It’s going to be very interesting when all the details come out. Seems like there’s stuff all info at the moment, and the announcement was super rushed. And no one had told Tiger or Rory before the announcement.
1 Like
I have a feeling the PGA was about to lose big in court, especially in the anti-trust part of it. There is also rumbling that it calling itself a non-profit was going to be called into question as possibly fraudulent, and that would threaten its tax-exempt status.
So I don’t know what to think. I don’t really like the LIV product on any level and I’m not really interested in the PGA tour following that model. The sportswashing stuff is too messy and nuanced to really complain about; the domestic US tour has plenty of reactionary corporate sponsorship in its own right.
Still a lot more to come out, of course.
2 Likes
“I don’t know what to think” sums it up.
I also haven’t heard any commentary on the DP World Tour part of it. What does world golf look like in 2024?
Jay Monaghan has to go. How can he sit there backpedaling, and his players are still calling for sanctions from the LIV golfers. All while the Saudi dude presides over it all?
What a mess. Suspect Jay has the position so that when he gets turfed out then he goes with a large payout and quietly.
1 Like
Rory can GAGF, what a twat
1 Like
100%. High horse little nob.
Unsure what the format will be but there is nothing surer that the players will be playing for bigger purses - Doubt the players will lose out.
I’m thinking format won’t change much, except for carving out an “end of season” series, that may or may not be team based and be played for big money around the world.
Pretty uncharacteristic US Open scoring at the minute, be interesting to see if conditions change dramatically through the weekend
1 Like
Bizzare first round but the course played fairly soft. I think the massively wide fairways also helped considerably.
If that sun peeks out across the weekend and quickens these greens up, look out. Think that is where Smith can out last some of these other guys, on the quicker greens.
1 Like
Officials are panicking about the low scores, but someone pointed out that in 1980, Nicklaus and Weiskopf both shot 63 in the first round of a US Open, using persimmon and balata.
Considering 43 years of technology between then and now, in my mind it is remarkable it took this long.
1 Like
I will never understand some of the garbage about scoring etc. The score against par is meaningless, it’s all about whether your course actually selects the best golfer for the week as the winner. If they shoot 40 under then they shoot 40 under. (Although that would probably indicate that “par” should actually have been 65 rather than 70 (say)). Would it make any difference to the quality of the tournament?
It’s equally as absurd as the anti-“tour ball” group who complain that people won’t be interested in tuning in to watch players get beaten up by courses and shoot 5 over each week. As if with a “tour ball” they wouldn’t just revery to “traditional length” courses rather than continuing to have to produce longer and more extreme courses that can never be played by normal people, and which take millions of dollars less to build and maintain because they are just “smaller”. Win/win. But no, they’re worried that pros might shoot 2 shots worse against some made up par number, and then no one will watch.
5 Likes
Good post and if officials are so worried about scores, there’s plenty of ways to combat it. Remove fairways between fairway and green, grow rough, deeper and bigger bunkers, resculpting greens with bigger breaks, make greens smaller etc. There’s a million other things they can do
1 Like
it’s more important that the course needs to be a fair test between golfer and the layout . If a golfer scores 61 then so what! it must have been a superb exhibition of golf and similarly if the winners shoots 75 then that can be just as absorbing !!!
1 Like
Let’s just wait and see what happens if it dries out.
2 Likes
Loving this US Open course. Got some sand belt qualities. Plus 300 yard contrasted with 80 yard par threes.
Plus getting to watch deep into the morning!
4 Likes
The graphic they showed today that all 5 par 3 are built in different directions for different winds. Then you have a par 3 that is 3 and a half times as long as the shortest par 3.
An unreal course and seeing now how hard it is. Birdies to be had but even easier to make double or worse on some of these holes.
Poor Xander on the first today… we’ve all been there.
3 Likes
The players are all complaining about it and I’m annoyed. This course has everything you want.
I realize that they never do well when they actually have to think about where to hit it and that they would rather be playing the TPC of John Deere, but there’s plenty of time for that.
2 Likes
You do get tired of these cookie cutter courses that you can often get in a regular pga tour event. If the players are complaining, toughen up. Personally, I don’t care if someone wins at +6 or -6. Good golf doesn’t need to be low scoring. Similar to cricket. The best tests don’t always have 400+ scores.
3 Likes
Well this major has had everything. Easy scoring on day 1 and most of day 2. Good mixture of hole types, and some iconic holes. Now we’ve got wind, hard greens, it’s been great viewing.
He’s probably too far back at 7 shots off the lead, but hoping Cam (or Min Woo) can catch fire and make some nervous.
1 Like