: U.S. Open
June 19 2011
9:19 pm
Day a major force…again
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — Two majors. Two second places.
A tie at the Masters. Solo at the U.S. Open.
So if you’re not paying attention to Jason Day, you should be.
The 2010 Byron Nelson champ, the 23-year-old from Queensland, is turning into a major force. He shot a 64 in the second round of the Masters; a third-round 65 here at Congressional Country Club. He shared second — two shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel — with fellow Aussie Adam Scott at the Masters and finished 8 shots behind Rory McIlroy here, closing with a 68 to McIlroy’s 69.
"Obviously it’s my first U.S. Open,” said Day, who has seven top-nine finishes on the TOUR this year. "Very excited that I finished second. I’m not going to go home and cry because I got whooped.
"But Rory, you can’t beat a guy that’s gone out and played as well as he has this week. He just didn’t miss a beat, played phenomenal golf, and I played really, really solid golf over the weekend, which I really wanted to do, and I’m very, very happy to finish second, which is nice."
In so many other years, 8 under would have won. This week, Day’s remarkable week was just the second lowest score by one of the fast-rising 20-somethings.
"Yeah, obviously if you go around to each country, each country has their own rising star coming up,” Day said. "This is the start of it, and obviously Rory is leading it, and there’s a bunch of other great golfers out there that obviously we need to work a little harder to get to the level of Rory. But you’re right, we really are going to start a new generation, and it’s really fun. I think it’s great for golf."
7:25 pm
Garrigus, Chappell low Americans
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappell low Americans?
Who’d have figured that?
Certainly not Garrigus, who couldn’t even conceive of someone telling him at the start of the week he’d finish 10 shots off the lead — let alone tied for third and low American — and shoot under par everyday day.
"If you had told me I was going to do that,” he said, "I might have slapped you in the face. I just didn’t understand the scores."
What he did understand? Walking off the 18th green.
"It gave me goosebumps for sure,” he said. "That was one of the things I will never forget. Besides it being Father’s Day and to have my son there afterwards and everything, this is a pretty special day. And to make that putt, I get into Augusta, that’s probably one of the coolest things I’ll ever get to say is I am playing at Augusta next year."
Chappell might agree.
For those of you who don’t know, Chappell is a 24-year-old UCLA grad and PGA TOUR rookie. He’s the one who closed with a 66 and wasn’t sure what this would mean. Garrigus is the 33-year-old who hits it a mile and putts with a tiny — think junior club — putter. He closed with a 70.
"Being low American, that’s great,” said Chappell, whose finish, coupled with a tie for second at the Valero Texas Open, ensures him his 2012 TOUR card. "I don’t think the state of American golf is where everyone expects it to be, but I think it shows that someone like myself can play out here, and I think it’s definitely going to end up going in the right direction here sometime soon.
Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III led the next low All-American group (Heath Slocum, Brandt Snedeker) at 3 under in a tie for 11th. The 47-year-old Love struggled with his putter all week and bristled a bit at the notion that American golf was struggling.
"Really I guess a little bit of an exception with Lee Westwood, but most of them are guys that are over here playing a lot, week in and week out,” Love said. "Rory (McIlroy) I guess we’ve seen him a lot in the last year. Everything goes in streaks, you know. We might be talking about how four Americans win the next four.
"We don’t look at it that I way, we’re just playing the golf course. We don’t play nationalities, we’re playing golf and trying to win. If it’s Kevin Chappell that shoots 17‑under or Rory, it doesn’t make any difference to me, I got whipped."
7:06 pm
Snaps from Colt McCoy
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — First Rafa Nadal. Now Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy.
It seems like everyone is mesmerized by 22-year-old Rory McIlroy’s talent, magical week and soon-to-be first major.
“Love watching Rory, his swing and his poise” McCoy tweeted.
6:08 pm
Kaymer amazed at Rors
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — Martin Kaymer walked off the course amazed at Rory McIlroy’s performance.
He didn’t see a lot of shots, but he saw enough to call McIlroy’s game fantastic.
"The way he plays golf, it’s a different golf,” said Kaymer, who won his first major last August at the PGA Championship. "It’s close to perfect.”
". . . .It is great for him to win the event early in his career. He’s only 22 years old and especially after what happened at the Masters, you know, all the eyes on him. And to finally to bring it home and to win not only, I would say, the biggest over there, anyway, besides the Masters, but it’s the U.S. Open, if you are the champion of the United States, it’s quite impressive. And to be the second Irish. I mean, I’m very happy for him and for his family, as well. He has great parents. It’s great to see.”
Kaymer did say, though, that Congressional was . . . well, not Pebble Beach or Pinehurst.
"It’s not really a U.S. Open golf course, to be honest,” Kaymer said. "It plays softer. You have birdie chances the first nine It plays fairly easy. If you hit the fairways, you can go straight at the flags. And the greens, they roll along. Still, 16‑under, or wherever he’ll finish today, it’s very impressive and I’m very happy for him.”
McIlroy’s expected win will also give the Internationals a string of five consecutive major championships for the first time ever. Internationals held four in a row in 1994 — Jose Maria Olazabal (Masters), Ernie Els (U.S. Open) and Nick Price (British Open, PGA).
When asked what he thought that said about American golf, Kaymer said, "It says, I think, that the Americans struggle a little bit. Since Tiger (Woods) has been on a, how do you say, a little down.”
He added that the advent of the World Golf Championships have strengthened international golf, but that it was Padraig Harrington, who won three of six majors (2007, 2008 British Opens; 2008 PGA Championship) "gave us at least the belief that we can win here in America, as well."
5:25 pm
Standing room only @ Holywood
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — Wondering what the scene is like right now at Rory McIlroy’s home club — Holywood in County Down?
Keith Rundle tweeted that it’s standing room only, but no sign of champagne . . . Yet.
4:35 pm
Rock closes with 68
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — He started the week as a guy with visa problems.
He ended it as a bit of a rising star.
We’re talking Englishman Robert Rock, who won the BMW Italian Open last Sunday, got a last-minute visa, flew to Newark, took a car service to Washington D.C. in the middle of the night and got here at 3:30 a.m. Thursday. A little more than 13 hours before his first-round tee time.
He stands to finish in the top 30 this week and people are already buzzing about his game and his tousled haircut.
If not for a third-round 76 . . . . well, it’s golf and you have to count them all, but finishing at 1 over for the tournament with no practice round and only a rough idea of the course from watching an event on television . . . get where we’re going?
Rock closed with a 68 and will head to Paris tonight for the Alstom Open de France in two weeks.
"I hit a lot of good shots.,” said Rock, who closed with a 68 and will head to Paris tonight for the Saint Omer Open next week. "It was a pleasure playing with Lucas (Glover) today. That made it easier. I’m reasonably happy overall. I’m only going to finish 30th, which is not what you want when you enter a tournament, and I had better hopes after overcoming the hardest part, which was the first round.
"I’m disappointed because I thought I’d play better golf, but not knowing enough about the place just cost me."
And, he’s as impressed with European Tour mate Rory McIlroy as everyone else.
"Yeah, I think Rory is showing what can be done around here,” Rock said. "I’m not saying I played anywhere near that good, but I played some decent golf. If I would have learned a bit more about it, I would have maybe gone a bit more under.”
After his whirlwind trip, Rock was ready to slow down a bit.
"My caddie and I are going to have a beer now and chill out before our flight tonight,” he said. "I’ve got a week off to do very little. There won’t be much practice done, I don’t think. I’ll take it easy for at least a few days and then start up again because I’ve got a big tournament coming up the week after."
3:29 pm
Front nine is vulnerable
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — How’s the course playing? Well, if you find the fairways … pretty good.
Lee Westwood birdied the first hole to pull within eight of Rory McIlroy, but the real news is coming from reigning British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen and Steve Stricker. Both Oosthuizen and Stricker started the day even par and shot 4-under on the front nine.
There are birdies out there.
3:19 pm
Watch out for Westwood
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — To answer your question, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy did have dinner Saturday night. Third night in a row. But we don’t know who paid (it was McIlroy’s turn).
But in a few minutes, Westwood will morph from friend into rival as he tees off 9 shots behind — and one group in front of — McIlroy in the final round of the U.S. Open.
His thoughts on trying to catch McIlroy?
"Play as well as I did yesterday, that’s the only thing I can control,” Westwood said. ". . . He should win shouldn’t he?”
But that won’t stop Westwood, who is poised to regain world No. 1 even if he doesn’t win.
And, in case you’re looking for someone to make run at McIlroy . . . well, Westwood’s got a bit of history with these comeback things.
At the 1999 Smurfit European Open, another of his buddies — Darren Clarke — threw out a second round 60 and took a 6-shot lead in the final day and a 7-shot lead over Westwood. Westwood shot 65; Clarke shot 75 and Westwood won by 3.
Of course, this is a different time, a different course and McIlroy has led 117 of 126 holes in the last two majors.
Still worth keeping an eye one.
2:01 pm
Father’s Day smile for Luke
BETHESDA, Md. — Golf Digest‘s Marty Hackel found Luke Donald’s unique Father’s Day expression — his daughter Elle’s name on his shirt collar. The world No. 1 is currently through 15 holes and 2 under for the day, 5 over for the tournament.
: U.S. Open
June 18 2011
9:22 pm
Love: Try the best you can
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM
BETHESDA, Md. — Davis Love III, who is vying for low American honors this week, admits Rory McIlroy’s eight-shot lead will make Sunday a little less interesting.
"But you still try to do it the best you can,” he said. You never know.
Love, who shot a third-round 70 and is tied for 10th at 2 under, pointed to McIlroy’s meltdown at the Masters this year when he led by four and Greg Norman’s in 1996, when he led by six, as tournaments where one swing really made the difference between winning and losing.
"(Rory’s) obviously playing fantastic golf,” Love said. "He was, I’d say, one swing from winning the Masters and then he hits it in the fairway on 10 and I think it was over.
"A lot like Greg Norman that year. Greg, one swing, give him one swing back and he turns one of those doubles into a par, and he probably wins. He can shoot low, there’s no question about that."
Someone asked if Love remembered what it was like to be 22, like McIlroy is, and innocent.
"I think he’s about 27 in golf years,” Love said. "He’s very polished on experience. When I was 22, I didn’t have the wealth of experience he has. Scott Verplank winning a pro event (the 1985 Western Open as an amateur), I don’t think we’ve seen a rookie come out with his composure and be ready to play on our Tour right away like he is. (Rory) and Rickie Fowler I think are a lot alike. They’re both very mature, very well rounded, smart guys that know where they want to go and how to get there. They’re not just trying to figure it out; they’re trying to win."
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