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Spieth wins after a shocking finish at Chambers Bay

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10 years ago

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Many tried to win it, many succeeded in giving it away, only Jordan Spieth won it. Where to begin? Like so many viewers, I’m knocked flat on my back by that finish. Let’s have a go and see where it gets us.

Louis Oosthuizen needed to finish with eight consecutive birdies for a back-nine 28 to tie Jordan Spieth. He came up one short. Keep in mind that he also did it after starting the week with a 77, 12 shots behind the leaders.

Jason Day won us all over as fans, thanks to his fortitude. He was fortunate, to a degree, in that the vertigo hit on his penultimate shot on Friday. He was determined to the point of audacity, in soldiering on through the remaining 36 holes in the heat of the final-grouping spotlight on Sunday. Sure, he tied for ninth, but his performance will forever be recalled alongside those of Woods in 2008, Venturi in 1964 and Hogan in 1950.

Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace, take your pick. Each one had a chance on the final three holes to win the tournament. Grace flinched first, sailing a three-wood out of bounds on the reachable 16th. Despite that double-bogey, he hung in and might have had a chance had a putt dropped on No. 17.

As for Dustin, well, let’s hope he tried to make that eagle putt on No. 18 for the win. If that was an effort at a lag, well, it wasn’t a good one. What do you say to a fellow who had a two-stroke lead midway through the final round and a 12-footer on the last green to win… and didn’t even force a playoff?

So we are left with Jordan Spieth. The Masters champion had a two-stroke cushion on No. 17, and then he didn’t as he stood on the 18th tee. On No. 17, he flared a 6-iron well right of the green. After he pitched on and three-putted for double bogey, the game was back on. Spieth did what Johnson couldn’t, however, which was make birdie on No. 18. Credit to him for surviving, the single most important verb at any U.S. Open venue.

See the clubs Spieth used to win the 2015 U.S. Open.

Brown really is the new green

dustin-johnson-at-us-open-chambers-bay-round-1

Let’s all pick on the new kid on the block, right? WRONG! Chambers Bay was so right in so many ways, but all the nay-sayers on social media can’t be bothered. I’ll take one last stab at it, then I’ll let it go.

Brown is the new green. Yes, it is. Gary Player, incredulously, accused the USGA and Chambers Bay of defying water restrictions. How does he, or any other wag, think the course browned? It browned a healthy brown from proper watering methods. Not over-watering, as we see at so many typical tour courses and country clubs.

Fescue takes a bit of time. This might have been the only mistake the USGA made with Chambers Bay. The greens need a bit more time for the fescue and Poa Annua to come into balance (or for the Poa Annua to take over completely). If that’s too much agronomy for you, I understand.

Golf courses are not meant to be pool-table flat. They should have diverse and interesting topography, and those undulations should not just be for show. We all don’t hit it high in the sky, but we deserve a chance to use our smarts and our creativity to bounce the ball in, maneuver it around the course, and give the tall bombers an equal fight.

Kudos to Mike Davis

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Photo from USGA: Mike Davis with Greg Norman (left).

We’ll close with a word or hundred about the main man at the USGA, the executive director and course set-up guy for the U.S. Open. Mike Davis could have handed over the reigns of course set-up to a lackey when he ascended to the executive directorship of the national golfing body. He wanted nothing of the sort.

Thanks to Davis, we have the elimination of “Where are we, Oakland Hills, Merion, Oakmont, Winged Foot? They all look the same with their thick rough, pencil-thin fairways and copious trees.” We have the drivable par-four hole, the two-teed par 3s, the wide fairways, the treeless expanses and the bound and trundle of a course that can be played through the air and along the ground. He is revolutionary and we are better for it.

On to Oakmont in 2016!

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

33 Comments

33 Comments

  1. Ben

    Jun 25, 2015 at 2:43 am

    The way the course looked on TV was far different than in person. I spent 5 days on the course Wednesday – Sunday, I walked the course and multiple greens after the final round. It all looked fine to me. Some greens did have a mix of poa and fescue that appeared uneven late in the day, but I play on poa/bent greens nearly exclusively in Washington, and at 6pm in the summer they are all bumpy, that’s how it grows. What didn’t show well on TV was the hole locations, TUCKED. The “uneven” greens AND difficult pins had more effect on putting as a whole than just the greens. After watching the replay days later I understood the criticism, but it was unjust. As for spectator viewing I did exactly what the USGA advised. I found a number of viewing areas where I could see players drive, approach or putt and rotated between them the first 3 days. On Saturday I spent the entire day in the grandstands at the 16th green and watched JB Holmes eagle 2 from the green side bunker and DJ’s 385 yard drive to the green among other shots. On Sunday I parked it early in the grandstands at 18 and saw the most important part of the final. BTW Reed missed the exact same two putts as DJ a few groups earlier. I called it, straight on the downhill, right to left on the up hill.

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  2. rpcjr

    Jun 22, 2015 at 10:46 pm

    Unfortunately it was such a poor venue for the spectator on site. It was impossible to follow players. There were very few areas to watch the players up close.

    Reply Report comment

    • Pat M

      Jun 22, 2015 at 10:59 pm

      I turned it off for the weekend and tuned in for the last 2 hours. You could not see the ball on the crappy greens in high def big screen TV. It looks like a cow pasture. The high def just showed how horrible the greens were. A normal golf course would go out of business with those awful greens. Kudos to Mike Davis? LOL!

      Reply Report comment

  3. JJ

    Jun 22, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    I can’t help to wonder if Louis Oosthuisen’s opening round of 77 has something to do with the fact that he played with Tiger. I know these guys are professionals and playing partners should not be affected but surely his actions and poor play must get under the skin of fellow players. Fowler also had one of the worst rounds. Just makes you wonder? Congrats to Jordan Spieth, I really like this kid, brilliant play, even the commentators commented that he needs to work on his swing, how on earth can a 21 year old win 2 majors in 1 year and still they recon he should work on his swing!!!

    Reply Report comment

  4. Mike

    Jun 22, 2015 at 10:34 am

    Real tough break for DJ. He showed a lot of class after the fact. I think that the fact that he pushed a couple short ones on the back 9 made him tug that last one a little but I can’t fault him for getting twitchy standing over that putt!

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    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 11:25 am

      Did he lag the first one, is my question. There was a lack of game management from him across the board, game management that Spieth seemed to possess.

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      • The lowdown

        Jun 22, 2015 at 11:56 am

        Save the game management for the jets qb

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  5. Greg V

    Jun 22, 2015 at 9:21 am

    Too many “back boards” on this course, and shots into greens where they had to hit it off the green to the left or right, and let the ball roll on. It was funkiness taken to an extreme.

    And sustainable? It would take too much man power to keep all that sand raked in the bunkers. I suppose that was my main criticism of the course: way too much reliance on bunkers. Bunkers here, bunkers there, bunkers everywhere. Surely many of them could be replaced by rough, without affecting the difficulty for professional tour players, but making it easier for the everyday golfer. I would argue that strategic bunkering is a better solution than bunkers everywhere.

    I like golf courses that go brown in the middle of the summer due to lack of rain. I would like a brown Merion, a brown Congressional, and a brown Pebble Beach. I see no need to play two Open Championship courses in one year. Actually, this year we get three. Too much, already.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 11:26 am

      I don’t think that Whistling Straits will be brown in August. I think it will play more through-the-air than either Chambers or St. Andrews. You are probably correct on the bunkering.

      Reply Report comment

  6. Mike

    Jun 22, 2015 at 8:43 am

    I really like Chambers Bay…and the greens. Tim Finchem and his TPCs with perfect greens has not helped the PGA Tour pro’s mental toughness…and thus one reason Americans putt so poorly in the Ryder Cups. This course condition is how golf was intended to play. I remember the days in the 60’s when tour pros had puts bounce off line from “spike marks” and “imperfections”…and when it cost them a win, they didn’t whine about a bumpy line. Luck should be part of the game…always has been through history.

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  7. Patricknorm

    Jun 22, 2015 at 8:28 am

    As an ex,washed up,pro athlete I’m wondering what was going through Dustin Johnson’s mind when he was setting up for the angle putt. Clearly it was a downhill, slightly hooking putt and clearly there was the possibility the putt could fly past the hole.
    So if the goal was to win the tournament and not lose it ( hand it over to Speith), was Johnson not thinking about the comeback putt? Pro sports is all about mistakes. Your allowed to make one mistake but pros are best when they self correct.
    So, my initial reaction is that Johnson mentally blanked and went for the immediate win. Did it never occur to Johnson that a playoff was acceptable (safe) and birdie was the absolute minimum ?
    Jack Nicklaus won many tournaments because many of his opponents lost. This is clearly why Speith won the U.S. Open. I’m going hard on Johnson because he mentally blanked. He should have at least played Monday.

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    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 11:29 am

      Patrick,

      You and I think alike. His caddie should have been there to remind him to just whisper the putt along, and get to Monday. I would have like Johnson’s chances against Spieth today.

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      • Patricknorm

        Jun 22, 2015 at 4:34 pm

        My son had the same agent as Wayne Gretzky. I have a good understanding the way Wayne was raised by his dad and his ( Wayne’s) expectations when he played. I’m curious if Wayne imparted the same knowledge to Johnson ? Hockey, like golf is all about mistakes. People think it’s about scoring of which Wayne was the best. But because Wayne had the puck all the time and because he could control the game he was very successful. It was Wayne’s mind, his vision. He didn’t shoot that hard or skate especially fast. He saw the game far in advance of what his opponents did.
        I hope Wayne takes Dustin aside after he’s settled down, and paint him a picture of how your mind is the best weapon in his bag. Physically he’s beyond gifted. His mind however, needs some advanced problem solving. Hope he bounces back.

        Reply Report comment

  8. Jengus

    Jun 22, 2015 at 7:47 am

    How about the Australian Cameron Smith! One month younger than Spieth, never even heard of the kid and coming from absolutely nowhere. Didn’t have one round over par. Hopefully he makes the most of the benefits that come is way from a T4 at the US Open, would love to see what he’s capable of. That second shot he hit at 18…wow

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    • Pat M

      Jun 22, 2015 at 8:42 am

      Cam Smith was amazing. Great play by the top finishers. The course and greens were still horrible and Mike Davis needs to be fired.

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    • j.a.

      Jun 23, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      Well, Cameron Smith is coming from Australia, that’s not nowhere! He is the next generation of great Aussie golfers. He had an amazing career as an amateur. Finishing T4 was such an achievement. Also nobody mentions the lowest round at Chambers Bay that was a -6 on Sunday by Adam Scott which allowed him to finish T4.

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  9. KK

    Jun 22, 2015 at 7:24 am

    DJ had a lightning-quick downhill putt but don’t forget Jordan also 3-putted from below the hole on 17 and he’s one of the best putters in the world.

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    • Hippocamp

      Jun 22, 2015 at 10:17 am

      I agree. I think we make too much of what happens on the 18th green and forget most of what came before. Jordan’s missed bogey putt on 17 was pretty much the same length as DJ’s missed birdie putt on 18. Those 3-footers were hard.

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  10. Rich

    Jun 22, 2015 at 6:20 am

    Having taken on board what the article set out in regards to the course, I still think it was not the right venue/time for the US Open at Chambers Bay. Ok it may be suitable in the future but I have to agree with the players that there was too much luck involved in some of the “bounces” and putts going in for my liking. With the greens as fast as they were, players could not hit their putts with enough speed to keep them online because the greens were so bumpy or face 6 feet coming back if they missed it. Yes, US Open course are supposed to be hard, but that doesn’t mean they have to be silly. All the other recent US Open venues have been as tough or tougher with none of the silly stuff that we saw this week.

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    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 11:31 am

      Depends on how you define silly, amigo. Fairways narrowed to half their original width? Other than Merion in 2013, though, the Davis hand has been a gentle one, so I don’t think you can compare it to recent US Open venues. Now, go back to the Oakmont of 1983 or the Winged Foot of 1974 and you’ll have a nice comparison.

      Reply Report comment

  11. Matto

    Jun 22, 2015 at 6:08 am

    I loved the course, loved the coverage. Stoked to hear Greg Norman & Pavin. Thought they were great. Was a joy to not hear Johnny Miller & David Feherty.
    I thought the fairways, elevations & scruffy looking fescue rough looked amazing. My type of golf. There’s no question the greens are a few years off, but everyone had to play the same greens.
    The pro’s complaining before the comp even started, was a sure fire guarantee to not bet on them winning it.

    Reply Report comment

  12. dapadre

    Jun 22, 2015 at 5:20 am

    You gotta love this kid. This is no ‘luck’ he has been showing his pressence for quite some time. If he hadnt faltered in 2014 Maters he may have been at 3! What I find great is he seems like a nice kid, beating guys without being overly long, funky grip and chicken wing ( my golf pro pointed this to me, seems to hold off and not fully release) on irons. Luvin it!

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 6:08 am

      I noticed that hold-off with a lot of the guys this week. It might have been an attempt to keep the ball on line, get extra spin, or both. Chicken-wing would refer to his right elbow rising up and out on the backswing, and he certainly doesn’t do that. Keep writing and stop back often.

      RM

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      • dapadre

        Jun 23, 2015 at 11:23 am

        Thanks will do. Must have misspoken on the wing as he did state it was the left and not the right.

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  13. R JACKSON

    Jun 22, 2015 at 4:30 am

    My comments are based on seeing the USGA Open on TV. Short of holing the event on a nine hole course this was the worst location for one the worlds four majors. When I recall the simply excellent GOLf COURSES that there are in the US why in the name all that holey did they choose Chambers Bay.
    But it speaks volumes for the ability of Jordan Spieth, well done and good luck for St Andrews.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 6:02 am

      R Jackson,

      Are you one of those that believes that golf in the USA must be green at all costs? When they get to St. Andrews, you’ll see more colors of Chambers Bay than you will anything else. When golf is lush and green, clubs get stuck in high rough and wrists get injured. That will never happen at courses that play fast and firm like this one. This paradigm is better for golf.

      Reply Report comment

      • Rich

        Jun 22, 2015 at 6:23 am

        Ok fair enough Ron but it looked more like an Open Championship than the US Open. I think each major needs to have its own identity when it comes to course type and set u and this one definitely didn’t feel like a US Open.

        Reply Report comment

        • J W

          Jun 22, 2015 at 11:58 am

          I agree that each major should have its own identity, but that shouldn’t exclude links-style courses such as Chambers from consideration for the US Open. Having a diverse range of courses can be a strength for the US Open, while keeping to its central identity of the “toughest test in golf”. Leave the impossibly perfect, lush and manicured major to the Masters.

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  14. JB

    Jun 22, 2015 at 1:48 am

    I shut the TV off as soon as i saw DJ three putt. Was really rooting for a major from this guy.. especially with the ‘potential’ amazing ending. However, Spieth is definitely something else. Great golf this week.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jun 22, 2015 at 5:59 am

      I know, man. I nearly cried. I could feel for him. It was like a Van de Velde moment. I wanted to be the caddie and say “Just breathe on the first putt, dude. We’ll take our two-putt and give it our best tomorrow.”

      Reply Report comment

    • Professor

      Jun 22, 2015 at 8:51 am

      Lol…me too. He looked like he had idea what he was doing. That was disgusting! I’m genuinely happy for young Jordan but I immediately thought of that line from Tin Cup…defining moment. Then Fox kept showing images of Gretsky and I thought well, maybe the Great One has imparted some of that self believe into DJ during that six month hiatus but alas, no…

      Reply Report comment

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