The U.S. Open starts today. It still stands as the most difficult tournament to win. 'The last week, I have been approached by several golfers who ask, "who is going to win the Open?" I have no clue. I can tell you who I'd like to see win a U.S. Open Championship: Phil Mickelson. But it will be exponentially tougher every year for "lefty". He blew a few chances, including his best in 2006 when he double bogeyed the last hole in true Mickelson style (being bold at the wrong time).
The U.S. Open starts today and most golfers will be watching or asking, "who is ahead?". This is the tournament every player worth a dime, would like to win. In fact, just to qualify to play is very difficult. Not every PGA Tour Player is in, notorious names are not in the field, while several unknown names are. These come from the various qualifying tournaments around the United States where someone can catch "lighting in a bottle". The U.S. Amateur and U.S. Public Links Champions are invited, the 51st ranked player in the world isn't, unless he qualifies either in a tournament or placed among the top 40 in last year's money list. The U.S. Open truly hosts "open" qualifiers. This year's part of the story will be, as in 1998, Casey Martin, the disabled but great golfer from Oregon who is the only player in the history of the championship who has been allowed to play while riding a golf cart. What if he wins? Good for him! And good for golf. It shows that golf is more of a game than a sport, and a game for all.
The U.S.G.A. is well known for choosing historic venues to host their premiere championship. It is the only major championship in the United States having been held in a private (mostly), resort (as in Pebble Beach and Pinehurst 2), and public (Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines) courses. This year, Olympic Golf Club in San Francisco has the honors.... again. It is a place where Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in a playoff in 1955; Billy Casper beat Arnold Palmer in a playoff in 1966; Scott Simpson beat Tom Watson by one in 1987 and Lee Janzen beat Payne Stewart in 1998 after Payne three putted the 18th hole on the third round because the U.S.G.A. could not find a flat place on the green for the Saturday hole position (Payne was merely 6 feet for birdie, and about 26 feet for par after his first putt).
The above paragraph brings me to the notion that no "favorite" has ever won at Olympic Golf Club. Untrue. Maybe no "crowd favorite", but the winners have been very good players and all multiple winners on Tour. Only Jack Fleck won there as his only major. But, by 1955, Ben Hogan, then 43, was not in his prime and his putting was pretty shaky. He was still a great ball striker, but putting had deserted him. But, he was the sentimental favorite then, and mainly because of guts he had put himself in position to win, but like Tom Watson on 2009 in the British Open, he "ran out of juice". Nonetheless, 100% of the people would have put their house that Hogan would win the playoff. Jack Fleck won exactly one major championship and two others tournaments in his lifetime because he did not play the tour full time, but was a heck of a player. He was 11 years younger than Hogan at the time. He is still alive (he is 91).But by the time the Open returned to Olympic in 1966, golf had changed, and there were a few players worth their name being there, including Billy Casper who beat Arnold Palmer in a playoff. Palmer may have been the crowd's favorite. Casper was no slouch, he won three majors and over 50 tournaments on the tour. So to say that the favorite didn't is a stretch.
Then comes 1987 and Tom Watson is, again, a crowd favorite, but his "best player of the world" label was not what it was in the late 70's and early 80's. In fact, his last major win turned out to be in 1983, and only won three times on tour after 1984. Scott Simpson, on the other hand, was a hot player in the late 80's and tougher even in major venues because he was so straight off the tee. Watson was popular, Scott Simpson was in better form at the time and was a great player in tough courses... among those whom he beat who came in second place in his career were Corey Pavin, Tom Watson, David Graham, Mark O'Meara and Bob Tway... all major champions.
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| Who will be Olympic's next U.S. Open Champ? |
At a time where golf is such a big game worldwide, expect no less in 2012. I suspect that the winner will be someone with a previous major, but like Ben Hogan once said, "I don't know who will win, that is exactly why they are playing the tournament, to see who wins!"