U.S. Open Day 2 Preview

The 2nd round is recently underway and we are seeing history unfold. Rory McIlroy is currently at -10 atop the leader board. He is just the 5th man to reach double digits under par at the U.S. Open, and he is the fastest to reach that mark. Pretty remarkable. However, we've seen McIlroy put up these fast starts at a major before, last year's British Open and this year's Master's. So far, the young man hasn't been able to put it all together over a weekend and win a major, but if he keeps up this Tiger-like pace he should lap the field. This is reminiscent of Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000.

As for the rest of the field, there are some surprises near the leader board. Ol friend, Y.E. Yang is tied for 2nd with Zach Johnson at -3. And Sergio Garcia is back from the bowels of golf at -2. As for my contenders list, so far it is a big disappointment. Only Phil who I put at #10 is even in the Top 20 currently. My sleeper Charlie Hoffman is also in the top 20. Just more proof of how tough the U.S. Open is.

Phil actually played a pretty good round yesterday outside of his double bogey at the 10th which was his first hole - a bear of a par 3, playing over 220 yards today.

Another sentimental favorite near the top of the board is Davis Love III who played a terriffic round yesterday, that should have been even better. He missed two birdie putts by a combined 10 mm, leaving both on the edge of the cup.

Hopefully, someone can put on a charge today and get closer to McIlroy. Although watching him run away with it could be fun too. Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer and Robert Garrigus are the Americans that look to have the best chance heading into today. The course is playing soft again today from the rains overnight. Don't be surprised to see some low numbers today.

I will try to give some updates throughout the day's action as things unfold.

2011 U.S. Open Preview - Top Contenders

Well, now that hockey is over we can get to covering real sports. Nothing says summer has arrived like the start of the U.S. Open. The way The Master's marks the beginning of spring, Father's Day weekend and the U.S. Open bring to mind BBQ and bathing suits. No? Ok, but summer is here and the golf season is heating up...even if the most compelling figure in the sport is sidelined with a bum knee and a sore vagina - I mean ego.

The Open is always the toughest test of golf, with the United States Golf Association (USGA) setting up the nation's finest public courses to be a brutal examination of a player's skill and mental fortitude. From Pebble Beach to Bethpage Black these are not typically courses where you will see really low numbers on the leader board. Such is the case with the 2011 venue - Congressional Country Club in Washington, D.C. suburb of Bethesda, Maryland.

In the shadow of the White House looms a monster of a golf course that has been made even tougher for The Open. The event has not been held there since 1997 when Ernie Els hoisted the trophy and looked like he might be on his way to a monumental career before Tiger emerged and relegated Els to an also-ran. Congressional is the home for regular PGA Tour event the AT&T Classic, but will play quite different this week.

For starters there is a new finishing hole with what used to be #17. With water around the green on the long par 4 there should be plenty of drama on the final hole as the weekend draws to a close. The course has been lengthened by about 360 yards total. The sand is deeper and fluffier, with shaved grass around bunkers that will allow for more balls to trickle in. All told the course should be a very difficult, but a very fair assessment of one's golf game. There will be opportunities to take some risks and get some rewards, but those risks had better be well calculated.

As for who is going to win this week it is anyone's guess. With the force that once was Tiger now all but seemingly gone from the game of golf a plethora of up-and-coming contenders have risen up to give golf a bright future. And don't forget about guys like Phil Mickelson - still seeking his first U.S. Open title, and Ernie Els who has a very good U.S. Open track record with two titles to his name.

Don't look to the top 2 players in the world (all playing together on Thursday by the way) for a winner. Luke Donald, Lee Westwood have 0 majors between them, but that won't stop many from picking either to win. Both come in playing well in 2011, but I don't think they have the kind of game that will fair well at a U.S. Open. While the top 3 players in the world are all from foreign soil, I actually think the Americans will end their major drought this week. If you're looking to pick a winner here's my list of U.S. Open Top 10 Contenders.

1. Dustin Johnson, USA - Looking to break through with first major after two collapses last year at U.S. Open and PGA. Combo of length off tee and accuracy from the fairways will make him a favorite this week.

2. Steve Stricker, USA - Won last tournament at Memorial. He is the tour leader in avoiding Bogeys. That could be huge this week.

3. K.J. Choi, S. Korea - Choi is the kind of player who isn't flashy but on Sunday you look up and somehow he's battled his way onto the leaderboard. That is a great recipe of patience and persistence that could fair well at Congressional. He's won here before (AT&T).

4. Matt Kuchar, USA - Leads the tour in the all-around ranking, and has 8 top 10s this year. Playing well right now having finished 2nd at Memorial. Ranks 2nd to Stricker in bogey avoidance.

5. Bubba Watson, USA - A very likable guy, Watson also has game. He's a long bomber but leads the tour in greens in regulation. Not a great Open track record, but not bad either. Looking for a breakthrough.

6. David Toms, USA - After a brutal playoff loss at The Players Championship, Toms returned the next week to win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He ranks highly in all the accuracy stats. Might not be long enough off the tee though.

7. Luke Donald, England - He is the world #1 so it is hard to pick against him. A safe bet to be near the top, I just can't picture him winning...although it certainly wouldn't be a stretch.

8. Kevin Streelman, USA - Good record at Congressional, and one of the hotter players on tour right now.

9. Nick Watney, USA - In the shadow of other young Americans like Johnson, Fowler etc. but has 7 top 10 finishes this year. Ranks 6th in all-around, but might not have driver accuracy needed to contend.

10. Phil Mickelson, USA - What the hell? Why not? Ol' Lefty has been seeking a U.S. Open for over a decade now, and Congressional could be just the course for him to do it. I don't think he will, but you can't help but like the sentimental favorite.

SLEEPER - Charlie Hoffman, USA - If you don't know who he is, he'll be the dumpy looking guy with the blonde locks flowing from under his Waste Management hat and sinking putts all over the place. If he gets hot with the putter he could make a run at the leader board.

And who wouldn't want this guy to win?


That's Andres Gonzalez. @Andres_Gonzales He's a pretty amusing twitter follow. Check it out.

That's it for now. Be sure to check back later for a Day 1 Wrap and look ahead to Day 2.

THIRD GREEN JACKET FOR LEFTY

As Phil Mickelson and his caddy were going over the strategy for his second shot at the par five thirteenth, my friend Pat looked at me and said, “He’s gonna stuff one.” I politely disagreed but inside I was screaming, “ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS??? IT WOULD BE JUST AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GET IT BACK IN THE FAIRWAY!! WHY WOULD PHIL EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THAT? PHIL, LAY IT UP YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!”

Well, Phil did not lay up. Instead, he hit the greatest shot he has ever hit in his career. Classic Phil.

A Day like yesterday is why the Master’s is the greatest tournament.

Wow.

Where do we begin?

Might as well start with Tiger.

BAD FATHER BELOW


After putting together a solid first two rounds, Woods’ swing and demeanor began to change over the weekend. His tempo with the driver was horrid. His distance control with his irons was mediocre. The token tantrums started to commence. He basically looked like a guy who was really a good player who hadn’t played in a tournament for five months because his personal life was revealed so he had to go to sex rehab. That’s how he looked.

But with that, Tiger never ceases to amaze me. He shot a 69 yesterday. How? I have no idea. He probably saw places on that course yesterday that he didn’t even know existed. He was missing left, missing right, hitting pop ups, quack hooks, high slices going on expeditions through the woods, flubbing easy bunker shots. He even three putted from a distance Ray Charles could’ve managed. It was like he was drunk, you know what I mean? But still there were spots of his greatness. Through a three hole stretch he went eagle, birdie, birdie that included a hole out on from the rough. He had another eagle on fifteen and ended the day with a picturesque iron shot over the flag at eighteen and then making a sneaky ten foot downhill putt. He shrugged the putt off sheepishly, but I know Tiger has got to be thinking to himself, “What if?” He easily could have won this thing. I’m not sure what his schedule is the next few months, but we now know that Woods doesn’t need to be playing in tournaments to be mentally prepared for majors. Going into Pebble Beach this June, you have to like his chances to win the US Open.

The other main characters in yesterday’s Master’s were Lee Westwood, Fred Couples, KJ Choi and Anthony Kim.

There is usually one guy every year who makes a run early before the leaders reach the back nine. This year that guy was Anthony Kim. Starting the day seven shots behind the leader, Kim put the pressure on the frontrunners by going five under in a four hole stretch starting at thirteen to get himself to twelve under par. Parring the last two holes, Kim’s total of 276 would usually be a winning score at Augusta, but yesterday you knew that wasn’t going to be enough.

In 1992 Fred Couples hit his tee shot at the twelfth and watched in fear as the ball came up short right and looked doomed for the water. However, the ball stopped short, and Freddy was able to get up and down and go on to win his only green jacket and only major. Yesterday he was not as lucky. After hitting a similar looking shot at the same hole, Freddy's ball came up short of the green, and the ball made it’s way into the water. Double bogey. Tournament Lost. Too bad. The fifty year old former Master’s champ was playing fantastic golf and was at ten under par going into the eleventh. A bogey there dropped him to nine under, but with the par fives lurking ahead Freddy was still in prime position to make a move. But after his tee shot at twelve, his quest for his second green jacket was over.

The one guy who has to be kicking himself is K.J. Choi. Choi had the burden or blessing with playing with Tiger Woods every day of the tournament. And yesterday, going into to the par five thirteenth, Choi was at twelve under par and looking to distance himself from the field. But on his second shot the ball ended up in the back left bunker - a place you don’t want to be - and ended up making a bogey six where it looked like it was going to be a four if not a three. A huge swing. On Sunday’s at Augusta you can’t bogey the par fives. If you do you’re giving away shots to the field. After that Choi bogeyed the fourteenth and really didn’t have a chance after Phil’s incredible shot from the pine straw at thirteen. I love K.J. and up to the mistake on thirteen he played wonderfully. He also had to play with Tiger all four days and didn’t show any signs of nerves or pressure. I hope if he get’s himself a major.

Lastly, there is Westwood. Westwood ended up shooting a one under par 71 and was in it all the way to the end. He never gave up and played solidly throughout the tournament. In the past two years he owns top three finishes in all four majors including missing out on both the 2008 US Open playoff and the 2009 British Open Playoff by a single stroke. There’s nothing really missing from his game, but it doesn’t seem like Lee goes for the jugular like Woods or Mickelson do when they’re in contention. He is as steady as they come under pressure and I expect him to win at least one major in the next two years.

But yesterday belonged to Phil.

Along with his miracle shot on thirteen Phil birdied four other holes on the day including the last to shoot a bogey free 67.

It wasn’t easy though. Early on he was having trouble finding the fairway and made some miracle par saves at nine and ten. And after making a nice birdie at twelve, the stage was set for the shot at thirteen. After killing his drive through the fairway Lefty stood in the trees and only had a small opening to get his ball through if he wanted to advance it toward the hole. After deciding to go with a six iron from 207 yards on pine needles, Lefty was, to quote Tin Cup: “define the moment or let the moment define you.”

I have to say that although the shot was successful, I still disagree with his decision.

After the round Phil justified his thought process by saying that he needed to make birdies to catch up with all the other guys. I get that, by why risk making a bogey or a possible double bogey in the process? Yes, that risk paid off yesterday and won him a major, but I bet I could argue that if you look back at his career, decisions like those cost him at least two or three more majors.

But Phil is Phil, and throughout his career these are the high risk maneuvers that have made him a superstar and perennial fan favorite. Love him or hate him, Lefty’s swashbuckling style of play may leave you with you scratching your head sometimes, but it will never leave you asking for more.

Lefty is now the holder of three green jacket’s, tying golf legends Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead, Gary Player, and Nick Faldo. Jack Nicklaus has the most with six, while Arnold and Tiger both have four.

There are still some great players out there who don't have a green jacket. Guys like Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Steve Stricker and Sergio Garcia.

Another guy who hasn't won at Augusta?

Mr. Perfect.


-The Diesel

Phil Mickelson is My Kind of Guy

110% ripped off from Deadspin, just to get that out of the way. Phil apparently has a sense of humor that would rival his Cablinasian pal. The back story has something to do with Nick Faldo (douche) and Mickelson hanging out in a room as part of some dinner event just before The Masters. The following conversation was overheard.

Phil (loud enough for everyone to hear): "Gee Nick, I didn't realise that you are such a big guy. How come you used to hit it so short?"

Faldo: "Listen Phil, when you shoot 19 under par to win the Open at St Andrews you can start giving me a hard time."

Phil: "I understand that. But how come you hit it like such a pussy?"

Faldo: "I played golf the proper way."

Phil: "Yeah, like my wife."

With quick wit like this, it is no wonder why Tiger walks miles ahead of Phil between shots.

The Masters

Ladies and Gentlemen, "A tradition like no other" is back. Yes, I am talking about The Masters. The only major in golf that plays on the same course every year at the legendary Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

This is the best major of them all and the one everyone wants to be associated with especially if you're an American. Then again the U.S. Open is pretty damn bad ass as well. But with that said lets talk the main players and what to expect.

First off, with Tiger's huge comeback win last week he is the obvious favorite. Looking for his fifth green jacket and fifteenth overall major, Woods seems to be back in full stride and I expect at least a top 5 finish. If anyone has watched the last two years, Woods hasn't play good at all but somehow manages to stay up on the leader board. If he has a good start Thursday and Friday, just give him a jacket and get ready for Easter.

Second guy to talk about is Phil Mickelson. Lefty did not play well last week but he is sporadic and has frequently rebounded from tough stretches his whole career. The key for Phil is to get off to a good start because he is not a type of guy to make a charge on Sunday at a major. Lefty is a two time Masters champ and if he doesn't pull his well known blow ups, he could definitely win.

Padraig Harrington...this is the guy who has won the last two majors. Woods wasn't there, but this is not the type of player would choke under Tigers pressure. Paddy won the British Open in some of the most ridiculous conditions remembered and then gutted out a two stroke victory at the PGA championship. The worse the weather conditions are, the better chance Padraig has to win. Precision with the irons is not exactly the wheel house of Paddy like it is with Woods and Mickelson (when he is playing well he may even be better than Tiger..big if though), so I actually am not a big fan of Paddy in this major as I am the others.

The last two champions of the this event are relatively unknown to casual golf fans. Trevor Immelmen from South Africa is the defending champ and America's Zach Johnson won it a two years ago. Now if they hadn't won this before I would think they would have no chance, especially someone like a Johnson who's ball flight is relatively low compared to most tour pros. But if the course is playing hard rather then soft, it gives more people like Zach Johnson a chance.

My dark horse to win is Geoff Ogilvy. Thanks to a choke from Phil, he won the US Open a couple years ago and plays well on tough courses and against top fields.

On a complete different topic I am presently listening to the main theme of one of my favorite movies, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner. This movie is an EPIC...something like 220 minutes. But it is well worth it and they play it every year the day before Easter on ABC...



-The Diesel