OT: PGA and 2016 Majors

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Kind of a tepid year. Four 1st time winners. But this was the year where Day/Spieth/McIlroy was going to take the tour over ala Jack/Arnie/Trevino.

The Masters had a completely, blah, or in many cases (who the hell is he?) winner in Danny Willet. The type of winner that makes you forget, like Ian Woosnam, that they actually one the Masters. Ask even the most avid of golf fans who is the reigning Masters champs? And I bet it is 50/50 they get the answer right it was so forgetable.

The US Open was bit more special since it was a home game at Oakmont. The winner was in fact, someone we can deem worthy, someone who I think is the best player in the world in Dustin Johnson. He has come so close in so many majors. Finally he putted well enough, at Oakmont of all places, to win this title.

The Open or British Open, was the finest final round most of us ever witnessed. Phil vs Henrik Stenson. Stenson definitely had the title of "Best Player to Never Won A Major". You had to figure if either guy would go out and shoot a 68, the win going away. Phil shot a 65. Stenson a 63. Phil was 9 shots better than third place. Unfortunately he was 3 shots short of Stenson. Just epic golf. Still....a Phil win would have made this really special.

The PGA. Jimmy Walker is a fine player. But he is the Lee Janzen of our time. Boring. Rather anonymous. And picks a great week to play his best golf. Jason Day made him sweat, but Walker's birdie on 17 sealed it. Again, another boring winner, Walker is not quite Shawn Micheel or Rich Beem, Walker is a much better player than those guys, but he is more of a David Toms or Keegan Bradley.

The two Opens were excellent, bookended by two of the more blah winners.

 

[Saboteur]

Bradley was a supernova and has struggled since. I will call Walker a late bloomer. McElroy is muscle bound and somewhat of a head case. JS is a smart player and will get more out of his talent than most. Johnson got hosed in Wisconsin a few years back by grounding his club in a "bunker". If it's a bunker put a friggen rake in it!
Janzen did win 2 US Opens but so did Curtis Strange as well as Andy North.
The masters is nothing more than the Greater Milwaukee Open with an incredible brand. Augusta just has not held up to the level of play and the changes have only made winning there more predictable. It is a bore and the constant genuflecting from CBS makes it too much for me to watch for long stretches.
The PGA has always been the poor kid on the block of majors....too close to the British (excuse me...the "Open Championship").
Winning the majors is now a birdie feast except for the U.S. open. Players love to whine and while 17 over par does not excite me, it was none other than the late Ben Hogan who dryly responded when asked what one needs to do to win the US open "shoot the lowest score".
Competing with Palmer. Nicklaus, Player, Trevino, Watson, Miller et al just is not going to happen.
Those guys were competitors in addition to kick ass golfers...most guys today ( Phil and Zach Johnson are exceptions IMO) are just great ball strikers

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

Bradley was a supernova and has struggled since. I will call Walker a late bloomer. McElroy is muscle bound and somewhat of a head case. JS is a smart player and will get more out of his talent than most. Johnson got hosed in Wisconsin a few years back by grounding his club in a "bunker". If it's a bunker put a friggen rake in it!
Janzen did win 2 US Opens but so did Curtis Strange as well as Andy North.
The masters is nothing more than the Greater Milwaukee Open with an incredible brand. Augusta just has not held up to the level of play and the changes have only made winning there more predictable. It is a bore and the constant genuflecting from CBS makes it too much for me to watch for long stretches.
The PGA has always been the poor kid on the block of majors....too close to the British (excuse me...the "Open Championship").
Winning the majors is now a birdie feast except for the U.S. open. Players love to whine and while 17 over par does not excite me, it was none other than the late Ben Hogan who dryly responded when asked what one needs to do to win the US open "shoot the lowest score".
Competing with Palmer. Nicklaus, Player, Trevino, Watson, Miller et al just is not going to happen.
Those guys were competitors in addition to kick ass golfers...most guys today ( Phil and Zach Johnson are exceptions IMO) are just great ball strikers

Agree with everything except the only reason the PGA and British were close this year is because of the Olympics.....its usually the second weeekend in August

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Johnson did not get hosed. It was on the local rule sheet and was posted all over the place. It's the players responsibility to know the rules and if there are any questions that's why they have rules officials everywhere. He didn't know the rule so it's all on him and to some extent his caddy.

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

Johnson did not get hosed. It was on the local rule sheet and was posted all over the place. It's the players responsibility to know the rules and if there are any questions that's why they have rules officials everywhere. He didn't know the rule so it's all on him and to some extent his caddy.

I agree with the rule in general per se....but it is one of many stupid rules in golf......grounding a club in a waste area gives you zero advantage in my opinion

 

[NTOP]

Bradley was a supernova and has struggled since. I will call Walker a late bloomer. McElroy is muscle bound and somewhat of a head case. JS is a smart player and will get more out of his talent than most. Johnson got hosed in Wisconsin a few years back by grounding his club in a "bunker". If it's a bunker put a friggen rake in it!
Janzen did win 2 US Opens but so did Curtis Strange as well as Andy North.
The masters is nothing more than the Greater Milwaukee Open with an incredible brand. Augusta just has not held up to the level of play and the changes have only made winning there more predictable. It is a bore and the constant genuflecting from CBS makes it too much for me to watch for long stretches.
The PGA has always been the poor kid on the block of majors....too close to the British (excuse me...the "Open Championship").
Winning the majors is now a birdie feast except for the U.S. open. Players love to whine and while 17 over par does not excite me, it was none other than the late Ben Hogan who dryly responded when asked what one needs to do to win the US open "shoot the lowest score".
Competing with Palmer. Nicklaus, Player, Trevino, Watson, Miller et al just is not going to happen.
Those guys were competitors in addition to kick ass golfers...most guys today ( Phil and Zach Johnson are exceptions IMO) are just great ball strikers

My solution for watching the Masters?? Mute button. Still a great spectacle, though..repetition helps.....how many 140 yard holes as indelible as #12 at Augusta?? Fine theater. Nantz is almost as boring as Joe Block. And more pompous than Bob Costas.

 

[yourhired]

Having the final two majors so close together I thought took some of the luster from both the open championship but especially the PGA. The PGA always seems to attract winners from the middle of the pack.

 

[Saboteur]

Agree with everything except the only reason the PGA and British were close this year is because of the Olympics.....its usually the second weeekend in August

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

My solution for watching the Masters?? Mute button. Still a great spectacle, though..repetition helps.....how many 140 yard holes as indelible as #12 at Augusta?? Fine theater. Nantz is almost as boring as Joe Block. And more pompous than Bob Costas.

Nantz, like that loudmouth Chris Berman, has become a caricature of himself. McAtee is much better - wish he got more chances to be in the booth.

And yea the repetition does help. It's cool that they have one major at the same place every year. I've never set foot on the grounds and likely never will but I think I know most of the course along with the breaks of the greens I've seen it so much.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Nantz, like that loudmouth Chris Berman, has become a caricature of himself. McAtee is much better - wish he got more chances to be in the booth.

And yea the repetition does help. It's cool that they have one major at the same place every year. I've never set foot on the grounds and likely never will but I think I know most of the course along with the breaks of the greens I've seen it so much.

I like NBC's crew the best. Johnny Miller is great, Dan Hicks is what Jim Nantz once was, he is the best, then Maltbie, Feherty Jacobson and Gary Koch are the best on the course guys.

I was pissed when Fox ****ed up (I mean won the US Open) rights, but thankful they at least got the British Open.

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

Nantz, like that loudmouth Chris Berman, has become a caricature of himself. McAtee is much better - wish he got more chances to be in the booth.

And yea the repetition does help. It's cool that they have one major at the same place every year. I've never set foot on the grounds and likely never will but I think I know most of the course along with the breaks of the greens I've seen it so much.

I think the USGA needs to quit placating to a lot of its members and just have a permanent rota like the British Open.......Pebble, Oakmont, Winged Foot, Pinehurst, Shinnecock Hills, and two more and just rotate them.......

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I like NBC's crew the best. Johnny Miller is great, Dan Hicks is what Jim Nantz once was, he is the best, then Maltbie, Feherty Jacobson and Gary Koch are the best on the course guys.

I was pissed when Fox ****ed up (I mean won the US Open) rights, but thankful they at least got the British Open.

I agree. NBC is the best and it's not even remotely close.

Fox was a tad better this year but even with a small tick up was still absolutely terrible.