I always thought it would be cool to have a pro tournament where they equipped each player with a set of hickory sticks and matching balls for that era. See how todays players handle what used to be the norm.
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That would be cool
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still a lot of golf to be played today, but scores are high!
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So...where are the low scores that the experts promised?

Only one guy better than -1 at the moment and it's Mickelson.
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Manboobs will blow it
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If he does, it doesn't look like it will be today.
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Scores not as low as I thought but lotta guys still on the course to play
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Phil off to a good start

Usually falls apart on Sunday afternoon at the open

U.S. Open winning score should be around even par not 10 under
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Apparently Tiger has hurt his wrist hitting out of the rough. Outside of rolling in a bomb, Tiger hasn't been able to make a putt.
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Few thoughts:

I am surprised that a soft course was that resistant scoring, but it looks like the players later in the day have put up better scores. What was interesting is that the greens were incredibly receptive and putted true but not lightning fast, and yet the players couldn’t throw them close enough early to go on a run. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Mickelson’s score stand up, because Donald and Scott started on the easy nine. You get this course on 1-13 and try to survive on 14-18.

Mickelson has always been a player who plays well in 5-6 hole stretches. If he’s on, he can play the other 12 holes somewhere around even. Today he was playing rather “blah” golf with the exception that his 3-wood stayed in the fairway and he made several par saves. That said, he didn’t putt out of his mind (29 overall). It was more of a Jim Furyk round with an occasional bouts of Phil insanity, like the saves on 5 and 6. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him struggle tomorrow, as exhausting nights usually affect you the day after rather than the night of.

I have no idea how Tiger will end up. I think he was lucky that his round ended when it did, which will allow him to iron out kinds before he meets the teeth of the course. He could play the last seven -1 or +3, but I’d expect the former. Who knows if his wrist is really bothering him. Either way he'll make it seem like it isn't.

Now, on to a gripe:

There was a ruling on the third hole today where Steve Stricker hit a ball in the sand of a bunker right underneath the low hanging limbs of an evergreen tree. He called in multiple rules officials before one gave him an idiotic ruling that he was not in the bunker. This allowed him to take an unplayable lieand drop outside of the bunker, whereas if he was ruled in the bunker he would not have been allowed a drop. It saved him multiple shots, and it’s the kind of bullshit that makes me hate tournament golf, as the pros appeal more than death row inmates until they finally find an ignorant jackass willing to kowtow to their wishes.

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I think they were able to, with the greens having the slope they do, put pins in spots where you just cant get at, or can't take a chance to get at.

Even with the course being as soft as it was, it still is the US Open and I think that fact plays into guys minds a bit, making them more cautious.
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I think the US Open should be a brutal test. Brutal. And they don't all play the same course; anyone who has ever set foot on a golf course should know that weather can greatly impact playing conditions. Have you ever seen a British Open? The first requirement to win is to get the good draw.
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I agree
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Nobody is scoring on this golf course and it's only getting faster out there. Only 5 players under par in total still.
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LOL
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