Then, the real golf started. And like clockwork, the gripes began.
The greens were too bumpy, the fairways were too firm, the greens were discolored, the course setup was needlessly bothersome (Why have two tees on No. 9? Why change the pars on Nos. 1 and 18? Why do the par-4s have to be so long?), the greens were too fast, the greens this, the greens that. Sergio Garcia’s Twitter post received the most play: “I think a championship of the caliber of @usopengolf deserves better quality green services that (sic) we have this week but maybe I’m wrong!”
Then, the Fox TV broadcast kicked in and all of America chimed in.
“What’s wrong with those greens?”
“You can’t even tell where the fairway ends and the green begins!”
“Does anyone water that course?”
“That groundskeeper should be fired.”
Etc., etc., etc. Even my own personal social media feeds weren’t immune, with friends and family reaching out to find out just why the golf course looked so “bad.”
Ugh. The reality is that Chambers Bay represents a game change in golf course design, a throwback to an era before golf courses were all built in private communities, with lustrous green grass and bright-colored flowers from wall-to-wall. Fescue will never be as green as bermuda. It also will be firmer than bermuda, and less consistent in color. None of those facts, though, make it any less playable as a golf course surface. I’ve been fortunate enough to play Chambers Bay a dozen times. It’s nothing like any golf course I played growing up, or just about any other in the United States. But rather than blast it for its differences, I choose to embrace them, and welcome the challenge that it presents to me, as a golfer, to adjust my game to fit the design and architecture of the course.
Now, there have been days when I have struggled at Chambers Bay, and on those days, I am sure that I’ve cursed the grassy slopes, the oversized greens, the endless expanse of sand. And I think there’s an element of that in play at Chambers this week. Some players came in questioning Chambers Bay; many of them currently find themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard, and are some of the most vocal about the course’s supposed issues. Conversely, players at the top of the leaderboard have had little but good things to say about the course.
“I really like the golf course. I think it’s great,” said Dustin Johnson, following a first-round 65. “Obviously this is a beautiful golf course, great views, looking out on the water and stuff, it’s a beautiful place. Last year was kind of similar at Pinehurst. It was fast and brown and I really like that. It was fun out there today.”
It’s all about attitude. Johnson came in with a positive attitude, and excelled. So did Phil, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and a number of other players near the top of the leaderboard. And the fact is, the scores back up the belief that Chambers Bay isn’t “too hard,” “impossible to putt on” or in any way limiting the world’s best golfers from playing their best. Thursday’s first round was the lowest-scoring opening round at a U.S. Open since 2003, while the 25 players who finished under par were the most in an opening round since 1992 at Pebble Beach. Players came back to the pack a bit in hot, dry conditions on Friday, but there were still 16 players under par at round’s end, with the leaders, Spieth and Patrick Reed, at 5-under. It seems a lot of golfers have Chambers Bay figured out.
So the next time one of your friends calls you to ask, “What’s wrong with Chambers Bay?” just tell them there’s nothing wrong, point at the leaderboard, put on your best Rick Neuheisel face and say, “Scoreboard, baby.”
WHAT WE SAW
1. Who Are These Guys?
There was a common thought going into the tournament that Chambers Bay would be a stiff test that would separate the world’s best players from the regular riff-raff. Two days in, though, the riff-raff rule the leaderboard, with Spieth, Johnson, Stenson, Day, Kuchar, Scott, Snedeker and Dufner the only names in the top-25 that more that five out of 10 casual golf fans (that is, those who only watch majors) might recognize. So, what’s going on? I have a theory, that ties in to what I wrote in today’s feature. Many of the star players are trying to dictate their style of play on the course, and it’s not working – they’ve been so successful for so long doing what they do, and they don’t understand why they can’t simply do that here. The players farther down the World Rankings, though, might be a little more humble, a little more willing to adapt their game, play within themselves, take conservative lines when necessary, and not try to do too much. If Chambers Bay is a symphony, those players are the ones taking the time to read the music on the page, and play the right notes.
2. What a “Day”
The three most memorable moments of Friday’s round all involved Aussie Jason Day. The first came at No. 1 (playing as a par-5 today), where Day’s second found the bunker, before his third rolled out past the cup, over the lip and down to the 18th fairway, coming to rest 60-plus yards from the hole. With just seven feet of green between the ledge and the pin, it seemed impossible that Day could leave his pitch shot close; instead of a potential eagle, had his second stayed out of the bunker, bogey was now looking most likely. Day, though, had other ideas. He took his wedge and one-hopped it into the cup, earning a huge roar from the assembled gallery as he jumped up with his arms in the air. Day was feted by the crowd all the way to the cup, where he pulled out the ball and chucked it up into the grandstand. A marshal had to finally ask the crowd to quiet down, or they might still be buzzing.
The second moment came on the ninth green, where Day fell suddenly while walking down a sideslope from the pathway to the green, right in front of the gallery. As playing partner Jordan Spieth shooed away photographers, medics worked with Day for several minutes, before he finally staggered to his feet. With help, he was able to walk down to the bunker to hit his shot, though he was visibly wobbly, and even went to one knee at one point. Spieth and Justin Rose let Day putt out of order so that he could receive medical attention. In all, Day was down for probably 10 minutes, during which no one at No. 9 – including Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler, high on the tee above, had any idea what was going on. It sounds like it was just a case of dehydration and vertigo, but it was certainly scary for the fans at No. 9, and no doubt for the players as well.
By comparison, practically no one witnessed the last of the three Jason Day moments. For the second-straight day, Jordan Spieth’s approach shot hit Jason Day’s ball, this time on the No. 6 green. The sixth is tucked among the dunes, where no gallery or grandstands can fit (the sixth green grandstand is, in reality, about 30 yards shy of the green). As such, when Day reached the green, the only people he could turn to for help positioning his ball were the small group of media assembled on the hillside above the green. He asked where it should be, and I was the only one who answered, telling him it should be about four inches back towards Jordan’s ball, prompting Spieth to chime in, “Don’t you mean that it was just behind my ball?” It was cool. Don’t let anyone tell you that CG had no impact on this major.
3. Cut Craziness
Only he top-60 players (and ties) make the cut, so one of the most intriguing aspects to Friday’s round at any major is watching the cut line move throughout the day. Friday was no exception , as the cut started at +2, then inched up throughout the day, settling in at +4 late in the day. Or did it? Long after most players had left the course, the cutline began to inch upward again. At 8:40 p.m., with just three groups still out, there were exactly 60 players at +4 or better, meaning just one more player needed to fall out for all of the tied players at +5 to advance to the weekend – a list including Sergio Garcia, Angel Cabrera, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter, Webb Simpson, Jimmy Walker and Home Teamer Troy Kelly. With the television broadcast off the air, players and media could only refresh their computer screens as Hardy, a freshman at the University of Illinois, played the last two holes. When he bogeyed No. 9 — as literally the last group on the course — you could practically hear the cheer coming from Kelly’s house just down the coast in Steilacoom. And don’t fret for Hardy — he’s in, too.
4. Boo Birds
Speaking of Sergio, on Thursday, Sergio Garcia had some pointed comments about the greens at Chambers Bay, stating that they weren’t up to the standard of a U.S. Open. Today, he heard about it from the fans, who scattered some boos into the applause on the first tee box. Sergio learned quickly that we may be the best and most loyal sports fans on the planet, but don’t get on our bad side. They seemed to forgive him by the end of the round, though, giving him a good cheer on 17 despite a bogey.
5. The Home Team
All in all, it was a solid first two days for the Home Team. “Let’s go Greller!” was almost as common as “Let’s go Jordan” as Spieth and caddy Michael Greller walked the course, highlighting how the home fans have fallen in love with Greller’s teacher-turned-caddy fairy tale. At 5-under, they’re in great shape. Meanwhile, things looked bleak for UW’s Cheng-Tsung Pan after he triple-bogied the par-4 10th hole to drop back to plus-4, at the time two shots outside of the cutline. Pan played the last eight holes 1-under, though, while the field fell back as scores climbed in the afternoon, making his 3-over just cut enough to slide into the field for the weekend. The UW grad is playing his first pro tournament this weekend (with UW coach Matt Thurmond on his bag). Ryan Moore struggled at 4-over, to finish plus-9 overall, but received a nice ovation from the crowd at No. 15, where he made birdie. One fan was heard to yell, “Let’s go, Ryan! I play at The Classic!” And hey, he still beat Tiger.
6. Toothless Tiger
It wasn’t a good week for Tiger, but that didn’t prevent fans from following him in droves. Tiger’s gallery was one of the biggest of the week, and fans were vociferous in their support, with nary a catcall to be heard. I spent a fair bit of time following Tiger, certainly more than I would have invested in any other player who finished 154th. The fact is, no matter how bad he’s playing right now, and how much of the shine has come off his star in the last seven years, he’s still Tiger, and this was still our first chance ever to watch him play live. I wanted to see him up close, to watch him swing, and see how he carries himself. I, and I would assume the thousands that followed him all weekend, wanted to be able to tell my kids, “I saw Tiger Woods play golf,” the way our parents spoke about watching Nicklaus, or our grandparents about watching Ruth. (Play baseball, that is. I have no idea if Ruth played golf, though I like to imagine he’d be a lot like John Daly.) And, to his credit, despite hitting nearly every drive onto the hillsides, missing every green and never making a putt, I never saw Tiger lose his temper once. He didn’t look angry; he looked disappointed, dazed, like he’s lost something and doesn’t know how to get it back. But he was always gracious with the fans, acknowledging them on every hole and every time he pulled his ball from the cup, even after his many bogies. In all, he acted like you’d hope any golfer would in the situation. Of course, he’s not just any golfer – he’s Tiger Woods. It’s just that he may never be the same Tiger Woods again.
7. Beware the Monster’s Teeth
The seventh hole was widely considered to be Chambers’ most difficult before the Open, and it’s living up to its reputation. It was murder on the featured group of Spieth, Day and Rose on Friday, with both Spieth and Rose falling short on their approaches. Spieth was able to get his third back up to the surface and two-putt for bogey, but Rose came up short again, this time watching his ball roll back down the slope and into the bunker. By the time he’d escaped the bunker and finished the hole, Rose was putting a triple-bogey seven on his scorecard and dropping all the way back from the top-25, to the cutline. A birdie on No. 8 kept him in the field for the weekend, but he’ll have to play The Monster Mile’s finishing hole better if he wants to contend. Dustin Johnson played The Monster Mile 3-under yesterday and 2-under today; that, as much as anything, is why he’s among the leaders.
8. One Step At A Time
On Thursday, progress around the course was slow and steady, with several logjams of fans and a lot of frustration. It seemed that the USGA heard the feedback and made some adjustments overnight, as there were a few obvious improvements. For one, the entire upper tee at the 17th hole was opened to spectators, which not only allowed hundreds more fans to see the action at the most difficult par-3 on the course (and one of the coolest locations, with the train and water close enough to throw a ball into), but also opened up the pathway behind for easier passage. The USGA also seemed to relax its restrictions on allowing fans to climb hillsides, as there were several fans crowded on the hillside at No. 16, and more at No. 12, to name two notable spots. In addition, with 18 playing as a par-4, the pathway across the 18th tee box was open almost all day long, fixing another trouble spot. There was one unfortunate moment when a group of spectators were penned in between the 1st and 10th tee boxes for 20 minutes, but that was it. And of course, we know none of our readers were in there, since we told you yesterday to avoid that crossing entirely and just walk around. Spread the word.
9. Bag Men
Michael Greller isn’t the only caddy hearing his name called out by the fans at Chambers Bay this week. There’s also been plenty of support for “Bones,” Phil Mickelson’s bag man, and Steve Williams, who came out of retirement to caddy for Adam Scott earlier this year.
DICK’S PICKS
Only the strong survived and new faces replace old ones
By Dick Stephens, CG Publisher
Wow. A day chock full of rises, falls, steadiness, dizziness and disasters. Some drama entered stage left today at Chambers Bay and the world will be watching Saturday to see who can put themselves into contention to make a final run Sunday. Tiger’s continued undoing, Day’s vertigo, D.J.’s wow-like game and a list of names you never heard of ruled the day. I love it and can’t wait to get to the course in the morning to see how this all plays out. And Chambers is a helluva place to sip coffee and watch the sun rise over the bluff.
Here’s five golfers I’ve picked to keep an eye on in and out of the fescue on Saturday.
JORDAN SPIETH — Our co-leader, who gave us the best sound bite thus far with his disdain of the 514-yard, par-4 18th (yesterday a 600+ yard par 5), where he earned a double bogey, clearly stinging his remarkable back nine, where he was headed towards carding a 30. His 67 was one of the better round trips on the day but I think his hubris showed a bit in post-round interviews. His comments reminded me a tad of the Jordy we saw in the final round of the 2014 Masters — a little fiery and upset. I think caddie Michael Greller and his coach will chill the world’s coolest 21-year-old and set him into safe mode Saturday. He’s so good out here that even if he shoots even par, he’s gonna be fine. His perfect approach on the narrow 10th green shows me that he’s the man to beat.
DUSTIN JOHNSON — The hardest hole out here is the 7th. If you want to argue that, please find me on our Facebook page tomorrow during our coverage — I’m happy to rap with ya on this one. D.J. has birdied this uphill, 506-yard, par-4 TWICE in two days. His drives are carrying and cutting sand that RTJ didn’t think was possible. His ability to cut hundreds of yards off the tape measure, paired with a sick ability to drop 60-degree wedges to five feet, is why he stays on top. I love this guy because he’s the Tour’s Mr. Incredible. BUT, and it’s a big but, can he hold on tight and stay there? Johnson has held the second- or third leaderboard slot through two rounds of five different majors dating back to 2010. His undoing is round three and an inability to replicate a fourth round to match his first. I have a gut feeling that he’s drafting off of Jordy and will be in the thick of things Sunday afternoon; he looks focused, not just relaxed.
JASON DAY — I have him on the the top-five list more for the curiosity of his stumble on the No. 9 green than I do for his even-par 70, which put him at 2-under and made him a clear option for a U.S. Open championship. His vertigo, that’s been a ongoing challenge, seemingly got to him, with a scary fall where he was down on the ground for some time. Thankfully, it was his final stop of the day. His round was a battle as he leveled his four bogeys with four birdies. He seems to struggle with the greens’ speed more than his playing partners, leaving some putts a foot or more short. His dizziness will not bode well tomorrow with the added pressure. I love this guy and his powerful swing. Everyone will watch to see if he can steer clear of this issue. The front nine is his friend, for sure — six birdies through the first two rounds. Three birds there again and even on the back could well put him in the last or second-to-last group Sunday.
J.B. HOLMES — A Chambers stud today, carding a 4-under 66. Holmes had seven holes with birdie or better, highlighted by an eagle three on the par-5 eighth. Eagle there is doable for all these guys, but you have to thread the needle twice to do it — most haven’t. His fairway accuracy is the closest thing we have to Robin Hood, hitting 24 of 28, but his greens in regulation are lacking, hitting just 25 of 36. With four bogies he needs to trim back, he could be a brand-name sleeper to watch Saturday. He has an everyman’s quality and is relaxed — his post-round interview is a snapshot of his demeanor. A solid even-par first nine Saturday is needed for him to stay in the hunt. He’s long and confident. If you have a ticket tomorrow, watch him hit driver. He has a radar to go with his bombs.
TONY FINAU — I love a story of a guy that scratches and claws his way onto the world’s stage and Finau fits the bill. A sectional qualifier and a former “Big Break” competitor, Finau is playing in his FIRST major and is only two shots back via a fine opening first two rounds of 69 and 68. Watching and following his round is fun as he only putted 29 times today — AMAZING, since he only hit 13 of 18 greens on Friday. That means Finau is a CLOSER. Coffee is for closers and this is Seattle, coffee capital of the world. With two rounds in red numbers, he seems like a guy that commands and deserves our attention. No one considered this guy. I followed him a bit on Thursday and his athletic physique and bombing drives reminds me a bit of D.J. He needs to stay in red numbers Saturday and there’s nothing that shows he can’t. It would be a great American story if he keeps this up.
More underdogs are in the hunt as the top-20 on the leaderboard is riddled with names you have never heard of. This links course is suited well to young, free-of-baggage players, it seems. It’s not always popular, but the USGA has crafted a stage that is surely appealing to the public golfer and unknown professionals. Perhaps that theme will be a hallmark after this Open is finished.
Thank you all for following our editor Brian Beaky and I online during the day — we’re having so much fun and it’s rewarding to see our readers tuning into our coverage. Enjoy Saturday live from Chambers Bay and TAKE IT EASY.