Well... to reinforce how weird this 117th US Open has been... with the blimp debacle on Thursday, the E. Coli on Friday... it was reported that a 90-something spectator passed away while in attendance at the tournament on Friday as well. Thoughts and prayers to his family.
Moving forward...
Saturday provided a similar backdrop to the two rounds prior, with lots of great scoring (and no tragedies to speak of, except for Johnny Miller) who wasted little time discounting Thomas's incredible record-breaking round of 9-under in a US Open tournament. I agree with darpar's recent contribution in this thread; it's not that I completely disagree with Miller, but it would've obviously come off a lot better had someone else brought the notable differences to light as opposed to Miller himself, who, it's worth nothing, has never been accused of having the slightest surplus of humility. I also think there's a wee bit of resentment in play, with that Miller being 70 years old - has most likely seen his last commentating duties for a tournament that he's enjoyed being a part of for the last 25+ years. He comes across bitter, if you ask me.
Listening to all of the Golf Channel's talking heads Saturday evening as they tried to somehow put things in proper perspective - David Duval's take, with Mother Nature having such a significant impact, seems most rational. The weather has essentially rendered this layout "gettable" despite the enormous length it is being contested from. And my kudos to the USGA for not attempting to run interference despite that. We talk about how important this tournament is for a number of players looking to get their first major championship win, but it's been no less important for the USGA to maintain a behind-the-scenes aspect this year because of the fracas they've created in their tournament operations the past several years. I still remain confident in assuming that Diana Murphy will butcher the closing awards ceremony nevertheless. It's 10:12 a.m. there in Wisconsin as I type this, but she's probably on her third Tito's and Tonic already. Hopefully for her the winner will be a relatively simple name to pronounce...
No, it's not the typical US Open that favors one particular style of play, reducing the contest to the point where only the lucky bounces and par-saving putts from 15 feet determine the outright winner. I personally don't have an issue with that. We've seen excellent golf being played at the highest level, without Tiger, Phil, Dustin, Rory, Jordan, Jason, or Bubba.
But with so many guys with a chance to win this first major of their careers, on a layout where driving distance hasn't given a notable advantage to any player through the first three rounds - I couldn't personally ask for more from what will prove to be an exciting finish. And with a little more wind being in the forecast on Sunday, I think the challenge will be far greater today than it has been for the past three. All of these players will be required to execute under extreme pressure, whether it's a par-saving putt from 15 feet or a birdie from half that distance.
I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Father's Day. Beautiful course, some exceptional playing, with roughly 10-12 players who could win this thing... what more could you ask for as a fan of pro golf?!
Happy Father's Day to all of my fellow Golf Buzzard dad's out there. 🙂