Taking Your Medicine At The US Open!

June 16, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Wow what a finish! The US Open was a race of endurance and skill. Congratulations to Justin Rose. I was rooting for Phil Mickelson, but he was destined to finished second for the sixth time!

The US Open did not disappoint any viewers this year. It was excellent to watch the best in the world play on of the toughest courses laid out for the US Open Championship. The rough was extremely long and greens crazy fast.

It was amazing how often players had to just get their ball in play after hitting it into the rough. The USGA stated that the penalty should add about one half stroke to someone’s score if someone had to play out of the rough. This year, according to the TV announcers, the penalty was a full stroke. Talk about taking your medicine. This is a strong and important message to all amateurs who find themselves in trouble on the links. The pros understanding of course management is a tribute to the pursuit of excellence.

The following are my highlights of the US Open this year.

Image from: http://caddieworld.me/about/

John Dempster, Caddy

Thanks to John Dempster, from Caddyworld, for providing thegratefulgolfer.com with an update on Peter Hedblom after a partial finish of the second round. It must have been difficult to play split rounds and then wait to make the cut. Congratulations to Peter Hedblom for making the cut; this is an accomplishment that is rewarding in itself.

An additional thanks to Rick Williams at mindbodygolf for discussing the pre-tournament aspects of the US Open. His insights were helpful and I am grateful for him sharing what he saw!

Mike Weir. He finished tied for 28th. This is a great finish for Weir. He has struggled over the past years and as one of the last entries, he demonstrated that he belonged with the best players in the world. Also, being Canadian, he is an automatic favorite of mine!

Phil Mickelson‘s shot on the tenth hole from the rough in the fairway was exceptional. It was one of those once in a lifetime shots that could have been a total game changer. Unfortunately, Merion was too much of a lion and he could not fully recover from two double bogey’s on the front nine.

Shawn Stefani‘s hole-in-one. It was awesome! This shot will be all over, but watch it at the National Post. Kissing the ground where his ball hit the bank and shot to the right and rolled in to the hole was very humorous. It was the first hole-in-one at the US Open when hosted at Merion Golf Club.

Lastly, amateur Micheal Kim. He played like a seasoned professional. Finishing tied for 17th, it was great to see a non-professional play with poise. Accomplishments like his offer hope for us hackers!

The US Open is a great tournament! This year, all golfers were not disappointed! For this and many other reasons, I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

US Open Day 2

June 14, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Well the second day of the US Open proven to be interesting. It seems everyone took a few steps backward. This is not surprising given the tough conditions of Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. The rough is long and the fairways tight…what a great course!

I was particularly impressed with a couple of amateurs; C. Pan and M. Kim, both shot 2 under. How is that for playing under pressure. I hope that the play well for the rest of the weekend. Would the US Open truly be the US Open if an amateur won!

Phil Mickelson finished strong with a birdie on the 18th hole. He made a long putt with authority. Maybe this will be his trigger for success this year. Mickelson has the game to play Merion only if he continues to hit most of the greens in regulation.

Mike Weir, another of my favorites, has a chance to make the cut. As a past Masters Champion, he will have to play tomorrow morning because he finished on the 10th hole. He was a last entry and again, as I love underdogs, it would be great to see Weir do great this year. Weir also has a chance because he is a relatively short hitter, but is accurate and consistent (most of the time).

Lastly, the big three: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Adam Scott finishing +3, +3 and +7 respectively. They did not play bad or good. They just stayed alive….especially Scott. These three cannot be counted out, however my pick is McIlory. He is ready for a breakout round and tomorrow may be it.

The US Open is a tournament that tests even the most seasoned golfer. It is treacherous rough and greens slicker than your kitchen floor! Tomorrow should prove to exciting as the course will dry out and speed up. I can hardly wait!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Is The US Open Actually Open?

June 12, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

The Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa, is hosting the 2013 US Open. For the 113th time, this elite tournament is garnering the attention of the world. The 156 player event traditionally captures the golf world like most majors. Unlike other professional tournaments, the United States Golf Association totally controls the US Open. This arrangement begs someone to ask if their selection process to enter and win this prestigious tournament fair or are the cards stacked in favour of a small elite group of golfers?

The USGA will set the specific rules to their championship, ranging from how the course will be laid out and the course conditions to include the length to the treacherous and famous rough. “The rough should be of sufficient height to provide a significant problem … The USGA believes that the penalty for straying off the fairway should be about one-half stroke. The desired height of the rough depends on the type of grass involved… (approximately) 3 and 6 inches, except that there is a strip of rough about 6 feet wide just off the fairways … Less punitive rough would be advisable for most club competitions as it increases the time spent searching for balls and leads to slower play.” Their exacting standards have caused many a player to self-destruct during the final round.

This year’s entrants include representation from approximately 17 different countries, 76 exempt players, 5 amateurs, and a slew of hopefuls. This year, the US Open starts on Thursday, 13 June 2013 and ends on Father’s Day, Sunday, 16 June 2013.

“Each year, thousands of competitors enter the U.S. Open. They are professionals and amateurs, teenagers and seniors, All-Americans and walk-ons, teachers and firemen. No matter their background, what they have in common is the dream of teeing it up in the national championship.”

There are some qualifying rules before any golfer can try their hand at winning the US Open. First, all entrants must have a handicap index of 1.4 or less. This means that they must shoot 1 shot over the course rating 10 times out of 20 rounds. This is a very difficult feat except for the best of the best. This year, qualifying started with an 18-hole local tournament at 111 sites around the United States. Those excited qualifier winners advanced to sectional competitions around the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, to compete with exempt players in a 36-hole marathon. After all is said and done, the field for the US Open is set.

So far, all seems fair for those players wishing to raise one of the most valued trophies in golf. With all this openness, has anyone actually been successful enough to enter the qualifier and win the tournament? The short answer is yes: Ken Venturi, 1964 and Orville Moody, 1969. Other important points include 5 amateur champions who won the US Open eight times. The oldest winner was Hale Irwin at age 45, the youngest winner was John J. McDermott aged 19, the youngest competitor was Andy Zhang aged 14 and the oldest competitor was Sam Snead at age 61. Most US Open wins was 4 by four players; one being an amateur…maybe you heard of him, Robert Tyre Jones Jr. Better known as Bobby Jones!

To answer the original question: Is the US Open Actually Open? The answer is an undeniable yes! The process to qualify is fair, yet challenging. They allow anyone who has the skill to step up and swing their way to victory! It is a difficult challenge, but over 9000 golfers felt they had what it takes to win this year’s US Open.

To get ready for the US Open, Major Championships.com has a top twenty moments in US Open history that will put you in the mood for more action. The Bleacher Report has some odds set out that may help and Major Championships.com has power ratings out for those interested in picking the winner.

Golf is a passion and I am a grateful golfer. See you on the links!

Francis Ouimet – A Golfing Legend!

March 20, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Image from: http://www.usgamuseum.com/about_museum/news_events/news_article.aspx?newsid=318

Francis Ouimet and Eddie Lowery, his 10-year-old caddie, during the 1913 U.S. Open, when Ouimet defeated the Englishmen Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a historic playoff and became the first amateur to win the Open. (USGA Museum)

I recently read the golf news and came across an article stating the top 5 golfers of all time. The Bleacher Report stated that these golfers have / are standing the test of time to make their list. In case you are wondering Tiger is number 2 and Jack is number 1. It is worth a read.

Additionally, this report gave a couple honorable mentions. One in particular stood out. Francis Ouimet is a name I had heard before, but never really paid much attention too. So, after a bit of research, I found him to be a trend setter! He was the first real american golf star. Ouimet was a 20-year-old amateur and local hero who tied Harry Vardon and Ted Ray after 72 holes at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, in the 1913 US Open. This famous match was featured in the movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played“. Ouimet went on to win this contest and later was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Francis Ouimet’s story is great for golf. It demonstrates that anyone can succeed if they have the desire. The game of golf can be played in your back yard like Francis Ouimet, in a field, or on a beach. The game provides opportunities to meet people, see fantastic sites or be introspective at 6 am on a quiet peaceful course. Golf is a great game and I am fortunate to be able to play.

I am a grateful golfer. See you on the links!

US Open

June 13, 2012June 13, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Well the US Open is upon us. Like everyone else I must make a prediction. Well here it goes: Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, or Dustin Johnson. Probably not the top picks, but I have a funny feeling that either of these three are ready for big win.

The conditions will be tough and the rough unforgiving. Ultimately, it will all come down the player who has the best percentage of greens in regulation. Watch this stat and you will be surprised how many tournament winners lead in this area.

Who do you think with win?