Is USGA unfair with setup of Open courses?

[TheRake]

Tiger Woods thinks so

I tend to agree with Tiger on this one. The USGA for some reason has this belief that the winning score should be even par. In order to keep the best players in the world in check they "trick" up the course until it is almost unplayable. Here are some numbers from yesterday.

Best Score: Even Par 70 (Robert Allenby)
Worst Score: 19 over par 89 (Billy Mayfair)
Average Score: 10 over par 80
Winners Score: 1 over par 71 (Retief Goosen)

Allenby shot even par and moved up several places on the leader board. I shutter to think how bad it could have been if the weather had been worse.

TheRake

[superleeds]

It's not unfair. All players play the same course.

Is it good for golf to watch the best in the world scramble around?
I don't think so but at least it's not the normal pitch and putt we see week after week.

[Nepa]

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The USGA for some reason has this belief that the winning score should be even par.

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I don't see any problem with this. The course was super hard but not impossible and the pros that don't have a good rounds cry. Happens every year.

B.T.W. wasn't the winning score -4?

[TheRake]

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B.T.W. wasn't the winning score -4?

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Yes for the tournament. I was giving sunday scores. Sorry if this wasn't clear.

TheRake

[BeerMoney]

[ QUOTE ]
It's not unfair. All players play the same course.



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That's a good point, but it also could be that some players are luckier than others. For example, you hit your ball on one part of the green, someone else hits their's 6 inches away, and their ball winds up off the green with an impossible chip. And not everyone did play the same course, because the USGA realized the greens were not fair after the first two groups, so they watered one of the greens down to make it more playable. I like the idea of thicker roughs, but more reasonable greens.

It really doesn't matter what the final score is, there is still only one winner.

[adios]

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you hit your ball on one part of the green, someone else hits their's 6 inches away, and their ball winds up off the green with an impossible chip.

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Good point.

[ QUOTE ]
because the USGA realized the greens were not fair after the first two groups, so they watered one of the greens down to make it more playable. I like the idea of thicker roughs, but more reasonable greens.

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I agree totally. Personally I think the golf powers that be should be careful that they don't kill the golden goose. Golf is a boring enough sport to watch but yesterdays action was golf boredom raised to the 5th power. Perhaps a lot more people enjoyed than I believe.

[JTrout]

at least it's not the normal pitch and putt we see week after week.

You're right. It was pitch, pitch, putt, putt, putt.

The USGA are idiots.
When you watch what happened to Phil's putt on #7 on SATURDAY, see the forecast for high winds through the night, see the high winds through the night, and declare that you are not going to water that green, well.....idiots.

[Ray Zee]

most of the tourny courses are reasonably easy for todays golfers. so whats wrong with having a few couses that are really tough.
the reason these particular pros are winning is that they happen to play well on the courses that are presented. put a whole new set of problems out there and a new breed will emerge, with the best adapting.

[JTrout]

the reason these particular pros are winning is that they happen to play well on the courses that are presented

they just "happen" to?



put a whole new set of problems out there and a new breed will emerge, with the best adapting.

Every year, the courses are longer, the rough is thicker, the greens are faster, and much firmer.
Two years ago, they never put the pins 3 from the edge (4 or 5 yes), today it is routine.

The quality of golf keeps getting better.

put a whole new set of problems out there

What do you suggest?

[Six_of_One]

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Golf is a boring enough sport to watch but yesterdays action was golf boredom raised to the 5th power.

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I disagree. Boring is wide fairways, easy shots into soft greens, and putts for birdie. Yesterday was exciting, especially down the stretch. As far as I'm concerned, the more difficult, the better. That's why the U.S. Open is my favorite tournament to watch.