This article is part of our Weekly PGA Preview series.
A couple months back, I mentioned the many reasons why the Masters is the most popular tournament of golf fans in the United States. On the other hand, last week further cemented the U.S. Open as the most polarizing tournament among golfs fans in the United States. One only needs to check his Twitter feed during a U.S. Open to understand that the national championship, as it's sometimes referred to, brings out the best and worst in many of us. The question is why?
For that we have to delve deep into the psyche of the average golf fan. While the Masters is almost always all about golf, the U.S. Open is often just as much about the course as it is golf. And therein lies the real reason the U.S. Open is such a hot button issue.
Everybody who watches the U.S. Open has an idea of what it should be. Some think it should be a tough, yet fair test. Others think it should be pure carnage, and still others think it should be like any other major. Problem is, it can't be all of those; it can usually be just one of those, which leaves many upset that the U.S. Open is not living up to what their idea of that event should be.
From my perspective, this year's U.S. Open was tough but fair. Yet there are those who would say it was unfair to the golfers who teed off late Saturday. On the opposite side,
A couple months back, I mentioned the many reasons why the Masters is the most popular tournament of golf fans in the United States. On the other hand, last week further cemented the U.S. Open as the most polarizing tournament among golfs fans in the United States. One only needs to check his Twitter feed during a U.S. Open to understand that the national championship, as it's sometimes referred to, brings out the best and worst in many of us. The question is why?
For that we have to delve deep into the psyche of the average golf fan. While the Masters is almost always all about golf, the U.S. Open is often just as much about the course as it is golf. And therein lies the real reason the U.S. Open is such a hot button issue.
Everybody who watches the U.S. Open has an idea of what it should be. Some think it should be a tough, yet fair test. Others think it should be pure carnage, and still others think it should be like any other major. Problem is, it can't be all of those; it can usually be just one of those, which leaves many upset that the U.S. Open is not living up to what their idea of that event should be.
From my perspective, this year's U.S. Open was tough but fair. Yet there are those who would say it was unfair to the golfers who teed off late Saturday. On the opposite side, you have those who say, "toughen up," you know it's going to be hard and there's no crying at the U.S. Open. Except, there is crying at the U.S. Open; almost every year there is crying. It's almost as if some golfers are unaware that golf can be unfair at times.
I can sympathize with those who thought the conditions were much tougher in the afternoon than in the morning Saturday – they most certainly were – but to me, it looked like the golfers just weren't as sharp. Poor conditions or not, DJ didn't have to shoot 77 on Saturday. Many in the afternoon managed to stay afloat, like the eventual winner Brooks Koepka, who shot a nifty 72. Was it a bad break? Yes. Could the USGA have played it safe and changed some pin locations? As we found out Sunday, the answer was yes, but if the result of an easier course would have been a runaway by DJ, would we have been better off? Didn't the conditions Saturday set up a more interesting Sunday round? In my mind it did, but that's how I like my U.S. Opens – tough and tight, even if a little unfair.
Many were upset with the unfairness Saturday, but that's the U.S. Open, it's not here to please everyone all the time, or even some of the time. It's here to stir the emotions of golf fans, and in that sense, mission accomplished.
This week: Travelers Championship - TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn.
Last Year: Jordan Spieth shot a final-round 70 on his way to a playoff victory over Daniel Berger.
PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Paul Casey
Based on course history, there are a lot of quality options this week, and Casey tops the list. Casey has two top-5s here in three starts and has never finished worse than T17. He's also been a top-25 machine this season, with top-25s in 10 of 12 starts on the PGA Tour. He quietly finished inside the top 20 last week at the U.S. Open, as well.
Charley Hoffman
Hoffman did last week what he usually does when he's on his game – contend at a major for the first few days. The fact that he didn't completely bottom out is actually a great sign that his game is in very good shape. His track record at this event is solid as well, with two top-3s in his last five starts.
Marc Leishman
Leishman hasn't been ultra-sharp his last two stars on the PGA Tour, but he is just a month removed from nearly winning at the AT&T Byron Nelson. His history at this event is strong, with top-20s in four of his last six starts, including a win in 2012.
Daniel Berger
Even with Berger's good showing at the U.S. Open last week, I'm still not convinced that he's all the way back. Otherwise, he'd be higher on this list. He played well, even under tough conditions on the weekend, and there's a chance he figured something out. His track record here is stellar, with top-5s in both of his starts.
Ryan Moore
Moore has been steady, but not spectacular this season, much like his track record at this event. Moore has four top-10s in 14 starts, but he's coming off a nice showing at the Memorial where he finished T13. His history here shows three top-10s in his last five starts, including a runner-up in 2011.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Chesson Hadley
Hadley is having a fine season, but he's starting to leak oil, and his track record at this event leaves a lot to be desired. Hadley has finished T40 and MC in his last two starts on the PGA Tour and has yet to make the cut at this event. He's only played here twice, but there are simply too many good options to go the route of Hadley this week.
Scott Stallings
Stallings turned some heads earlier this season with a pair of top-10s in February, but he's back to his old ways now, which means not only should you fade him this week, but he probably shouldn't even be on your roster. If there is a turnaround in the future, it won't be this week as he's never made a cut here in three starts.
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay made the cut last week at the U.S. Open ... and that's about all the good news to come out of that start. Cantlay was terrible on the weekend and while you can chalk that up to poor conditions, some of that falls on Cantlay as not everyone folded. Cantlay's track record at this event would indicate that he'll likely have to wait another week to get back on track.
Pat Perez
Perez started this season much like he ended last season, which is why he's still in the top 20 on the FedEx Points list, but he hasn't accomplished much on his own since March. He did post a runnerup at the Zurich, but that was with the help of a teammate. As a solo artist, Perez hasn't cracked the top 20 since the WGC-Mexico Championship in March.
Danny Lee
Lee posted a T3 here last year, which is bound to grab some attention, but remember, Lee is in the midst of a cold streak, and we don't mess with Lee when he's cold. At least, the last time we saw him he was cold, maybe he's hot again. The point is, you don't take Lee until you've confirmed he's on a hot streak.
ONE AND DONE GOLFER
Last week: Jason Day (MC) - $0; Season - $5,654,235
This week: Paul Casey - There are a lot of quality options this week and as is often the case in situations like these, you have to go with your gut. I don't quite trust Berger yet and Moore's track record lacks the high-end finishes. It comes down to Hoffman and Casey in my mind, and like I stated earlier, it's just a gut feeling on Casey this week.
PGATOUR.COM PICKS
Starters: Ryan Moore, Paul Casey, Charley Hoffman, Daniel Berger
Bench: Marc Leishman, Jordan Spieth
SURVIVOR PICK
Last week: Jason Day - (MC); Streak - 0
This week: Ryan Moore - While Moore is missing high-end finishes here, he certainly has had no trouble making the cut. Moore has made nine cuts in 10 starts and hasn't missed the cut here since 2008. He also comes in mentally and physically fresh, not having dealt with Shinnecock last week.
