US Open Championship 2011

It’s that time again; we've had one major this year already now’s time for the years 2nd BIG ONE.
The US Open notoriously hard to in due to the course set up, greens will be superfast, likely around 14/15 on the stimp. Rough will be well "rough" it will be deep and thick and likely we'll hear the term fescue used in commentary. Fairways will be tight too. So what is needed to win this one I hear you ask... You can argue you need to be straight or long or even both, you need a great short game or to hit nearly every green GIR.... Simply what is required is the lowest score after 72 holes and a little bit of bottle when it matters....

What do we know about this event well here goes.

-First Played in October 1895 on a 9 hole course as a 36 hole event (all played in one day)
-21 year old Englishman Horace Rawlins was the tournament’s first ever victor
-First Native American to win was John McDermott in 1911
-Despite it taking 16years to bag the first American win only 6 other nationalities have won it since 1950
-A South African has won this five times since 1965
-Only 2 British winners since 1970, Jacklin and McDowell..

That’s the brief history bit dealt with, now for this year’s event to be held at Congressional Country club, last time the event was there the winner was Theodore Ernest Els, that’s Ernie to us. The course was then a Par 70, this year it has been extended and is now a Par 71. The USGA and Head green keeping attendant are stating the 16th is going to be the pivotal point in this year’s event. According to the PGA tour website it will be measuring at 7250yards for this year and has undergone a few redesigns in 1957 by Robert Trent Jones and twice again by Rees Jones in 1989 and most recently 2006.

The qualification has gone right up to the wire with the final field no doubt still being tweaked with alternates getting in the last minute thanks to a few withdrawals. There has certainly been some dramas in qualifying to, what with Richie Ramsey missing out on his playoff by virtue of failing to turn up to play in it due to head to the airport to catch a flight to a belfast wedding meaning Edfors only had one man to beat to take the place on offer, Robert Rock supposedly having to go to the embassy on Monday to get his visa sorted you'd have thought that'd been sorted out ages ago, Sergio Garcia withdrawing from qualifying with an infected finger then going onto qualify at a later stage. Then we have family connections with Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson qualifying via a playoff and to keep the family feel, Steve Irwin, Son of Hale Irwin the oldest man to win the US Open qualifying for the event as an amateur.

The tension is starting to build up to this event and have to say is my personal favourite as majors go. The drama will unfold and if the temperatures are high the course will quicken up and get even tougher.

Who do we think will win, well the early names people are touting are the usual, Donald, Westwood, Big Phil etc.
I like the look of someone like Mahan round here provided he's not chipping too much of course or maybe a Stricker, accurate and good wedge play, but there are some saying this course is set up for the likes of Dustin Johnson and even Gary Woodland. Many will want to see if McIlroy can contend again in a major but I won't be backing him don't fancy him this week. Watch out for Watney and Villegas tends to do well in the bigger ones despite a bad year he's come on well last week and Sergio has the long game but the putter still haunts him. I fancy someone outside top 25 to walk away with it this week.

Heres to a great golfing week and some history being made

Something I've not entirely understood... my memory was that when Ramsay missed his playoff slot, Edfors beat Harto to win. Just done a google search, and that was right, Edfors beat Harto to the final spot. But Harto is in the field... so did someone pull out and he got the reserve spot? I've not heard anything, but it'd explain why Ramsay hasn't got a call despite several withdrawals, whereas first reserve spot went to Walton Heath and Simon Khan last year.

Anyway... seeing as Mav's excellent threads are usually the European Tour version of things, probably better mention there's another Tour event going on simultaneously in St Omer. Not much for the casual viewer, but a chance for someone to seal their tour card for next year, and potential big money at stake for the Challenge Tour guys.

Ned that was what I meant he missed his playoff by failing to show i will edit so it reads better but thanks for pointing that out now i've read it back can see the confusion, I thought about covering the St Omer but to be honest when there's a major on there isn't the interest on here for the lesser event as I found out when I did one t the same time as my piece onthe masters, but it is a good chance to see the CT guys as its co-sanctioned ET/CT, a good chance for someone to gain tour exemption and pig up a good payday.

The USGA assigned two extra spots to the European and Japanese qualifications based on the owgr strength of the respective fields. And Hartø was first reserve in the European qualification. Too bad for Ramsay, who left early -- but at least he made his friends' wedding...

Pedro he didn't make the wedding though as when he found out the play-off was going ahead he lef the airport and headed to the course but arrived as Edfors holed the winning putt! So he missed out on both counts serves him right I guess, maybe he made the wedding on a later flight but by that point don't suppose he was in mood to go anyway

pedro wrote:The USGA assigned two extra spots to the European and Japanese qualifications based on the owgr strength of the respective fields. And Hartø was first reserve in the European qualification. Too bad for Ramsay, who left early -- but at least he made his friends' wedding...

Cheers pedro, I thought it seemed a bit odd to have a playoff where both guys made it! Makes it even more gutting for Ramsay I guess... but I said at the time, he only has himself to blame.

Mav I wasn't suggesting you devote the whole article to St Omer! I think I'd probably be the only one commenting on that... just wanted to make sure it got a mention

No worries NED, going to unsticky this one as don't need 2 for 1 event and Kwinin does US events much better than I do/

Isn't there room for two stickys? I re-did mine somewhat to try and make it complementary to Mav's excellent piece.
Seems we both like Hunter Mahan, 22/1 seemed a decent price for an each way plunge.

Thanks for that Kwini, Mahan at that price will be having a tipple on him there then

I'm backing the following each way

Snedeker 60/1
Watson 50/1
Johnson 100/1
Baddeley 80/1
Glover 80/1

Well if we want to distinguish this from Kwini's effort... I only noticed last night that this years Amateur Championship is two days down already. The matchplay stages begins today, for the top 64 and ties (not sure how that works) who came through two rounds of strokeplay yesterday and Monday. Strokeplay medallist was the unsung Greg Eason of Leicestershire, leading a motley group of 65 qualifiers including a Slovenian, an Austrian, a Brazilian, an Icelander, a Portuguese and a Turk. The big news from today's matchplay though is that Eason is already out, beaten 2&1 by Matthew Wallace of Hertfordshire. Quite a few notables didn't make it even this far though, missing the strokeplay cut - they included Lucas Bjerregaard, reigning Amateur champion, and a load of Walker Cup hopefuls: James Byrne, runner-up last year who narrowly missed out on qualifying for Congressional last week, Tyrrell Hatton, who played in last year's Open, Stiggy Hodgson, Jack Senior, Rhys Enoch and Rhys Pugh.

Matchplay and strokeplay.Eason commented that he rarely plays matchplay at college in US.
From the same club as challenge tour players Jason Palmer and Charlie Ford and the recently mentioned Guy Wolstenhome

I love watching the US and British am events when they are on, Stiggy Hodgson is a strange one, very slightly built compared to the modern day am's and pro's we see coming through and not a conventional swinger but is some player, looks a sure bet for the walker cup this year and his 2nd appearance in the competition up in scotland could be our best chance for a while

I'm sure the V2 chatbox will be open out of office hours for the next few days for anyone who watches the golf while online. May have to share the chat with other live sports but golf chat will be most welcome there too

When the chat box is switched on it is at the bottom of the forum home page

Anyone have a link to watch,the mothers watching soaps on catch up and I'm missing the action

I've got the TV on, but one of these should work:

http://www.fromsportcom.com/c-8.html

Cheers man that worked a treat

May as well use this thread for the "elsewhere in golf" roundup I guess, whilst the ads are on. So... in Lancashire, the Amateur Championship has reached the QF stage. Teeing up tomorrow will be:

Sebastien Gros (FRA) vs Joakim Mikkelsen (NOR)
Michael Stewart (SCO) vs Tom Lewis (ENG)
Antonio Hortal (SPA) vs Bryden MacPherson (AUS)
Greg Paterson (SCO) vs Alastair Jones (WAL)

Would be nice to see a British winner there, the last GB&I winner was McElhinney in 05, and there hasn't been a UK winner since Wolstenholme in 03. Meanwhile in France, George Coetzee leads a group of randomers at the St Omer Open, with an exemption til the end of 2012 on the Euro tour for the winner, and big cash for any Challenge Tour guys who break the top 10. And even though we don't usually do the US on Mav's threads, in Kansas they're back out for the Nationwide event after a lengthy delay, slow progress for the Europeans with Owen best at -2, 5 off the early lead. Russell Knox, Chopra and Gronberg yet to tee off, along with Keith Nolan who came through the Monday qualie.

Back to Congressional...

The Nationwiders are off again at 7.00 a.m. local time, 1.00 p.m. at Littlestone. Roller-coaster so far for Russell Knox but back to even after eleven holes. Then he'll get straight back on his horse for Round 2.

Rubbish so far from Groanberg, +5 after 16, but Chopra in with a 69. Four Aussies in the top 7 (and ties): Lonard, Goggin, Hensby and Bandrew Uckle.

McIlroy at -10 which is just amazing. Zac Johnson in 2nd place on -4.

legendkillar wrote:McIlroy at -10 which is just amazing. Zac Johnson in 2nd place on -4.

..and the US open organizers are aiming for winner on level par! There's no stopping Rory at the moment.
Expect very difficult pins for the weekend

make that -11... it's like watching yesterday all over again. fantastic!

We were talking the other day about Camilo's caddie playing now on the Nationwide.
After only making one cut all year, Brett Waldman is now tied for the lead in Kansas.

Russell Knox plugging along, but will need at least one more birdie to get paid this week.

Stewart vs The Aussie MacPherson in the Final of the British Amateur.
Come on the Troon lad.

Who else is expecting Rory McIlroy to blow up again in the final two rounds? McIlory looks good in the 'stroke play' scenario of the first two days but how well does he handle the 'match play' type scenario of the last two days? Can he handle playing against someone rather than against the field? It is a totally different game/ mentality.

I'm on Snedeker too at around 60/1.

Quick Nationwide update, half way through the afternoon "wave".

Russell Knox shot a fine 69 but it's looking as if his current 58th position may fall one stroke short of weekend play. Chopra also, while Groanberg is plumbing the depths of the "leader" board. Keith Nolan is out while Greg Owen treads water and Gary Christian is currently two shots adrift.

The BBC is saying they project the cut at +5 but don't see it meself. Reckon it'll be a field of perhaps 64-ish for Saturday leaving Mahan, Fowler, Scotland on the outside looking in.

Nationwide update:
Good news for Greg Owen (21st) and Gary Christian (56th) as they make the wekend.
Bad news for Russell Knox, one stroke short of the cut, Scotland's story this week, and Sweden, 6-0 in terms of making the Congressional cut, 1-3 in Kansas, David Lingmerth up to 18th.

Bernhard Langer has been out for three months with following thumb surgery but he's playing this week's Senior event in Germany and scheduled to play in next week's European Tour event in Munich. Great to have him back!

Christy O'Connor Jnr also in this wek's field, propping it up unfortunately.

No mention of Bernhard's return that I can see on the Champions Tour site... not surprising really, given that he was exempt for Congressional and chose Germany instead. Understandable given he's been out for so long, and Congressional's playing far too long for him, but I doubt the organisers are overly happy.

Good point Ned, forgot about that Senior Open exemption!

Two pretty good events coming up in Europe I see, Bubba defending in Hartford then high-tailing it to France. If he's still playing Castle Stuart, he'll be toast by the time he gets down to RStG.

Good for him but who is Matthew Zions? Maybe GJ can fill us in.

Word of praise for Rock.Must have been christmas crackered after the previous week.Good 'first'(ever)round.few missed putts in the second(all left)Weary in the third but great effort in the last.morale of the story dont drink and drive.