Billy Horschel Apologizes For His U.S. Open Antics

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Still a big post-U.S. Open topic of conversation was Billy Horschel's on-course antics even as he was torching the place with a strong final round.

While Horschel calmed down to make some more eloquent post-round comments about the U.S. Open greens, most took notice of his on-course boiling over.

At the Travelers Championship, Horschel apologized and also revealed that he had a long chat with Mike Davis to explain his views.

ESPN.com's Jason Sobel reports.

"We talked about my comments; he totally understood them," Horschel said of the conversation. "He admitted that the greens weren't what they wanted and he was sorry for that. He knew the greens were at a level that the USGA wasn't happy with and said that if they ever go back there, they know what to do."

Their conversation lasted "about 15-20 minutes" and never got contentious. In fact, Horschel suggested that it was just the opposite, two men having a respectful discussion with each understanding the other's viewpoint a little better afterward.

Here's the viewpoint: Mike thought Billy acted like a jerk, Billy thought the greens stunk. All better now!

Shark To Gary Player: I'll Take That Lie Detector Test

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In the wake of Gary Player's anti-Chambers Bay, anti-USGA golf ball rant last Saturday in which he inferred that the Fox announcers touting the course couldn't pass a lie detector test, The Great White Shark has finally seen the Player comments (quick on the hip take our Shark is) and he says he'd be happy to take a lie detector test.

Great to know Norman is a big fan of Robert Trent Jones' work, even if he thinks it's heather-light.

The rebuttal Tweet...about four days too late:

538: Jordan Spieth Has A 1% Chance Of Winning Grand Slam

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Neil Paine at fivethirtyeight.com has studied the numbers behind Jordan Spieth becoming just the fourth since 1958 to win the first two majors and only the 13th time to win back-to-back majors.

Using that and some other numbers, Payne concludes Spieth's chances are not great.

No matter how you cut it, the odds of Spieth finishing off the Grand Slam are still fairly low — about 1 percent, if the probabilities above are any kind of guide.

Especially if he insists on rolling in Monday afternoon.

Jordan Spieth, The 18th Hole And His Sense Of History

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Jordan Spieth's shot for the ages at Chambers Bay's par-5(!) 18th hole might have been underappreciated a bit in light of Dustin Johnson's three-putt just moments later. Standing behind the shot and not having seen the coverage until this Fox highlight package at the :50 second mark, it's striking (A) how good the shot was, (B) how close it came to being an albatross, (C) how good the sound was in hearing him beg for the right bounce and (C) how mind-numblingly atrocious the announcing was for such a historic moment.  I know Jason Day was (heartbreakingly?) out of it at this point, but sheesh Shark!

Brian Wacker at PGATour.com wrote about Spieth's win and covered many facets, including the 280-yard three-wood:

“I hit it right on the middle of the face and I looked up and it was bleeding right, I just asked for the wind to hold it up just a little bit,” Spieth said. “And it looked like it did, just on the last second it stayed out of going in that bunker and instead found the rebound and stayed up on the top ledge. In midair I was going to be pleased anywhere on the green. And then with the roar I knew it stayed on the top ledge. I'm sitting there thinking, how in the world did it stay up, but I guess it was just my day.”

And his week.

Where the ball landed on the green was the same spot that he’d hit it during a practice round with his coach Cameron McCormick and caddie Michael Greller, who had the experience of about 40 loops around Chambers Bay during summers when he was a sixth grade math and sciende teacher at nearby Narrows View Intermediate School before circuitously landing on Spieth’s bag at the start of his career.

The highlight of his post round press conference, no doubt, was the talk of St. Andrews and the appreciation of history Spieth has on his side.

Doug Ferguson covered this angle.

Spieth was a freshman at Texas when he first went to St. Andrews with the rest of the Walker Cup team. They played the Old Course, soaked up the vibe at the home of golf and then headed north for their matches at Royal Aberdeen.

“It’s one of my favorite places in the world,” Spieth said Sunday evening. “I remember walking around the R&A clubhouse and seeing paintings of royalty playing golf, and it was dated 14-whatever. I’m thinking, our country was discovered in 1492 and they were playing golf here before anyone even knew the Americas existed.”

That was only four years ago, when not many outside golf circles knew Spieth. He’ll get more attention next time he arrives at St. Andrews.

With his appreciation on record or for that matter, the mere image of Spieth looking at R&A clubhouse paintings and appreciating how long the game had been played at St. Andrews, he'll have Fleet Street on his side as the quest for a Grand Slam gets going.

James Corrigan in the Telegraph notes the making of a perfect setup.

The scene is set up perfectly. Spieth and McIlroy hold the four majors between them going into the event and that has not happened since 1972 with Jack ­Nicklaus and Lee Trevino. On that occasion, Trevino denied Nicklaus the treble by a shot. Spieth is determined to avoid the same fate.

Kevin Garside in the Independent:

He could not have imagined then as a 17-year-old boy that he would return as a history-maker at the centre of what might yet be the greatest golfing story ever told. Even Rory McIlroy is starting to look passé at 26. Woods, who’s he?