Will The US Open Identify The Best Player?

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June 12, 2005

Will the US Open identify the best player? Or just embarass him?

A scathing editorial in the Scotsman takes the USGA to task for its obsession with par. It argues that at Shinnecock last year, the best player was Phil Mickelson, but that he was jobbed by a tricked-out setup:

The problem stems from the fact that the USGA have become obsessed with defending par. The idea that par is just a number and that generally the winning player tends to hit the fewest shots - whether he’s 20 under or 20 over - does not seem to have occurred to them. Modern equipment in the hands of a pro has made par almost indefensible these days unless you do something very silly. Last year the USGA chose silly.

We’ll have to see hot it goes this year at Pinehurst. I’d like to think that Shinnecock was a mistake that won’t be repeated.

Posted By The Original Golf Blogger