Southern Hemisphere Rules

[James Bennett]

2004 - South Africa
2005 - New Zealand
2006 - Australia
2007 - Argentina

All US Open winners from the Southern Hemisphere.

2008 - who knows, perhaps Vijay Singh (Fiji), or perhaps a penguin with happy feet from Antartica.  That is the only continent in the southern hemisphere that hasn't had a win, yet!

And, the foresight of Ran and co in the lead-up to the event to include Argentina (and Uruguay) in the national flags on the front page.  Yes, there are course reviews involved.  But was this a stoke of genius, or just happenstance?

Well done Angel.  Finished bogey, bogey on Saturday night, and got it done today.  To those on GCA who can remember, is there any similiarity in the cavalier style that he portrays to that of De Vicenzo (who won The Open at Hoylake IIRC).

James B

[Mark Chaplin]

It is interesting to note how many US Open winners over the last decade cut their teeth on the European Tour, Els, Goose, Campbell, Angel. With a great crop of good young Brits playing regular on the US Tour it can only be a matter of time before Donald, Casey, Rose, Howell, etc break through and win a big'un.

[Wayne_Kozun]

You would think that we were talking about Rugby rather than golf - time for the Pumas to win the '07 RWC to match the Boks, Wallabies and All-Blacks?

[Jeff Doerr]

Congrats to Angel.

His win and this thread make me think of the thread about courses that breed champions. The sandbelt courses, Ran's recent Argentina post, and the RSA courses hold up well in producing champions.

[James Bennett]

Congrats to Angel.

His win and this thread make me think of the thread about courses that breed champions. The sandbelt courses, Ran's recent Argentina post, and the RSA courses hold up well in producing champions.

No African courses are featured at this stage in Courses by Country, although Phillip Gawith (and others) have exposed some pretty good ones within the Discussion Group, if you can find them.

James B

[Dan Herrmann]

In honor of the US Open Champion:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/jockey1.html

[Jim Nugent]

With a great crop of good young Brits playing regular on the US Tour it can only be a matter of time before Donald, Casey, Rose, Howell, etc break through and win a big'un.

All they have to do is bring their Ryder Cup game to the majors.  They would never lose.  

[Wayne_Kozun]

With a great crop of good young Brits playing regular on the US Tour it can only be a matter of time before Donald, Casey, Rose, Howell, etc break through and win a big'un.

We've heard this before - are these guys better than Monty, Westwood, and Clarke three blokes that looked surely ready to win a bunch of majors between them a decade or so ago.

[Garland Bayley]

...
All US Open winners from the Southern Hemisphere.
...
James B

They're so glad they're not home watching the snow fly that the pressure is off of them this time of year.
 

[TEPaul]

"Southern Hemisphere Rules"

James:

In the tough US Open they sure do. The overthinking, entourage ladden Americans and the rest of the other world super-stars are toast and it's good to see.

Hopefully this means golf is getting back to its roots and the real deal---eg "Light one up, grab the driver and just whack it and walk, puff, puff, and whack it again, puff puff and flip the butt on the immaculate fairway and hope it catches on fire and makes toast out of the superannuated super-stars behind you."

[Jim Nugent]

I think it's mostly two things:

1.  World-wide spread of golf;

2.  Coincidence.

The SH'ers have done well recently in the U.S. Open.  But that's pretty much it.  The Masters, Open Championship and PGA have been dominated by the gringos.  

With a great crop of good young Brits playing regular on the US Tour it can only be a matter of time before Donald, Casey, Rose, Howell, etc break through and win a big'un.

Maybe.  I'm not so convinced Rose, Howell and Donald will ever win a major.  Casey seems more likely to me.  Time will tell!

[Rich Goodale]

It's the Coriolis effect.  A little known fact is that in order to be elected to the USGA Committee you must be able to offer proof that left is right and up is down.  Those from the Southern Hemisphere have this truth embedded in their genes.

[Jim Nugent]

Rich, I'm glad your brief hiatus from this site is over!

[Rich Goodale]

Thanks Jim

On reflection, now I know why so many USGA high mucky-mucks are lawyers.....

Rich

[Wayne_Kozun]

What other countries from the southern hemisphere have golfers with a shot at winning after those four?  Fiji?  Zimbabwe?  Paraguay?

[James Bennett]

The next continenet I am awaiting success from is Asia, whether it be Korea, Japan, India or other parts of Asia (China).

Does anybody else see a similiarity in playing style between Angel and our own Bill V (the man of Redan)?  That 397 yard drive by AC reminded me a little pf a drive I saw at Plainfield #2, bounding down the fairway, and they sharethat  swashbuckling, quick playing style.  I expect Angel wears black socks too (but under long pants!).

James B