Am I the only one who thinks the US Open has become golf’s 4th major?…OK, I bet I am but my investment of four hours Sunday on that death match was just too much for me. It’s the toughest test of the year. “We aren’t trying to embarrass the best players in the world, we are trying to identify him”…so goes the Blue Coat Bad Hair Club for Men line but if they think the last two winners are worthy of the title then have at it.
No offense at all to them, they danced with the one which brung ‘um…not their fault. Dan Jenkins has said that his editor used to blame him if Arnold or Jack didn’t win the Masters, like HE had doubled 18 to lose by one…same concept, different decade.
The Masters is a billionaire boys club event. That’s cool, they can run their own tournament and do so with great skill and success…the British Open is fun because what’s better than rolling out of bed and watching live golf? I stole that from Chris Berman. The PGA has made incredible strides with The Atlanta Athletic Club, Whistling Straits, and the last event that Sergio mattered, ’99 at Medinah.
But I’m a public school guy. His Leftness says that the Open is the one he wants the most…from a guy with a brilliant career if it ended tomorrow…3 majors, countless FBRs, and a jillion bucks in the bank.
Why? Because it’s the National Championship. repeat, it’s THE National Championship.
No tournament anywhere can be invented, for TV or otherwise, that could hold the Opens putter cover. The other majors are just that, major. But let’s remember that the Masters has less players than my member guest, a lot less, and Bobby Jones was never invited to play in the PGA…the British Open is second among the four (my opinion only) because it is available to the best players in the world at the time…period.
Johnny Miller: “Good shot by US Open Champion Ernie Els”
Dan Hicks: Johnny, you mean former US Open Champion Ernie Els”
JM: “Once an Open Champion, always an Open Champion”
Rick Hall: “Damn straight!!!”
I have no stake in the Masters, British, or PGA…I enjoy them but have no emotional attachment. Not so for the US Open…give the tournament over to people who love the game…I know plenty of them…and you would like the result I promise. Or at least I would.
Ricky – the PGA NOT your favorite? Pretty amazing given that all males in your family were members of the PGA. Right?
I don’t think it was the course or the blue coats this time as much as it was the players. When Phil melts and Tiger misses the cut, there’s no one there to hold the line. Where’s Ernie? Retief? Padraig? This Open at Winged Foot had the makings of great stuff, but the better players weren’t there to do it.
No, Rick, sorry; I don’t agree. This time it wasn’t the blue coats (I notice they don’t wear those anymore on the course). It was the logo’d shirts who failed to make this Open a championship.
How can this be the fourth major when it a) was won by one of the great young players in Ogilvy; b) offered Monty the Perfect chance to win his first major and c) gave Phil the opportunity to win his third consecutive major, if he weren’t so thick. Had Mickelson manifested any sense of history or respect for the majesty of the event (as, say, Crenshaw did in laying up on the back-nine par 5s during his first Masters win) we would be salivating to see if he can complete the slam at the British Open. The Open led the horses to water. Shame on them if they didn’t drink.