[Wayne_Kozun]

Nah....handicapping this event earlier in the wek, the USGA had the event set up for PAR to be defended and PAR to win or be in a playoff.  

It is easy to defend par when you turn one (or two) par 5s into par 4s.

[David Whitmer]

Bring on The Open, where the R&A allows is not offended if a score below par wins.   The Open is just makes for a better all around event, whether it be in person or watching on TV.

The Open and the U.S. Open are totally different in many ways. Because of the courses The Open is played on, the R&A has the luxury of a built-in course defense, and that's the wind. It seems they set up the course, and if it gets very windy/rainy, the scores will go higher. If the weather is great (see: St. Andrews 1990), the winning score will be quite low. For the U.S. Open, with the exception of Pebble and Shinnecock, it seems wind and elements don't factor in to a course's defense. Therefore, the USGA needs to make sure the course is defended in other ways, and that seems to be rough, green speed, etc.

I'm not suggesting one is better than the other; I'm just pointing out that the two championships are vastly different in that regard. I love watching the U.S. Open when it rolls around, and I love watching The Open when it rolls around. This past weekend was great...great course, great drama, and a fine, fine champion. I don't need the world's best players to make birdie after birdie to be entertained.

[George Pazin]

I like Terry's choice of words: unlikely. Really, if someone told you the top 5 would include McDowell, Havret, Els, Woods and Michelson, who would've predicted that would be the order? Unlikely is the perfect word.

Hats off to him, he played well throughout the event, unlike the big names, he's certainly most worthy.

It's nice to see someone for whom the win meant so much actually win. At the beginning of the day, I was hoping for one of the big 3, but by the latter stages, I was pulling for Graeme. Post round interviews were terrific as well.

[Bruce Katona]

But the R&A does not appear to get their nose out of joint in years where the wind/conditions are mild and the scores go low.  After pebble in 2000 and the winning score, USGA was not going to have that again at "their championship".

[Phil McDade]

But the R&A does not appear to get their nose out of joint in years where the wind/conditions are mild and the scores go low.  After pebble in 2000 and the winning score, USGA was not going to have that again at "their championship".

Bruce:

The final scores at Pebble in 2000 and 2010 were quite similar -- in fact, slightly lower this year. I think people tend to under-appreciate how much of an outlier Tiger's performance was that year -- maybe the best major championship effort in the history of the game.

Final scores 2010:

Final round

1 Graeme McDowell  Northern Ireland 71-68-71-74=284 E
2 Gregory Havret  France 73-71-69-72=285 +1
3 Ernie Els  South Africa 73-68-72-73=286 +2
T4 Phil Mickelson  United States 75-66-73-73=287 +3
Tiger Woods  United States 74-72-66-75=287
T6 Matt Kuchar  United States 74-72-74-68=288 +4
Davis Love III  United States 75-74-68-71=288
T8 Brandt Snedeker  United States 75-74-69-71=289 +5
Martin Kaymer  Germany 74-71-72-72=289
Alex Čejka  Germany 70-72-74-73=289
Dustin Johnson  United States 71-70-66-82=289

Final scores 2000:

1 Tiger Woods  United States 65-69-71-67=272 -12 $800,000
T2 Ernie Els  South Africa 74-73-68-72=287 +3 $391,150
Miguel Ángel Jiménez  Spain 66-74-76-71=287
4 John Huston  United States 67-75-76-70=288 +4 $212,779
T5 Lee Westwood  England 71-71-76-71=289 +5 $162,526
Pádraig Harrington  Ireland 73-71-72-73=289
7 Nick Faldo  England 69-74-76-71=290 +6 $137,203
T8 Loren Roberts  United States 68-78-73-72=291 +7 $112,766
David Duval  United States 75-71-74-71=291
Stewart Cink  United States 77-72-72-70=291
Vijay Singh  Fiji 70-73-80-68=291

[Philip Gawith]

I am not especially a Mcdowell fan - not a pretty enough player to watch - but if you compare him against his English/Euro peer group (did he not play Walker Cup in Sea Island with Casey/Donald etc?) what sets him apart is that he is strong in the head. He has always seemed confident, but not foolishly so - just grounded, resilient, likely to get the most from his game. Maybe it is a bad comparison, but i think of Jim Furyk - not very flash, but pretty dependable.  I suspect he has a great matchplay record down the years - i can imagine him being hard to beat. A comparison pointing the other way would be Sergio - almost certainly more talented and a better ball striker (maybe not putter) but too impeded ultimately by his own head.

[Terry Lavin]

Phil,

Thanks for the info.  I wonder how the number of putts compared for these two championships.  I know that it is typically said that the number of putts attempted at Pebble would be misleading because the greens are so small, but I sure didn't see too many up-and-downs yesterday, so I'm betting the number is still pretty high.

[Garland Bayley]

I like Terry's choice of words: unlikely. Really, if someone told you the top 5 would include McDowell, Havret, Els, Woods and Michelson, who would've predicted that would be the order? Unlikely is the perfect word.
...

I don't like Terry's choice of words. They sound just like his old tag line, something to the effect of "always sure, often wrong" which sounds perfect for a lawyer that has to stand up and make a confident argument even though he may be totally wrong. Thinking this was an unlikely result seems to be just ignorance. You have the player from Europe that is the top player in recent weeks, used to playing harder surfaces come in and win on a hard surface using that top flight game. It seems a highly likely result to me.
 

[Joel Zuckerman]

[  Will he hoist another major trophy?

Probably not, but winning the US Open at Pebble is quite the career capper regardless.  Neve mind out-of-the-blue winners of recent vintage like Micheel, Hamilton, Campbell etc.  Majors are tough to win even for top-notch pros--witness Furyk, Love, Toms, Leonard, Weir...all likely one and done in terms of Majors.

[Jud_T]

We came very close to having the most unlikely winner of all: Havret

[Wayne_Kozun]

Tom Kite never hoisted another Major trophy after his victory in the US Open at Pebble in 92 and he only won two more Tour events but he was 42 at the time of this victory.

[John Moore II]

Ken Nobilo made a comment early in the week that sounded just like something that would be posted to GCA. He said that these greens were built for stimpmeter speed of around six or seven. He concluded that the greens either needed to be modified a bit for the current speed or they can be left as is but slowed down.

Well, I'm glad that someone can agree with me.   

[Phil McDade]

I think unlikely is pretty apt, although not a total surprise. If playing on a hard and fast surface -- which is often the case at the US Open, not just the ones at Pebble (think of all three held at Shinnecock, plus a few others -- Winged Foot comes to mind) -- benefits British/Irish/Euro players generally, you'd see them winning this tournament more often. But this is the first for Euro since Jacklin in 1970, so I do think it was unlikely.

McDowell has certainly been on form of late, and was one of the more impressive players for Euro during the zoo-fest that was the Ryder Cup at Valhalla. Watching him handle the crowds and pressure there made me think he'd be a likely major contender down the road, although I figured him more for the British Open than the US Open. I don't necessarily think he's of the same caliber as Harrington, or McElroy, or that this is the kind of breakthrough major that spurs him onto a great career ala Faldo (who also won his first major at the age of 30, same as McDowell). Unlikely, yes -- particularly that he was being chased by the likes of Tiger, Mickelson and Els -- but not a shock. Hard to argue that he wasn't the most consistent player during the week -- he clearly was, and handled some tense moments down the stretch of the back nine quite well.

[Tim Pitner]

McDowell is a class player--college golfer of the year in the U.S., a winner on the European Tour and a European Ryder Cup player who acquitted himself well in his first Ryder Cup.  Not a big surprise to those who pay attention to golf outside the U.S.  Certainly not in the same category as a Curtis/Micheel/Beem, etc. 

[Jud_T]

Didn't he break Tiger and Luke Donald's NCAA season scoring average record with a 69.3?

[RJ_Daley]

By the time they return to PB, Mickelson and Els will be unlikely winners of mid to late 40yrs old, who have not won a tournament in 3 years or more.  D Johnson and McDowell will be considered in their endstage golfing prime and the likely winners, and the actual winner may be someone playing jr am golf now.  What will they have to do to defend par by then?  Were there not drives hit 360-380 this week by Mickelson and Johnson?  And so it goes...

[Ben Stephens]

Go G-MAC!

Having watched G-Mac (as he is known in N.I.) on the practice round prior to Rd 3 in 2008 Open which he was in contention. He strikes the ball beautifully and constantly hits where he is aiming at even though his swing did not look beautiful it was more like a whipper snappers swing! I am not surprised he has won a major cos I thought he was one of the few that was good enough and also he plays his golf at Portrush which helps in playing hard and bouncy tight seaside courses.

I reckon G-Mac has another few more majors in him as he has the mentality and calmness where required - thank goodness we have him in our Ryder Cup team and will be a calming influence for young McIlroy!  

Hopefully this should help Portrush in having a 2nd Open!

2 Europeans followed by a South African then 2 top Yanks - this is unheard of in an US Open!!!

Cheers

Ben

[John_Conley]

I think North is an anomaly, a one hit wonder who hit twice, if you like. His record in his other majors is rather sparse, with 3 other top 10s. He didn't seem to want to make the trip to the UK in July too often either. Zero points in 3 matches in his one Ryder Cup outing. I remember his drive at the 18th versus Sam Torrance. Looked like a man who knew he shouldn't be there. In my opinion he doesn't really belong in the same company as most other multiple major winners.

In his defense, Andy North battled injuries for his entire career.  Most stories of pros losing their way involve an injury of some type.

[Gary Slatter]

Bring on the REAL Open Championship. 

the OPEN will be contested on 10.3 stimp greens according to the super's blog.

[Garland Bayley]

Not being a expert, it is my opinion that anyone that says the greens at a tournament will be running at 10.3 a month out is either a liar or a fool.

Not only that, it gives every course superintendent headaches, because the members will now be demanding similar.

Tell the guy to shut up!

[Niall C]

Did anyone notice that the top 3 spots had all won the Scottish Open in recent years ? Not sure that proves anything hut there you go.

Garland

10.3 seems very exact but I would have thought that getting the greens to 10 to 10.5 should be fairly doable. Bearing in mind they have tournament golf every year and the Open every 5, I would have thought the guy would know what he's talking about. That said, I'm no greenkeeper so interested to hear others views.

Niall

[Matthew Rose]

Tom Kite never hoisted another Major trophy after his victory in the US Open at Pebble in 92 and he only won two more Tour events but he was 42 at the time of this victory.

Kite though had won 15 times or so prior to that, led the money list a couple of times, and had also won a Players.

He's also been second in the Masters 3 or 4 times before that.

It isn't like he was a one-hit wonder. He was widely considered the best majorless player in the world for many years before that event.

[Tim Pitner]

Did anyone notice that the top 3 spots had all won the Scottish Open in recent years ? Not sure that proves anything hut there you go.
Niall

Niall, I did notice that and also that Havret beat Mickelson, I believe, in a playoff to win his Scottish Open so, despite Havret's world ranking, it's not like he has no pedigree whatsoever. 

I understand why people don't enjoy watching all the competitors backup on the back nine of a major on Sunday.  But, I disagree with the idea that one can judge a course's setup according to how well-known the winner is--that's a very inexact and retrospective method. 

[Garland Bayley]

Did anyone notice that the top 3 spots had all won the Scottish Open in recent years ? Not sure that proves anything hut there you go.

Garland

10.3 seems very exact but I would have thought that getting the greens to 10 to 10.5 should be fairly doable. Bearing in mind they have tournament golf every year and the Open every 5, I would have thought the guy would know what he's talking about. That said, I'm no greenkeeper so interested to hear others views.

Niall

I would hope the guy would learn to say "about 10 or slightly above". Having sat in on a green committee meeting where the superintendent is forced to defend not having absolute consistency tells me a braggart saying his greens will be at 10.3 does no one any good.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I agree Matthew - Kite was a much more established golfer than G-Mac but he was much later in his career.  Only time will tell if he can win more majors but I don't think he is going to be a one-major wonder like Paul Lawrie.  But who knows, I would have said the same about Ian Baker-Finch, David Duval and Michael Campbell.

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