2021 U.S. Open

[Carolina Speed]

The US Open begins today. There are no favorites that stand out to me. A win could come from anyone it seems. The local favorite should be Phil Mickelson who lives in nearby San Diego and won this years PGA. He only needs the US Open to complete the career slam. He has six second place finishes in this event.

Other favorites include Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, but none of these top 10 players have played particularly well this year. Brooks Koepka a two time winner has been injured this year. Jordan Spieth has played well recently, but has only one win to show for it. Rory McIlroy a former winner has dropped to number 11 in the world rankings. Who knows how he'll play this week. Some are predicting John Rahm, but he hasn't played all that well in Majors. He did have a T-3 in the 2019 US Open. Maybe young upstart and last years PGA Champion Colin Morikawa. Or someone completely out of anyone's thought.

Whoever wins, it should be an interesting week as the US Open always brings the toughest event to play in and win of any Major Championship on Father's Day weekend.

 

[Booth]

Carolina Speed I did not know that Rickie Fowler didn't make the field for the Open. It looks like the USGA could have given him an exemption, they were going to give Phi Mickelson one until he won the other week. He seemed to have started to turn his game around, I guess it wasn't enough to get an invite. I'm going out on a limb and picking Hideki Matsuyama or Patrick Reed to win.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Carolina Speed I did not know that Rickie Fowler didn't make the field for the Open. It looks like the USGA could have given him an exemption, they were going to give Phi Mickelson one until he won the other week. He seemed to have started to turn his game around, I guess it wasn't enough to get an invite. I'm going out on a limb and picking Hideki Matsuyama or Patrick Reed to win.

booth, Sorry I failed to mention Fowler. I knew he didn't make the field. I've just been so busy and wrapped up in work I forgot about him.
I wouldn't say picking Matsuyama or Reed to win is going out on a limb. Matsuyama, the Masters Champion is playing well and Reed has won at Torrey Pines in the past. Either is a possibility to win.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Well, The US Open at Torrey Pines is living up to being a tough test for some of the best players in the world. As I'm writing, some players are finishing up their first round.
Russell Henley is your first round leader at -4.
World number one Dustin Johnson and McIlroy are even. Meanwhile top 10 player Patrick Reed is +1
World number 2 Justin Thomas is +2, tied for 61st
PGA Champion Phil Mickelson is +4 and tied for 97th
Jordan Spieth is +6 tied for 129th
Justin Rose +7 tied for 146th
...and former US Open Champion Webb Simpson is +8 tied for 152nd
Two-Time Champion Brooks Koepka is showing Major playing skill is -2, T-5.
John Rahm -2 as well.
JT Poston, a local guy from my area of the state of NC is +1 in a tie for 41st. Pulling for him to at least make the cut.

 

[Booth]

CS, Phil had some trouble with fans taking pictures in his back swing causing him to back off at least twice. Bryson also photo bomb Brooks Koepka again. I am waiting to see how long the PGA lets this go on. They hate any kind of controversial issues on the tour.

 

[Don Wassall]

I can't remember the first two rounds of the U.S. Open getting so much national coverage. Besides Golf Channel's coverage all afternoon yesterday and today, it was on NBC last night from 7 to 10 EST and will be on again tonight from 6 to 9, meaning that in the East it will even pre-empt local and national "news" shows.

How can this be when Tiger isn't playing. Isn't he 99 percent of the sport? Actually that's the reason I'm not watching Live From much at all, since the '08 Open was at Torrey Pines when Woods beat Rocco Mediate in an 18 hole playoff while supposedly playing with a broken leg (lol), which undoubtedly the insufferable Rich Lerner is talking about constantly.

Anyway, golf's in a great way sans Woods with lots of young stars and not so young stars, and has been for quite a while. Golf fans know it, only those made blind and deaf by Tiger-worship don't want to acknowledge it.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Final round leaders:
T1 M. Hughes -5
T1 L. Oosthuizen -5
T1 R. Henley -5
T4 McIlroy -3
T4 DeChambeau -3
T6 Rahm -2
T9 D. Johnson -1
T14 J. Thomas E
T14 P. Casey E
T21 J. Spieth +1

Shaping up to be an exciting final round A couple of relatively unexpected leaders at the top and one time Major Champion Louis Oosthuizen. He won the British Open in 2010. Oosthuizen has also finished finished runner up in the other three Majors.
Georgia Bulldog Russell Henley and Canadian Hughes sharing the lead with Oosthuizen.
Rory McIlroy has a chance for a fifth Major.
DeChambeau could make make it two in a row US Open titles...and Dustin Johnson hanging in there for a possible third Major title.
I think anyone at even par or better has a shot to win. Paul Casey would be a popular winner as he has never won a Major.
Always impressed with Jordan Spieth's grit and never give up attitude. He had a chance to get to red numbers early and has managed to come from just making the cut all the way to a T21.

 

[Don Wassall]

Should be a great final round. I'll be happy for whoever wins, but I'll be rooting for Rory, Bryson and Louis above the others. McIlroy has very surprisingly gone seven years since winning his last major, DeChambeau is trying to go back to back which would be a tremendous feat, and Oosthuizen has been so close on numerous occasions since winning the British Open in 2010 but has fallen short each time. I always root for the South Africans and Louis always strikes me as someone who is melancholy about what has happened to his homeland but of course dare not say anything about it.

 

[Don Wassall]

Brooks Koepka shoots a 32 on the front nine and is right back in the mix at -3. A bunch of thoroughbreds are now chasing relative unknowns Hughes and Henley. Buckle up, looks like a memorable final round is taking place!

 

[Don Wassall]

It was 22 years ago today that Payne Stewart out-dueled a young Phil Mickelson to win the memorable 1999 U.S. Open. Phil's great wife Amy was about to give birth to their first child and it was no given that Phil would even play that day. Payne was a complicated man and a great father and his Open win at the age of 42 was awesome. I always admired his individuality and the way he carried himself. So sad that just a few months later he died when a private jet he was riding in lost pressure and while on autopilot crashed in a South Dakota cornfield.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Brooks Koepka shoots a 32 on the front nine and is right back in the mix at -3. A bunch of thoroughbreds are now chasing relative unknowns Hughes and Henley. Buckle up, looks like a memorable final round is taking place!

Yes, and DeChambeau with the near ace on number eight. He's going to take the sole possession of the lead unless McIlroy birdies and the race is on. Could be a DeChambeau McIlroy duel?

 

[Don Wassall]

Jon Rahm is right there as well. After what happened to him at Jack's Memorial tournament, he would be a most popular winner. Also the betting favorite before the tournament.

 

[Don Wassall]

I'm not a fan of Paul Azinger, but he generally does good work. He makes very clear how much he regards the U.S. Open, which I respect and salute. I'm sick of the British Open being called "The Open" with all others therefore lesser. The British Open barely existed before Arnold Palmer single-handedly revived it in the early 1960s. The U.S. Open is "The Open" as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Carolina Speed]

I'm not always a fan of Paul Azinger, but he generally does good work. He makes very clear how much he regards the U.S. Open, which I respect and salute. I'm sick of the British Open being called "The Open" with all others therefore lesser. The British Open barely existed before Arnold Palmer single-handedly revived it in the early 1960s. The U.S. Open is "The Open" as far as I'm concerned.

Agreed. Hilarious statement by one of the commentators, "These guys are folding up like cheap suits."

 

[Don Wassall]

Agreed. Hilarious statement by one of the commentators, "These guys are folding up like cheap suits."

Which is why I'll never be a Paul Azinger fan. The whole idea of the U.S. Open is to make it the ultimate golf test, yet Azinger contradicts himself with remarks like that. Maybe he's summoning the mean-spirited Johnny Miller, his long-time predecessor at NBC.

 

[Don Wassall]

Looks like Jon Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen mano a mano down the stretch. . .

 

[Don Wassall]

Jon Rahm is the Man! Way to go, well deserved!

 

[Booth]

This is a picture of the statue of Payne Stewart in 2014. I had to crop out the two outlaws that were with me. They played the Women's Open the next week at Pinehurst.

 

[Don Wassall]

This is a picture of the statue of Payne Stewart in 2014. I had to crop out the two outlaws that were with me. They played the Women's Open the next week at Pinehurst.View attachment 3248

Nice! Golf Channel replays their one hour Stewart documentary occasionally and it always hits me emotionally. Payne always struck me as a proud White man who loved the U.S. Open above all other golf tournaments. Just a guess, but I bet Payne would be an outspoken opponent of the "cancel culture" communists the "mainstream" media constantly promotes and feebly empowers.

 

[Booth]

I forgot to tell you who won that week. Martin Kaymer won the men's Open & Michelle Wie won the Ladies Open the following week. I just remember how hot it was the two days we were there. The Sandhills is the right name for our area.

 

[Carolina Speed]

I forgot to tell you who won that week. Martin Kaymer won the men's Open & Michelle Wie won the Ladies Open the following week. I just remember how hot it was the two days we were there. The Sandhills is the right name for our area.

I'll be down there for three days in the middle of July playing various courses. I've been told it gets very hot there.

 

[Booth]

Carolina Speed I know you will enjoy the courses but it does get mighty hot. Keep a wet towel, wear a wet-dry shirt and stay hydrated. All the courses have carts going around every so often with sodas, water, beer, and snacks you can buy. Some courses won't you take a cooler on the course, that's why I mention about the carts because I know you knew about the beverage cart. I hope the weather is clear and ya'll have nothing but long drives and short putts.