Par isn’t all that arbitrary. It is pretty strictly based on yardage.
Generally anything under 250 is a 3, and most holes over 500 are 5s.
The 500+ par 4 the pros are playing this weekend is an aberration.
And I think every tournament 18 plays to a par 70-72.
Weather forcast is for sun and upper 80s through Sunday. Could make for a bloodbath!
Kenneth Ferrie?
Allow me to boldly predict that the proud defender of last year’s Smurfit European will not be atop the leaderboard come Sunday evening.
Just a hunch.
An excellently brutal second round.
Tiger is out. As is last year’s US Open winner Michael Campbell. And Retief Goosen.
And who do we have at the top? Steve Stricker. Yeah. Exactly. I’d love to see a lesser name like Stricker take it, and with the way this course is playing, it’s entirely possible.
After two rounds, there have been a grand total of SIX rounds below par. That’s six rounds out of the 312 played. It’s looking like we won’t have another seven over par winner, but I would not be at all surprised to have the winner somewhere just over par.
What impressed me today: Sixteen year old Tadd Fujikawa, who didn’t make the cut, but turned in a round of 77 on the second day. Very impressive for somebody who is a hair taller than five foot, and doesn’t yet have his drivers license.
Let’s not forget David Duval. He shot a 68 for God’s sake; maybe he’s back and is going to win the whole thing. I just wish he didn’t smile so much; great shades though.
I think it’ll be higher than slightly over par, my guess is still around 4 over. My logic is that only 2% of the rounds have been under par so it’s relatively unlikely that anyone will more than one or two rounds under par. Stricker shot a 1 over without the chipins and I don’t see them going in all weekend. There’s really only 6 people within striking distance of par (keeping in mind the lowest round so far is 68) so with my assumption that the course will get progressively harder, I don’t think the leaders will be much better than 2 over tomorrow.
Just a guess.
Just got back from a quick round of my own (and clearly, I’m not going to petition for PGA eligibility), and oh yeah. Multiway 4+ fight for the lead. And it’s good to see Monty still fighting hard after yesterday’s poor round.
How’d you shoot?
So I’m not sure Mick has hit a fairway all damn day with his driver and what does he do on 18? He tees off with a driver and hits one into somewhere in New Jersey.
Let’s see what happens!
Yeah, Mickleson’s 18th is going to go down with Norman. Not quite Van de Velde, but it’s sloppier than a rented whore.
What were Vegas’ odds on Ogilvy?
Mistake after mistake after mistake after misake.
I love the man but he got what he deserves in this one.
Agreed. Phil would have had it if he 5 ironed his way to the green.
Judge Smails: Ty, what did you shoot today?
Ty Webb: Oh, Judge, I don’t keep score.
Judge Smails: Then how do you measure yourself with other golfers?
Ty Webb: By height.
There are a lot of smiling faces in the locker room right now. Mickleson is one of the least-liked players on tour.
Who won?
Your countryman Ogilvy.
Geoff Ogilvy - thanks in large part to a chip in for par on the 17th. He also had some pretty bad luck on 18. His ball was stuck in a divot after a pretty good drive. I’d have to say he really does deserve it.
Thanks. The local internet sites haven’t yet been updated with the result and I thought the golfers may even still have been playing (I wasn’t sure which time zone in the US the course was in).
Geoff Ogilvy. Whoever he is.
Personally, I loved every moment of it, but the PGA brass has to be absolutely fuming. Their #1 megastar missed the cut (and is clearly well past his peak at this point), nobody besides Phil Mickelson has stepped up in about four years, and what happens? Mickelson screws up. Colin Montgomerie hits a perfect drive on #18 (only needing a par to win, remember*) and walks away with a DOUBLE BOGEY. And yet another no-name wins a big tournament. I think they would’ve been happer with that Ferrie guy winning than Ogilvy.
Hell of a course (if any site is going to be the official US Open course, it should be Winged Foot), hell of a tournament, and that’s why they play the games.
I certainly wouldn’t call Ogilvy a no-name.
He’s young, and he’s only been on the PGA for five years. But in those five years, he’s been in the top 100 money every year, and for 2003-2005 he cozily cleared a million dollars in prize money (2002 he was at about $950,000). He had a PGA win in 2005, and another earlier this year.
If that’s a no-name career, I’d take it any day.