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Matthew Lloyd

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #50 on: June 10, 2014, 04:10:12 PM »
I'm going with Stricker to win at -2.

Agree with some other posters that the story of the tournament will be Mickelson making a surge midway through the tournament but ultimately falling back and not truly contending on Sunday.

I expect the media to really promote the course and praise the changes, especially since it's a resort course that stands to generate a lot of revenue as a result (for a lot of the "retail" golfers I do think events like this prompt them to go play the courses)

The players as always will complain about the course. They're so used to playing easy tracks that they can't adjust to the conditions it seems. It would be like the Miami Heat playing the Milwaukee Bucks 62 times during the regular season and suddenly confronting the Spurs in the finals.

I expect the 5th hole and the change in par to generate a lot of controversy and discussion. An obvious choice, but I do think that will be the case.

Mickelson will put it off the green attempting some miraculous par save on Sunday that seals his fate.

Randy Thompson

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #51 on: June 10, 2014, 07:43:15 PM »
I'm amazed at the negativity of a lot of people regarding the renovation.  Now, it's just internet article commentators, but still, I bet 50% of the comments I've read on articles say how crappy the course looks.  I have been shocked by that.

John Q Public is ignorant, thats all I hear after every British open, how bad the course was because it doesn´t look like Augusta.
-1 will win and gotta go with Adam Scott, my second pick is Tiger even though he won´t be playing!

Jud_T

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #52 on: June 10, 2014, 09:31:20 PM »
As they just mentioned on the Golf Channel,  Phil is 193rd on tour on 5-6 footers this year.  Stick a fork in him...
Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

cary lichtenstein

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #53 on: June 10, 2014, 11:23:17 PM »
I think this is great. If you read thru this thread, this is one great big question mark . Great for golf. I'm rooting for Bubba, 350 yard drives and high soft irons into unreceptive greens. 5 1/2 hour rounds, balls hitting greens and no sticking.

Do the waste areas get raked?
Live Jupiter, Fl, was  4 handicap, played top 100 US, top 75 World. Great memories, no longer play, 4 back surgeries. I don't miss a lot of things about golf, life is simpler with out it. I miss my 60 degree wedge shots, don't miss nasty weather, icing, back spasms. Last course I played was Augusta

Randy Thompson

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #54 on: June 10, 2014, 11:43:29 PM »
As they just mentioned on the Golf Channel,  Phil is 193rd on tour on 5-6 footers this year.  Stick a fork in him...
And that was before the feds crawled up his butt. He may not make the cut!

Jim Nugent

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #55 on: June 11, 2014, 12:27:34 AM »
As they just mentioned on the Golf Channel,  Phil is 193rd on tour on 5-6 footers this year.  Stick a fork in him...

No surprise, since he's played terribly the whole year.  Question is, is his game rounding into form now? 

Matt MacIver

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #56 on: June 11, 2014, 06:27:52 AM »
Phil switched putters and went back to the claw grip last week.

Coore said he likes the way the course is looking so until I see how it plays I'll hold my comments.  But brown fairways and good angles will bring the thinkers and short hitters into the equation, laying back with a 3w to get a preferred angle and or ensure staying out of the wire grass. Favors Zach Johnson, perhaps?

Mike Davis moved a tee box way up on 16(?) at Olympic Club and foozled Furyk into a snap hook. I can see him doing that again somewhere on the back nine Sunday - 16? 

Rory's major wins have been runaways and I don't see him breaking away from the field - it may rain some but don't think it will be spongy.

I think Ernie's got all the ingredients and desire to put something together, and has played well in US Open's and at Pinehurst before.

Michael Graham

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #57 on: June 11, 2014, 07:38:49 AM »
My heart says Phil. My betting slip says Bubba at 18/1.

Winning score -3

Michael

Mark_Fine

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #58 on: June 11, 2014, 08:14:18 AM »
Just curious, who here has played #2 and is still predicting an under par winning score?  It is not going to happen unless they go to 8" cups  ;)
Honestly, I would not be surprised if something like +6 or +7 wins.  Even the USGA will get nervous if the scoring goes that high.  I also predict that someone will not break 85 one of the days!  As I said before, the players should pray for rain and forward tee locations  :)

Terry Lavin

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #59 on: June 11, 2014, 08:22:56 AM »
If they get significant rainfall, the fairways will hold better and fewer balls will vault into the waste areas. If the greens get softer, fewer balls will be repelled down the steep slopes. Since length is not a factor, firmness will be a necessary component in light of the relatively generous fairway width on many holes.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Nigel Islam

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #60 on: June 11, 2014, 09:49:12 AM »
Just curious, who here has played #2 and is still predicting an under par winning score?  It is not going to happen unless they go to 8" cups  ;)
Honestly, I would not be surprised if something like +6 or +7 wins.  Even the USGA will get nervous if the scoring goes that high.  I also predict that someone will not break 85 one of the days!  As I said before, the players should pray for rain and forward tee locations  :)

I think the USGA is quite sensitive about the score. They will do everything they can with the set up to keep the winning score from +1 to -3. That has traditionally been their comfort zone.

Mark_Fine

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #61 on: June 11, 2014, 10:07:54 AM »
What was the winning score at Winged Foot West - +5?  This is a harder golf course (unless they get a lot of rain and even then it will still be over par that wins). 

Tim Martin

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #62 on: June 11, 2014, 12:30:19 PM »
No predictions at the moment, but one observation after having viewed two "interviews" with him: Dustin Johnson doesn't appear to be too burdened with intellectual curiosity.

 ;D ;D

RKoehn

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #63 on: June 11, 2014, 12:47:16 PM »
Some contrarian predictions:

- winner is Angel Cabrera or Jason Dufner or Matt Every

- winning score will be shockingly low (-8 or better)

- due to rain, the course will change dramatically as fairways and greens soften significantly

- combination of rain and heat, along with fear of hurting greens for next week's ladies event, will cause greens to run slower than many expect

Rob

p.s.  Played both Shinnecock and NGLA last weekend, and both were in super firm/fast U.S. Open condition.  #7 at Shinny was nearly as tough as for the 2004 Open.  Pinehurst is a fantastic course and place, but it's very risky and difficult to hold U.S. Opens on bentgrass greens in the South in the summer.  Surprised the USGA is attempting to go back to back with the ladies.

Mark_Fine

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #64 on: June 11, 2014, 01:54:23 PM »
Rob,
We can agree to differ on the winning score.  I just played Shinnecock Hills on May 28th.  Jon has the course in perfect condition and is trying to firm it up even more which is the right thing to do but it was no where close to the conditions of the Open when Goosen won.  I played the back tees and on #7 hit a long iron that landed pin high (front pin) and it sat down nicely.  In the Open it would have bounced and rolled well over the back of the green.  It was a little soft under foot and when Shinnecock is playing its best, those fairways are super firm (dust almost kicks up when you take a divot)!  I guess this shows how quickly course conditions can change from when we both played there.  Even with some rain those greens won't soften much at #2 (unless it rains a lot) and the pros are really going to struggle. 

Jim Nugent

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #65 on: June 11, 2014, 02:55:38 PM »
No predictions at the moment, but one observation after having viewed two "interviews" with him: Dustin Johnson doesn't appear to be too burdened with intellectual curiosity.

Instead he is burdened with Paulina Gretzky. 

Greg Tallman

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #66 on: June 11, 2014, 03:06:08 PM »
Mickelson arrives to the home hole 2 shots clear of the field. Tiger, wanting desperately to see his buddy complete the grand slam, is in the gallery.

Phil, against the advice of Bones, pulls out driver and pulls it into the junk. He finds his ball is lodged on a stand of wirey grass and again ignoring Bones flails at it with a 7-iron. The shaft snaps with the bottom half of the club twisting and tuning toward the gallery. The broken head and remaining shaft lodge deeply into Tiger's left leg, just above the knee. Mickelson, still focused on the tournament glances over toward Tiger who is now prone and writhing in pain, and in a nod to his 80's upbringing, smiles and, under his breath, says "tits man" fully understanding the irony of his words.

As Tiger receives medical care Phil and Bones trudge onward to his ball now lying cleanly but with a stand of the same wire grass very near. Phil figures he can manufacture a 73 yard hook with his 64° wedge and commands Bones "gimmie the lob". Assuming he will pitch out Bones lets out a sigh of relief and hands over the trusty 64. Phil, without a practice swing, takes his biggest backswing since the 1991 Tuscon and as he begins his forward swing is tackled by Bones. Rules officials gather and determine there was no attempt to hit the ball and this was all just good TV, might even make a series about it.

Having now come to his senses, Mickelson pitches back to the fairway and wedges his ball onto the green some 3 feet from the hole. Phil fans are ecstatic and can be heard claiming victory, "he finally won, no way one of the best putters in the game misses this" to which a nearby fan, obviously a local, retorts "best putters in the gaaaaaaame... you are craaaaaaaaazeeee? He cannot make it from a fooooooooooooot".

Mickelson, trying to take the 3/4" break out of the putt strokes a confident putt that catches the left edge and spins 13 feet down the hill. The crowd groans. Tiger, now on a stretcher carried by Hank Haney and Butch Harmon chuckles.

Phil makes the comebacker to get into a Monday playoff with Joe Ogilvie. Ogilvie wins the playoff 72 - 77.

Tiger retires from competitive golf citing total fulfillment.  
« Last Edit: June 11, 2014, 03:08:11 PM by Greg Tallman »

Mike Hendren

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #67 on: June 11, 2014, 04:39:20 PM »
A 67 or better tomorrow.   - 6 for the championship. 
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

Mac Plumart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #68 on: June 11, 2014, 05:16:53 PM »
Zach Johnson  -5
Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Ryan Coles

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #69 on: June 11, 2014, 05:20:00 PM »
I predict Shane Lowry will beat Zach Johnson and Victor Dubuisson in a Tuesday playoff.

Chris DeToro

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #70 on: June 11, 2014, 07:06:55 PM »
I like the winning score somewhere right around par, +/- 1

I'd love to see Phil win this one and I think the course sets up well for him, but I'm going with Kuchar

Scott Warren

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #71 on: June 12, 2014, 05:40:45 AM »
Who's who:

Let's hear it for 'Straya. Fuck yeah!


BHoover

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #72 on: June 12, 2014, 06:50:46 AM »
It seems like the whining has started already--is the course too firm? Will any scores the under par?
 :'(

I also think we will be hearing plenty of comments from the general public comparing the look of Pinehurst to the average local muni, which is definitely unfortunate for those of us who prefer the brown look.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2014, 06:53:18 AM by Brian Hoover »

John McCarthy

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #73 on: June 12, 2014, 07:30:16 AM »
Dufner, as always.
The only way of really finding out a man's true character is to play golf with him. In no other walk of life does the cloven hoof so quickly display itself.
 PG Wodehouse

Terry Lavin

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Re: US Open at Pinehurst - Let's hear your predictions
« Reply #74 on: June 12, 2014, 09:21:24 AM »
I like Snedeker early.  ;D
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

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