PGA Tour: The Olympic Game: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Notes this week from the Land That WiFi Forgot; but the beach cricket pitches are spectacular - if anyone only knew how to play. So: Notes very short, if not sweet.

2).Last week's entertainment in Memphis was predictably unpredictable. Good to have Dustin Johnson back in Victory Lane, but a short stint in front of the telly would have suggested that, if Rory had made just half the putts he missed under five feet, he'd have probably won.

3).Glimmer of form from two unlikely Aussie sources with Nick O'Hern registering his first top 25 finish of the season. Expect him also to play well in Hartford in a fortnight. And Robert Allenby was back on the leaderboard after a couple of months in the weeds. Allenby, who could always be depended upon for his ball-striking - and his unpredictable short game. Now the whole lot has been unpredictable. Maybe that will change with some confidence from a good result..

4).More good results from Greg Owen, now almost certain to qualify, not just for The Barclays, but for the Deutsche Bank also.

5).Dustin Johnson now has six wins since 2007 - only Woods (16), Mickelson (10), Stricker (9) and Zach (7) have more. About 3/1 against one of those five increasing his total this week?

6).Robert Karlsson has sunk to #50 in the World Rankings, perhaps just a continuation of his rotten form away from leaving for the Top 50 for the first time in over 4 years. The leaders in consecutive weeks in the top 50 might surprise:
Mickelson - 968
Donald - 406
Poulter - 299
Stricker - 275
Zach Johnson - 270
Westwood - 249
Kaymer - 229

7).No-one has won the US Open after winning on the PGA Tour the previous week, in recent history at least. Dustin Johnson has a lot to prove and his successes (and an ultimate disappointment) at Pebble Beach suggest that he's a strong candidate to upset that line in the record book. But the past two US Opens at Olympic have been won by Scott Simpson and Lee Janzen, top-class golfers to be sure but known better for steady play and sometimes excellent short games. Furyk-like, Donald, Stricker? Not sure I've got the faintest idea, but Olympic will certainly test the patience.

8).More as an item of interest than an indicator for this week, the 1998 leaders from this week's field include:
5th: Stricker
7th: Westwood
10th: Cink, Mickelson
14th: Furyk, Kuchar
18th: Woods
23rd: Casey Martin
25th: Bjorn, Singh,
32nd: Durant, Harrington
43th: Olin Browne
49th: Els

9).The forecast for Thursday and Friday at least suggests cool, breezy weather with temps not reaching 70F until the weekend. Combined with the traditional "heavy" ocean air, the course yardage of approx 7,100 yards will play much longer, especially given the very narrow actual landing areas on some fairways caused by the sloped landing areas. I'd guess that will favour a Westwood over a Donald, a Mahan over a Stricker, but really can't think of any "favourite".

10).So who are we going to be staying up late to see crowned "US Open Champion"? Not McIlroy or Donald for me, and not Bubba or even Tiger, despite his return to winning form at Memorial. In 2009 he won each of his last pre-Major start but came up empty; it would be a brave punter who bet on a repeat, but this may not be the opportunity for him. Best bet might be e.w. on someone like Peter Hanson. Or even a real stretch, Spencer Levin. And by that time I’ll have returned to the land of wi-fi.



From incontinentia (merged from another thread):


Site: The Olympic Club (Lake Course)

The course: The Lake Course was designed in 1924 by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting, and then Whiting redesigned it three years later because of significant storm damage. Its main characteristics are sloping, tree-lined fairways as the property works its way down toward Lake Merced. There is only one fairway bunker on the entire course, at the par-4 sixth. There have been minimal renovations over the years, except for a new hole created for the par-3 eighth that now plays 200 yards and was moved to the right. Hundreds of trees have been removed, opening views down toward Lake Merced.

Length: 7,170 yards
Par: 34-36—70

Last time at Olympic Club: Lee Janzen overcame a five-shot deficit against Payne Stewart and closed with a 2-under 68 for a two-shot victory. Janzen got a huge break in the final round when his ball, stuck in a tree on the fifth hole, was dislodged as Janzen was headed back to the tee to play his third shot. It was his second U.S. Open title.

U.S. Open champions at Olympic Club: Jack Fleck (1955), Billy Casper (1966), Scott Simpson (1987), Lee Janzen (1998).

Noteworthy: The four players who finished second in the U.S. Opens at The Olympic Club won a combined 27 majors. The four winners won a combined seven majors.

Quoteworthy: "Now we are going to get back to where it's not going to be so much fun and games out there. It's going to be hard work."—Johnny Miller on Olympic Club.

Key statistic: The U.S. Open is the only major Tiger Woods has not won in consecutive years.

Key coincidence: The U.S. Open champion played with Phil Mickelson in the opening two rounds twice in the last four years.

Tiger tales: Tiger Woods has gone four years without winning a major. The longest Jack Nicklaus went without a major was five years, a drought that began at age 41.

my cut pred is 6 or even 7 over.

Btw westy has a great chance because these greens are just impossible- they all look like westy on the greens!!

cut +6

Winning score -1

winning score +3

GMac must be proud of his performance so far amid chaos.

Is Eng vs Swe about an hour away?

mystiroakey wrote: we are in somewhat of a bitty time

careful now, you'll get Mac excited ... bitty time for Mac!

Leff wrote:Is Eng vs Swe about an hour away?

yes it was

cut +7 or +8...
winning score -1 or level par...

a NI winner for 3rd year running...?

what the hell is a bitty?

The afternoon guys look totally fooked. This is getting real tough.

no one is gonna be under par

Not bitty now, bitty later...

How about Casey Martin, the tournament is tough enough without having to deal with the physical ailments he has to. Big respect to him.

Hunter mahan totally duffs another chip.


incon

Casey martin looks barely able to walk, how does he do it?

actually i think the only player under par will be furyk

Without cheating, can anyone name the player who finished runner up to Furyk in 2003 at Olympia fields?

I don't know but his disabilty must have no effect on swinging a golf club, seems that all the walking around is the problem. Apparently he is in a lot of pain all the time, sued the tour years ago successfully for the right to use a cart (Jack Nicklaus testified against him).

Brilliant under par round for Matteo! Only one bogey all day, great stuff!
Hope Jacquelin stays cool for the rest of his round... in an excellent position right now.

wow! tiger in the lead on his own soon...?

McLaren wrote:Without cheating, can anyone name the player who finished runner up to Furyk in 2003 at Olympia fields?

I cheated, don't remember the tournament but it looks like Jim really played out of his skin that week.

According to Zinger, at the moment the field is 1079-over par!

Did Monty just use the term "pump fisting"?!!

princedracula wrote:According to Zinger, at the moment the field is 1079-over par!

sss about 86 lol.

a scratch golfer should be happy to shoot that score!!

Goodness, cut score is +8 at the moment and we have an amateur as one of the leaders!

yeah i knew the cut would be high- its mental this course

Hossler is a high school junior? Is he about 18? It is only a matter of time he will do a triple or quadruple bogey!

USGA website keeps showing wrong cut-line. It should be +6, not +8.

Leff wrote:USGA website keeps showing wrong cut-line. It should be +6, not +8.

It'll be +8 by the end of play though!

Tiger getting a bit of rough luck and having a bad stretch... good, could change this tournament from a Woods procession to an exciting weekend.

+8 = projected cut

Hossler is the leader by himself at -2. He is 17-years old!

USGA website has now corrected the cut-line. It should be low 60 players plus ties. Current cut-line is +7.

Woods really has lost his touch around the greens. Some really poor putting undoing his work.

pretty sweet putt on 10 though

Wonder if Paul lawrie is regretting his decision not to play. Think he may have had a sliver of a chance this week with the scoring being so tough.

Don't want to jump the gun to much as there's a long way to go but in terms of his play so far i don't think Tiger has played this well in a major since the 2006 PGA.

masters last year- he had two amazin 9's

btw monty- westy will win it

I mean for a reasonable amount of time whilst being in control of his swing, guys even out of form can get hot on the comparatively easy back nine at Augusta.

Mysti he may win the second tier event behind Tiger

Tiger has more chance getting a 3 some invloving his ex wife

Toms is putting beautifully.

mystiroakey wrote:Tiger has more chance getting a 3 some invloving his ex wife

Pretty sure he could get that arranged

Woods drive on 16, 40 yards past Bubba

monty junior wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:Tiger has more chance getting a 3 some invloving his ex wife

Pretty sure he could get that arranged

the women is mental- she bulldozed there old home. i doubt she ever wanted to bone him anyway as the guy is plain ugly with no personailty- Now she has his zillions she wouldnt touch him with yours

monty junior wrote:Woods drive on 16, 40 yards past Bubba

did bubba hit driver

Unfortunate missed cut by Luke and not a great timing either...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/18457011

‏@LukeDonald Chuffed to bits about the MBE, cheers for all the messages, I better start playing better in the majors otherwise they might take it away:)

yup, ended up there was 16 yards between it. Tiger absolutely crushed it.

i am suprised- he must be back- he was so short at the masters

mystiroakey wrote:

monty junior wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:Tiger has more chance getting a 3 some invloving his ex wife

Pretty sure he could get that arranged

the women is mental- she bulldozed there old home. i doubt she ever wanted to bone him anyway as the guy is plain ugly with no personailty- Now she has his zillions she wouldnt touch him with yours

Can't all be as handsome as yourself i take it

mystiroakey wrote:
the women is mental- she bulldozed there old home. i doubt she ever wanted to bone him anyway as the guy is plain ugly with no personailty- Now she has his zillions she wouldnt touch him with yours

I don't believe the woman is mentally disturbed. She knew what he was worth and what divorce lawyers could get her. Their home that she inherited was very old and heavily infested by termites; this was the reason for bringing it down. She can afford to rebuild.

KJ creeping up the leaderboard quietly...

PGA's hot players of the year - Dufner, Mahan, and Kuchar - are all in the top ten at the moment.

Tiger rolled down a hill; let's see if he can climb well.

Tiger!!!

No room for sugar coating, very unimpressive for world #1. Obviously has issues at the big majors - But there's always the Open Championship or the PGA.