121st US OPEN at Torre Pines

[regaleagle]

I'm gonna take photos and put my set up for sale on E-Bay and Craigs List.  I won't get much for trade-in at the golf shop......already checked around.  I've got a full set of matching irons.......10 clubs.......and 2 metal Titleist matching fairway metals.  Then the Taylormade R-9 driver.......all in top condition.  I figure I'll ask $300 for the Titleist iron set and then $ 150 for the fairway metals, and $100 for the driver........and see what kind of response I get.  I can always drop the price to a serious buyer.

[RETIREDFAN1]

13 minutes ago, regaleagle said:

Sounds to me like you opted for a decent set that they had on sale, and then bargained them down from there, Huh?  And most probably irons only, right?  Just a good driver and fairway metals new could easily run $300 for a midrange set.  I won't pay those high prices for Metals.......I can always find one I like that's only one or two years old that is still brand new for a sale price and then bargain them down from that.

Brand New......full set......

[regaleagle]

You ran into a GREAT deal.......did your homework,  and timing is also a big issue at these golf shops......along with the amount of stock they have that just sits there.  It's tough to buy a  full set of very nice used stuff for that price.......unless you find an old lady that is getting rid of her late husbands golf clubs. But then you have to like the set.....even if it was hardly ever used.

[regaleagle]

1 hour ago, DoubleTeam said:

Stop high jacking the tread and let someone else in. 

All it takes is for you to post and then hit submit.  My posts do not interfere with anyone else's.  

[regaleagle]

After Day 1.......they said over half the field shot over par.  The average score of the entire field today.....including the under par leaders......was 73.8.  That's about 2 over par for the entire field. There's about 20 players under par after Day 1.......just to let you know.  4 under is leading so far....which is an excellent score to open up with.  The wind did not blow that hard for the afternoon tee times today, but it did blow until later in the day.  Then it vanished and the conditions became ideal for the latest tee times on their back nine holes.

[regaleagle]

Speith basically laid an egg on his opening round.......he came in at 6 over par.......which is totally a nightmare score for a golfer of his caliber. Scottie Sheffler was in the middle of the pack at 2 over par.......but still 6 strokes behind the leader.  Day 2 begins shortly with Sheffler and Speith on the course with morning tee times today.  Speith will need to shoot at least 4 under par today if he wants to make the cutline and play on the weekend.  Usually it's either half the field or within 10 strokes of the leader that makes the cut.......probably half the field today.  Mickelson didn't do much better.......he had a morning tee time yesterday and shot 4 over par.  So looks like Phil will most probably not be in contention for winning and therefore his chances to complete a career Grand Slam by winning a US OPEN have again passed him by this year.  He's running out time, but at least he's got a chance.

[RETIREDFAN1]

Thanks for the updates.....

[regaleagle]

The Molinari brothers from Italy both shot under par yesterday.......Francesco is up on the leaderboard at 3 under and brother Eduardo shot a one under par.  It would be crazy if somehow they ended up being paired together on the weekend after today's round.......they would have to end today with the same score and then not anyone else between their tee times finish with the same score for that to happen.......it's a very remote chance of that happening.

[regaleagle]

My guess is that by the end of Day 2 the leader of the tournament will still be somewhere around 4 under par.......not more than 5 or 6 under par. IF Russell Henley, today's leader, shoots even par or worse......there's a good chance for that to happen.  There are a few golfers that could shoot 3 under or better today and get to at least 4 under par by this afternoon......but not very many, only a handful.  

[regaleagle]

Louis Oosthuizen could do it......he sits at 3 under and is a good player and good on and around the greens.  He has the best chance of anybody to take over the lead after Day 2.......but they say Henley is a very good putter of the ball also.  Staying out of the rough and good putting is the key to shooting a low score on this course if you ask me. These players are having trouble doing both.......or either.  

[regaleagle]

A player like Sergio Garcia that drives the ball well and accurately, and then has a good iron game to hit these greens from the fairway consistently.......I would think someone like him might do well overall this week.  I think Henley is kinda like him also.......hits the fairways and putts good......but not a long driver of the ball.  That's the kind of player that might win this tournament......not a DeChambeau that crushes every drive.  But DeChambeau does have a very good game overall as long as he hits 50% of the fairways.......he can scramble and does have a good short game to go with those long drives.

[regaleagle]

McIlroy drives it long and pretty darn accurately too.......but he just is not that good on the greens.......he just doesn't make the putts consistently. They have a slight breeze blowing this morning.......but the course looks damp and soft.  Don't know if that helps a guy like Speith though.......I think he would prefer drier and faster conditions on the greens.

[regaleagle]

The players that shot at least one under par yesterday have a BIG advantage over the rest of the field starting on Day 2........looks like 3 under par is a really good round on this course the way it's set up.

[regaleagle]

It's gonna be tough this week to keep shooting a score under par or having 4 good rounds.  Even if you do that, some other golfer might have one great round and then 3 decent rounds and be right there on the final day.  Shooting 4 rounds at par or better this week will definitely be tough, but whoever does that will be in contention to win it starting on Sunday.  Just one low round could do it for any golfer that stayed in the middle of the pack or better on Day 1.  I think the scores will be fairly packed together by the time they post their scores at the end of the day today.  The cutline might fall to around 1 over par, or maybe even 2 over par.

[regaleagle]

Any golfer within 6 strokes of the lead starting on Sunday will have a chance to win it......because it is difficult to shoot a low score here. But if someone does do that on the final day, and the leaders do not........then anything can happen.  All of the golfers that make the cut are fully capable of having a good round......if that happens then suddenly they are in contention on a course playing like this one.

[regaleagle]

Jon Rahm is currently on the course this morning and at 2 under par.......look out for this player.  He has a very solid game overall and is highly capable of posting a low score at any time.  And he's the type of golfer that will not shoot a high round.......he will shoot around par or better.

[regaleagle]

Xander Shauffele is playing with Mickelson......he's a Calfornia boy too.  He's got game and knows this golf course......and is in contention.  The California guys  know the grasses, the ups and downs of the California courses, and how  to putt the poianna grass greens.......they grew up on them.  It's different for the Texans and East Coasters, They have played them.......but they ain't exactly tuned in to them the same.  The foreigners seem to do well on California courses for some reason......I guess because their courses and cooler weather over there is similar.

[regaleagle]

It's overcast with just a light breeze blowing this afternoon for these players......really not at all a problem for any golfer.  In Texas, we are used to playing in windy conditions all the time......or extreme heat in the summertime.  The courses can get really hard.....esp. the greens and the  way they hold the shots......here in Texas in the summertime, except for this year when we had an extended Spring and lots of rains in May.  The courses here in Texas right now are in the best shape they have been in for over a decade this summer.

[regaleagle]

Phil Mickelson did what needed to do today and shot a 2 under par 69 to make the cutline at +2 for the tournament.......so he's not totally out of the picture for this US OPEN yet.  At least he gets the weekend rounds and a Sunday finish.......something lots of golfers like Speith, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Hidecki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and many other much younger world-ranked golfers were unable to do this week at Torrey Pines.

[regaleagle]

The leaders, Henley & Bland, sit at 5 under after 2 days.......so with the cutline at +2 for the weekend that means the guys sitting at +2 and furthest back are really only 7 strokes back of the leaders with 2 more rounds to play.  That's not totally out of the picture for anybody still playing......especially a Phil Mickelson who has won here before and knows this course.  Oh BTW......at age 50 he did win the PGA Championship a few weeks ago.  And now he just turned 51 on Tuesday of this week.......so go get em Phil.  I really don't like his chances, but it will be fun to watch and see what he might surprise us with.

[regaleagle]

Henley & Bland sounds like some kind of men's upscale clothing store......doesn't it, LOL.   Or maybe one of those investment firms on Wall Street selling some kind of crypto coin that just hit the market.......take your chances, Boys!    I'll stick with Silver, thank you very much. 

[regaleagle]

Looks like the cutline ended up being the Top 60 and ties at this year's US OPEN......so all those golfers at +4 made the cut.  Over half the field did not make the cut, but Jordan Speith did.......he shot 77-69 to stand at +4 and barely made it.  Paul Casey of England will be his playing partner on Saturday......he made it too. So did Sergio Garcia and Eduardo Molinari.......Francesco's brother.  So the two Italian brother golfers are both "in the field" for the weekend. Also Texans Patrick Reed of Houston and Jimmy Walker of San Antonio will be around for the weekend and earn a paycheck.

[regaleagle]

 Now that the cut has been settled.......the approach for those far behind the leaders will change.  Most will take more chances now that they have 2 more rounds to improve their position and their paychecks.......or they can just play conservative and see how that works for them on this course.  But most will "do something different" to try to move up the leaderboard in the next 2 rounds.  Conversely, those on the first page of the leaderboard will try to keep playing as they have been to try to hold on to their position until the final round.  So the cat and mouse game starts today.  The question is which players will emerge on Saturday......"moving day".......with a low score and move up that leaderboard for the final round on Sunday.  Speith will need to post better than that 69 he shot on Friday to make the cut if he wants to have any chance on Sunday.  So will Lefty Phil Mickelson.

[regaleagle]

I predict that there WILL be a golfer today that shoots the lowest round of the tournament today on Saturday......perhaps a 65 or even 64.  So far the lowest rounds have been two 67's......one by Henley on Day 1 and one by Bland on Day 2.  Guess what?  These two guys are tied for the lead.

[regaleagle]

Speith and Paul Casey just  finished Round 3........Speith shot a 68 and Paul Casey shot a 67, tying the best rounds of the tournament.  Both might be good scores today, or we might find out that lots of golfers today will shoot these scores.......we don't know yet because Speith and Casey were one of the earliest pairings off this morning.