Official 2008 U.S. Open Thread

[ma11l]

I love the way they did the pairings this year.  I don't know why it took so long to do this, but it makes it so much more interesting when you have the top ranked players playing together.  It also helps to make it more of a fair fight for them, because the best players are all playing on the same conditions, instead of one teeing off at 8am, and one at 2pm, when conditions could be very different, creating an unfair advantage to one of them.

Yeah it makes sense for the USGA to do it that way.  They do it for the final four events of the FedEx Cup too.  I was at the Deutsche Bank in Norton last September and it was something seeing Tiger and Phil playing together.

[Chris]

The group of the day is on the first tee, this should be fun.


Biggest news so far, Phil playing with no driver in the bag, he has an 11.5 lofted 3 wood.

I am not familiar with Torrey Pines.  Is it a short course, or does it just have narrow fairways and nasty rough?

[ma11l]

The group of the day is on the first tee, this should be fun.


Biggest news so far, Phil playing with no driver in the bag, he has an 11.5 lofted 3 wood.

I am not familiar with Torrey Pines.  Is it a short course, or does it just have narrow fairways and nasty rough?

If they stretch it out all the way it will be the longest course in the history of the tournament.  It is a very low lofted 3 wood and the commentators were saying he could still probably hit it around 300. 

The rough looks like it is going to be pretty tough, so keeping it in the fairway is more important than being long I would think.

Tiger clearly showing some rust.  Very ugly double to start off.  He was in that rough and could only hit a wedge out back onto the fairway.  If he doesn't drive the ball well he's going to be in trouble this week.  I wouldn't be surprised if he only hits driver a few times, also opting for a 3-wood off the tee.

[ma11l]

Wow what a great shot out of the fairway bunker on 4 by Tiger.  First birdie of the week. 

[Big Ticket]

I love the way they did the pairings this year.  I don't know why it took so long to do this, but it makes it so much more interesting when you have the top ranked players playing together.  It also helps to make it more of a fair fight for them, because the best players are all playing on the same conditions, instead of one teeing off at 8am, and one at 2pm, when conditions could be very different, creating an unfair advantage to one of them.

I'll tell you one reason why it COULD be a very bad idea, and this comes straight from the business/investing side of my brain, where risk management is the name of the game.  It is very possible, and this effected the Masters quite a bit, that the morning tee times could perform much worse than the afternoon times, and then the scenario could switch the next day.  Weather does have a big effect on scores, and the weather can change quite a bit on a coastal course like this from 8am to 1pm.

So what if the star trio catches the bad luck with weather both days, and 2 or 3 miss the cut?  Disaster for weekend TV ratings.  I know it's unlikely, but it is riskier than spreading out the most popular players throughout the day.

[Chris]

I love the way they did the pairings this year.  I don't know why it took so long to do this, but it makes it so much more interesting when you have the top ranked players playing together.  It also helps to make it more of a fair fight for them, because the best players are all playing on the same conditions, instead of one teeing off at 8am, and one at 2pm, when conditions could be very different, creating an unfair advantage to one of them.

I'll tell you one reason why it COULD be a very bad idea, and this comes straight from the business/investing side of my brain, where risk management is the name of the game.  It is very possible, and this effected the Masters quite a bit, that the morning tee times could perform much worse than the afternoon times, and then the scenario could switch the next day.  Weather does have a big effect on scores, and the weather can change quite a bit on a coastal course like this from 8am to 1pm.

So what if the star trio catches the bad luck with weather both days, and 2 or 3 miss the cut?  Disaster for weekend TV ratings.  I know it's unlikely, but it is riskier than spreading out the most popular players throughout the day.

Good point.  I think this setup definitely increases the chances of a Tiger-Mickelson shootout on Sunday...but at the same time it also increases the chances that neither of them are there at the end. 

Either way though, I love it.

[Big Ticket]

Tiger off to a mini-charge.  After doubling the 1st, birdies on 4, 8, & 9.  Phil treading along at -2.

Pretty normal Thursday U.S. Open scores....  a few players off to a hot start (5 of them at -2 or better, 48 players between +2 and -1).

No big names in front of Tiger, he's gotta like his start so far. (edit: scratch that, Stuart Appleby is -3, other than that probably no contenders out of the current top 5).

[ma11l]

Caught glimpses of the coverage at work.  The theme seemed to be that Tiger hit the ball better than Phil but those two doubles and the three putt on 18 killed him.  71 for the first round isn't bad considering he didn't birdie either par 5 on the back.


Both of them are right where they need to be after day one.  I'd look for both to be under tomorrow and one of them to make a charge up the leaderboard.


How bout the top of that board?  Hicks and Streelman, that combo would've won you some money to this point.  I wonder if either one can keep it up, become the Jason Gore of this year.  If I had to put my money on one of them hanging around it would be Streelman, he played with Tiger in the last group on Saturday at Torrey Pines earlier, obviously he likes the course.

[connerhenry43]

i liked furyk coming into the week, am surpirsed he put up a 74. i like Philly mick using a 11.5° 3 wood instead of the driver. more accuracy, and i am sure he will hit it as far as a lot of guys hit their drivers.

the course looks amazing, i am scared to think what i would shoot there! 

[ma11l]

Thank God we have this great golf tournament to take up the time until Sunday night. 

[Big Ticket]

Oh, Tiger!!  FIVE straight 3s on his card to start the front 9 (his 2nd 9)... that is redonkulous!!

Only 1 back and putting major pressure on.

[ma11l]

Oh, Tiger!!  FIVE straight 3s on his card to start the front 9 (his 2nd 9)... that is redonkulous!!

Only 1 back and putting major pressure on.

When he is putting like this there is no point in anyone else even bothering showing up.

[Big Ticket]

Oh, Tiger!!  FIVE straight 3s on his card to start the front 9 (his 2nd 9)... that is redonkulous!!

Only 1 back and putting major pressure on.

When he is putting like this there is no point in anyone else even bothering showing up.

If he was putting like this at the Masters, he wins it by 6.  I had a very very good feeling that the flat-stick would be on... I mean what else could he do the first 3-4 weeks after his surgery?

[connerhenry43]

we will see if tiger can keep this off for 4 days. normally, i would not doubt him, but he is coming off surgery.

furyk lurking.

phil keeps missing the fairway. if he was going to miss the fairways all the time, he should have kept that driver in the bag. i know the book says the smart play is to hit a long iron, hyrbid, fairway wood off the tee, but nowadays, with these drivers and their 460cc heads, they may be a better, safer option off the tee.

[witkin]

i liked furyk coming into the week, am surpirsed he put up a 74. i like Philly mick using a 11.5° 3 wood instead of the driver. more accuracy, and i am sure he will hit it as far as a lot of guys hit their drivers.

the course looks amazing, i am scared to think what i would shoot there! 

He has been awful with his 3 wood.