21 Comments

1. 

   Bill

   Jul 19, 2013 at 4:52 am

   Sorry but if there are multiple players at under par and several well under par after round 1 there is no complaining to be had. You deal with what you’re given and move on. Complaining doesn’t change a damn thing.

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2. 

   Michael

   Jul 18, 2013 at 9:19 pm

   Surely everyone could have played the 18th like Schwartzel! No Putts, meuch easier and no complaining

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   • 

     Kyle

     Jul 19, 2013 at 10:03 am

     Maybe everyone should have played #13 like Charl as well and the entire field would be without a 6 iron, ha ha!

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3. 

   Peter

   Jul 18, 2013 at 9:17 pm

   They might be just playing mind games with the officials, trying to influence them to make it bit easier for round 2, because they are scared about playing in afternoon on friday. Hopefully the course will play the same friday.

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4. 

   Adge

   Jul 18, 2013 at 9:08 pm

   Jack Nicklaus once said he enjoyed listening to guys complaining about weather, the rough, pin placements etc, cause he could eliminate those guys as contenders…..the course plays the same for everyone. Zach shot -5, Lehman & O’Meara shot -4, Jimenez -3. These guys managed to find a way….. and I didn’t see anyone hitting Driver to a Par 3.
   The test is to find the guy who plays the course the best. This includes course management, strategy, experience & preperation. Hence why Jack won 18.

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5. 

   Tom

   Jul 18, 2013 at 8:37 pm

   What all that brouhaha from Poulter about his new putter and he can’t sink a five footer.

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6. 

   guru

   Jul 18, 2013 at 8:15 pm

   Wow what a bunch of cry babies… Makes me sick:(

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7. 

   Todd

   Jul 18, 2013 at 6:46 pm

   No, it shouldn’t be about tearing the course up. Look at Merion. Completely fair pin placements and the winning score was +1. You can make the course incredibly tough, but also fair. It’s just simply not fair when world-class players hit world-class shots and they end up off the green or in impossible positions. It’s hard enough to hit world-class shots in those situations, so when someone does, they should be handsomely rewarded.

   When a course is not rewarding and even denying great golf shots, it then becomes unfair. And I still stand by my statement that Phil knows more about playing golf and what a good course set-up than some old blue hair with a fancy degree and a suit who couldn’t break 90 at a municipal course.

   And if you go to your local public course and you see pins on the sides of hills or in positions where it is almost impossible for anyone to stop within a certain distance of the hole, then the greenskeeper doesn’t know what he/she is doing. It’s not the US Open out there, it’s a Saturday Morning round with non-professionals who are trying to have FUN.

   But, I totally side with Phil, Dufner and Poulter because these blue hairs in suits do need to tone down their egos and stop tricking up golf courses. If it has to be tricked-up to be major-championship caliber, then it is not major championship caliber. Does Oakmont ever have to be tricked up? Nope. What about Saint Andrews? Nope. What about Augusta? Nope. The Masters should be the tournament all other major championships model themselves after, ridiculously penal for bad shots, but very rewarding for good shots and still really hard. If they have to trick up Muirfield for it to be hard, then take it off of the rotation.

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8. 

   Derek

   Jul 18, 2013 at 6:39 pm

   it was crazy putting on the 18th imo

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9. 

   Alan

   Jul 18, 2013 at 5:58 pm

   Absolutely ridiculous statement to say that greenkeepers of public courses dont know what they’re doing or dont care. Bottom line muirfield is a top top course and the greenkeepers there no exactly what they’re doing. Its not the green keepers who decide where the pins go in the open. Its the R&A.
   Anyway it makes it interesting to see them struggling, difficult pin positions make the players use there imaginations. That’s what links golf is all about! Golf shouldn’t be about guys tearing the course up. Great open so far!

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10. 

    Todd

    Jul 18, 2013 at 5:36 pm

    When it comes to situations like this, I ALWAYS side with the players. This is because you have this agenda from the USGA and R & A to make a game that is already nearly impossible to make the game even MORE difficult. The pins today WERE dodgy, even for the pros. And when you play on a public course, there are plenty of really awful pin positions because greenskeepers don’t know what they are doing or don’t care.

    Look at Augusta for proper pin placements. If you cannot find enough pin placements out there, then there should be two options… either don’t have it at muirfield anymore, or slow down the greens. I understand it is supposed to be difficult for these guys. But, it shouldn’t be borderline unfair. The pin placements would not be so bad if it was rainy and the course was a little bit softer, those pin placements would be fine.

    But with them running at 11 and a bone dry course with reasonable winds, they are not out of line saying that the pins are unfair. They need to water the course and not make the greens so hard that guys can’t even hold 8-irons into them. These are the best players in the world, they should be able to stop a short iron on a green. Otherwise, it’s not golf. The forecast calls for little chance of rain all weekend, so, is the R&A going to play with fire and keep them that firm and fast and risk letting them become unplayable? I hope not.

    These guys do have a case. And regardless of whether or not these guys are the best in the world and whether or not 99.9% of golfers would give a body part to be in their situation, that is irrelevant to a fair and unfair pin position. Fair and unfair pin positions and course set-ups transcend handicaps. If a pin is on the side of a hill or on a mound where any good shot cannot get close and any missed putt is almost dead, then the pin placement is unfair, regardless of handicap. The key is to put the pins in fair positions and still have the course play difficult. If you cannot do that, then you should not be hosting a major.

    Take Merion for example. How many guys complained about pin placements on those greens which were much smaller than muirfield’s and are ridiculously slope-y? Zero, because the pin placements were fair and on flat spots that with an exceptional shot could get close. And the winning score was still +1.

    Yes, Poulter is a whiner, but you’re telling me those are the only two guys who felt the pin placements were unfair? If you think that, then I have a bridge to sell you. Those were the only guys who went public with it and that we heard about.

    So, when it comes to course set-up, I always side with the guys who actually have to go out there and play and earn a living and who play the game at that level, rather than some 18-handicap administrator with a law degree and an agenda.

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    • 

      t120

      Jul 18, 2013 at 10:41 pm

      I absolutely approve of this well written comment.

      Yes, there will almost always be a sound byte (or 3) the press runs with because a pro(s) disapproves, but let’s be real – whether the course is playing awesome, fair or poor, all of the golfers should have a shot at the same scenario in a realistic setting. There’s always something to complain about when you’re playing bad, but when the course is playing against you and 99% of the courses/tourneys you’re in don’t have this problem – you’re gonna say some ish.

      A level playing field isn’t 2 different drastic conditions throughout the day, made worse by poor, discretionary pin positions.

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      • 

        Jtriscott

        Jul 19, 2013 at 11:25 am

        Great comment. Think #8 at Pinehurst…

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11. 

    Jason Gwaltney

    Jul 18, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    Phil said that he was lucky having played it in the morning – said he felt like it would be unfair to the guys in the afternoon. Context is everything.

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12. 

    Deaus666

    Jul 18, 2013 at 2:59 pm

    Its not the R&A’s fault your hitting it in the wrong positions. Also Poulter needs to win more than 1 stroke play tournament. I try to like the guy but he reminds me of a English version of Sergio, Never his fault he plays sub-par.

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13. 

    Troysbama

    Jul 18, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    Phil didn’t complain about having to play the holes. He complained that the afternoon pairings would be at a big disadvantage as the greens continue to brown out. So the comment about everyone playing the same course was the reason for Phil’s comments.

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    • 

      Forsbrand

      Jul 18, 2013 at 4:05 pm

      In go along with Phil, Phil knows the score! Poultry exaggerated a little bit and has let himself down with his over the top criticism, he didn’t play that we’ll today from tee to green. Birkdale 91 greens were worst greens I’ve seen at an open. 6 under wont be too far away come Sunday

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      • 

        Derek

        Jul 18, 2013 at 6:37 pm

        did you watch the putts on 18 i can see why they were frustrated.

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14. 

    Jerry

    Jul 18, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    Well, there’s three more players I won’t be pulling for. While the majority of us dream of having the opportunity to play a coursse like this, we have to listen to these d-bags. At least if they added a clown face to 18, it would match Poulter’s attire.

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15. 

    Jud

    Jul 18, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    Its the same for everyone, I dont get why they complain so much.

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    • 

      Steve

      Jul 18, 2013 at 9:47 pm

      Actually it isn’t the same, that’s why they’re upset. The players teeing off in the AM had a huge advantage over the people in the afternoon. That’s what the problem is.

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