Winning score at the US Open

[Alex Miller]

It is looking like they are going lower than what was predicted here.  Leader after Round 1 is going to be -8 or lower.  Winning score should then be what - about -15?  Maybe we will see Rory's low score of 268 broken - that would take lower than -12.

Maybe, but the wind is now picking up. We saw the most benign conditions of the week and only 2 guys took it really low. I don't think it's going back above -4 or so but until we see some afternoon play and the course evolve I wouldn't bet too low just yet.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I don’t think they counted all their strokes. Two people can’t shoot 62 there. Yikes these guys ARE good.

[Tommy Williamsen]

 .

[Jeff Evagues]

Could one of the experts explain why this looks like the Bob Hope Desert Classic?

[Daryl David]

Could one of the experts explain why this looks like the Bob Hope Desert Classic?

June gloom. Marine layer. Could have been easily predicted.

[Phil Burr]

All weather-dependent.  LACC needs a few sunny days.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Not only did we see lots of low scores, there were fewer very high scores.  Apparently this is the only time that there were no scores in the 80s.
Will we see the USGA try to ensure that scores go higher?  How do they do that if the sun doesn't shine to dry out the course - the main thing is killer pin positions.

[Adam G]

I was at LACC today. The place is PHENOMENAL. It's everything one could want.


It's pretty simple what happened -- the course got hit by drizzle for about 20 mins from 8:40-9. I was sitting at 6. The first few groups had big 5-6 yard thuddy bounces. Guys who landed it on the first 2 yards held the green. 4 yards on and it rocketed over. It was incredible. And then the drizzle happened, and for the rest of the day every shot was sticking or even spinning back. I think they set it up to get 156 guys around, set it up with some tough pins but some gettable ones, and had the firmness dialed in and then they got unlucky with the drizzle which was not forecast. Obviously you don't want to set it up expecting drizzle and then miss on not getting it.

[Ben Hollerbach]

I was at LACC today. The place is PHENOMENAL. It's everything one could want.


It's pretty simple what happened -- the course got hit by drizzle for about 20 mins from 8:40-9. I was sitting at 6. The first few groups had big 5-6 yard thuddy bounces. Guys who landed it on the first 2 yards held the green. 4 yards on and it rocketed over. It was incredible. And then the drizzle happened, and for the rest of the day every shot was sticking or even spinning back. I think they set it up to get 156 guys around, set it up with some tough pins but some gettable ones, and had the firmness dialed in and then they got unlucky with the drizzle which was not forecast. Obviously you don't want to set it up expecting drizzle and then miss on not getting it.

20 minutes of drizzle derailed the difficulty of the course? Not hours of steady rain, like we saw at Oak Hill, not even 20 minute of torrential rain that filled up the barranca, but drizzle?

I'm sorry, there is no way the golf course could have been dialed in if the whole thing went to hell in a hand basket because of 20 minutes of unexpected drizzle.

[Kalen Braley]

With the distance they can stretch those par 4s and 3s, combined with basically being at Sea Level in the thick-ish coastal air...

I could see even par winning if they decided to keep most holes tipped out all 4 rounds.

Safe to say I blew it.     I clearly missed that the fairways were setup so wide for this Open, was not expecting that.

Combine that with very mild wind (3-6 MPH) and soft conditions and 'nuff said.

[Wayne_Kozun]

20 minutes of drizzle derailed the difficulty of the course? Not hours of steady rain, like we saw at Oak Hill, not even 20 minute of torrential rain that filled up the barranca, but drizzle?

What happens if there is a downpour and the barranca has lots of standing water?  Do you have to take an unplayable lie if you are in the water, or lost ball if you can't find it?  Is it deemed to be casual water?

[Carl Rogers]

20 minutes of drizzle derailed the difficulty of the course? Not hours of steady rain, like we saw at Oak Hill, not even 20 minute of torrential rain that filled up the barranca, but drizzle?

What happens if there is a downpour and the barranca has lots of standing water?  Do you have to take an unplayable lie if you are in the water, or lost ball if you can't find it?  Is it deemed to be casual water?

Casual water if not marked .... could get some "creative" drops.

[Alex Miller]

I was at LACC today. The place is PHENOMENAL. It's everything one could want.


It's pretty simple what happened -- the course got hit by drizzle for about 20 mins from 8:40-9. I was sitting at 6. The first few groups had big 5-6 yard thuddy bounces. Guys who landed it on the first 2 yards held the green. 4 yards on and it rocketed over. It was incredible. And then the drizzle happened, and for the rest of the day every shot was sticking or even spinning back. I think they set it up to get 156 guys around, set it up with some tough pins but some gettable ones, and had the firmness dialed in and then they got unlucky with the drizzle which was not forecast. Obviously you don't want to set it up expecting drizzle and then miss on not getting it.

20 minutes of drizzle derailed the difficulty of the course? Not hours of steady rain, like we saw at Oak Hill, not even 20 minute of torrential rain that filled up the barranca, but drizzle?

I'm sorry, there is no way the golf course could have been dialed in if the whole thing went to hell in a hand basket because of 20 minutes of unexpected drizzle.

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

[Ben Hollerbach]

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

The 5 closest weather stations to LACC record a combined 0.00 inches of precipitation over the last 168 hours! How then could the drizzle really change anything that wasn't already there? If the balance of scoring on the course is so fragile that less water than would come out of a greenside sprinkler can make the course go from challenging and competitive to tame and scorable, the setup was flawed from the start.

[Alex Miller]

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

The 5 closest weather stations to LACC record a combined 0.00 inches of precipitation over the last 168 hours! How then could the drizzle really change anything that wasn't already there? If the balance of scoring on the course is so fragile that less water than would come out of a greenside sprinkler can make the course go from challenging and competitive to tame and scorable, the setup was flawed from the start.

No one is attempting to lie to you... We have first hand accounts plus you could see it on the broadcast and could see the course change. Meanwhile this morning it did not drizzle and scores are not as low.

[Ben Hollerbach]

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

The 5 closest weather stations to LACC record a combined 0.00 inches of precipitation over the last 168 hours! How then could the drizzle really change anything that wasn't already there? If the balance of scoring on the course is so fragile that less water than would come out of a greenside sprinkler can make the course go from challenging and competitive to tame and scorable, the setup was flawed from the start.

No one is attempting to lie to you... We have first hand accounts plus you could see it on the broadcast and could see the course change. Meanwhile this morning it did not drizzle and scores are not as low.

This feels like a golden example of correlation does not imply causation.

[Alex Miller]

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

The 5 closest weather stations to LACC record a combined 0.00 inches of precipitation over the last 168 hours! How then could the drizzle really change anything that wasn't already there? If the balance of scoring on the course is so fragile that less water than would come out of a greenside sprinkler can make the course go from challenging and competitive to tame and scorable, the setup was flawed from the start.

No one is attempting to lie to you... We have first hand accounts plus you could see it on the broadcast and could see the course change. Meanwhile this morning it did not drizzle and scores are not as low.

This feels like a golden example of correlation does not imply causation.

Read Adam's post. The course got softer after the first 90 min of play. Would love to hear a more likely cause.

[Craig Sweet]

Alex...Maybe the ground thawed out?   

[Tim Martin]

https://t.em.golfdigest.com/r/?id=hc288af64,7660678,76ab88a&e=dXVpZD0yZWI4Njc0YjYwMTI0NmFjYjJjMDY1MTQ0MmI0N2YwMQ&s=s1xt0R5Tfwua9btaJDFJzz-jNuuKKRTlDL2TQDVX7cM

No shortage of opinions on the golf course/setup.

[Charlie Goerges]

https://t.em.golfdigest.com/r/?id=hc288af64,7660678,76ab88a&e=dXVpZD0yZWI4Njc0YjYwMTI0NmFjYjJjMDY1MTQ0MmI0N2YwMQ&s=s1xt0R5Tfwua9btaJDFJzz-jNuuKKRTlDL2TQDVX7cM

No shortage of opinions on the golf course/setup.

Brooks is keeping it around par, what’s he complaining about?


Maybe he’s mad that so many others aren’t!

[Adam G]

If you don't believe, me, believe Rory:
"I think the overcast conditions yesterday combined with that little bit of rain in the morning, I think the course just never got firm at all. The conditions now, it's a little brighter, sunnier, a little bit of breeze. It's got the potential to get a little firmer and faster over the next couple days, which will make the scores go up a little bit."

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

The 5 closest weather stations to LACC record a combined 0.00 inches of precipitation over the last 168 hours! How then could the drizzle really change anything that wasn't already there? If the balance of scoring on the course is so fragile that less water than would come out of a greenside sprinkler can make the course go from challenging and competitive to tame and scorable, the setup was flawed from the start.

[Ben Hollerbach]

If you don't believe, me, believe Rory:
"I think the overcast conditions yesterday combined with that little bit of rain in the morning, I think the course just never got firm at all. The conditions now, it's a little brighter, sunnier, a little bit of breeze. It's got the potential to get a little firmer and faster over the next couple days, which will make the scores go up a little bit."

Hell in a handbasket? Ok... I do think the USGA has been playing it safe since '04, but the drizzle really did change things. Even though it is gloomy in LA since it is June and coming off a wet/cold winter and spring with El Nino on it's way, there is a high confidence that a drizzle is the most amount of water possible this week. But it clearly changed the course more than they thought, or they just don't care about scoring.

The 5 closest weather stations to LACC record a combined 0.00 inches of precipitation over the last 168 hours! How then could the drizzle really change anything that wasn't already there? If the balance of scoring on the course is so fragile that less water than would come out of a greenside sprinkler can make the course go from challenging and competitive to tame and scorable, the setup was flawed from the start.

I’m not questioning whether or not it drizzled.


 I’m questioning how perfect the setup really is when an minuscule amount of precipitation, a normal weather day for the region, could have potentially impacted the setup in such a significant way.

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[Tim Leahy]

-10.  I feel someone will figure out LACC North, get hot and separate from the field.

3 way tie -10 guess

[Tim Leahy]

With the distance they can stretch those par 4s and 3s, combined with basically being at Sea Level in the thick-ish coastal air...

I could see even par winning if they decided to keep most holes tipped out all 4 rounds.

Wasn't Erin Hills the longest course the US Open has been played on...also ended up being the lowest score to par at -16.


Went to the Pac-12's where Homa shot 61.  Don't think we'll see a new course record but I'm in the double digit under par group at -10.

3 way tie for best guess

[Tim Leahy]

Having spent a few days on site now, I think -10 wins it. The course is firming up nicely.

3 way tie for best guess, but I bet nobody picked the winner.