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  A U.S. Open blog by Post-Gazette staff writers |
June 17 -- U.S. Open -- Day Seven
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John Heller, Post-Gazette Angel Cabrera wins the 107th U.S. Open. Click photo for larger image. |
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7:40 p.m.
Angel Cabrera, little-known before this week by many Pittsburgh-area golf fans, is the winner of the 107th U.S. Open at Oakmont. Cabrera fired a final-round 69, 1-under-par and finished at 5-over 285 for the tournament. He finished one stroke ahead of both Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk, each with Open titles to their credit. Woods couldn't sink any putts and finished at 2-over 72 for his round. Furyk made a nice run of three consecutive birdies on the back nine, but his bogey at 17 cost him the championship. He shot an even-par 70 Sunday.
While it may have been a Tiger Woods gallery, Cabrera, to me, seems like a Pitttsburgh type of champion. He works hard, is a good guy and while he's not the classic looking golfer, he has all the shots, especially a booming drive. He's stocky and strong, smokes cigarettes as he traverses the course, and seems always to be smiling. He's the kind of champion that could do well in other majors, too. He seems to have the type of game for tough golf courses and he'll get more than his share of chances over the years to add to his first major victory. -- Jerry Micco
7:14 p.m.
This is it, the greatest golfer in the world against one of the toughest golf courses in the world, and by many accounts, the toughest hole on Oakmont 7,200-yard layout.
Tiger Woods comes to 18 at 6-over for the tournament in the U.S. Open, one behind leader Angel Cabrera of Argentina, who is in the clubhouse having shot a 1-under 69 on the day. With his 69, Cabrera was the only golfer to shoot two sub-par rounds at this year's Open.
This is it, Tiger attacks 18 with a chance to force a playoff -- or win with an eagle. This is what the Open's all about. -- Jerry Micco
6:45 p.m.
This is going to be a great finish, befitting a U.S. Open. Angel Cabrera posted a 1-under 69 and is currently the leader in the clubhouse at 5-under par. Jim Furyk, who just bogeyed 17, and Tiger Woods, who just made a terrific par at 15, are one stroke back. Woods can be particularly dangerous because he has three holes left to play and is only a stroke back. Furyk will need to birdie 18 to have a shot at a playoff. This has the chance to be one of the great endings in Open history. And the members at Oakmont, who wanted their course to be the toughest test in golf, got their wish. -- Jerry Micco
6:25 p.m.
Angel Cabrera + Marlboros = tremendous viewing pleasure. -- Colin Dunlap
6:20 p.m.
Angel Cabrera's nickname is "El Pato" which means "The Duck." They way he is sucking down the cigarettes on the back nine, perhaps his nickname should be "El Gaucho" or "The Cowboy" as in The Marlboro Man. He's still the leader, but Furyk and Woods are keeping chase. Methinks Angel will be firing up a few more smokes before the day is done. -- Dan Gigler
6:15 p.m.
The Open is heating up courtesy of Jim Furyk, who has birdied 13, 14 and 15 and is now at 5-over for the tournament, one shot back of leader Angel Cabrera, who is at 4-over par after giving up a bogey on the par-3 16th. Tiger Woods is a stroke back at 6-over, after missing a 5-foot birdie putt at 13. These three will continue to battle down the stretch to see who will win the toughest tournament in golf.
Should the event be tied after today's round, there will be an 18-hole playoff on Monday. -- Jerry Micco
5:52 p.m.
Here's my second prediction of the day. If this tournament is tied at the end of 72 holes, there will be a huge, collective swearing session in the media center because none of these dudes want to have to come back here tomorrow. Furyk just went to 5 over, while Cabrera bogeyed and is at 4 over. Get the swear jar ready. -- Colin Dunlap
5:50 p.m.
Angel Cabrera, who I'd imagine most local golf fans had never heard of before this week, now has a two-stroke lead over Tiger Woods on the back-nine of the Open. Cabrera is 2-under for the day and at 4-over for the tournament. He's two holes ahead of Woods, having just finished the par-4 14th. Woods has just bogeyed the par-4 11th to slip an extra stroke behind Cabrera.
Jim Furyk's birdie on 13 has him at 1-over for the day and 7-over for the tournament. Cabrera seems to be on a roll of making pars, which is what you need to do at the Open to hold leads. Woods has not made a birdie today and has two bogeys. Aaron Baddeley, the third-round leader, is now at 10-over and is 8-over on his round. -- Jerry Micco
5 p.m.
Oakmont is starting to hammer on the golfers, but one, the stocky, strong Argentine Angel Cabrera just birdied No. 11 to take the lead in the Open. He is 2-under for the day and at 4-over for the tournament. Tiger Woods is alone in second at 5-over (1-over on the day) and Jim Furyk, who has been so steady throughout this tournament, is lurking two back at 6-over, even-par on the day.
There was a five-way tie for the lead a while back, but double-bogeys by third-round leader Aaron Baddeley and Steve Stricker, have them both at 7-over, three behind Cabrera. Stephen Ames, who briefly led the tournament has fallen back to 8-over par. -- Jerry Micco
4:44 p.m.
Aaron Baddeley just hit out of some jungle-esque rough on No. 7, prompting some wisenheimers in the press pool to snarkily remark "Wow -- that's dangerous," and "Could've been career ending." Both clear digs at Phil Mickelson's carping about his wrist injury which he said was caused by the course. -- Dan Gigler
4:35 p.m.
There's a five-way tie atop the leader board as the players grind their way around the U.S. Open at Oakmont. The heat is getting brutal out there as some players are making the turn and headed to play their back nine holes.
The leaders: Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Stephen Ames, Angel Cabrera and Aaron Baddeley. They are all at 5-over-par for the tournament, and only Stricker and Cabrera are under par for the day (1-under).
This is the grind of the Open, what golf fans who love this tournament expect to see. It's won making pars, as Woods just did at the par-3 sixth after his drive found a bunker. Par is good, bogeys are not so good and a double bogey could be fatal. And if you can string a couple birdies, you could be on your way to a title. Still plenty of golf left to play. -- Jerry Micco
4:15 p.m.
It is tremendously steamy out there. So much so that I needed a respite from the heat. Myself and Harrisburg Patriot-News sportswriter Andy Shay just walked holes 1-4 with Tiger and Baddeley and that was enough for now.
Want proof?
Well, my black hat officially now has white sweat rings on it.
3:50 p.m.
No. 3 was a disaster for Tiger Woods, and Stephen Ames and Steve Stricker are now tied for the lead in the 107th U.S. Open at Oakmont. Woods took a double-bogey 6 on the par-4 hole dropping him to 2-over on the day and 6-over for the tournament. Ames is 1-under through three holes today and is at 4-over for the tournament. There is a group of three golfers at 5-over, including Aaron Baddely, who has recovered for two pars after a triple-bogey on No. 1, Angel Cabrera and Steve Stricker.
It's early, but the course is starting to bite back a bit at the golfers. We still have only Anthony Kim's 3-under 67 as the only under-par score. We'll see if there's one more of those lurking for one of the leaders. If so, he could be the next Open champion. -- Jerry Micco
3:31 p.m.
Followed the throng for Tiger and Baddeley's tee off. The crowd, while, courteous to Baddeley, clearly wants to see Tiger add to his illustreous career. They want to witness greatness. When it was clear Baddeley was going to bogey the first hole (before he really screwed it up) people were murmuring, "It's over." Not quite. Tiger has 17 holes to go, and while Baddeley may have already succumbed to "Choke-mont," Angel Cabrera has worked his way back to a share of the lead along with Stephen Ames. Both are tied with Tiger. The stocky Argentine and the cheeky Canadian could make it interesting. Meanwhile, fan favorite Bubba Watson has sunk like a stone, and is three over for the day. -- Dan Gigler
3:17 p.m.
Things couldn't have started out worse for Aaron Baddeley. This isn't the Heritage Classic, Aaron, it's the Open and you pay for mistakes. A triple-bogey 7 on the first hole sunk him into a group in second place and the lead now belongs to Tiger Woods and Steven Ames, who birdied No. 2, at 4-over par. Baddeley is a good golfer so we'll see how he handles that disaster. There's a lot of golf left, but starting with a 7 isn't the way you want to go. -- Jerry Micco
3:04 p.m.
The leaders are off the tee at No. 1. I'm not much to discuss fashion, but I have to say the clothes fit the men these days. Tiger Woods is in his traditional final round red and black outfit. Looking very powerful and confident as he prepares to tackle Oakmont's challenges. Then there's leader Aaron Baddeley, in light blue check pants and a milk chocolate brown shirt. It's about as unassuming as you'll ever see. And it fits. Not many people, although our own Gerry Dulac has been touting Baddeley all week, are giving the Aussie a chance against Woods. We'll see how he measures up in the final round of a major.
Woods just crushed his tee shot down the middle of the narrow No. 1 fairway. Baddeley, who's got to have butterflies the size of turkey, put it into the right rough, but it's sitting up for him. He'd better get those butterflies gone soon. Tiger Woods waits for no one.
-- Jerry Micco
2:32 p.m.
2:22 p.m.
Here's my call -- Michael Putnam the lanky 6-foot-4 kid from Tacoma will win a major in the next few years. Obviously, he ain't winning here at Oakmont, but he did well to earn himself an afternoon tee time on this, the final day of the U.S. Open. I followed him for a hole, watched him hit some balls and paid attention to him this week. He's my guy of the future. -- Colin Dunlap
2:20 p.m.
We're starting to get to the groups who actually have a chance to win the golf tournament, albeit a slim chance. Those are the guys at 6-over, who, if they can come out and shoot a low number like 67 or 68 can move forward and hope that the guys in front of them move back. It's the Open so you never know.
In a group of players at 6-under are Jim Furyk, Angel Cabrera and Steve Stricker. Of that group, only Furyk has a major, winning the 2003 Open at Olympia Fields. Those guys go off at 2:20 (Cabrera) and 2:30 (Stricker and Furyk). Then the guys at 5-over take start their trek around Oakmont. Paul Casey, Steven Ames, Bubba Watson and Justin Rose go off starting at 2:40. None have a major title on their resumes.
It's 40 minutes until Baddeley and Woods begin. -- Jerry Micco
1:37 p.m.
Anthony Kim, a 21-year-old from Dallas, just finished with a round of 3-under 67. Kim's a great up-and-coming golfer so his having a good round here isn't surprising. But what is surprising is that this course gave up a 67 in the fourth round. That means that number is out there and someone can get it. Depending on who it is could decide the championship.
We noted earlier that the par-3 No. 8 hole was playing at 300 yards. I found out that is the longest par-3 ever in any professional golf tournament. When you put it up against how the course is set up for No. 2 (307 yards), No. 14 (313) and No. 17 (306), which are all par-4s, it puts into perspective what a bear No. 8 could be today. Luckily for the golfers, the hole is set on the right side of the green, away from the huge Sahara bunker on the left.
-- Jerry Micco
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Peter Diana, Post-Gazette U.S. Open volunteer John Koger, of Knoxville, Tenn., catches up on the news before the start of the tournament. Click photo for larger image. |
1:05 p.m.
Happy Father's Day from the U.S. Open. One of my favorite things to do on this day is to sit back after brunch with my wife and two boys and watch all the Open coverage. Not much will change this year, except that we'll be live from what should be a terrific final round at Oakmont. Sunday at the Open is "hurry up and wait" day. The guys who go off early are playing out the string, but if they shoot a low score, they could move up a few spots and win some extra money.
To that end, four players on the course now are under par. Anthony Kim is at 2-under for the day and 15-over for the tournament. Lee Westwood, Boo Weekley and Harrison Frazar are all at 1-under thus far. Kim is on 16 right now, so he may very well go under par today.
The USGA is saying the course set up as far as speed of the greens should be the same as yesterday. They have done the proper watering to keep the greens at the firmness they were for Saturday's third round. But the hole locations for the final round are interesting. The par-3 eighth, the longest par-3 in Open history will play at 300 yards today. The par-4 14th has been moved up to 313 yards, making it the only round that's realistically driveable. And No. 17 will play at 306 yards, and the hole is accessible to guys who want to drive this green.
It will be a fascinating day of golf. Woods and Baddeley tee off at 3 p.m. Oakmont will try to claim its final victims and produce a winner. If not, an 18-hole playoff looms on Monday.
-- Jerry Micco
JUNE 16, 2007 -- U.S. OPEN DAY SIX
7:58 p.m.
Having spent much of the day trying to track Tiger Woods from within the massive, swarming, suffocating gallery, I now feel confident saying this much: At Oakmont, you have a better chance of beating Tiger than actually keeping up with him.
Not sure how many people, precisely, headed to Oakmont today specifically to watch Tiger, but I'd estimate about 10,000. And most of those people decided to start at the first hole. That created huge bottlenecks and impossible sightlines. By the time Tiger had finished the first hole, most fans -- stuck outside the ropes, sometimes in narrow passageways -- had only made it halfway down the fairway.
When Tiger readied for shots, you could tell because of the silence. When he sank putts, you could tell because of the roar. But mostly, fans were left blind.
So, if you were intent to watch Tiger, you had a couple options:
1. Run ahead to a hole that he'd soon be playing, wait for him to come through, and then repeat the process. (Jumping two or three holes ahead was probably most recommended.)
2. Elbow your way through the crowds.
3. Stay on the farthest reaches of the crowd -- near the ropes it was always packed four- or five-deep -- and hope you could catch a glimpse of the guy. This meant, generally, you'd see him walking to fairways or pacing on the green; you probably wouldn't see the results of his shots.
4. Watch on TV.
Golf makes for a great spectator sport when you can actually see it, but with Tiger in this tournament -- and very much a contender -- fan interest is lopsided. Others on the leaderboard don't get much love. You can watch them up close. But the big name draws the big crowds, and today, the whole scene had me wondering what they were actually watching. -- Chico Harlan
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Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Bubba Watson hits out of the rough on the ninth hole. Click photo for larger image. |
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6:40 p.m.
Bubba Watson knocked himself out of first place with a triple bogey on the ninth, but he wasn't the only front runner to struggle there.
Niclas Fasth of Sweden was tied with Tiger Woods with one over par for the day and three over for the tournament after eight holes. He then lined up to putt on the No. 9 green. But just as he made contact with the ball he jerked the club and took a swipe at the top of his left wrist. As the ball rolled wide of the cup, Fasth looked up at caddy David McNeilly and said, "I was stung by a mosquito."
Fasth blew on the bug bite, then sank his second putt for bogey.
-- Curt Chandler
6:19 p.m.
Aussie golfer Aaron Baddeley had back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 and now has a two-stroke lead over five players, including Tiger Woods late in the third round at Oakmont. Baddeley is 1-under for his third round and is at 1-over for the tournament. His back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 propelled him out of a four-way tie for first and into the lead.
Baddeley still has five holes remaining in his round. Woods just finished with a bogey 5 on 18 for a round of 1-under 69. It was an excellent round and could have been much lower except that Woods missed several birdie putts and not by much. Woods had a bogey-free round going until 18. -- Jerry Micco
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Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Angel Cabrera takes his second shot from the rough to reach the green on the 6th hole. Click photo for larger image. |
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4:47 p.m.
Angel Cabrera is still leading at the U.S. Open, but the stockily-built Argentine has been struggling a bit. He's currently at 1-over through six holes today, one stroke ahead of Bubba Watson, who is 1-over on his day. Tiger Woods is next at 3-over for the tournament and 2-under-par for the day.
The low round of the day belongs to Steve Stricker, who fired a 2-under 68, including a pitch shot from the fairway for a birdie on 18. Stricker is in at 6-over after three rounds.
The greens are generally more receptive to shots today because a lot of guys are firing at the pins. Not that they are easy to putt once you get there, but it seems like the course is a tad easier than it was on Friday. The monster 12th hole was shortened to 632 yards today from the 667 it had been playing the first two rounds. Woods and his playing partner Nick Dougherty are playing that hole now. -- Jerry Micco
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Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Paul Casey lines up a putt on the first green. Click photo for larger image. |
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4:19 p.m.
One thing about the U.S. Open, if you're consistent and make your pars, good things can happen. It's looking that way for Angel Cabrera, who has started his round with four consecutive pars and has a 2-shot lead over five golfers as the third round begins to rapidly unfold.
Paul Casey, who is 1-under on the day, heads the group of five at 2-over. Tiger Woods is at 3-over, having toured the front nine in 2-under 34. Casey, Woods and Sweden's Carl Pettersson are the only golfers who are under par so far today. Pettersson is at 3-over for the tournament through his first 10 holes today.
Is it me or is every golfer wearing blue shirts today? Seems to be the color of choice. -- Jerry Micco
3:46 p.m.
No major moves on the leader board as the leaders work their way through the front nine at Oakmont. Angel Cabrera, looking solid and steady (and like a middle linebacker) is even-par on the day,and the tournament, through two holes. His playing partner Bubba Watson looks pretty shaky, but he's still even-par on his day and just one behind Cabrera.
Tiger Woods just finished with a par on No. 7, just missing a 5-foot downhill putt for a birdie. He's firing at the pins and making the ball stick on the greens. The members must be going crazy here and demanding no water any more on any greens for the rest of the tournament. But water or not, these greens are still pretty slick and only those who can handle the putter well will have any shot at moving up.
Paul Casey's on a bit of a run. He just birdied the par-5 fourth and is tied with Watson for second place at 1-over. If you take his last 22 holes, he's 6-under-par for the tournament. Who say Oakmont's such a tough course? Paul Casey seems to own it. -- Jerry Micco
3:15 p.m.
OK, it's on now. Tiger Woods has birdied two of the the last three holes and is now at 3-over, just three strokes behind leader Angel Cabrera, who is just about to tee off. Paul Casey, he of Friday's round of 4-under 66, just birdied No. 2 and is at 2-over-par. Woods has obviously brought his A-game today and unless the other guys do the same, they are going to pay the price. Woods is the best at this sort of run, especially in majors, and he's got a lot of guys he's contending with who have never been in this situation. On a tough course like this, that kind of experience and mental toughness gets you through the ups-and-downs of the weekend rounds.
Cabrera just teed off and he's in the first cut of rough on No. 1. Not a bad lie, so he has a shot at the pin. Tiger moves along to the par-3 6th. Every player has now teed off, the third round is in full swing. -- Jerry Micco
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Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Ken Duke reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the eighth hole today. Click photo for larger image. |
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2:50 p.m.
The fans just went crazy as Tiger Woods birdied the par-4 third hole, moving to 1-under for the day and 4-over for the tournament. The first six holes here are probably as easy a stretch as Oakmont offers. Nothing's easy here, but those six, collectively, offer some hope for birdies. Of course, the golfers then must navigate the rugged 7-10 holes, which have put away most of the golfers in this tournament. Most guys want a one- or two-birdie cushion if possible before heading into that four-hole stretch.
Not a lot of movement up the leaderboard so far. Vijay Singh is 1-under through 10 holes on the day and is at 7-over for the tournament. Steve Stricker, Singh's playing partner, is having a similar day, 1-under and 7-over for the tournament.
The last pairing with leader Angel Cabrera and Bubba Watson, one stroke behind, goes off at 3:15 p.m. Then everyone's on the course and the chase for an Open title is on. -- Jerry Micco
2:21 p.m.
I saw the man go to work.
Tiger Woods teed off a few moments ago on No. 1, before an adoring throng at Oakmont. There must have been 10,000 people just around the tee box, lined up about 20 people deep at some points. There is a magnetism to greatness, and a draw to being in its presence. As I've mentioned in this space before, my interest in golf is tepid at best. But seeing Tiger Woods -- the greatest to play this game -- begin a round at the U.S. Open, on one of the finest, most difficult golf courses in the world (and in my home city) is quite a thrill.
Tiger went par on hole one. Stay tuned. -- Dan Gigler
1:48 p.m.
We're seeing some familiar names tee off now. Jim Furyk and Lee Janzen, who have three Open titles between them, are in a pairing on No. 1 right now. Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy is on his third hole of the day and is 1-over for his round and 7-over for the tournament. Vijay Singh ishaving the best round so far, 2-under through five and is 6-over for the tournament. Singh is the kind of guy who should be able to get around Oakmont. He's a big hitter and has a delicate touch around the greens. Maybe he's the guy who will go low today.
The crowd is awaiting one Tiger Woods, who has a 2:05 p.m. tee time. His playing partner is first-round leader Nick Dougherty, who followed his 68 with a 77 on Friday. -- Jerry Micco
1 p.m.
Well, it's "moving day" at Oakmont as we lumber forward with the third round of the U.S. Open. For you non-golf fans (but who else would read this blog?) the third round of a golf tournament is considering "moving day" because it's the day when player position themselves for the final. Hopefully they will move up instead of down, but either way, all of the play today will set up what should be a great final round.
Reports are that the treacherous greens here have been watered on a normal schedule, meaning not any more than they'd regularly get. Some players have barked about the conditions, but it's the U.S. Open, so you have to expect the toughest test in golf. And there are folks shooting low numbers this week, so it can be done.
On the course now, Vijay Singh, is at 1-under for his round through two holes. He's 7-over for the tournament. Ian Poulter is at even-par for his round through five holes and is at 9-over for the tournament. But I can guarantee he's a crowd favorite. He is the guy who wears the wild clothing on the course and today's he's respendent in his canary yellow pants and black shirt. That's right, Steelers colors.
I'm expecting the huge galleries at any time to start the "Here we go Steelers" chant at any minute. After all, it is a football town. -- Jerry Micco
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Pam Panchak, Post-Gazette Paul Casey, left, listens to a cmment by Stewart Cink after they finished the eight hole today at Oakmont Country Club. Click photo for larger image. |
5:40 p.m.
We have a tie atop the leaderboard at Oakmont. Angel Cabrera has just bogeyed the par-4 third hole to slip back into a tie with David Toms at even-par. Both golfers have several holes to go. This is the ultimate grind. Late in round two of the Open and the golfers are being punished. Remember Nick Dougherty, the first-round leader? Said Oakmont was "easy." Hey Nick, don't talk down to one of the toughest Open venues in the world. Remember, the USGA can hear you. As we speak, Dougherty is 6-over so far on his day and 4-over for the tournament through 15 holes.
The cut keeps sliding back to guys like Phil Mickelson. It's now projected at 10-over, 150. If both Toms and Cabrera slide to plus-1 and lead the tournament with that number, Mickelson will make the cut. Any player within 10 strokes of the lead makes the cut.
Tiger Woods is having a tough go of it. He's 4-over for the day and 5-over for the tournament through 13 holes.
Oakmont continues to claim its victims. -- Jerry Micco
5:06 p.m.
After each round is completed, players are shuttled to an area for flash interviews -- quickies press conferences about their rounds, that don't last more than a few minutes. Some of my personal highlights from today:
Phil Mickeslon, clearly dejected, said he was going to spend the rest of the day "Watching the carnage on TV." The line met with a roar of laughter from the hackers (press corps).
One reporter asked Jim Furyk if the extreme difficulty of the course at Oakmont somehow mirrored the gritty "blue collar" image of Pittsburgh. Uhhh ??? sure. That's a bit of a reach, don't you think? Oakmont is a Pittsburgh treasure and we should be proud that our city is for this week, the epicenter of the sports world, but let's be honest here: it's a golf course on a country club, that probably has close to a six-figure initiation fee, and an annual membership fee in the range of most "blue collar" workers salaries. I don't think Joe Magarac played Oakmont very much.
Paul Casey, giddy after shooting a nearly superhuman 66 this morning, called Oakmont the toughest course he's played, and credited his "ball striking" today for the superb round. He doesn't "hit" the ball or "drive" the ball. It's "ball striking." This phrase, used often in golf, has become the favorite for myself and Bob Dvorchak, who have tried to use it as often as possible this week. It sounds so absurd because it makes it sound more complicated than it needs to be. It also opens up a whole new possibility of lexicon: Walking is now, "Bipedal Locomotion." Eating is now "Manual Self-Nourishment." -- Dan Gigler
4:35 p.m.
Angel Cabrera, the strong, stocky Argentine, is back under par and has a 2-stroke lead at the U.S. Open. Cabrera, who one of my colleagues says has a strong resemblance to former Italian golf star Constantino Rocca, is just the type of guy who could do well here. He is strong to get balls out of the rough, but he manages his shots well and doesn't try to be a big hitter. He seems comfortable out there even though Oakmont continues to beat up on the best golfers in the world.
There are five guys at 1-over par, 2 shots back. But there's still a ways to go, many of the golfers have nine holes or just under that to go. Tiger Woods is at 3-over for the tournament and is 2-over-par today. It looks like the cut line is sliding downward as the day moves along. Right now it's a 149 (9-under), which would put a lot of folks, including Phil Mickelson, Shaun Micheel, Steward Cink and Sean O'Hair packing. It may slide back one, but not enough to help Mickelson, who is at 11-over, 151. -- Jerry Micco
3:50 p.m.
This is becoming a big-time grind. No, not submitting blog items, the U.S. Open and the effects Oakmont's 7,200-yard layout is having on the field. The current leader is Angel Cabrera of Argentina, who is at even-par. There are a handful of folks at 1-over and a group of golfers at 2-over, which is where Tiger Woods is sitting.
This is the perfect storm for the USGA. They like their championship decided by the winner being at even-par. While a lot of people were in love with last year's winning score of plus-5 by Geoff Ogilvy struck fear into everyone's hearts, the USGA really does like it closer to even. And when you've got some big names like Tiger Woods, David Toms and Ben Curtis hanging around, then this tough grind is all worth it.
The scores are going to continue to rise. The projected cut is 150, which means Phil Mickelson would pack his bags along with a lot of other talented players. But we have a ways to go. More to come, golf fans. -- Jerry Micco
2:42 p.m.
It's now official. With Nick Dougherty's double bogey at the par-5 15th, no players at the U.S. Open are under par. There are fourplayers at even-par for the tournament, including Dougherty. -- Jerry Micco
2:25 p.m.
There really isn't a way to describe it, rather, you must experience it to even remotely understand the phenomenon that is Tiger Woods.
I watched Tiger hit his tee shot on No. 10 (his first hole of the day) and walked the fairway with his group. At one point, there were (and this is not an exaggeration) rows of people standing 15 deep to see El Tigre. If you are a fan and you are coming out here for the weekend, don't plan on getting within 50 feet of Tiger. -- Colin Dunlap
2:10 p.m.
Not a lot of movement on the leaderboard as the afternoon groups begin their walk around Oakmont. Nick Dougherty is still in the lead, followed by Angel Cabrera, though the latter is being roughed up by the rough on his second hole as we speak. Good ol' Bubba Watson is hanging around at even-par and there are a host of guys at 1-over.
Let me mention a couple that have escaped my thoughts and maybe many others. Geoff Ogilvy is the defending Open champion and is still at 1-under after two holes today. He's in Tiger Woods' group and he's not the reason thousands at Oakmont are following that grouping. That said, this guy's a terrific player and has won this before. In case you're wondering, there hasn't been a back-to-back Open champion since Curtis Strange did it in 1989-90. Unfortunately for him, he never won a tournament after that, but he'll always be remembered for those back-to-back victories.
Another guy to keep an eye on is Ben Curtis, who has won a British Open title in 2003. He's 1-over for the tournament as is early in round 2, so that's another guy to keep an eye on. Guys who have won majors tend to be able to hold it together once the tourament gets into the grind. -- Jerry Micco
1:40 p.m.
Tiger's about to tee off on No. 10, one of the toughest holes on the course. The par-4 is downhill all the way. He's in the short cut of rough after his drive. Shouldn't be a problem for the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
As for Nos. 2, 3 and 4, this is a day they'd love to forget. No. 2 Phil Mickelson, 7-over on the day and 11-over for the tournament. Borderline to make the cut. No. 3 Jim Furyk, 4-over on the day, 5-over for the tournament. He may contend if the late guys gas out today. No. 4 Adam Scott, 12-over on the day, 18-over for the tournament. Pack your bags, Adam. Those guys are all too good to post those kinds of scores, which is why Oakmont and the Open continue to crush most of the field.
American Bubba Watson birdied his first hole, but then bogeyed two holes later and is at even-par for both today and the tournament, through three holes today. How can you not love a guy named Bubba, who is from a town called Bagdad (in Florida), who is a golfer. Very few country clubs can claim they have a Bubba. At least I think that's the case. -- Jerry Micco
1:05 p.m.
Paul Casey just finished one terrific round at the 107th U.S. Open. He shot a 4-under 66 and is at 143, 3-over-par, after two rounds. There's a very good chance that could be the leading score once today is over because Oakmont has been merciless so far. Casey, who shot a 77 on Thursday, had five birdies and the only blemish on his card was a bogey-5 on 18, which has played as the toughest hole on the course.
As Phil Mickelson continues to fade (6-over on the day and 10-over for the tournament through 17 holes today) anticipation mounts for Tiger Woods' shot at the tough Oakmont layout. The galleries will be huge for Tiger. And that could be a problem. We heard a report from a fellow journalist that the pedestrian bridges between 1 and 2 are backed up for nearly 45 minutes. We'll look into that for tomorrow, but the crowds, as I said earlier, are just huge today. -- Jerry Micco
12:40 p.m.
Some of the early starters are finishing and Oakmont is taking its toll. We're seeing two-round scores like 157 and 156. We'll see a lot of scores in the high 140s for two rounds, which should make the cut. This is the absolute grind of the U.S. Open. The weather is perfect, the wind isn't terrible here, no rain in sight. Yet this course is just killing these guys. They had to create a number on the press center scoreboard amateur Alex Prugh who had a 10 on the par-5 fourth hole. That's ugly.
Considering Phil Mickelson is at 9-over for the touranment and 5-over for the day and Jim Furyk is 3-over for the day and 4-over for the tournament puts into perspective what we're seeing from Englishman Paul Casey today. Right now he's at 4-under through 17 holes and is at plus-3 for the tournament. If that number holds, and he's got the tough No. 9 as his finishing hole, that might be the leading number after two rounds. For anyone to come out here and shoot 66 today that's a tremendous accomplishment.
The crowds are large again today and the galleries will only grow as Tiger Woods prepares to tee off at 1:36 p.m. -- Jerry Micco
11:10 a.m.
Not many golfers are below par so far in this second round. England's Paul Casey has the low round thus far with a 3-under through 12 holes. But he's got the tough 7, 8, 9 stretch to finish so he'll need all those strokes. The grouping with Phil Mickelson, which includes Jim Furyk and Adam Scott, has the No. 2, 3 and 4 ranked players in the world in it. And they are getting clobbered by Oakmont today.
Mickelson just double-bogeyed No. 10, making him 6-over for his last four holes and 8-over for the tournament. He may make the cut if he can par out on the back nine, but if he's at 8-over after two rounds, he won't contend. He was 2-under at one point through this round, but has fallen apart. Furyk is 4-over for the day and 5-over for the tournament. And Scott, who many thought could contend for the title, is 6-over for the day and 12-over for the tournament. Certainly in danger of missing the cut.
I've noticed that Lee Janzen is 2-over for the day through nine holes and plus-5 for the tournament. Janzen has pretty much disappeared on the golf scene, but he's won two U.S. Open titles. His last was in 1998 at Olympic Club in San Francisco (also the last Open I covered), when he defeated Payne Stewart by a stroke and finished at even-par 280. Janzen is a good guy who handles so much with a graceful attitude. Maybe he's a guy who can hang close and be a factor on the weekend. But the back 9 at Oakmont awaits him. -- Jerry Micco
10:21 a.m.
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Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Japanese golfer Shingo Katayama walks down the fairway after teeing off on the first hole at Oakmont Country Club for the second day of play at the U.S. Open. Click photo for larger image. |
There is a large crowd following Phil Mickelson's grouping today and they just let out a collective groan when Lefty double-bogeyed the par-4 seventh hole. Mickleson, who had been 2-under on his round coming into No. 7, hit a drive into the rough around a fairway bunker, then chunked a shot about 80 yards into a grass ditch hazard. He took a drop out of there and lying four, hit is shot to the back of the green, about 18 feet away. He two-putted for his double and walked off, not pleased with himself. ESPN coverage has kicked in and we're getting a better overview of things now. TV's still the best way to see all that's going on for us, though almost all of our staffers here are scattered about on the course.
Day two of a major has its share of fits and starts. You start to notice someone making a move and before long, they slide and another person moves up. As the day wears on, the cut number is widely discussed. There will be projections on the cut once 2/3rds of the field has completed their round today. Officially, the cut is the top 60 players plus anyone within 10 strokes of the leader. Look for the cut to be around 10-over, but we'll see how the day goes and how the course starts wreaking havoc on the scorecards. -- Jerry Micco
9:35 a.m.
Round two is well underway here at Oakmont. A few guys are under par after playing their early holes, led by Paul Casey, who is 3-under on the day through seven holes. Casey is 4-over for the tournament. Steve Stricker is 2-under for the day and even-par for the tournament. Phil Mickelson just birdied the par-5 fourth to move to 3-over-par for the tournament. The weather is supposed to be terrific today, but it'll be dry and the greens here are just brutally quick. If someone can post a round of 70 or just over, they may put themselves in good shape for the weekend. A guy like Mickelson could certainly tour this layout in even-par 70 and not only make the cut, but be in contention for the weekend.
As an added incentive to golfers, the USGA has moved the tees up 10 yards on the par-4, 313-yard 17th hole today. Only a handful of players were able to drive that green yesterday, and the USGA wants to put the drive into play. We'll see today how many players go after the well-bunkered green in an attempt at a rare eagle.
We'll have more updates as things get going today. Tiger Woods tees off at 1:36 p.m. -- Jerry Micco
9:02 a.m.
The teeth are back. I just got back from walking the No. 1 hole with Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Jim Furyk.
Adam Scott got bitten, Furyk was nicked and Mickelson survived.
Scott came across one off the tee, snapping into the left fairway bunker. That is when the fun began. On his first whack from the bunker (his second shot in total) he moved the ball about 6 feet. His second shot from the bunker just got over the lip of the darn thing and squirted out onto the rough.
From there, a few whacks later and some sweat starting to run, Scott finished the opening hole with a 7. Not a good way to start.
Furyk hit it in the right rough off the tee, took his medicine and chipped out. From there (about 80 yards) he got down in three, carding a 5 on the hole.
Mickelson made par from the middle of the fairway, but his second shot was indicative of what Oakmont will play like the remainder of the tournament. He hit an iron that landed about 15 feet short of the stick, but it rolled off the back.
Stay tuned -- this track is going to chew up and spit some people out today. -- Colin Dunlap
JUNE 14, 2007 -- U.S. OPEN DAY FOUR
5:16 p.m.
Today, I followed Allen Doyle for 18 holes. He's the oldest player in the Open -- by seven years. With a pudgy midsection and unsightly swing -- most compare it to a hockey slap shot -- he looks like the kind of player you might find on a local muni. And because of that, he's easy to root for.
However, chances are strong you won't be rooting for him come Saturday. Today's round, an 81, means he probably won't make the cut. He quadruple-bogeyed the final hole. During his round, he was sweating and huffing and puffing. Fans who caught a glimpse of his round tended to smile -- and I think it was because they identified something familiar in his mannerisms. From bunkers, he sometimes popped it 30 yards forward, straight into more bunkers. From the rough, he stubbornly refused to lay up, and instead went for the green??? which meant -- surprise, surprise -- another shot from the rough, this time 50 yards closer to the pin.
For tomorrow's paper, I'll have a narrative about Doyle's day, starting from its first minutes. As he'll tell you, it was a long one. -- Chico Harlan
3:33 p.m.
Sorry for the delay everyone, but I decided to follow Phil Mickelson's group for a couple of holes. What a circus. They've got just about everyone following them and just trying to get from hole to hole is a grind. And before you say "the media gets to cut in, don't they?" the answer is no, we don't. Unless you have a special blue armband, which are in short supply, to get inside the ropes, you are in with the fans. You stake a spot just like anyone else. Of course the difference is you aren't paying $95 a pop for that spot, but hey, we're just doing our jobs there.
The fans, from what I saw, have been great. Very knowledgeable about the sport and the players. I think this is proving to the world that Pittsburgh is an excellent golf area.
It's good to get out and see some golf, but truth is, you see it much better on TV and follow the tournament much better. But a chance to see Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott and Ian Poulter come through and play was pretty cool. Mickelson's not playing too badly now, but he's not accurate off the tee, either. And with that sore wrist, that's not a good thing. He's 1-over with a bogey his lone bogey on No. 11 (he started on No. 10).
Poulter is tied for the lead as we post at 2-under, with Nick Dougherty, who is in with a 68, a terrific score on this course. We've got a way to go yet, so we'll be posting more as the day moves on. -- Jerry Micco
1:25 p.m.
Tiger Woods just finished his first round, with a 1-over, 71. Still certainly in the hunt at this championship, but Oakmont's going to get tougher before it gets easier. Unless he completely gasses on Friday, not very likely, he'll be around for the weekend. And with Tiger, you can never count him out. He could fire a 68 or 69 on Friday and be at or near the lead. On Thursday, Tiger had three birdies and four bogeys in his round.
Geoff Ogilvy was in Tiger's group and the defending Open champion also shot a 1-over 71. As half the field is starting to finish, anything above 73 or 74 looks to be in contention for the lead. You're seeing a lot of folks at 73, including Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington, and a handful at 74, including Jerry Kelly.
The afternoon groups are going off now and Mickelson's up in 10 minutes. -- Jerry Micco
12:30 p.m.
Some players are finishing their rounds now. Bubba Watson of Bagdad (no lie), Fla., has the best completed round so far with an even-par 70. That's a very good round from where we sit. A lot of guys are hanging around at 2- or 3-over par, but there are still a few guys under. The leaders are England's Nick Daugherty and Angel Cabrera, both at 2-under with a couple of holes left to play. Jose Maria Olazabal is right behind at 1-under.
Tiger Woods is 2-over through 15 holes and Retief Goosen, considered a solid favorite here, is at 3-over through 14 holes. Phil Mickelson's group, which includes Jim Furyk, the popular favorite, and Adam Scott goes off at 1:36 p.m. -- Jerry Micco
11:39 a.m.
We're well into the first round of the Open here at Oakmont and David Toms, winner of a PGA Championship, is at 3-under par through 12 holes and has the lead. Toms is a solid player in majors and if he can hold that number for the first round he could be tough to beat. There's a small group at 1-under, led by Angel Cabrera and Jose Maria Olazabal and everyone else is at either even par or over par.
You can see the course giving the best players trouble. Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy is at even par. Tiger Woods is at 2-over after a bogey on the par-5 12th, the monster hole that can play up to 667 yards. Masters champ Zach Johnson is 4-over through 13 holes. Oakmont continues to grind these guys early.
The afternoon groups begin play at 12:30. -- Jerry Micco
10:45 a.m.
As easily as Oakmont gives, it takes it away, too. A lot of the red numbers have drained away off the leaderboard, but there are still a few. David Toms, who always seems to play well in majors, is tied for the lead with Argentine Angel Cabrera at 2-under just past the midway point in their rounds. There are five other players at 1-under, including Jose Maria Olazabal and Retief Goosen. Starting to see some brutal shots now that TV coverage has kicked in. That's the thing about covering a golf tournament. You only get an overview when you're seeing it on TV. No way you can watch everything at once, so TV gives you the best look.
Watched defending champ Geoff Ogilvy do something I'd do: hit a shot from a sand trap, a flat trap, about 20 feet into another part of the trap. Ron Cook says he say Olazabal hit one about 10 feet in the rough. That's how bad that rough is if you're in it. Tiger Woods, who is at even par, missed about a 3- or 4-foot putt that lipped out. A slight downhill here is so tricky that even the best player in the world was bitten. He won't be the last.
Excellent crowds today, particularly for Tiger. Phil Mickelson, in the pairing of the day with Jim Furyk and Adam Scott, goes off on No. 10 at 1:36 p.m. We may go watch a bit of that. -- Jerry Micco
10:05 a.m.
We're seeing more red numbers on the scoreboard here at Oakmont.
There's a trio at 2-under-par, led by Jose Maria Olazabal, Pat Perez and Angel Cabrera. Only Olazabal has won a major in that group, but he's always tough in the big ones.
Count Tiger Woods as among one of 10 players at 1-under. It's a star-studded group including Luke Donald, Ernie Els, a two-time Open winner, Retief Goosen, also a two-time winner and Rory Sabbatini, the guy who called Tiger "more beatable than ever," a few weeks back. Maybe they can stay hot and get paired together for the weekend.
That's why we love the Open. Stories within stories all the time. -- Jerry Micco
9:28 a.m.
We have our first semi-casualty.
Lee Williams just made the turn, having played the back side first. And, he looks like he's been in a boxing match. He played 6-over on the back and, to be quite honest, I kind of feel bad for the fella. --- Colin Dunlap<</I>P>
9:26 a.m.
Maybe Oakmont isn't going to give in to the best in the world so easily. Talking to one of the volunteers and he was telling me that they were watering the greens as per specification this morning. That means last night's thunderstorm may not have softened the greens as much as everyone, including me, thought. It's like your yard when it hasn't rained in a week. A soaking rain is good for our clay soil, but a hard rain pretty much runs off.
No one is more than 1-under par in the morning group so far and no one is on any kind of a roll. They have what amount to large scorecards stapled up to a huge piece (or pieces) of plywood at the front of the media center so we can follow every player for every hole. They use beautiful calligraphy for the players' names, but use stickers to post the numbers. There's a sheet of "8's" for when some unfortunate golfer gets the dreaded "snowman" on a hole.
None have gone up yet and they turned down my offer to take them off their hands so I can use them on my golf scorecard, since a snowman is common in the summer on my card. Updates on the big guys: Tiger Woods is even through four holes; Ernie Els is even through six; Zach Johnson is even through five and Reteif Goosen is even through three. Even par. This is what the USGA loves. -- Jerry Micco
8:56 a.m.
Woody Austin won last week at St. Jude. Well, if he hits it like he did off the No. 1 tee this morning, he won't even be around for the weekend here at Oakmont. Austin, paired with Pat Perez and Australian Matt Goggin, knifed his opening shot far right, pushing it into the trees that border the right side of the hole. From my vantage, I couldn't see if it was out of bounds, but it was close and forced Austin to hit a provisional. -- Colin Dunlap
8:27 a.m.
Maybe Oakmont didn't get too softened up with the torrential downpour late yesterday afternoon. Tiger Woods just bogeyed No. 1. Taking a glance around the scores, no one is more than 1-under-par through three holes or so (4 or so for the early golfers). We'll keep an eye on things here, but so far, no eye-opening scores yet. It's very early. -- Jerry Micco
8:09 a.m.
Some early birdies so far today at the Open: Olin Browne, Tom Byrum, Ken Duke, Colin Mongomerie, Sam Walker, Bubba Watson (my favorite golf name) and Boo Weekly (my second favorite golf name). Monty, who contended until he hit a brutal seven-iron on No. 18 during the final round last year at Winged Foot, started on the back nine and birdied the diffucult par-4 10th.
Tiger Woods just teed off to loud cheers from the gallery already assembled to watch him. He'll play from No. 1 today, so he'll play the course in order. The first two days of the tournament, both the No. 1 and No. 10 tees are used to push through the field of 156. Another note: Jon Mills, the Canadian who resides in Indiana, Pa., started his round bogey-bogey. He just made par on his third hole, a par-4. -- Jerry Micco
JUNE 13, 2007 -- U.S. OPEN DAY THREE
8:02 p.m.
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Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette Members of the Oakmont Country Club grounds crew walk the course to check for damage following an early evening thunderstorm that dumped hail and .4 of an inch of rain on the area. Click photo for larger image. |
Like ants, they are all over the Oakmont course. Grounds crew folks on small tractors, carts, most of them carrying rakes and on foot, trying to restore the grand course here to the brillance it had before a late afternoon thunderstorm soaked it. That soaking should make things much easier for golfers Thursday once they tee off and have a shot at those much softer greens.
I walked the length -- down hill -- on No. 1 and back the length -- uphill -- on No. 9. The USGA is doing what it can and will for as long as it can, to toughen up the course a bit. But nature may have them beat, at least for a day.
What was really cool was I walked up the fairway of No. 9, the majestic front-side finishing hole here. It's fairly steep uphill for about 100 yards, then gradually inclines to the large square green. It's neat to walk up over the first hill and see the clubhouse, in its classic green and white, come into view. I can imagine what it will be like for players here tomorrow to do that. Author John Feinstein (channeling Mark Twain) called it "A Great Walk Spoiled." That's often correct. But in the twilight of an evening cooled by the hand of Mother Nature's rain, the walk was far from spoiled. It was peaceful. It certainly was the "cool of the evening."
Now let's get to the golf. -- Jerry Micco
5:36 p.m.
Practically every writer here is reworking the leads on their stories. Remember all those storylines about the slick, sloping, hard greens at Oakmont? Mother Nature just tamed them. This heavy rain is going to slow greens and allow golfers to fire at the pins tomorrow. The rough will be wet and thick, but if you stay safe, you can take a run at the pins, at least for a day. And the earlier the better. By the way, Tiger Woods 8:06 a.m. tomorrow. I'm guessing 66 on those soft greens. We're going to see at least one low-scoring day at hallowed Oakmont. That will be tomorrow. -- Jerry Micco
5:15 p.m.
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NOAA A radar image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the intensity of the storms crossing over Oakmont as hail began to fall at 5:15 today. Click photo for larger image. |
One hell of a hail storm just hit Oakmont Country Club. Marble-sized hail is falling and falling fast. No telling what it'll do the greens, etc, on the eve of the Open, but rest assured, the wind is doing a number on the media tent. Sounds like a train is rumbling atop it. If I were back in California I'd be under the desk waiting out the shaker. But here, it's just the many Open banners being jarred up and down. The temperature has dropped about 10 or 15 degrees, too. I'm sure soon, everyone's going to be getting this boomer. -- Jerry Micco
4:42 p.m.
Allow me to be the wet blanket for a moment: I don't like golf. Don't play it. Not really interested in it. Too bad too, because I would have gotten on much better with some ex-girlfriend's dads. Just doesn't appeal to me at all, and that's no knock on people who do like it, but as Austin Powers would say, "That ain't my bag, baby."
But personal feelings on the sport aside, from a professional standpoint, helping with the PG's coverage of the open is a great experience. It's given us a chance to test our capabilities covering an event online. And hey, beats being in an office (the lunch buffets are great!)
But I have gotten a few bits of personal titillation out of it. I just came from a media area where Arnold Palmer gave a talk to a packed room of several hundred journalists who literally hung on every syllable of the Lion in Winter. I mean -- Arnold Palmer -- how cool is that?
Likewise yesterday, hearing Tiger Woods' briefing was for me, also a highlight. The Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali of this generation. Having never seen the man in the flesh, I've taken it on faith from myriad magazines, newspapers, television broadcasts, and yes commercials, that he does exist, though I've often harbored suspicion that he may really be some super-golfing/marketing android created by scientists in a lab for Nike, American Express and Buick. But he is in fact real (as far as I could tell). Even had a good sense of humor too.
Most of the questions were about golf, naturally. Personally, I would have liked to ask him what its like to have the net worth of a Saudi Sheikh, but I deferred to my colleagues. The questions turned to Tiger's impending fatherhood, and he gave very thoughtful answers about the importance of it ("More than any game of golf") and the blessings, lessons, and unconditional love he received from his own parents.
So he is real. Very real. And it was a refreshing breeze of genuine honesty from a super-athlete, all too rare in these days. -- Dan Gigler
4:31 p.m.
OFF! The horn just blew and, with it, Marshals ushered fans and players from the course. We are under a weather warning now, as the radar shows there is some foul weather on the immediate horizon. -- Colin Dunlap
3:24 p.m.
Today I had the chance to hang out with Brett Bergman, one of the luckier 20-year-olds you'll find out here. He's a top golfer at Villanova University, but he's from Wexford; his family belongs to Oakmont.
Three years ago, because of a still-undiagnosed mystery ailment, he was eligible for Make-A-Wish. His request: a round of golf with Sergio Garcia.
In 2004, they played nine holes together in Florida and had lunch afterward.
Bergman thought that was the end of it.
But this week, he's been inside the ropes with Sergio, holding the sign ??? the "standard," which trails him and announces his every move. He's been to a Station Square party with Sergio, and today, he's planned a golf outing with Sergio's father and best friend.
It speaks well for both Bergman and Sergio that their happenstance meeting turned into a friendship. But this week, it's been particularly fruitful for Bergman. -- Chico Harlan
2:21 p.m.
I walked the front 9 with Rory Sabbatini and amateur Trip Kuehne that wrapped up right at about noon. There were a lot of impressive things that happened but, without question, one stood out. It was No. 9 where Kuehne just absolutely stripped one pure through the heart of the fairway. His caddy told me Kuehne had 159 yards left on his second shot, which, with a little quick math one can arrive at the fact that he got off the tee to the tune of 319 yards. That was impressive. I mean, when you hit Driver-8 iron into Oakmont's No. 9 green, you are a stud ... there's no two ways about it. -- Colin Dunlap
9:55 a.m.
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Larry Roberts, Post-Gazette Hundreds of spectators jam the new pedestrian bridge this morning over the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which bisects the Oakmont Country Club golf course. The crowds were large on the last practice day before the start of the U.S. Open. Click photo for larger image. |
Now it feels like the Open is ready to start. The media center is much more lively today and the traffic was a bit heavier off the Turnpike headed into Harmar.
The first two days felt a bit choppy as players came and went. Some followed their posted practice schedules and others did not. There are still a lot of guys who will play at least nine holes today. Players like Vijay Singh, a winner of three majors but not this tournament, and Geoff Ogilvy, the defending champion, will practice today. Phil Mickelson said he'll play nine holes as he tries to nurse his injured left wrist along enough so he can compete come Thursday.
Wednesday holds a lot of anticipation not just for the players, but for the fans and media, too. The Open is the toughest test in all of golf and beginning tomorrow, we'll see who's up to the challenge. -- Jerry Micco
JUNE 12, 2007 -- U.S. OPEN DAY TWO
11:31 a.m.
Milling around the locker room entrance you see just about everyone who currently has a big impact on the game. There are the noticeable faces, you know, the ones you see on televison every week. But, there are also the equipment manufacturers, the swing coaches and the trainers.
There were two really great sightings I just had.
1. David Pelz. He is the man in terms of the short game. Check him out.
2. Jim Weathers. Well, Weathers is beyond explanation, but I will say this: he is the last dude I'd fight around here. Check out this story (and photo) with Weathers' involvement when Phil Mickelson was recently injured. -- Colin Dunlap
10:18 a.m.
Padraig Harrington was the first to take the podium today in the media interview room. And, in his inviting South County Dublin brogue he spoke about how much the USGA's choices on pin placements and general setup will affect the winning score.
But, perhaps the most telling thing he said about Oakmont was that "it makes Winged Foot seem very pleasant."
And, uh, as you know, a score of 5-over par won the Open at Winged Foot last year. -- Colin Dunlap
JUNE 11, 2007 -- U.S. OPEN DAY ONE
3:36 p.m.
I bring you news on the day's sexiest topic: that's right, traffic. Or lack thereof. Most fans feared a logistical nightmare getting to Oakmont.
But instead, things have gone smoothly today. Most fans park at one of two off-site locations -- either at Hartwood Acres or the Pittsburgh Mills mall. From there, busses collect the fans and drop them off at the country club gates. Both bus trips require roughly 20 minutes, but fans almost unanimously spoke about the system's efficiency. At both sites, buses waited in lines to pick fans up. And the route toward Oakmont continued unabated. -- Chico Harlan
2:44 p.m.
It's beginning to look as though Phil Mickelson's wrist injury might be more bothersome than indicated. At the very least, it appears it could jeopardize his chance to be a serious contender in the 107th U.S. Open.
The world's No. 2 player, who has withdrawn from the past two PGA Tour events, did not play a practice round yesterday on the first day for spectators at Oakmont Country Club -- the third day in a row he has failed to play because of an injury to his left wrist.
Mickelson hit approximately 30 balls on the practice range and spent nearly 45 minutes on the putting green. But he never hit a full shot on the range -- he hit his driver once -- and never went on the course. -- Gerry Dulac
1:28 p.m.
The first day of any major sporting event is always one of great anticipation -- and frustration. Inevitably, something doesn't work right, someone doesn't have the credential needed. A cell phone is confiscated. Small stuff by and large, but you need to deal with each individual problem and move on.
The beauty of this tournament is that it's near our Post-Gazette base. Unlike Detroit for Super Bowl XL, the last time we had a small regiment of reporters and photogs deployed for an event, we have the office to back us up and it's close by.
We're also seeing some movement from players here. Tiger Woods played an early round. Phil Mickelson may not hit many balls today because of his injured wrist, but he's on the putting green as I write this. We're going to follow Sergio Garcia and his foursome in their practice round, set to begin in about 15 minutes or so. There's always something going on, even when it's the first day at the US Open. -- Jerry Micco
12:12 p.m.
I'm no fashion expert here (that would be your man LaMont Jones) but I do know a snazzy pair of pants when I see one. And, hands down, the best pair of pants at Oakmont today belong to 30-year-old Hitchin, England native Ian Poulter. His pants today are of the purple, plaid Tartan variety, straight legged and a little tight. Great stuff I must say. I'd pay money to see Colin Montgomerie in a pair just like it. -- Colin Dunlap
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