CG Editor
Chambers Bay has taken a beating this week. The good news is, it’s still not the ugliest duckling in the pond.
That honor, it would seem from the response of Cascade Golfer readers and others around the country, has been bestowed on Fox Sports, which has seemingly handled its first-ever golf broadcast about as well as Sergio Garcia handled Chambers’ slick greens.
The reality is, the two storylines are likely connected – Fox’s struggles to show and explain the action on the course, and the general public’s failure to understand the unique intricacies of Chambers Bay, almost certainly go hand-in-hand. We’ve heard plenty of criticism from Greg Norman of Chambers’ putting surfaces, but how about a close-up showing exactly how the “broccoli,” as Henrik Stenson calls it, is affecting the putts? The Golf Channel had just that kind of shot this morning, and guess what it showed? Just as many putts being kicked in by broccoli as being kicked out. That’s the kind of detailed reinforcement of opinion that the flagship broadcaster should be showing.
There have also been the requisite technical glitches – the lack of an on-screen leaderboard on Thursday, for example, and cameras and audio that have cut out from time to time. Those are at least forgivable. Less forgivable from golf fans are comments like Curt Menifee’s about a player hitting a “chip shot” from a bunker, or the fact that the first 25 minutes of today’s broadcast featured all of two actual golf shots. Those kinds of mistakes imply a lack of understanding about the game of golf, or what golf fans want to see.
Shots from the blimp made the course look worse than it does in person (truthfully, I’ve always thought the view looking across Chambers to the water was better than the view looking across the water to Chambers anyway), while the drone, which was a good idea, hasn’t been unleashed to its full potential (local restrictions won’t allow it to fly over the spectators, thus limiting it to just shots from over the Sound), and is thus all but useless.
It’s a pretty simple formula, really. Cut as quickly as possible from shot to shot, and let us know who we’re looking at, their score, and the specific hole and shot info, with yardages to the pin, if possible. If there’s something unique about the shot – a poor lie, a bad angle, a shifty wind, etc., have an on-course reporter who can highlight that issue and how it might affect the shot.
We don’t need to see Curt Menifee every few minutes. Truthfully, we don’t even need to see Greg Norman all that much – off-camera comments highlighting the action we’re looking at are just fine. I understand that putting has been an issue, but it would be nice to see more drives and, especially, more approach shots.
There are some aspects of the Fox broadcast that I’ve actually enjoyed – while I hated the old puck tracer on Fox hockey broadcasts, I love it for golf, where the ball is even harder to see (heck, having tried and failed to track hundreds of shots live and in person this week, I’d be in favor of an actual glowing tail on the ball),
I also thought the technology that shades the greens was cool. In the harsh light of the afternoon, surfaces tend to look flatter; the digital shading showed the mounds that players aer contending with on their putts (though, as noted below, even players themselves are being psyched out by the mounds). And I thought that after the many technical glitches on Thursday, Friday’s broadcast went smoother, albeit with still too much talking, and not enough golf.
Was it perfect? By no means. Should we just write Fox off forever? Only if you’re willing to do the same to Chambers Bay. Neither will come out of this week without any criticism; the hope here is that both can take what criticism is real and constructive, and use it to come back stronger the next time around.
WHAT WE SAW
1. Playoffs? You’re Talking Playoffs?
Oh, yeah, Jim Mora, we’re talking playoffs. At the end of play on Saturday, four players were tied for the lead, including All-American hero (and certainly the best player in the world this year) Jordan Spieth, the zombie body of Jason Day, and the closest thing the Tour has to an Axl Rose circa 1993-level rock star. Oh, and Branden Grace. It’s the first time since 1973 at Oakmont that four players have been tied after 54 holes of a U.S. Open, and that one only featured one of the most incredible single-day performances in golf history, Johnny Miller’s legendary 63 to win the tournament by one stroke. Who knows what we’ll see on Sunday – I just know that it’s going to be epic. And I hope it never ends.
2. Moving Day
Saturday is Moving Day at the U.S. Open, when players make their surge up the scoreboard to set themselves up to contend on Sunday. A second-straight day of clear, hot conditions, though, meant that the only direction anyone was moving was backwards. Only six of the 75 players in the field posted scores under par on Saturday, with Louis Oosthuizen’s second-straight 66 (more on that below) pacing the way. It will be interesting to see how the USGA sets the course up on Sunday. One of the primary responses they’ve had to the criticism of the course is that, through the first two days, plenty of players were posting good numbers – in fact, there were more players under par through two rounds than at any Open since 2003. I doubt they’ll want to leave the impression that the winner “backed” into the title, simply by being the least bad on Sunday, so we may see some easier pin positions and shorter tees than might otherwise be expected for Sunday at a major, presenting more opportunities for birdie, or even eagle. It should be fun.
3. Outstanding Oosty
On Thursday, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen was part of one of the worst groups in major championships history – a trio of Oosty, Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler that combined to shoot an atrocious 28 over par. While Tiger and Rickie were the worst offenders, Oosty wasn’t free of blame himself, countering two birdies with seven bogies or worse to fire a seven-over 77. After bogeying his first two holes on Friday, Oosty was tied for 150th in a field of 156 golfers; he admitted today that even he thought he was done. With Tiger and Fowler continuing to implode around him on Friday, Oosty gutted out a second-round 66 to make the cut, then backed it up with another 66 on Saturday to surge to 1-under-par, just three strokes back of the quartet of leaders at -4. So how’d he do it? Well, for one, he stopped making big numbers. Over the last two rounds, Oosty has posted just four bogies or worse – the same number he had in his first 11 holes on Thursday. In his post-round interview, Oosty noted that he started paying much more attention to the slopes of the greens, and picking and choosing the exact spots to attack on each green, given the pin placement and green conditions. It’s refreshing to hear a player who, rather than complain, figured out how to adjust his game to fit the course. If Oosty goes on to win on Sunday, it will be a victory for Mike Davis, the USGA, and everyone who believes that players should be listening to what the course is saying, rather than trying to dictate their own terms.
4. Not Just Another Day
The most dramatic moment of Friday’s round was when Jason Day collapsed on the green at the ninth hole, which was scheduled to be his last of the day. After staying down for approximately 10 minutes, he managed to finish, and reports indicated a mixture of vertigo and dehydration being the cause. It wasn’t confirmed that Day would attempt to play his third round until late Saturday morning, and reporters watching him on the range noticed that his motion looked limited. Shortly after missing a putt early in the round, he snapped his head sideways, then immediately put his hands to his head as if in pain. It looked bad. But then, suddenly, it didn’t. After playing the front nine two over, Day sandwiched birdies at 10 and 12 around a bogey at 11, then birdied three of his last four holes to finish at -4, at the time just behind the leaders. By the end of the day, Day was atop the leaderboard with Spieth, Johnson and Grace, and will be in the final group Sunday with Dustin Johnson. So, how difficult was it out there for Day? His caddy said after the round that Day considered withdrawing three times on the back nine alone. Those who say there are no birdies to be made out here – a half-dead Day made five in his final nine holes. It takes guts to win at Chambers Bay, and Jason Day has guts aplenty.
5. Quiet, Please
One of the cooler technological gizmos at this year’s U.S. Open are earpieces that spectators can purchase which broadcast the Sirius XM radio feed of the U.S. Open. With action going on all over the course, the earpiece is a great way to keep track of the big picture, and makes it easy to figure out where the best players are at all times. The only drawback is that, with someone talking in your ear the whole time, it gives the impression that it’s OK for you to talk, too. You simply don’t notice how quiet everyone is being until you shut the earpiece off. At one point today, I happened to be standing next to a group of fans on a hillside above the 12th green as Jordan Spieth lined up an eagle putt. The fans continued chatting long after everyone had hushed, oblivious to the action. Finally, Spieth’s caddy (and sure-fire Home Teamer) Michael Greller had to motion to the fans to be quiet, giving them a long, hard stare from behind his polarized lenses. They admitted that with the radio chatter in their ears, they hadn’t been paying attention. Of course, in a moment worthy of Inception, the Sirius XM broadcasters noted “a disturbance on the hillside” – a disturbance being caused by fans listening to Sirius XM. We keep our radios tuned to the lowest audible volume; we don’t cause “disturbances” and also can hear the chatter between players and caddies, which is far cooler than radio anyway.
6. Don’t Blame Us
Speaking of Sirius XM, at one point, on the ninth green, Dustin Johnson repeatedly backed away from his putt, gesturing at something in his field of vision. Sirius XM broadcasters were quick to point out that many fans here are probably attending their first professional golf tournament, and just don’t know how to act. It turned out it wasn’t a fan at all; it was a bug. Johnson’s caddy swatted it with his towel, and DJ made the putt. No apology to Northwest golf fans was made, of course.
7. Shell Shock
Over the last three days, we’ve watched as, time and time again, players have read too much break into their putts, or tried crazy putts up slopes when a more direct path to the pin would have sufficed. It looks to me like the slopes at Chambers Bay have simply gotten into their heads (or, possibly, their caddies’). Players have seen, read and heard about the wild mounds at Chambers, and are seeing ghosts where there aren’t any. The reality is that the mounding at Chambers Bay mostly affects the approach shot – you can’t go straight at pins, and instead need to land long irons short and run them back, or use the slopes around the green to funnel your ball toward the hole. The greens, by comparison, almost always roll straighter than they look, especially given the speed they’re playing at this week. Patrick Reed faced a relatively straightforward putt on the 18th green on Friday, needing simply to run it up over the ridge and stop it by the hole – and there was ample run-out above the ridge to do so. Instead, he tried putting it up the slope behind the ridge and letting it fall back to the hole, then complained afterwards in interviews about the angle he was “forced” to take. Sometimes, the easiest path really is the easiest, guys. Don’t make it harder than it already is.
8. DJ Defies The Numbers
Dustin Johnson hit 12 of 14 fairways today. The only two he didn’t hit? He drove the greens. Johnson has also flipped the golf course on its head, scoring low on the hardest holes and struggling on the statistically easier ones. DJ has played The Monster Mile, holes 4-7, at a stunning 7-under par this week — more than double the best of any other player. Meanwhile, he’s played the rest of the course 3-over. It’d an odd stat, but it may have a simple explanation — The Monster Mile is so named because of its length, with four par-4s playing over 500 yards each, and a total length that adds up to a little more than a mile. For most players, that means sending long irons into tough greens. Johnson hits the ball so far, though, that he can attack the greens with wedges and short irons, giving him much better chances to score. On holes where pure length isn’t as important, though (including all four par-3s), the impact of those long bombs is lessened.
9. No Es Bueno
We finally made it up to the 12th green for the first time all week. Forgive us – it’s a long walk, and until Friday, the only viewing was from a crowded and almost inaccessible grandstand. Yesterday, though, the USGA opened up the hillside just short of the green on the right-hand side, with room for about 100 spectators or so. We were immediately rewarded, as the drives of Sergio Garcia and Morgan Hoffman soared right at us, Hoffman’s landing on the slope about six feet in front of our position (we actually climbed out onto the slope and helped the USGA official locate the ball), and Garcia’s clearing the road and landing on the other side of a fence the USGA built to route traffic. As fans clustered in, Garcia considered his options, including dropping on the road, or on the west side, closer to the slope. There were a few lighthearted moments as Garcia couldn’t find a place to drop his ball where it would sit still; the crowd chuckled as Hoffman, who couldn’t get Garcia’s attention, finally just decided to go ahead and hit. Eventually, it was all settled and both players wound up making an impressive pars. The lighthearted nature of the scene was a good reminder that everyone has a gentle side – even Sergio, who is often a player fans seem to love to hate. The pars, meanwhile, were a reminder that these guys are really, really good.
10. It’s Not The Rake’s Fault
Odd moment on the sixth green that was witnessed by CG publisher Dick Stephens. Henrik Stenson played out of the bunker just right of the green, which his caddy then moved in to rake as Stenson went to putt. When Stenson missed the short putt – gesturing at the green, as so many players have taken to doing to absolve themselves of any responsibility for their misses – Stenson’s caddy let out a cry of frustration and hurled the rake across the bunker, halfway up the hillside. A USGA official on-site said that only players or their caddies are allowed to handle the rakes; they couldn’t climb up and get it. Thus, it remained on the hillside, a monument to a moment of monumental stupidity.
11. Choo Choo
Perhaps the funniest moment of the day came at the 17th green, where Joost Luiten was lining up a long par putt as a passenger train sped by. Just as he stood over the putt again, a freight train rolled through, and Luiten backed off, walking around the green again and doing whatever he could to kill time while waiting for the train to pass. But it just … couldn’t’ … quit. Finally, Luiten simply threw up his arms in frustration and gestured uselessly at the train. When the last car finally cleared the green, the estimated 2,000 fans let out a loud cheer – whether because they were happy for Luiten, or just wanted him to get on with it, it was impossible to tell. He took the blade back, struck the ball, and as it rolled towards the hole, a fan shouted out, “Choo choo!” to loud laughter from everyone on the scene. Luiten was then serenaded with “choo choos” the whole way to the 18th tee. Oh, and after all that waiting, he missed the putt, of course.
12. The Strangest Player
Lastly, we can’t let you go today without addressing the comments this morning by Gary Player. Pretty odd, right? The South African legend came out vehemently against Chambers Bay on The Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” program, calling it “the worst golf course I have ever seen.” He also lamented how much water it must take to maintain it (obviously ignorant to the fact that, as a fescue course, it actually requires far less water than a traditional parkland track) and while saying pace of play is important, noted that a 16-handicapper would shoot “40 over par” – presumably from the tips, which wouldn’t make any sense for a 16-handicapper to play anyway, if pace of play were a concern. Honestly, I didn’t get it. Some folks aren’t going to like the course, fine. But to call it the worst golf course you’ve ever seen? Why? It’s obviously not true – unless Player has lived such a sheltered life these last 63 years in professional golf that he doesn’t remember what a more typical muni looks like – so what’s the point of making such a definitive statement? It made me wonder what Player’s angle was – what’s he trying to achieve with that statement? Combined with the just obvious mis-statements about watering and understanding of the tees a mid-handicapper would play, it was so ignorant and over-the-top that it just can’t be taken seriously, like when your grandpa tells you that Obama is secretly working with Al Qaeda, or that the Mariners would be better off just taking a season off, firing everyone, and starting over as an expansion team. OK, maybe that last one isn’t so nuts.
DICK’S PICKS – Leading Men, Heroes and Legends in the making
By Dick Stephens, CG Publisher
What a great day on the links. I’ve covered many a cool golf and sporting event over 25 years. Today ranks among the best I’ve ever had and I truly enjoyed working the holes with my pard, editor Brian Beaky. The USGA does an amazing job of taking care of media and writers and the media viewing areas on the holes, which are very close to the action and allow us to give such keen insight and read the situations – and the players. While hundreds of writers stay in the Media Center, Brian and I crisscross the course and post, Tweet and make notes for our coverage all day long. It’s our way. It’s old school. It “is” Cascade Golfer.
I am pleased to say that four of my five players to watch today are very much still in the hunt going into tomorrow. However, Utah’s Tony Finau slipped. He’s not out by a long shot, but his 74 today (+1) will make his bid to take the trophy a hard one. J.B. Holmes, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and hero-of-the-day Jason Day all are locked in a peloton in the race for the Open.
It does me great honor to offer you these players to watch for your consideration over your Father’s Day coffee for the final round of the United States Open at Chambers Bay.
THE PROTAGONIST: JASON DAY
How can you not love this guy? Aussies are tough dudes and Day came into the third round unclear of his abilities and expectations – no pun intended. Then, with visible battles with the vertigo he struggles with, he went on a tear with four birds in seven holes – three in the closing four holes. His birdie on 18 was accompanied by a thunderous roar, and with his wife emotionally awaiting his return home. The Puget Sounders are behind Day. His 250-yard 5-iron on the par 3 15th, huge 25-foot putt on the sixth and nulling out his errant tee ball on 18 showed his resolve. Every time he knelt down to grab his ball from the cup he was doing it gingerly – almost like if he dipped his head, the vertigo would exacerbate. He fought all day. I like his chances, but can he hold for one more day?
THE LEADING MAN: DUSTIN JOHNSON
Having spent the whole day on course, you can tell where D.J. is because the crowds thunder when he drains a birdie or uncorks a drive. And, as he walks calmly from spot to spot, the patrons nudge him on. I watched him in many spots today, but he showed what a great touch he has on No. 6. He had a 20-footer on the 515-yard par 4 and drained an unexpected birdie, solidifying his surge after going bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie on holes 2-5. The sixth lit a new fire and he hung tough until the 13th, where he doubled. His deft touch and sand play is keeping this bomber in the hunt. He’s one-putting a lot and only has 90 putts through three rounds. His fairways hit percentage of 81 percent is amazing, since he hits the ball 20 yards further than the field. I’d be lying if I said he’s a tough one to bet on given his inability to hold leads in previous majors. He SHOULD win this tournament. A double bogey anywhere might kill his chance, since the leaders are so tightly packed. Remember Pebble Beach and Whistling Straits? I hope he pulls through.
THE WIZARD: LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN
Louis (easier to write than Oosthuizen) was great. Louis the Great turned in one the best round trips of the day with a 4-under 66 and was nearly flawless, only slipping with one bogey on the 530-yard 13th. I heard the gallery singing “Louie Louie” for the South African – fitting since the Kingsmen are from the Northwest – on the sixth hole, off in the distance. Louis is showing the crafty play that earned him a seat in first class for tomorrow’s final flight. But everyone counted him out early on. “Being 9-over through 20 holes, it looked like I would have been back (home) in Florida (having missed the cut),” Oosthuizen said in the press area. “I didn’t give myself much chance.” But with back-to-back 66s – the best ever “middle 36” in U.S. Open history – he’s showing the steely nerves that won him the Claret Jug in the 2010 Open Championship at The Old Course. Why do I bring that up? Because he’s playing Chambers Bay, which is most often compared to The Old Course. Rather than flopping lofty wedges and trying to hold the greens and fairways, he’s running his shots and playing the hills and bumps like a master. If pressed, I wouldn’t have trouble betting on him to win. He’s also not afraid of the broccoli-pocked greens where he’s putting firmly. A win here would make his British Open odds quite popular with London bookmaker Ladbrokes. Another reason I like Louis? His grungy beard and that he speaks Afrikaans to his caddie. That’s the level.
UNLIKELY HERO: BRANDEN GRACE
With rounds of 69-67-70 (206), Amazing Grace has South Africans cheering with two countrymen (Oosthuizen) in the hunt. Grace, however, gets to sleep on the lead Saturday night, meaning his confidence is soaring. He seems to compartmentalize his bogeys in ranges where no birdies separate the bad marks. He needs birdies the same way Sunday as he’s paired with Spieth, who thrives on a partner’s bad play – he seems to distance himself, using bogey play as fuel for the fire. Grace is not exceptional in any one category – 96 putts and hits the field average off the tee. But, he’s like a good decathlete — he hovers around the top in many categories. What he’s doing is scoring on the harder holes. His birdies on 5, 8 and 15 today were huge in keeping him in the hunt. His chances are tougher, for sure, being with Jordy tomorrow. But with two South Africans in the hunt, Gary Player should chill a little. Perhaps he should lay a bit lower and see his young protégés continue to play like mechanics. South Africa is looking great.
SUPERMAN: JORDAN SPEITH
The 21-year-old and his caddie, Michael Greller, who learned his craft right here in University Place as a looper on Chambers Bay, are so freaking poised to start the 2015 “major” season in perfect order with a win tomorrow. That would sit nicely with his green jacket. He looked like Clark Kent when Lex Luther stole his powers in Superman II there for a while today, stumbling hugely with five bogies in eight holes — one of the roughest patches of the Open. But in the twilight, he played holes 12-18 1-under and glided home in a four-way tie for the lead. He only has hit 26 of 42 fairways – yikes – and he’s only hit 40 out of 54 grees. So, how does he have a share of the lead? He has just 91 putts through three rounds – well below the field average – with 1.69 putts per hole. That’s Michael Greller, I think. He’s reading, rolling and holing putts – not bitching about broccoli, like Ian Poulter. If Spieth, who should be leading the field by three of four, catches fire, he will run away with this. When he’s on fire, he’s a chipping machine, like he was on the par-5 8th. At Augusta he kept putting the ball within 4-5 feet all day. BUT, his driver must be better tomorrow. If he replicates his performance Saturday, he won’t hoist the U.S. Open trophy on Sunday.
KEEP AN EYE ON FOR THESE GUYS SUNDAY: Cameron Smith, Brandt Snedeker, J.B. Holmes and Shane Lowry.
Happy Father’s Day to all of you. Frankly, I can’t stop thinking about my dad, and all the U.S. Opens I watched with him. I feel his presence out here while I watch and write – as I know Brian Beaky thinks of his Dad, too. Tomorrow I will bring my daughter, Lily, with me to do my work, allowing me to go 3-for-3 as I have had my two sons, Simon and Fletcher, with me on previous days this week. It’s been a special week, for sure, losing my Dad and making memories with my kids here to keep me sane. I hope you have great time enjoying the Open tomorrow. TAKE IT EASY.