• The KillerFrogs

US Open golf thread & pick-em game

JogginFrog

Active Member
It's U.S. Open week at Oakmont! I expect @gohornedfrogs will be on site--will look forward to his perspective.

There's been a ton of content online--I've enjoyed watching highlights of the 1962 and 1973 Oakmont opens. For a sense of the course, I really enjoyed The Fried Egg's video with flyovers and commentary from Geoff Ogilvy and others.

Meanwhile, I've refreshed the KillerFrogs.com pick-em on Superbru. Last year's winner was @Putt4Purple. Those who played last year should have an email link. Others can join the pool here: https://www.superbru.com/usopen/pool.php?p=12987741

or download the Superbru app and search for the pool with code: laosgoer

I think Tom Hoge is the only Frog in the field, but feel free to correct if I'm wrong. Last time the Open visited Oakmont, Tom shot 78-78. Hey, it's supposed to be hard.

Enjoy the carnage!
 
Cool, wet weather the last month has the rough extra juicy. Thicker than I’ve ever seen it in June, and that’s for every course in the area. Thursday and Friday look dry, but rain forecasted for Saturday and Sunday.

Oakmont has a good sand base to it and drains well, but the fairways and greens won’t have quite the fire this year. They’ll be fast, but not as firm.

I do think scores will be under par. In 2007, temps were well into the 90s, and scores were high. In 2016, it was more like this week and 4 under won (5 under if you ignore the stupid penalty for the ball moving).

I’m not sure the bombers have a distinct advantage here with softer fairways. It's counter-intuitive, but data shows that when the field hits around 55% or more of the fairways, it brings everybody into the mix. If it gets below 50%, the bombers have the advantage.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
Friendly reminder to sign up and pick a team of players. Tournament starts tomorrow. Currently we have 6 players.

It's the national open. Give it a shot!
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
I liked how someone said the Oakmont school of architecture is one of one. It's funny to imagine the Fowneses continually adding bunkers and ditches to penalize misses they'd seen.

Things I like: The routing, the blind drives on short 4s, greens that run front to back, the false fronts, high-walled fairway bunkers that cost a half-shot, and how hard it is to get the ball close to the hole, even from the fairway.

Things I don't like: The ditches. Fun to watch pros navigate them, but they seem so artificial visually. No more so than bunkers, I guess, but we're all used to bunkers on golf courses.
 
I liked how someone said the Oakmont school of architecture is one of one. It's funny to imagine the Fowneses continually adding bunkers and ditches to penalize misses they'd seen.

Things I like: The routing, the blind drives on short 4s, greens that run front to back, the false fronts, high-walled fairway bunkers that cost a half-shot, and how hard it is to get the ball close to the hole, even from the fairway.

Things I don't like: The ditches. Fun to watch pros navigate them, but they seem so artificial visually. No more so than bunkers, I guess, but we're all used to bunkers on golf courses.
The ditches are artificial in that they were added to aid water run off a century ago. They added one on 10 last year, and I like it. There was a collection area on the left side of that fairway that became a divot graveyard, so it eliminated that, and takes driver out for most players.

It is the most unique American golf course, and those ditches are part that uniqueness, for better or worse.

Like you said, it’s one of one.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
Enjoying watching Scheffler, Hovland & Morikawa all playing well. Love watching Morikawa's swing. Wish I didn't have to listen to 3 minutes of discussion with his caddie before seeing it.

About that, Mel Reid--whose commentary is terrific--said, "They can have a bit of a chin-wag."

Edit: They were playing well. Scottie just uttered a "gosh dangit" -- so you know he's running hot.
 
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