Highlights from Round 2 Friday at Chambers Bay.
I'm back at Chambers Bay early with a friend in tow and planning for a less physical day if possible with more sitting in grandstands than moving around. On the way from the top of the course down to the lower-lying holes we stop at the 4th green to see Luke Donald make par. He and JB Holmes hit good tee shots down the dramatic 5th but Luke short-sides himself with his approach and finds the pot bunker, while JB goes for the safe side of the pin. Walking across the 5th spectator crossing allows you to appreciate the undulations in the fairway.
En route towards the grandstand at the par 3 17th we pass Shane Lowry playing the 2nd hole. He plays a decent approach but not as close as he would like and it seems clear from his demeanour that he is demanding big things of himself this week.
We then find a great position on the 17th grandstand behind the green with the added bonus of being in perfect position to see the players up close as they walk off the green. Darren Clarke rolls by but looks to be frustrated with his game overall, despite making a very good sand save.
Enter Heir Jordan...Mr Spieth along with Rose and Day. Spieth fires straight at the flag and drains the putt for a birdie, with the roar from the crowd loud enough to drown out the sound of the freight train rumbling by. Spieth is going like a train himself and strides off the green before us to a standing ovation. It certainly is great to witness Jordan make a birdie at the US Open.
In the next group Tiger Woods fires at the flag but cannot control the spin and the ball ends up about 35 feet past. Rickie also continues to struggle and misses the green. We have a nice view right behind Tiger's long birdie putt and it is a good effort for a two putt par. As Tiger walks off the green he is one of the few to look up and properly acknowledge the crowd. I know he gets a better ovation than most around the course but still it was an impressive touch in the context of most players ignoring us and walking on with heads down.
We stay on the 17th to see Poulter the postman deliver a birdie with his typical Ryder Cup style positive stroke before taking a break at the 'Chambers Grill' concession zone, which is not too extortionate it must be said.
I'm back at Chambers Bay early with a friend in tow and planning for a less physical day if possible with more sitting in grandstands than moving around. On the way from the top of the course down to the lower-lying holes we stop at the 4th green to see Luke Donald make par. He and JB Holmes hit good tee shots down the dramatic 5th but Luke short-sides himself with his approach and finds the pot bunker, while JB goes for the safe side of the pin. Walking across the 5th spectator crossing allows you to appreciate the undulations in the fairway.
En route towards the grandstand at the par 3 17th we pass Shane Lowry playing the 2nd hole. He plays a decent approach but not as close as he would like and it seems clear from his demeanour that he is demanding big things of himself this week.
We then find a great position on the 17th grandstand behind the green with the added bonus of being in perfect position to see the players up close as they walk off the green. Darren Clarke rolls by but looks to be frustrated with his game overall, despite making a very good sand save.
Enter Heir Jordan...Mr Spieth along with Rose and Day. Spieth fires straight at the flag and drains the putt for a birdie, with the roar from the crowd loud enough to drown out the sound of the freight train rumbling by. Spieth is going like a train himself and strides off the green before us to a standing ovation. It certainly is great to witness Jordan make a birdie at the US Open.
In the next group Tiger Woods fires at the flag but cannot control the spin and the ball ends up about 35 feet past. Rickie also continues to struggle and misses the green. We have a nice view right behind Tiger's long birdie putt and it is a good effort for a two putt par. As Tiger walks off the green he is one of the few to look up and properly acknowledge the crowd. I know he gets a better ovation than most around the course but still it was an impressive touch in the context of most players ignoring us and walking on with heads down.
We stay on the 17th to see Poulter the postman deliver a birdie with his typical Ryder Cup style positive stroke before taking a break at the 'Chambers Grill' concession zone, which is not too extortionate it must be said.
We stay at the low part of the course for the next few hours, finding an excellent spot at the very top of the grandstand behind the 16th green. Between watching approaches, play on the green and waving at the trains passing by there is plenty to keep us going. The sky has also turned blue which means that it was easier to track long shots in the air. I can even see players teeing off on the 12th with binoculars in the distance...about as close as you can get to seeing tee shots on that hole!
In the last few months the name of Kevin Kisner has featured prominently on the PGA Tour and he brings this form to 16 with a nice birdie. Lee Westwood then comes through to produce a very good two putt par from distance after a loose approach shot.
Another name featuring high on leaderboards this season has been that of Irishman Shane Lowry and he is the next attraction for us on 16. Having found the massive fairway bunker when trying to position himself on the right off the tee he proceeds to play a sublime long bunker shot to a few feet, but unfortunately cannot convert the opportunity.
While waiting for Phil Mickelson's group I listen on the Open radio to Jason Day's episode with vertigo as he walks down from the high point of the course on the 9th. Chambers Bay features significant elevation changes and it is not difficult to understand how a course like this could trigger the condition in someone who is prone to it.
Just before Mickelson, Ben Martin arrives to 16 as tournament leader and makes a solid par. Lefty then graces us with a superb approach shot from the fescue rough wide left of the fairway. His tee shot is one of the few we have seen to miss the fairway but his second shot was typical Phil - knowing that he cannot control it out of the rough he uses the contours to manoeuvre the ball to 8 feet and gets us on our feet in the grandstand! Players have struggled to read this green however all day and sadly Phil and Bones misread the putt. Still, it is a great pleasure to witness the genius of Philly Mick.
We had planned to catch a glimpse of McIlroy on the 13th on the way out but by the time we have gradually negotiated the 200 ft incline from top to bottom in the heat it is enough to finish us off for the day.
In the last few months the name of Kevin Kisner has featured prominently on the PGA Tour and he brings this form to 16 with a nice birdie. Lee Westwood then comes through to produce a very good two putt par from distance after a loose approach shot.
Another name featuring high on leaderboards this season has been that of Irishman Shane Lowry and he is the next attraction for us on 16. Having found the massive fairway bunker when trying to position himself on the right off the tee he proceeds to play a sublime long bunker shot to a few feet, but unfortunately cannot convert the opportunity.
While waiting for Phil Mickelson's group I listen on the Open radio to Jason Day's episode with vertigo as he walks down from the high point of the course on the 9th. Chambers Bay features significant elevation changes and it is not difficult to understand how a course like this could trigger the condition in someone who is prone to it.
Just before Mickelson, Ben Martin arrives to 16 as tournament leader and makes a solid par. Lefty then graces us with a superb approach shot from the fescue rough wide left of the fairway. His tee shot is one of the few we have seen to miss the fairway but his second shot was typical Phil - knowing that he cannot control it out of the rough he uses the contours to manoeuvre the ball to 8 feet and gets us on our feet in the grandstand! Players have struggled to read this green however all day and sadly Phil and Bones misread the putt. Still, it is a great pleasure to witness the genius of Philly Mick.
We had planned to catch a glimpse of McIlroy on the 13th on the way out but by the time we have gradually negotiated the 200 ft incline from top to bottom in the heat it is enough to finish us off for the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment