Posted on 06/15/2006 9:50:05 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Tough rough, fast greens, now wind make for major test
As if brutal rough and lightning-fast greens weren't enough of a challenge, Mother Nature decided to throw her trump card into the mix Thursday at the U.S. Open. A noticeable breeze began to blow at Winged Foot, making an already difficult test that much more wicked.
Monty must feel sick for that double he had on 18. So close yet again.
Must say, I feel good about having been right about Ogilvy. Glad to see an Aussie win a Major again.
HE had zero in the tank!!
As for Monty, a par on 18 and he would have won. A bogey and he would have been in a playoff. But no, he has to double-bogey!
In the end Ogilvy did what neither Mickelson nor Montgomery could: Par the 18th hole!
That was the biggest meltdown since Jean Van De Velde in the British Open in 1999!
Only four sub-par rounds today, and all by players who weren't in contention for winning.
Good for Ferrie: his T6 gets him in to next year's Open, as well as this year's British, and PGA, and next year's Master's. I like his attitude - hopefully he'll break through with a win over here.
Exactly! His caddie should have kicked in the rear and handed him a 3-Wood or a two-iron.
Tin Cup Michelson? :-}
Some post championship thoughts to ponder:
----If you haven't put the ball in the fairway for the better part of two days, and you still have a 2 shot lead with only 3 holes left to play, then why in the hell are you pulling out anything bigger than a 3 iron on 17 or 18!!!! I know Bones is much too smart a caddie not to pull Phil aside when the cameras were not on them and say "we need 2 fairways right now. Somebody's got to catch us and we've got 2 shots to play with. Please for the love of God leave your driver in the bag!!!!!!" I'm very interested in knowing the thought processes there!!!
---Monty, Monty, Monty. I'm figuring that was the last chance for you. Your play on 18 was painful to watch and I'm feeling for ya.....
---Much props for Ferrie, Furyk and Vijay for grinding all day and being in the mix....
---To the champ, congrats Geoff. Use this as your entry into big time golf. You stayed close enough all day to be a factor if someone gave you the chance. Phil and Colin were only too kind to oblige.
Only 5 weeks to the British!!!!
I can't believe Phil would put his head in his rear like that after that horrible tee shot. I think he just tuned Bones out and tried to do this on his own. I really believe that!!!
BTW, how about Ogilvy and his caddie the last few holes yesterday. WTH was that about??? And now he is the champ too!!!
Yeah, the collapses (Mickelson's and Van de Velde's) were of a different nature -- Phil's was due to atrocious decisionmaking; VdV's was simply a pressure choke.
Monty's double was just as bad as Phils becasue at least he hit his driver well. Phil tried torecover from a horrible drive.
Furyk is kicking himself as much as the other guys as he had a simple putt to make to get into a playoff.
and David Duval (tied for 16th) missed out on an automatic exemption into next year's US Open by one spot. too bad.
Phil needed par to win. van de velde needed double bogey to win.
van de velde made really bad decisions.
1. he should not have hit driver but got away with it when his drive was so bad, it went over the lateral creek instead of in it.
2. his second shot should have been blasted into the grandstands where he would have gotten a free drop near the green instead of dumping his second into waist high junk.
3. his third shot should have been lateral into the fairway and his fourth would have been an easy pitch to the green and 2 putts to win, BUT NO, HE WENT FOR THE GREEN ON HIS THIRD AND DUMPED the ball INTO THE WATER.
At least Mickelson wasn't the biggest choker today. That distinction belongs to the Dallas Mavericks.
I don't think the mavs choked. Wade and Payton were just clutch. The howard time out was a choke, but there was still no guarantee that mavs would have made the shot with 2.9 sec even with the time out.
oh and the nowitski shot over shaq that briefly gave them the lead was clutch too.
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