The US Open

[Johnny Rockets]

I agree. I think he went after it WAY too fast after he'd missed the eagle.  He should have taken a minute to settle down, read the putt twice and think about it.  Of course, it may just be how he plays... but the putt didn't break much, he just pulled it.  It was not a good stroke, so in the end, it may not have mattered.

Yahoo had an interesting breakdown which shows that DJ's ball may have "jumped" causing it to go left. It still looks to me like he pulled it though. 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dustin-johnson-thinks-us-opens-135521248.html

 

 

[Darth Biscuit]

Looking at the vine and especially the close up, it does appear to me that the ball bounced.  However, is that from his stroke or a bump on the green?  Probably will never know... although either way it looks to me like he just pulled it.

 

All that speculation aside, he missed at least 4 putts that I recall inside of 5' or so during the final round that would have taken him completely out of this position.  From what I remember yesterday, the tournament was his, he played well enough to win he just didn't putt well enough.

[stirs]

Many players slamming the course.  Stenson said it was like putting on broccoli

[Darth Biscuit]

Many players slamming the course.  Stenson said it was like putting on broccoli

They have a point.  On the one hand, they all have to play the same course, but with two types of grass on the greens, it does create a bumpy surface and I saw it all week.  When the bumps are uneven, it brings in a certain quantity of "luck" in getting a better or worse roll for two similar putts, so it negates some of the skill elements that these players have, and that's the problem in my opinion.  So essentially they're NOT all playing the same course, or at least the same greens...

From a fan perspective it was fun to watch, but I can see why the pros didn't like it.

[DirtyMagic97]

I bet Spieth, Johnson, Oosthuizen, Scott, Grace, etc... were all pretty happy to hear all the people complaining about the course all weekend. Because those are the guys who have already lost. Jordan Spieth didn't beat the complainers by 10-15 strokes because he got lucky and had less bumps in the line of his putts over the course of 72 holes. You're a professional. Act like it.

[Johnny Rockets]

Many players slamming the course.  Stenson said it was like putting on broccoli

Then McIlroy pointed out that broccoli is green unlike the course. : )

[Cuttinedge]

Looking at the vine and especially the close up, it does appear to me that the ball bounced.  However, is that from his stroke or a bump on the green?  Probably will never know... although either way it looks to me like he just pulled it.

 

All that speculation aside, he missed at least 4 putts that I recall inside of 5' or so during the final round that would have taken him completely out of this position.  From what I remember yesterday, the tournament was his, he played well enough to win he just didn't putt well enough.

If he could putt as well as Spieth.  DJ would be damn near unbeatable. Flat  stick always been his Achilles heel. 

[Johnny Rockets]

I bet Spieth, Johnson, Oosthuizen, Scott, Grace, etc... were all pretty happy to hear all the people complaining about the course all weekend. Because those are the guys who have already lost. Jordan Spieth didn't beat the complainers by 10-15 strokes because he got lucky and had less bumps in the line of his putts over the course of 72 holes. You're a professional. Act like it.

Well on Friday, Speith did say that the 18th hole was the dumbest hole he has played in his entire life. He handled it well after being asked about it though. 

 It was kind of ridiculous that the head of the USGA (I forget his name) was talking about how good shots would be rewarded on this course, when in fact good shots would roll 100 yards left into a bunker but bounce it off the backboard or windmill on the back of the green and the ball would come back to the hole.  

It was fun to watch because it was different, but it was also a bit gimmicky at the same time. I would have hated to putt on those greens as a weekend golfer at my local course let alone a professional playing in the US Open. 

[stirs]

Good to be different and challenging, but agreed, this one was a bit too gimmicky.

I almost expected a small mote with gators and a draw bridge to round out a hole or two

Not sure but did the 18th hole keep your ball?

[Darth Biscuit]

There's a difference between hard and unfair.  Some of these stuff we saw this weekend was downright unfair.

[Brooklyn Bully]

I don't know, I sort of want to roll my eyes at these spoiled superstars who can't play on perfect greens, manicured fairways, and easy paths to the hole. BOO HOO. If you're a pro, show it. Sorry you couldn't shoot twenty under this week. Next thing you'll tell us is that there's all this CRAZY HIGH GRASS at the British Open!

[DirtyMagic97]

Well on Friday, Speith did say that the 18th hole was the dumbest hole he has played in his entire life. He handled it well after being asked about it though. 

 It was kind of ridiculous that the head of the USGA (I forget his name) was talking about how good shots would be rewarded on this course, when in fact good shots would roll 100 yards left into a bunker but bounce it off the backboard or windmill on the back of the green and the ball would come back to the hole.  

It was fun to watch because it was different, but it was also a bit gimmicky at the same time. I would have hated to putt on those greens as a weekend golfer at my local course let alone a professional playing in the US Open. 

Yea, Spieth did was the 18th was the dumbest hole he'd ever played. I think he maintained that as well. But he never really ripped the entire course.

I watched the entire tournament and I did see times where people got lucky bounces and others got unlucky bounces, but I really did not think it was as crazy as people are making it out to be. The players who were at the top of the leaderboard were the players who hit the best shots more consistently. Not because they got lucky and their bad shots trickled to the hole.

The biggest thing I noticed was that so many of these players who ended up missing the cut or finished well over par were the players who consistently tried to play this like a normal course. They never learned from the course.

Anyways, maybe I'm in the minority here, but I didn't think it was unfair. Really enjoyed it.