder why Hogan won more US Opens than any other majors ? As the only one player I guess. Because his shitty putting did not matter so much but his superb ballstriking did.
Cheers
Burner
New
Don't have any of those in my garage, but if I were win the US Open, I'd have a DB9 sitting in it... reliability be damned.
See what you mean but this remains my favourite.
rogerdodger
New
Ben Hogan won no U.S. Opens subsequent to 1953. Prior to 1960, Hogan was a very good putter according to his peers at the time. Hogan was a great ballstriker, but he also could putt and chip as well as anyone on tour prior to his accident. Your hypothesis does not fit the facts. However in the words of the reporter in the man who shot Liberty Valance, print the legend, not the facts. I question the test of Olympic when players like Woods can get around hitting driver maybe three times a round. The course played right into Tiger's hands as it did not require a lot of drivers. Moreso than any tournament I have seen him play since 2010, this one showed how he has lost the ability to be the special player he was and it has nothing to do with his golf swing. I am at the point where the two most enjoyable to watch tournaments are the Masters and the British Open. I love the high rough and the penalties for missing the fairway, but it still ends up rewarding monotonous golf. With all do respect to Bantam Ben, Nicklaus was the greatest U.S. Open player in history, in part because of his ability to hit greens with his unbelievably high trajectory, as well as his ability to avoid big scores. Greatest ever playing the U.S. Open since 1945? 1. Nicklaus, by a lot. 2. Hogan 3. Hale Irwin 4. Boros or Casper.
Dariusz J.
New member
Why people write such nonsense, beats me. You should have read the history of Hogan. He became a horrible putter after the accident which happened in 1949, not 1959. He won 4 US Opens, his first in 1948 (post-secret, pre-accident) as the only one when his putting was hot. The next decade was a streak that Nicklaus could only dream of. And Nicklaus could putt. Nicklaus couldn't polish Hogan's shoes ballstriking-wise what he admitted himself many times.
I won't go into such silly debates anymore with people living in dreamland.
Cheers
magicmarker
New
No.
Tiger has played far more consistent in U.S. Opens the last 10 years. In fact if you want to look at the last 15 years you will find.... Tiger never finished worse than 21st (this year), Furyk finished worse than 21st six times in the last 15 years to go along with two missed cuts to Tiger's one.
See if you can play with the statistics to make your point, I tried but I think you might just be dead wrong here.
Good guesses though.
Only one player (i.e. whacker) made the setup last year look ridiculously easy btw.
Dariusz J.
New member
Yes, you're right, but Woods is SLIGHTLY more consistent, not FAR MORE. Where I am dead wrong ? You use too strong words for the reality, mate.
Furyk had a win, twice T2, and a T4 with the worst place 48 (not mentioning CUT).
Woods had also a win, twice T2, T4 and a T6 with the worst place 21 (not mentioning CUT and DNP).
And I don't think why should I use a 15-years' caesure instead a decade as usually in such cases.
Lastly, it is you who are dead wrong as regards last year's US Open. 20 players finished with under par scores ! This was the most ridiculous US Open experts remember.
Cheers
johnnymarlboro
New
The most ridiculous? What about Hale Irwin in 1990, 28 players finished under par.
So you think '53 at Oakmont was how the US Open should be played, with the best player being the only one to finish under par. Hmm, there's a more recent example I'm surprised you didn't reference, with only one man finishing under par. Slightly larger margin of victory though.
So you think '53 at Oakmont was how the US Open should be played, with the best player being the only one to finish under par. Hmm, there's a more recent example I'm surprised you didn't reference, with only one man finishing under par. Slightly larger margin of victory though.
magicmarker
New
Darius
If they play well the course and equipment both made it too easy for them.
If they don't play well it is because they are morons and have no accuracy.
Just admit you want a fairways hit and greens in regulation contest. You want to watch a big break challenge.
Making or missing a putt and hitting the fairway, or the rough and wedging back to the fairway, have the same shot value and you hate it.
Wanna compromise to 13 years? Hell no you don't, because that would capture a 60th and 62nd ranked finish. Wanna stop short and do the last nine years, Hell no you don't because that would leave out Furyk's win. You framed it the way you wanted and you were still wrong, I merely re-framed it.
If his swing is so sound in your (difficult to impress) opinion, how come it wilted with so much pressure on it. I thought Hogan was all about a powerful swing that performed better the more pressure it was under.
If they play well the course and equipment both made it too easy for them.
If they don't play well it is because they are morons and have no accuracy.
Just admit you want a fairways hit and greens in regulation contest. You want to watch a big break challenge.
Making or missing a putt and hitting the fairway, or the rough and wedging back to the fairway, have the same shot value and you hate it.
Wanna compromise to 13 years? Hell no you don't, because that would capture a 60th and 62nd ranked finish. Wanna stop short and do the last nine years, Hell no you don't because that would leave out Furyk's win. You framed it the way you wanted and you were still wrong, I merely re-framed it.
If his swing is so sound in your (difficult to impress) opinion, how come it wilted with so much pressure on it. I thought Hogan was all about a powerful swing that performed better the more pressure it was under.
Dariusz J.
New member
Yes, you're right. I forgot to add "in recent years".
Yes you're right. There is a more recent example. However, less famous historically.
I never have tried to hide that I want golfers capable to hit fairways and greens much more rewarded than those who can putt.
It is not my fault that I have chosen the period of last decade, because I have chosen it and you tried to change it instead trying to counterargument my opinion based on my choice.
Moreover, instead saying, "yes, you're right" as I did you try to mess with silly calculations to prove your point. The truth I wanted to say was Furyk is (I guess) the most consistent golfer in last decade of US Opens while the real truth is that he's (for sure) close second after Woods.
Lastly, golfers are humans. Furyk is making such mistakes very rarely. Various comentators were surprised it was Furyk to make such error. They would probably would not be surprised at all if such a mistake happened to someone else. This alone confirms how highly people estimate Furyk's consistency. Enough said.
Cheers
rogerdodger
New
Not sure why you choose to be insulting, but since I have little respect for your opinions it does not matter. Fact not opinion: Ben Hogan won four US Opens and finished in the top ten eleven times. Jack Nicklaus won four US Opens and finsihed in the top ten 13 times. Contemporaries of Hogan, such as Gardner Dickinson, Jack Burke and Jimmy Demaret all indicate Hogan was a very good putter until the late 1950's. Sorry, but Nicklaus was a great ball striker and never said he could'nt polish Hogan's shoes. How much of it is true is really the issue. What is true is not the perceptions of people with their own bias but records such as above. As Dave Marr said when Hogan died, "we lost the Unicorn". Even you should know what he meant by that.
johnnymarlboro
New
Okay, I've got to call shenanigans on this one. So let me get this straight. You're saying that the most dominant victory in all of Major Championship golf is less famous historically then Hogan's last US Open win? Statements like that are why people don't take you seriously sometimes.
Last edited:
- Status