So much great stuff happened at the U.S. Open, its a sin that on Sunday so much of the rhetoric was focused on the USGA’s poor handling of the rules issue. They blew it plain and simple. Dustin Johnson won in an heroic fashion and let’s hope the Open is remembered for that.
Here’s some ramblings on what I liked and disliked about the week at Oakmont.
1. The Oakmont course itself is very impressive. Walking those challenging holes and realizing what those players face was a humbling experience. Especially, the slope of the greens and the elevation changes are something television doesn’t quite capture.
2. Jack Nicklaus hanging around Oakmont and presenting Dustin Johnson with his gold medal…great!
3. Dustin Johnson winning his first major would have been a great finish all by itself but thanks to the USGA they did something not possible before the twelfth green: they made Johnson a sympathetic character. If you weren’t pulling for DJ before that you certainly were after.
4. That being said, DJ played like the monster he is down the stretch and the classy, gracious way he handled the rules issue was far more than most players could have mustered.
5. The normally emotionless DJ even gave us a fist pump on the 18th green and a heck of a smile or two as he hugged his family.
6. The Big 3 could never live up to any of the hype and their scores reflected that. Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy were off all week and Jason Day found his game a bit too late to really contend.
7. Speaking of Spieth… the jury is in. He’s guilty…guilty of slow play, very slow play.
8. Props to Jim Furyk for a great final round and to Andrew Landry for qualifying and playing in the final pairing on Sunday.
9. Sunday’s favorites had to be DJ, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. All three were gunning for that elusive first major and DJ came out on top. But Sergio showed a great game and while Westy bombed on Sunday he stood strong with DJ as the pressure built. Westwood is as popular as they come on tour but he’s even more so now.
10. Fox Sports coverage was improved and the biggest reason was Paul Azinger. Zinger is one of the best behind a desk and he brought the best out of Brad Faxon too.
11. Both Azinger and Faxon were so adamant about DJ getting screwed they were jumping out of their chairs.
12. Joe Buck still hasn’t perfected his “golf” routine. But I did notice that he was doing less play by play and Faxon and the on course reporters were seeing more microphone time and they were good. Mark Brooks added little to the broadcast.
13. Curtis Strange seems to have found his nitch, some desk time chatter with the crew and some on course, up close reporting. He was good and that worked out fine for Fox.
14. Of course Holly Sonders was back in her skin tight dresses each day. And I thought Shane Bacon held his own doing the post round interviews.
15. I do like their wide use of the Shot Tracker. It helps to see that flight of the ball.
16. What started out as a wet week of golf could have ended with a wet blanket thrown on the proceedings by the USGA Rules Committee. But they can thank (and they should) Dustin Johnson for his heroic play and the fact that he acted like the gentlemen he did.
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