A Very Strange Day at Pebble.

I was so looking forward to the last day of the U.S Open. And yet, even after a win by the affable Graeme McDowell I was left unsatisfied. How could all of the challengers fall away without a fight? How could McDowell shoot 74 and still win by playing 18 with a driver, 8 iron and sand wedge. When will Tiger stop blaming everyone but himself? The TV golf pundits will overanalyse as usual, but what's clear is the Pebble Beach course won - the cost was a desperately dull and negative telecast with Johnny Miller clearly mad that no one, save Mr. McDowell, could hit the ball in a straight line. On to The Old Course at St. Andrews in 3 weeks and a real links golf course. Let's hope the drama lives up to the expectations.

Same Old Tiger...only worse

Tiger said he will change. His attitude, his interaction with the crowd, his outlook. And he has changed...he's even worse. More arrogant than ever and he has now taken to criticizing the golf course, the USGA, who knows maybe even the courtesy car driver? His attack on the USGA on Thursday about the greens being "awful" was childish and unnecessary. We didn't hear the moaning in 2000 when he was simply playing better on the same greens. They are still poa annua and on poa the ball bounces more than bent. All the players played the same golf course and the same greens, but only Tiger moaned like a 6 year old. Clearly there has been no change. All he needs to do is play better and quit moaning. No one wants to hear it.

Monday visit to Pebble

I was at Pebble on Monday and the golf course is in magnificent condition. It looks so different from the bumpy wet golf course played in February for the AT&T. The thing with Pebble is there are so many great holes you tend to forget the bland ones. The golf course doesn’t really get going until the 5^th and Nicklaus did a great job with the tough par 3 that hugs the cliff. Through the 10^th it’s exceptional and then the 11^th through the 16^th are just so average, until reaching the 17^th tee. The 14th is one of my least favourite holes in golf, a long, uphill par 5 to a ridiculously small sloping green. Just no fun at all and the players hate it, though they are trained to say nothing. The 18^th looked great, though I miss the 2 big trees on the right side of the hole. Arnold Palmer has added another bunker up the right, but it is more cosmetic than in play. It is going to be a great U.S. Open with the golf course running hard and fast. The greens are tough to hold, so watch out for the players with strong short games. Anyone say Phil?

(the picture is taken from the Beach club looking at the 17^th green and 18^th tee)