2015 US Open at Chambers Bay Field Report

[Richard Choi]

I am heading out to Chambers for my first day. I will report back on how the course is playing and what players are working on during their practice rounds. I will also take some photos of logistics around the course.

I will be marshaling at 18th hole all afternoon. I am the one with the white bucket hat. If you are around, please come by and say hi.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Thanks Rich and have a fantastic week mate...soak it all up

[David_Tepper]

Richard -

Keep on an eye out for Dornoch's Jimmy Gunn, who just got in the field as an alternate. He has toiled on the mini-tours and the Web.com tour in the U.S. for many years.

He has plenty of links golf experience.

DT

[Benjamin Litman]

Serious question, Rich: Have you approached (or been approached by) any pros or their teams regarding all you know and have compiled about the course? Seems like an invaluable resource the competitors would love to review. Thanks again for all your efforts; they've made an always-exciting week far, far moreso.

[Richard Choi]

Benjamin, no, I have not been approached. I doubt that pros have ready any of it...

[Carl Rogers]

Course Length and Driver Roll Out ....
Do I assume that the course will play so firm and fast that length off the tee is not that much of an advantage?
And that 200 yard approach shots will be played with 8 irons?

[Richard Choi]

Holy cow, I knew this was a big event, but logistics here is just amazing. I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of tents.

[Jim Franklin]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/the-us-open-greens-already-look-like-a-total-disaster/ar-BBlah6B

Are the greens really this bad??? This looks hateful.

[Richard Choi]

First impression. The course is much greener than I wa expecting. It is certainly greener than what it was for US Am. The overall condition is the best I have ever seen. These greens look great. It does not look like the photos in person. They look like the greens at Old Mac. Better than Bandon Dunes/Pacific Dune greens.

If it plays like this with 12 stimp greens, it should be perfect.

[jeffwarne]

Chambers  Bay looks like an intriguing, unique, fantastic venue.
Given that it is an intriguing, unique, fantastic venue....

why on earth does the Mike Davis, aka The Open Dentist, feel the need to insert himself into the equation so blatantly with all the different setup options?
Changing pars on different holes daily?
I'm all for innovation, but in this case we have an innovative venue already-let's not push the envelope-let's save that for the boring crap we see weekly on the PGA Tour.

Golf has enough bigness.
Chambers Bay is big and bold.
Adding HOURS to practice rounds on an already brutishly difficult course to walk is absolutely the message we don't need to send amateurs and the casual viewing fan.

There are of course situations on classic courses that need adjusting due to the USGA's complete failure at equipment control-I get it, but those are courses decades and more old.
This course is brand new and if anything TOO big already.
Let's see the course played as designed, not at the whimsy of an seemingly increasingly overly involved setup guy.

It is confusing the issue for players and fans.
It's a shame because it seems to me Chambers Bay and its agronomy could be the star, not the setup guy......again.

[Tim Leahy]

How are the wind conditions and what is expected weather wise this week? Which holes do you think will be most difficult in the wind?

[Phil McDade]

why on earth does the Mike Davis, aka The Open Dentist, feel the need to insert himself into the equation so blatantly with all the different setup options?
Changing pars on different holes daily?
I'm all for innovation, but in this case we have an innovative venue already-let's not push the envelope-let's save that for the boring crap we see weekly on the PGA Tour.

It's a shame because it seems to me Chambers Bay and its agronomy could be the star, not the setup guy......again.

+1(000,000).

The reason: Ego. There can't be any other explanation, as he's done it time and again, and we'll see this again in two years at Mr. Davis' personal playpen (Erin Hills). And he's got a lousy track record (see: Congressional) at it.

It's too bad, especially this week; everything I've seen and read on CBay (both the televised US Am and threads here) suggest this can be a unique venue presenting a test very few players will have faced before. I hope Mr. Davis doesn't screw it up.

[Richard Choi]

I don't know if Mike Davis really deserves that much scorn. He is just trying to stage the best event he can. US Open is known as that toughest test in golf and there is much drama that comes from it. Having options is always good.

Wind was pretty steady all day at around 10mph. It is enough that you have to think about it, but not so much that you worry about it.

As to the conditions, I was SHOCKED at how soft it was playing today. I am guessing they dumped a LOT of water last night as the fairways and greens were much greener than I was expecting and they were very receptive.

Wedges were sticking within 5 feet and mid-irons were holding on the same tier as the pin with no worries.

I am HIGHLY doubting that the course will play this soft come Thu/Fri. It is kinda cruel as players who got the first look at the course today, have no idea what the real course is like. They are in for a shock...

[RJ_Daley]

So Richard, you are saying that the photo of the patch of poor turf on a green is an isolated, unrepresentative look at the turf conditions... and that the posted article is written in a hyperbolic style and not the real conditions on the ground? 

I wonder if they are just watering in a prophylactic dose of PK and micros to withstand the wear and tear the turf will take.  Even with typical PNW rain, don't she drain like a sieve and engineered to take and shake a lot of water?

[Richard Choi]

RJ, there are three different types of grasses growing on those greens; fescue, bent, and poa. They are all different colors and from photos they can look like poor turf. But I assure you, in person, they look just fine, even better when they get a little more brown. They also putt beautifully. It is quite smooth and even.

These are fine playing turf.

[Richard Choi]

I want to add one more thing.

Players who played this course for both stroke and match play will have a HUGE advantage (Ahn could be a very good dark horse). They played this course when it was over the edge (stroke play), and when it was more manageable (match play). They know who differently this course can play. It looks like USGA is going to slowly ramp up the difficulties this time. The course you play during practice rounds is not going to be the same course on Thu (and that won't be the same as the course on Sun).

Having experiences with how differently this course can/will play, will be a HUGE advantage in my opinion.

[Matthew Essig]

Course Length and Driver Roll Out ....
Do I assume that the course will play so firm and fast that length off the tee is not that much of an advantage?
And that 200 yard approach shots will be played with 8 irons?

Some of the shorter pros have already come out and said that length is not an issue. Every ball roll dozens upon dozens of yards. This course favors no one. The guy who plays the best (as well as dealing with a few bad breaks the best) will be identified this week.

[Brent Hutto]

why on earth does the Mike Davis, aka The Open Dentist, feel the need to insert himself into the equation so blatantly with all the different setup options?
Changing pars on different holes daily?
I'm all for innovation, but in this case we have an innovative venue already-let's not push the envelope-let's save that for the boring crap we see weekly on the PGA Tour.

As I opined on an earlier thread, putting this US Open at Chambers Bay gives Mike Davis his ultimate canvas. It's a brand new, wide open blank slate with virtually no constraints on what Mike Davis-isms can be imposed on a day to day basis.

He has the media fully bought into the narrative that the greatest players in the world will have to jump when Mike Davis says jump, dance when Mike Davis plays the tune and if they don't like it they're a bunch of spoiled prima donnas. P. J. Boatwright must be spinning in his grave. Joe Dey never had the sort of carte blanche with setups that Mike Davis has been granted.

[Marc Haring]

Good interview here with McDowell. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/33146290

[Richard Choi]

Brent Carlson is out there today and is reporting that greens are surprisingly receptive (what I saw yesterday).


I do believe the course will dry out some, but it looks like it will play softer than what I was expecting.


This means high flyers should win the day. I am liking Rory's chances a LOT right now (possibly going 8 to 10 under).

[Marc Haring]

Blimey Richard.


Bold assertions and great inside info.


If the wind is anything I don't give Rory a chance because of my pathetic theory that he can't hit a knock down shot but if the forecast is for benign stuff then I'm with you. I just need to find some bookies that are giving decent odds on him.

[Richard Choi]

Another report from Brent.


He is sitting at #5 watching the approaches. The pin is in the right and all the approaches at it are either ending up short in the lions mouth bunker or going through the green to the back.


Phil comes up, hits a draw that hits the slope on the left side of the green and feeds it towards the pin.


Brilliant!

[Brent Carlson]

As Richard said - greens are receptive.  They are fast but accepting shots.  Scoring will depend on how firm the greens get.


Distance is not a problem.  I am convinced ball technology has far outpaced course length.  It's not even funny.  I saw lots of driver - 9i / wedge on 490 - 530 par fours.  Keep in mind the ball is rolling a long ways. 


Chambers is the best course for viewing golf that I have witnessed.  The numerous hillocks and elevation changes make for great viewing.  One could even call it a stadium course. 


Before attending today I pegged the winning score at minus 2.  Now I can see it realistically being 8 under, depending on how soft the greens are maintained.


I am seriously excited for the first round, and most GCA posters will LOVE watching this tourney in HD.  It will be spectacular.  Buckle up.

[Howard Riefs]

Looks great.

https://mobile.twitter.com/LeeMcCoyGolf/status/610934844152016898/video/1

[Ben Sims]

USGA resorting to extreme measures to control scores.

https://instagram.com/p/4AYnUiK7th/

the above assertion is a joke