First U.S. Open Question: Would Wider And Firmer Have Been Better?

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I've just hit the send button on 1100 words of course setup talk for Golf World and plan to actually eat some food, but after reading the initial reactions to Sunday, it seems a golf course topic is required. While I don't usually like to lean on stats, the numbers were eye opening this year. I'll save the really surprising stuff for my story so that the context isn't skewed, but as I noted in Golf World Monday, players hit 12% fewer fairways this year than in 1998 when Tom Meeks was painting fairway lines. And he wasn't exactly known for his generosity off the tee!

I also really enjoyed reading your kneejerk reactions and it seems that television did a good job conveying the often arbitrary nature of the landing zones.

So the first question is, would wider have made it better U.S. Open? Keep in mind this would have meant more drivers and mostly wedges into par-4s because of how firm the course got (as expected). But also remember that a lot of water was applied to the course to keep the fairways as playable, gulp, they were.

Here's what the USGA's Mike Davis said to this same general question when I asked him Sunday:


I think that if we had let the fairways get real firm then they could have been 50% wider and they would have played more narrow than these have played.

 

Steiny Lands Another Ride To The Course; Expected To Sign Cantlay

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Rex Hoggard with the news of UCLA's Patrick Cantlay turning pro and signing with agent Mark Steinberg who can now bum a ride off the young lad until January 25th, 2013.

Cantlay wasn't confirming after the round.

Despite Cantlay’s denial, sources say he plans to sign with Tiger Woods’ manager Mark Steinberg with Excel Sports Management. GolfChannel.com ask Steinberg about his relationship with Cantlay Sunday at Olympic and he declined to comment.

With dramatic changes to the PGA Tour’s Q-School and Nationwide Tour system looming it’s likely that many underclassman will bolt school early, but Cantlay’s longtime swing coach Jamie Mulligan warned that no decision has been made.

Kneejerk Reactions: 2012 U.S. Open Won By Webb Simpson

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I'll be writing my feature story for Golf World but feel free to share any thoughts on the winner, the course, the finish, NBC, the state of the Euro, etc...

For what it's worth, my kneejerk reaction with the usual emphasis on jerk: Olympic Club shined but was underserved by a mixed bag setup that featured some of the usual great Mike Davis/Tom O'Toole moves (16 tee Sunday) and severely hampered by fairway contours that led to just too much plodding, defensive golf. That in no way is meant to take away from Webb Simpson or the fantastic presentation of Olympic by Pat Finlen and crew. But it was a very Meeks-like setup and I'm not wild about the kind of golf where the player who backs up least wins.

Video: John Peterson's 13th Hole Ace

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From GolfChannel.com and NBC:

Peterson finished with 72, leaving him at 213 (+3) and paired with Retief Goosen at 2:10 Sunday.

2012 U.S. Open Third Round This, That And Open Comment Thread

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A warm, glorious day greets golfers at Olympic Club for the third round of the U.S. Open. With the leaders teeing off at 3:05 they may actually experience still conditions on their back nine as the afternoon sea breeze dies down.

The setup figures to be fun, with a benign-looking (but apparently volatile) hole location on the short par-5 17th, and the 108-yard 15th bound to turn heads. Some are concerned that the front location on No. 8 could get a little goofy, but I watched early play there and the green seemed sufficiently soft to retain moisture by the time the leaders stroll through at 4:30.

The course certainly can't play any tougher than it has the first two days, can it?

Your leaderboard link is here.

NBC comes on the air at 1 p.m. Pacific, as does online Live Video of holes 8 and 18.