Dear Losers, Stop Calling-In to Report Rules Violations During Tournaments

June 14, 2013 By 2 Comments

One question.

Why does the USGA, Masters, PGA Tour and European Tour continue to take calls from losers who call to report rule violations?

Actually, I lied – I have one more question.

How in the hell do you even go about finding a number to call and report a rules violation?

After reading an article earlier about another caller trying to report a Steve Stricker rules violation during the first round of U.S. Open, I decided to take things into my own hands to figure out how to go about it.  Is there a published number on the USGA website?  Does it change weekly at each tournament?  Is there a golf forum out there where “rule afficianados” hang out and bounce ideas around?  I don’t know the answer to any of the questions posed above so I went to try and find out.

Since I am so very computer savvy, I first did what any savvy computer genius would do – I opened a new Google browser.  I then proceeded to type “how to report a rules violation to the USGA during television coverage.”  After about two minutes of searching without finding anything useful, I just gave up.  It appears I am not using the correct search term or I just may not really care enough to look for the number any longer.

So back to the Steve Stricker incident on Thursday.  In the end, a USGA executive talked to Stricker before he signed his scorecard so we avoided the debacle we all enjoyed at Augusta a couple months ago.

But I still have a beef with these losers who continually call in to report rules violations.  So it’s my advice to the golf governing bodies to cease answering the phone and giving what these people want.  In return, I have created a script for the USGA to put on their voicemail just in case these losers decide to come out of the woodwork this weekend:

Hello, you have reached the voicemail box of the USGA at the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA.  Thank you so much for calling.  If you are calling to report a rules violation during tournament play, please leave a message after the tone and we will check the messages on Monday after we get back to the office.  We strive to uphold the rules and dignity of the game but we have a walking official with every group and we don’t need your help.  Again, thank you for calling the USGA during the U.S. Open and we would appreciate if you stop calling.

So there you go, USGA.  If you just leave that scripting on your voicemail, I think we can really make a dent in stopping these insane rules violation calls.

Or, I have a better idea.  JUST STOP TAKING THEM!  Now that I got that off my chest, it’s looking to be a great weekend at Merion!

Twitt
Filed Under: U.S. Open Tagged With:

Front9Back9’s Foursome of Favorites: Picks & Predictions for U.S. Open

June 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Well it’s finally time.  Time to set aside all the talk and finally tee it up at Merion Golf Club for the 113th edition of the U.S. Open.  We are about 34 hours from the first tee-times and I couldn’t be more excited.  The U.S. Open is my favorite golf tournament played each year.  Starting with Golf’s Longest Day, the hype has been building-and-building for over a week now.  It’s time to play some golf!

Here is my Foursome of Favorites for the U.S. Open.

Tiger Woods

Shocking right?  I really did contemplate on whether to include Tiger or not.  But after about two minutes of thought I decided I would be stupid not include him.  The pressure is so huge for Tiger Woods right now.  It’s been five years since he won his last major at Torrey Pines.  Since then, well we all know what has happened.  I think he breaks through this week and starts the summer push with his fifth win of 2013 and more importantly his 15th major championship.

Justin Rose 

Total driving combined with lots of greens in regulation plus a lot of birdies equals Justin Rose.  He ranks in the top 15 on the PGA in all three of those categories.  He is ranked #5 in the World Golf Rankings.  Justin Rose is overdue and the talk about the best-player-to-never-win-a-major will ramp up over the next couple years if he doesn’t get it done soon, if he’s not already at the top of the list…

Graeme McDowell

I think you can make a serious argument on whether Graeme McDowell is the best grinder in professional golf.  Merion Golf Club is going to be a grind this weekend and this guy has played great in U.S. Open’s over the last few years, including a memorable win at Pebble Beach in 2010.  Expect McDowell to be right there by Sunday and don’t be surprised if he’s hoisting the trophy again.

 Jordan Spieth

Wait.  Who?  Yes you read that right.  Jordan Spieth.  He is playing great golf this year and has carded four top-10’s this year on the PGA Tour.  He made the cut last year in San Francisco at Olympic Country Club as an amateur.  Sure he’s a dark horse but he’s also a 19-year old-dude who spits confidence and is one of the new breed of players who just doesn’t give a damn what is in front of him.  I walked with Jordan for one day while volunteering at the Valero Texas Open and I liked his play.  Maybe the pressure will get to him as a professional, or maybe he will be near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.

What do you think?  Do you have your favorites?  Let me know on Twitter @Front9Back9 or share your thoughts below.

Twitt
Filed Under: Tiger Woods, U.S. Open Tagged With:

The Circus is Coming to Town: Tiger, Rory and Adam Paired Together at U.S. Open

June 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you happen to be looking for a circus to attend next week, look no further then Merion Golf Club and the U.S. Open.

The USGA announced yesterday they are going to pair the top three players in the world together for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open  which is surely to bring with it a circus like atmosphere on a golf course that is already small and cramped.

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott will be teeing off at 1:14 PM ET on Thursday and then again at 7:44 AM ET on Friday.  Tiger and Rory have played together in many rounds together on the PGA Tour but this will be the first time they will be paired together in a major championship.

I was at Torrey Pines in 2008 during Tiger’s last U.S. Open victory and I can attest to how big of a circus it is trying to get a glimpse at this guy hitting a golf shot.  I can’t even imagine what it will be like with Rory and Adam added to the mix.  But I did figure out a pretty good system to see many of Tiger’s swings back in 2008 so if you’re looking for some advice follow these tips.

FIrst, get familiar with the golf course map.  Then as Tiger is teeing off on #1, stop by the beer stand and pick up two cold ones and then jump ahead 3-4 holes and post out your position early.  It’s just personal preference, but I always set up in the landing area of the fairway.  You can get a good idea of where the players are landing their tee shots by the groups ahead.  You will know when Tiger’s group is getting close to your hole because the crowds will swell tremendously as he gets closer.  After Tiger has gone through the hole you have posted up on, grab a couple more beers and jump another 3-4 holes ahead.  You just rinse and repeat all day long until the end of his round.  By following this system, you will get about 6-8 beers in you and get to see about 6 of Tiger’s shots.  Believe me when I say it’s worthless trying to follow him his entire round.  You have to fight people to just get three deep on the ropes.

It should be a good time no-less and I can’t wait to watch it on TV.  I think I feel a little sickness setting in already and I hope I don’t have to call in on Thursday…

 

Twitt
Filed Under: Tiger Woods, U.S. Open Tagged With: , , ,

Chip-Ins & Chunks: Tiger, Kuchar and Some Guy Named Conrad

June 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Chip-Ins & Chunks is a new feature I’m starting here at Front9Back9.com to highlight the best and the worst from the past weekend in golf.  Tell me what you think below or let us know on Twitter @Front9Back9.

Chip-Ins – The Good

Is Matt Kuchar One of the Favorites at U.S. Open? 

Matt Kuchar cruised to his second victory of 2013 with a big win yesterday at the Memorial.  With a final round 68, Kuchar moved to #4 in the World Golf Rankings and #2 in the Fed Ex Cup race.  Kuchar has played great all year and I think this win gives him gigantic momentum going into Merion in two weeks and makes him one of the favorites to win the U.S. Open.

Conrad Shindler Donates Winning Check

You probably don’t know Conrad Shindler.  I had no clue who he was until I read an article about his recent selfless act that now shoots him up my list of favorite golfers.  Shindler is a 24-year old pro golfer who has been grinding it out on the mini-tour circuit the past couple years.  In a recent Adams Golf Tour tournament in Garland, Texas, Shindler won his first professional event and collected a check for $15,000.  Instead of pocketing the money, he decided to donate it to the Oklahoma tornado relief efforts.  You should really follow Conrad on Twitter @CShindlerGolf.

Chunks – The Bad

Tiger Woods Will Be Fine

I bet nobody saw this coming; 71-74-79-72.  Those are the four scores Tiger Woods shot at Muirfield Village this past weekend.  Before everyone freaks out, I think Tiger will be fine.  He probably woke up this morning with Lindsey next to him and is already on the range working on his game again to get ready for the U.S. Open.  It’s not a set-back; it’s just golf.

Butch Harmon Tweets While Intoxicated

I don’t really know if Butch was drinking and tweeting when he made his Tweets about one of his students, Nick Watney, but they were silly enough to actually pose the question.  What I do know is Butch will probably lose a player over it and I wouldn’t blame Watney for kicking him to the curb.

Twitt
Filed Under: Chip-Ins & Chunks, Tiger Woods, U.S. Open Tagged With: ,

Dear Bubba Watson,

June 14, 2012 By 1 Comment

Bubba, my man.  What you did at Augusta in April was awesome.  I watched every minute and was rooting for you down the stretch.  But now that you are now a major champion and I really wish you would start acting like one.  I understand Olympic Club is tough, and your game plan of trying to overpower the course will just not work out there this week.  Is this any reason to hold your post-round press conference and act like the there are 100 other places you would rather be than playing golf in the U.S. Open?  Yes, it’s okay to be upset, but you are not Tiger Woods and you don’t have to act like a little baby and tell the golf world the “golf course is too tough for me.”

If you can somehow figure out a way to post a 1 or 2-under par round tomorrow you never know what is going to happen, especially on this course.  Six or seven-over-par may still get you into the weekend and a good weekend can get you in the running, especially if the course continues to get harder.  But with all your talk about the course being too tough, you have basically talked yourself out of anything positive.

This is suppose to be the toughest test in golf, it’s not suppose to be easy.  I hope you get some special time with your new adopted baby tonight and come out tomorrow afternoon with a better attitude.  I really want to root for you, but with all your complaining leading up to round one and then after round one, you are really making it hard for me to be a fan.

Sincerely,

Front9Back9 Golf Blog

Twitt
Filed Under: U.S. Open Tagged With: ,

Phil Mickelson Really Does Look Mentally Fatigued

June 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

As I sit here and stream the U.S. Open on my computer at work, I can’t help but notice how bad Phil Mickelson physically looks on the course right now.  To me, he really does look tired and worn out.  I could be totally wrong and it could be the tough course and conditions that are wearing him down—6-over through 17 holes can do that to you – but I think about his past health issues and wonder if that has anything to do with his withdrawal two weeks ago at The Memorial and his poor play.

Phil has never been one to make excuses and he normally doesn’t share things about his health until after weeks or months later.  I really hate to speculate about all of this but I just can’t help but wonder if everything is alright in his life.

As he tees it up on the short par-4 7th right now and hits it behind a tree, the camera pans on his face and he just looks drained.  I hope there is really nothing wrong with his health, I would hate to see him playing less into the future – especially with Tiger looking better and better each round and on the cusp of another multi-year run.

Twitt
Filed Under: PGA Tour, U.S. Open Tagged With: ,

Latest Odds To Win The U.S. Open at The Olympic Club

June 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

No surprise here, Tiger Woods is favored to win the U.S. Open this week.  After winning The Memorial two weeks ago, he is currently at 6/1 odds with Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy the closet at 12/1.

Here are the latest odds to win the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club starting on Thursday courtesy of Sportsbook.com.

Tiger Woods 6/1
Luke Donald 12/1
Rory McIlroy 12/1
Field (Any Other Golfers) 15/1
Lee Westwood 15/1
Phil Mickelson 15/1
Matt Kuchar 25/1
Jason Dufner 25/1
Rickie Fowler 25/1
Bubba Watson 30/1
Hunter Mahan 30/1
Adam Scott 30/1
Justin Rose 30/1
Keegan Bradley 40/1
Dustin Johnson 40/1
Jim Furyk 40/1
Zach Johnson 40/1
Steve Stricker 40/1
Webb Simpson 50/1
Graeme McDowell 50/1
Charl Schwartzel 50/1
Martin Kaymer 50/1
Nick Watney 50/1
Jason Day 50/1
Louis Oosthuizen 50/1
Bo Van Pelt 60/1
Sergio Garcia 60/1
Ian Poulter 60/1
Peter Hanso n60/1
KJ Choi 80/1
Francesco Molinari 80/1
Padraig Harrington 80/1
Ryan Moore 80/1
Jonathan Byrd 80/1
Ernie Els 80/1
Aaron Baddeley 80/1
Bill Haas 80/1
Geoff Ogilvy 80/1
Brandt Snedeker 80/1
Martin Laird 100/1
Retief Goosen 100/1
Kevin Na 100/1
Henrik Stenson 100/1
Ryan Palmer 100/1
John Senden 100/1
Carl Pettersson 100/1
Ben Crane 125/1
John Huh 125/1
Jeff Overton 125/1
Camilo Villegas 125/1
Ryo Ishikawa 125/1
Charles Howell III 125/1
Matteo Manassero 125/1
Fredrik Jacobson 125/1
David Toms 125/1
Gary Woodland 125/1
Mark Wilson 125/1
Rory Sabbatini 125/1
JB Holmes 150/1
Ross Fisher 150/1
Kyung-Tae Kim 150/1
Ricky Barnes 150/1
Spencer Levin 150/1
Tim Clark 150/1
Alvaro Quiros 150/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 150/1
Stewart Cink 150/1
Sang-Moon Bae 150/1
Johnson Wagner 150/1
Robert Karlsson 150/1
Thomas Bjorn 150/1
Vijay Singh 150/1
Angel Cabrera 150/1
YE Yang 150/1
Sean O’Hair 150/1
Paul Casey 150/1
Robert Garrigus 150/1
Kyle Stanley 150/1
Chez Reavie 200/1
Greg Chalmers 200/1
Seung-Yul Noh 200/1
Anders Hansen 200/1
Simon Dyson 200/1
Edoardo Molinari 200/1
Patrick Cantlay 200/1
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 200/1
Nicolas Colsaerts 200/1
Lucas Glover 200/1
Trevor Immelman 200/1
Bud Cauley 200/1
Bryce Molder 200/1
Robert Allenby 200/1
Robert Rock 200/1
Kevin Chappell 250/1
Olin Browne 300/1
Kelly Kraft 300/1
Michael Campbell 300/1

Who do you think will take it?  Let me know below of hit me up on Twitter @Front9Back9.

Twitt
Filed Under: PGA Tour, Tiger Woods, U.S. Open Tagged With: ,

Dustin Johnson Wins FedEx St. Jude Classic Before CBS Coverage Starts

June 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I hate when the PGA Tour does this.  I understand it, but I hate it.  As coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Classic starts right now on CBS, I already know who wins.  Why would I sit around and watch it for the rest of the afternoon like I had planned on doing.  Tee times were pushed up and the guys are playing threesomes today all due to the fact thunderstorms are moving into Memphis later this afternoon.  With the U.S. Open at Olympic Club starting next week, they can’t take the chance of having to try and finish on Monday.

Dustin Johnson fired a final round 66 to win by one stroke over John Merrick.  It was only his second tournament back after taking some time off due to a drug suspension, errrrr, I mean injury– and it looks as though he is in top form as he heads out to San Francisco.

Rory McIlroy, who I thought yesterday was going to win, fired a 69 to finish three shots back of Johnson.  He must have really fallen apart, because right now on CBS he is leading the tournament at 9-under as he hits one in the water on #12.  Sure enough, looking at his scorecard, he was 3-over on the final seven holes.

It’s good to see DJ back in the winner’s circle and I am interested to see if he can keep his good play up next week at Olympic Club.

Stay tuned later next week for my picks and predictions for the U.S. Open.  Let me know who you think will be hoisting the trophy next Sunday.  Hit me up on Twitter @Front9Back9.

Twitt
Filed Under: PGA Tour, U.S. Open Tagged With: , ,

8 Players To Watch at Olympic Club

June 9, 2012 By 2 Comments

Everyone else is making their list on which players to watch next week during the U.S. Open at Olympic Club, so I thought what better a time to make up my list.  Here are the eight players I think are the most compelling to watch next week in San Francisco.

1.)     Tiger Woods

Are you surprised Tiger Woods is on my list?  Coming off his win at The Memorial, Tiger should be primed to add another major victory in his pursuit to track down Jack Nicklaus’ major championship record.  Or, just maybe, he will kick clubs and cuss and make a fool of himself like he did at The Masters.  But that’s exactly what makes it so compelling to watch, we don’t know which Tiger is going to show up.

2.)     Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is playing with Tiger Woods for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open which is exactly why he is one of the top guys to watch.  Phil quit, errr, withdrew due to “mental fatigue” at The Memorial and is still in search of a U.S. Open title.

3.)     Bubba Watson

Bubba has basically done nothing since his Masters win in April.  He has only played in two events, the Zurich Classic and The Memorial last week where he missed the cut.  I mean come on Bubba, I understand you won The Masters, but even Tiger Woods has played more than you since then.  I predict Bubba will miss the cut at Olympic Club.  It’s not a bombers course and he doesn’t know anything but bombing.  On top of that, he is playing with the two previous players we just discussed the first two rounds.  (What a circus that will be.)

4.)     Rickie Fowler

Okay, so Rickie Fowler has finally won on the PGA Tour.  Since that win, he has had two top-1o finishes and a T-52 showing at The Memorial.  Is Rickie ready to take the ultimate step to golf greatness and win a major?  I don’t quite think so yet, but you never know.  Maybe going home to California will get him revved up.

5.)      Sergio Garcia

Olympic Club will require a ball striking genius in order to get around that course successfully.  Who better than Sergio Garcia, one of the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour.  What it also will take is someone who can putt and has their head on straight, both things that Sergio struggles with.  With a win next week at Olympic, just maybe that can squash the demons that haunt him and it can propel Sergio to win multiple majors during the remainder of his career.  If not, let’s see who can he blame this time?

6.)     Rory McIlroy

After three missed cuts in a row, it looks as if a couple days spent at Olympic Club working on his game might have got the number two player in the work back in form.  A good Sunday in Memphis and he might go back to the West Coast to defend his title with all the confidence in the world.  We all knows he has the game.  Can he win back-to-back U.S. Open titles?  If anyone can do it, it’s this guy.

7.)     Lee Westwood

Everyone knows Lee Westwood has the game.  With 34 international victories, he is probably the best player right now in the world without a major championship, besides Luke Donald.  Precision is the key at Olympic Club and Westwood is one of the best in that category.  Can he make the big putts on the slippery greens?

8.)    Jason Dufner

With two wins so far in 2012, it seems as if Jason Dufner has broken through to the PGA Tour elite.  The only thing that will secure a spot in that club will be a U.S. Open victory.  He has become one of my favorite golfers on the PGA Tour and I will be rooting for him this week in San Francisco.

Do you have any favorites to watch?  Who do you think will win?  Let me know below or hit me up on Twitter @Front9Back9.

Twitt
Filed Under: PGA Tour, U.S. Open Tagged With: , , ,