19th Hole
3-time major champ says fans should expect the ‘slowest rounds of golf ever’ at U.S. Open
This week’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club is going to be a battle of attrition in more ways than one.
While speaking to the Irish Independent this week, Padraig Harrington lamented on how brutal the conditions could be during the tournament.
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“They have a pretty brutally tough golf course, so they can afford to be somewhat lenient,” he said. “It’s better to have a tough golf course that they set up easy than an easy golf course that they trick up.”
“At this stage, we’ve got a tough golf course. So by the time we get in the tournament, you know, golf courses generally get easier. I don’t know if this one will. It’s a typical US Open. It’s going to be a battle of attrition.”
There’s also the challenge of long rounds that many players aren’t used to.
“I need to manage myself,” he said.
“This is going to be an extraordinarily long week. These are probably going to be the slowest rounds of golf ever in tournament golf. I’d be surprised if they’re under six hours.
“There’s just a lot of crisscrossing (of holes). There’s just a lot of holes where people … and when plays slow and crisscrossing, everybody’s ‘Oh, no, you go ahead. No, you go ahead. No, you go.’ Because they all know they’re going to be waiting for them at the next tee.
“When you have the drivable par-4s and reachable par-5s, that all slows play down because they’re reachable, but you’re still taking fives.”
“It’s not like they’re straightforward in any shape or form. So yeah, this is going to be a long day on your feet all week. So the one thing I have to manage is that I’m fresh for the whole week for Sunday.”
Along with how slow the rounds could take, the three-time major champion believes the firmness of the greens will be one of the biggest challenges at LACC.
“I like the challenge, but it is difficult,” he said. “I would think the toughest part for me relative to the field would be greens are pretty damn firm. You know, sometimes I don’t have as high a ball flight, so that puts me under a little bit of pressure to hit different shots.
“The rest of the golf course, it’s tough, difficult around the greens. But that’s the same for everybody, and if anything, that plays into my hands.
“I think there will be some frustrations. You can hit a pretty decent drive on a few holes, and it runs into the rough. If anything, the rough is more challenging because there are a few areas where you get away with it. So you’re going down there hoping you get a decent lie, and then you go down, and you get a bad lie.
“So, I think there’ll be more frustrations this week than most… It’s definitely a severe mental challenge.”
The winner this week at LACC will need to be on top of their game both physically and perhaps even more importantly, mentally.
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19th Hole
“Is it a Titleist?” – Jerry Seinfeld shares never-before-heard details of iconic scene
On Thursday, legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the Rich Eisen Show and shared an awesome story from a “Seinfeld” episode titled “The Marine Biologist.”
In the episode, a golf ball goes into the blow hole of a whale. According to Seinfeld, that was never in the episode’s script.
Seinfeld recalls saying the night before the filming of the episode, “What if what puts the whale in distress is Kramer’s golf ball?”
“He’s hitting golf balls at the beach. George is at the beach with a girl, we haven’t connected them!”
“We write that speech the night before at two o’clock in the morning…The sea was angry that day my friend.”
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Kramer finishes the iconic scene by asking “Is it a Titleist?” Seinfeld told Eisen the show sought Titleist’s permission to mention its name, saying the ball had to be a Titleist. Fortunately for lovers of the iconic show, the company agreed.
If (somehow) you’re unfamiliar with the scene, check it out below.
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
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19th Hole
Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game ‘on a much more global basis’
While speaking with Bloomberg, golf legend Phil Mickelson acknowledged that he is inching close towards retirement.
“I’m 53 now,” Phil said, “and my career, you know, it’s — if I’m being truthful, it’s on — it’s — it’s — I’m a — it’s towards its end.”
Mickelson added that one of his focuses now is helping other young players.
“Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfillment that the game has provided me. I’d like them to experience that as well.”
The six-time major champion credited LIV with reaching new markets in golf to help it grow.
“I think that’s exciting for everyone involved in the game because we are going to reach markets that we didn’t reach before. I think it’s going to inspire more golf courses, inspire more manufacturers selling clubs and equipment, but also inspiring young kids to try to play golf professionally. I just see that the game of golf is going to grow on a much more global basis because of the excitement and the presence that LIV Golf has.”
Mickelson is playing at this week’s LIV Singapore and shot a first round 72 (+1).
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Tiger explains why golf has ‘negative connotations’ for daughter Sam
While Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, has certainly inherited his father’s love for golf, his daughter, Sam, has not.
On Wednesday, Tiger made an appearance on The Today Show with Carson Daly and explained his daughter’s relationship with golf.
“Golf has negative connotations for her. When she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her. I had to pack, I had to leave, and I was gone for weeks. So, there were negative connotations to it.
“We developed our own relationship and our own rapport outside of golf. We do things that doesn’t involve golf. Meanwhile, my son and I, everything we do is golf related.”
The nine-minute interview touches on plenty of other subjects, such as Tiger’s relationship with his late father, Earl.
It’s arguably the most open we’ve seen the 15-time major champion in an interview and is most definitely worth watching.
Tiger Woods sits down with Carson Daly to talk about golf, growing up in Southern California, his father and his new apparel line, Sun Day Red. pic.twitter.com/2TFbSNxzxq
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 1, 2024
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