With the start of the U.S. Open just hours away, here are five storylines that bear watching at Pebble Beach:
1. How tough will Pebble play?
It's only 7,040 yards but with no rain in the forecast, Pebble Beach is getting firmer as the week goes on. Factor in the size of the greens -- they're about the size of your kitchen -- and suddenly the targets get very tough to hit.
The USGA has reshaped some of the cliffside fairways, taking the mowed area to the edge of the cliffs in order to bring the water more into play. Especially on the 9th and 10th holes, that could be a factor.
The rough is deep but not unmanageable. Keeping it in play remains the first objective as it is in every Open. Someone might go low but not likely for long.
2. Is This Phil's Time?
Five second-place finishes are more than enough for Mickelson. He's primed for this Open but he's seemed prime before. He knows how to play Pebble -- he's won three AT&T Nationals here -- and he has the emotional support from the fans who want him to win.
He says his past disappointments don't bother him and I tend to believe him. He's wired to look ahead. I like his chances.
3. What Will Tiger Do?
A decade ago, Woods torched Pebble Beach and the U.S. Open, redefining greatness in a major championship. Now his game is in a strange place, good but not great.
He lives for the majors and he's seen this Open as another one he can add to his collection. Expecting him to win the Masters was too much. Thinking he could win this Open isn't too much.
4. Feeling European
It's been 40 years since Tony Jacklin won the U.S. Open, the last time a player from across the pond won the championship. That could change this year.
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington come immediately to mind as serious contenders. Robert Karlsson lost in a playoff last weekend. And don't forget about Sergio Garcia. I still think he'll win a major but I don't think it will be this one.
5. The Twentysomethings
No current player under 30 years of age has won a major championship but the under-30 set has already won nine times on the PGA Tour this year. McIlroy, Adam Scott, Bill Haas and Justin Rose are among the winners. Not all of them are here but the youth movement may be on display again this week.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tiger: Showing His Edge
Tiger Woods, by nature, doesn't offer a whole lot in his press conferences and his 30-minute session with the media at Pebble Beach today was no different.
It was longer than most of his question-and-answer sessions have been recently but for anyone expecting a revelation or two, they would be disappointed. The most interesting thing was to catch Tiger's sharp reaction when a questioner with an English accent asked if there has been a resolution about the future of his marriage.
"It's none of your business," Woods said, with a noticeable edge in his voice.
Fair enough. It's not our business even though the gossip world will continue to try to make it their business for months to come. It's part of the price he continues to pay for his personal troubles.
But he's at Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open and, without saying a lot, Tiger sounded like a guy who feels a little better about his game. There hasn't been a whole lot for him to feel good about these past few months, given the way he's played or hasn't played (missed cut at Quail Hollow, WD at The Players).
Asked how different the game he brought to Pebble Beach is from the one he brought to Augusta in April, Woods said, "Way different."
He finished fourth at the Masters in large part on emotion and the layout's relatively unforgiving nature off the tee. That hasn't worked since then and a bad neck made everything worse. But there were signs at The Memorial two weeks ago that Tiger may be rounding a corner and he gave off the air of a player Tuesday who feels good about where his game is headed right now.
"I'm just starting to get my feel back," Woods said. "I know I have to be patient with it. It's coming along."
It was longer than most of his question-and-answer sessions have been recently but for anyone expecting a revelation or two, they would be disappointed. The most interesting thing was to catch Tiger's sharp reaction when a questioner with an English accent asked if there has been a resolution about the future of his marriage.
"It's none of your business," Woods said, with a noticeable edge in his voice.
Fair enough. It's not our business even though the gossip world will continue to try to make it their business for months to come. It's part of the price he continues to pay for his personal troubles.
But he's at Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open and, without saying a lot, Tiger sounded like a guy who feels a little better about his game. There hasn't been a whole lot for him to feel good about these past few months, given the way he's played or hasn't played (missed cut at Quail Hollow, WD at The Players).
Asked how different the game he brought to Pebble Beach is from the one he brought to Augusta in April, Woods said, "Way different."
He finished fourth at the Masters in large part on emotion and the layout's relatively unforgiving nature off the tee. That hasn't worked since then and a bad neck made everything worse. But there were signs at The Memorial two weeks ago that Tiger may be rounding a corner and he gave off the air of a player Tuesday who feels good about where his game is headed right now.
"I'm just starting to get my feel back," Woods said. "I know I have to be patient with it. It's coming along."
Pebble Beach: A Cool Place To Be
Not to be rude or anything but here at Pebble Beach, where the U.S. Open is coming to life today, it's chilly.
I know, you don't want to hear it as you rub sweat out of your eyes and wonder if it would be possible to cook a turkey in your car while you're at work today. But at Pebble Beach, where Tiger Woods was on the course at 7 a.m., people are bundled up in sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets.
The parking attendants are wearing hoodies and gloves. It looks like a Packers' game.
Depending on how often the sun decides to shine through what they call the marine layer out here -- it's like fog only not quite that low -- the temperature isn't expected to nudge much past 60 degrees unless Phil Mickelson gets it going on low or Clint Eastwood makes the scene. It's what you call atmosphere.
This U.S. Open could have plenty of it. Just playing at Pebble Beach, which has posed for more flattering photos than Julia Roberts, makes it special. Walking its hills and bluffs, feeling the cool mist coming off the water, marveling at its sheer beauty is like looking at the Grand Canyon. It's almost visual overload.
The par-3 seventh hole, which is barely 100 yards long, may be the single best hole in golf anywhere. If we're lucky enough to get a little wind -- just a little -- it will be more fun to watch than 'Caddyshack.'
As with any Open, there are multiple storylines. Phil Mickelson turns 40 on Wednesday with another chance to win his elusive national championship. Tiger's back at the scene of his most dominating performance ever but he's not the same guy, at least not now. Lee Westwood just won in Memphis and seems a threat again.
It doesn't start for another couple of days but Pebble Beach is already a cool place to be.
I know, you don't want to hear it as you rub sweat out of your eyes and wonder if it would be possible to cook a turkey in your car while you're at work today. But at Pebble Beach, where Tiger Woods was on the course at 7 a.m., people are bundled up in sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets.
The parking attendants are wearing hoodies and gloves. It looks like a Packers' game.
Depending on how often the sun decides to shine through what they call the marine layer out here -- it's like fog only not quite that low -- the temperature isn't expected to nudge much past 60 degrees unless Phil Mickelson gets it going on low or Clint Eastwood makes the scene. It's what you call atmosphere.
This U.S. Open could have plenty of it. Just playing at Pebble Beach, which has posed for more flattering photos than Julia Roberts, makes it special. Walking its hills and bluffs, feeling the cool mist coming off the water, marveling at its sheer beauty is like looking at the Grand Canyon. It's almost visual overload.
The par-3 seventh hole, which is barely 100 yards long, may be the single best hole in golf anywhere. If we're lucky enough to get a little wind -- just a little -- it will be more fun to watch than 'Caddyshack.'
As with any Open, there are multiple storylines. Phil Mickelson turns 40 on Wednesday with another chance to win his elusive national championship. Tiger's back at the scene of his most dominating performance ever but he's not the same guy, at least not now. Lee Westwood just won in Memphis and seems a threat again.
It doesn't start for another couple of days but Pebble Beach is already a cool place to be.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Who'll Win The U.S. Open? Here Are Five Picks
The U.S. Open begins Thursday at Pebble Beach, in case you'd forgotten and Tiger Woods is not the overwhelming pre-tournament favorite. That's a switch. I still think he'll factor into the weekend storyline, though.
Here are my five favorites to win at Pebble Beach. Not exactly shockers, I know, but the U.S. Open is a tough guy's tournament.
1. Phil Mickleson
He's the favorite, pure and simple. He loves Pebble Beach, he's playing the best golf of his life, he's finished second five times in the Open and he's due. Imagine if Phil wins the first two majors this year and takes that good vibe across the pond to the Auld Grey Toon for the British Open.
A couple of things have to happen for Lefty to win: He needs to keep his tee shots in the fairway, which means backing off the driver from time to time and he needs a little luck, meaning he doesn't need someone else to do something crazy like Payne Stewart did when he started holing all those putts in '99 or when Retief Goosen did the same thing at Shinnecock in '04.
I know, he did it to himself at Winged Foot in '06 but just being in that position with a game that was as scratchy as a week-old beard was a testament to his toughness. If Phil's in the chase on the weekend, there could be a serious California lovefest going on at Pebble Beach.
2. Lee Westwood
Sooner or later, he's going to win a major. He's been on more leader boards the last year than the FedEx Cup logo and there's no reason to think he won't be there at Pebble Beach. Westwood seems to be in a good place with his game, his mental approach and his physical conditioning.
He won't let a mistake bother him the way Ernie Els seemed to melt after a late double-bogey in the first round of the Masters seemed to undo him. You're going to make bogeys at the Open. The key is limiting the damage. Westwood is good at that.
3. Padraig Harrington
He's the game's best grinder and the Open is the ultimate grinder's test. Right now, the weather forecast looks ideal but Harrington's chances would increase if the wind kicks up off Carmel Bay. He has a great temperament for the Open so it wouldn't be a surprise if he wins one.
4. Tiger Woods
He finished fourth at the Masters on will and emotion and he'll be ready for Pebble Beach. His swing has been analyzed more than the Zabruder film and everybody who's ever swung a club has offered a thought on how to make it better. But he's not that far off.
I'm as guilty as anyone of expecting too much from Woods this year but I think the Open is different. He's the best ever at shooting a good score when his game isn't razor sharp and that's part of what the Open asks. A big number can cripple a player in the Open so Woods needs control of his driver but if he can find a way to hole some putts, something that's been missing, he can win at Pebble Beach.
5. Ryan Moore
He finished tied for 10th in the mudbath at Bethpage last year and he's proving there's more to him than an unconventional sense of style. I like Moore's personality and his game. The question is whether he's mean enough to win a tough tournament like the Open.
I think he is. He's due for a big moment. This could be the one.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Making The U.S. Open Is A Matter Of Heart
What do Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Rocco Mediate, Kevin Sutherland, Jonathan Byrd, Bubba Watson, Bill Haas and J.B. Holmes have in common?
They're among the PGA Tour regulars who failed to qualify for the U.S. Open on Monday. Rose had just won The Memorial, beating Fowler in another event that demonstrated the youth movement in full charge on the PGA Tour. But it wasn't enough to earn either Rose or Fowler a spot in the Open, though both leaped into the top 35 in the world rankings, a few days too late for that to earn them an exemption into the field.
Some people argue that the U.S. Open is too open, meaning its qualifying process costs too many guys who might realistically challenge for the trophy on the outside looking in while allowing guys you've never heard of to play themselves in if they get hot at the right time. Both Fowler and Rose would have been players to watch had they made it -- but they didn't.
I like that about the U.S. Open. They had their chance to get in and they didn't play well enough. Just getting there may be tougher than the Open itself.
Charlotte's Joe Jaspers came within a stroke of making it to Pebble Beach. Imagine the thrill it would have been for him had he earned one of those precious spots. The same goes for Quail Hollow Club assistant Charles Frost, who tied for fifth in his qualifier but needed to be among the top two to quailfy.
It makes you wonder about some of the PGA Tour players who decided to sit out the qualifying process, skipping the Open. Sure it's a grind but if they don't care about playing in the national championship then what do they care about?
Then you see Erik Compton, living with his third heart, playing his way to Pebble Beach, enduring a grueling 36-hole day that had to test him to the limit. That's what the U.S. Open is about.
They're among the PGA Tour regulars who failed to qualify for the U.S. Open on Monday. Rose had just won The Memorial, beating Fowler in another event that demonstrated the youth movement in full charge on the PGA Tour. But it wasn't enough to earn either Rose or Fowler a spot in the Open, though both leaped into the top 35 in the world rankings, a few days too late for that to earn them an exemption into the field.
Some people argue that the U.S. Open is too open, meaning its qualifying process costs too many guys who might realistically challenge for the trophy on the outside looking in while allowing guys you've never heard of to play themselves in if they get hot at the right time. Both Fowler and Rose would have been players to watch had they made it -- but they didn't.
I like that about the U.S. Open. They had their chance to get in and they didn't play well enough. Just getting there may be tougher than the Open itself.
Charlotte's Joe Jaspers came within a stroke of making it to Pebble Beach. Imagine the thrill it would have been for him had he earned one of those precious spots. The same goes for Quail Hollow Club assistant Charles Frost, who tied for fifth in his qualifier but needed to be among the top two to quailfy.
It makes you wonder about some of the PGA Tour players who decided to sit out the qualifying process, skipping the Open. Sure it's a grind but if they don't care about playing in the national championship then what do they care about?
Then you see Erik Compton, living with his third heart, playing his way to Pebble Beach, enduring a grueling 36-hole day that had to test him to the limit. That's what the U.S. Open is about.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Several Local Pros Play For U.S. Open Spots Today
The U.S. Open doesn't officially begin until June 17 but it's underway at a handful of spots around the country today where the grueling 36-hole qualifying events are being played to determine who's in and who's out at Pebble Beach.
Just getting in the Open is an achievement.
At the Roswell, Ga., qualifier where Quail Hollow Club assistant Charles Frost is playing, only two of the 28 players will earn a spot in the Open. Fayetteville's David Chung is playing in Roswell, also.
Being a former champion only gets you so far. Tom Kite is among the 29 players chasing two spots in the Littleton, Col., qualifier today.
High Point's Drew Weaver, who played at Bethpage last year, is playing in the Rockville, Md., qualifier along with Reidsville's Mike Goodes, a winner on the Champions Tour last year.
Most of the PGA Tour players still not in the Open are playing at either Memphis or Columbus, Ohio. Charl0tte's Brendon de Jonge, coming off an 11th-place finish at The Memorial, is in the field in Columbus along with Davis Love III, Tom Lehman and Bobby Clampett, among others.
Charlotte's Johnson Wagner is playing in Memphis along with 16-year star Jordan Spieth and former U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A Special Week And A Special Place: Jack's Place
Having just spent a couple of days at Muirfield Village Golf Club on the eve of The Memorial Tournament, I was reminded of what a tremendous place it is.
It starts, of course, with Jack Nicklaus. It was his vision to create a special club and course in his hometown and Muirfield Village has grown into a place that transcends its boundaries. It's a club known around the golf world for both the course and its style.
The Nicklaus spirit is alive there. Walk through the clubhouse and it's impossible to miss the Nicklaus influence with reminders of his career dotting hallways, locker rooms and grill rooms. But it's the relaxed feel of the place that helps distinguish Muirfield Village.
There's an almost old-school feel to the tournament, which underplays the corporate and commercial side of professional golf. Try to find a sign promoting the FedEx Cup and you may spend the day looking.
With his wife, Barbara, and sons Jack and Steve helping run the Memorial, Nicklaus has created one of the special weeks on the PGA Tour. There's a reason Tiger, Phil and nine of the top 10 players on the PGA Tour money list are at Muirfield Village this week and it's not all because Nicklaus is the host, though that's certainly part of it.
The golf course is the one for which Nicklaus, the designer, will be remembered and for good reason. It's big, long and tough but it's also beautiful. A walk around Muirfield Village, with its hills and creeks and cavernous bunkers is like a stroll through a park, particularly if you're watching rather than playing.
Nicklaus doesn't play much golf anymore but he has remained a powerful presence in the game. When he speaks, people listen. He has made himself a model as a person and a player and his record on both looks greater now than ever.
This is one of the weeks on the PGA Tour schedule that stands apart from most others. It's because of Nicklaus and what he and his family have created at Muirfield Village.
