The U.S. Open is halfway home. For your perusal, we present these 36-hole winners and losers:
THE WINNERS:
Chambers Bay: This place is awesome, so different, so refreshing from the stodgy northeast bastions of wealth that have been the traditional U.S. Open venues, you know, the Baltusrols, the Merions, Shinnecocks, Winged Foots and so on.
Players have to show their versatility. Good shots have been rewarded, average shots get average results and poor shots lead to bogeys or worse. There’s room to drive the golf ball, so no complaints about brutal rough. Thus far, it is far tougher to score in the afternoon so that puts all the contenders on equal footing going into the final 36.
United States Golf: With Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed tied at the top, America’s best Ryder Cup twosome is front and center. Young guys with no fear and who have proven they can get it done. Also eight of the top 10 are U.S. players and the big European names are missing from that top 10. Dustin Johnson has once again shown up in a major. Will be interesting to see if he has what it takes on Sunday. As for the European contenders, not sure if Branden Grace and Joost Luiten are going to frighten anyone at the top.
CBS Sports: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. After listening to the Fox disaster lineup, we really understand why Jim Nance and Nick Faldo make the big bucks. Really miss Gary McCord, Peter Kostis and David Ferherty.
Public Golf: Greatest thing about Chambers Bay is anyone can play there.
Mike Davis: The USGA’s executive director has set the course up nicely. Only babies like Sergio Garcia are bitching.
U.S. Amateurs: Great 36-hole performance by University of Illinois grad Brian Campbell, in at one-under par. Jack McGuire in at one-over, Ollie Schniederjans (say that one four times quickly) at two-over and Denny McCarthy at four-over. All these guys have life-time bragging rights that they best the heck out of Tiger Woods at the 2015 U.S. Open.
THE LOSERS:
Fox Sports: Horrible, awful, worse than bad. This broadcast team couldn’t announce or comment its way out of a wet paper bag with a sharp knife. Suffice to say it’s the best thing for sleep since night time. Shame on the USGA for obviously taking more cash and giving the bum’s rush to CBS and NBC, two networks that know what to do with bigtime golf. Hate to say it but we almost miss Johnny Miller, almost.
Tiger Woods: Wandering aimlessly in golf’s desert. Can’t even hit routine golf shots. Can’t line himself up properly, looks more like a body-driven hit than a golf swing. Tom Weiskopf’s “I hate to watch this,” comment probably sums it up best. It shouldn’t be that hard to tune up a Rolls Royce. But you’d think this guy is a rusty wreck with no engine. His 80-76 a new low point in his major appearances.
Chris Como: Someone’s going to take the blame for Tiger’s performance, or lack thereof. It won’t be Tiger.
USGA: The organization that tires to encourage faster rounds of golf, puts golf at its slowest on display every time they do this. Five hour rounds are the reason folks don’t want to play the sport.
Rickie Fowler: The darling of last year’s four majors went 81-73. Quick exit from someone a lot of experts were picking to do well this week.
Rory McIlroy’s putter: The world’s No. 1 can’t make a putt, which means unless things turn around drastically, he’s just another field player this week.
Bubba Watson: It was evident right from the start that Bubba The Whiner showed up at Chambers Bay. This guy has a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde golf personna. Can anyone say “over-rated”? Rounds of 70-77 pretty much tell the tale.
Martin Kaymer: Six-over par from the defending champion isn’t good, but that’s one less Euro in contention.
That’s it in a nutshell. Might want to give an additional tip of the golf hat to the crowds at Chambers Bay. That’s a hike not designed for those without a sturdy set of legs. Eight-mile hike for players, probably more like 10-12 for spectators.
