Did anyone see the U.S. Open today

Did it remind anyone else of this movie ...

I'm glad they lost.

I don't like Furyk so I was thrilled he bombed. But Monty was my first choice and Phil #2.

I was rooting like hell for Monty. He lost some chances in the pre-Tiger era and I felt bad for him after that, the only older major European star from the Ryder Cup teams who hadn't won a major. No feeling sorry for him anymore. He had a gift wrapped US Open today with Tiger out of the picture. Bottom line: double bogey on 18.

Phil is incredibly talented and in his prime, but today was an asinine waste. In fact, worse than Van de Velde in '99. Van de Velde chose poorly with the driver off the tee, but his next shot cleared the hazard and only incredible bad luck with the man made grandstand bounced it back before the water and into the heavy rough.

Phil made three stupid choices today: the driver off the tee then both his 2nd and 3rd shots. The cut driver wasn't working all day. Then he gets word Monty failed to par 18. So where is the fairway wood or long iron? He hit a brilliant fairway wood off the tee on 18th during the third round. Once he's in the rough and 210 yards away, he can lay up and be 50/50 to win and 90/10 to reach a playoff with Oglivy.

But when he stood up there with the long iron, trying the Superman shot, I said to the people I was watching the tournament with, "now he's got no chance at par and only 50/50 to bogey for the playoff." Turns out I was too high with the 50/50. The third shot is very bad luck to plug in the bunker but I was almost glad it happened, so 3-times stupid didn't get bailed out.

One thing about Oglivy: his swing is long and fluid and terrific to watch, big distance with seemingly little effort.

Personally, I was pulling for ferrie, but he seemed really thrown by that "superman" call off the tee on about the sixth ... before that he had played really solid--not spectacular, leaving a couple of birdie putts short, but playing really solid open golf by making sure he never put himself in position for a three-putt. But then he lost his head a bit and couldn't pull himself out of the slide on the holes around the turn. I liked watching him yesterday, and was hoping he'd stay competitive longer.

Monty I guess I could take or leave, but I was impressed with how he recovered after that horrid start yesterday, and it was kind of cool to see him hole that birdie on 16 (?) and have the playoff--maybe the championship--laid at his feet. Then to see him just destroy that beautiful approach shot--that had to be one of the worst in the history of the pga. yeesh.

Ogilvy does seem to have a very fluid and effortless game. It was really fun watching him work the 18th hole. I think it took a lot of confidence to make that chip off the front of the green.

And I agree totally about phil and his mistakes on that hole. A birdie doesn't help you any more than a par does. Stuck in the rough? Just advance it into the fairway and then put it on the green for a par putt. What a meltdown. I remember feeling bad for Van de velde, but I couldn't bring myself to feel too bad for mickelsen today. Asinine waste indeed.

He was warming up with one iron then plunked it into the bag and yanked another one, just before the shot. I have no idea if it was a club higher or lower, but he blew it right into the rough, worst place he could be. It was also short so I'm guessing it was a one less club, but who knows, it could have been a horrendous mishit based on Monty's self-commentary immediately after hitting it: "what kind of shot was that?"

He changed his club from a 6 to 7 iron. He said he thought the adrenalin wil kick in and hit the ball 10 yards further. But he caught it heavy and totally blew it. Of course he could have played his par putt better, setting up for a bogey instead of trying to save par. That putt went past the hole and he missed his bogey putt as well. If he had played conservative for a bogey just to put the ball near the hole and then sink it... Sigh...

The way he'd be remembered and how he'd view his career. He always said the US Open suited his game more than any of the other majors. A win at this age would have been incredibly satisfying. I'm sure there would have been chants of, "Monty! Monty!" Then the American fans would have embraced him in subsequent visits, impressed with the perserverance.

Now all of that is gone. At least Mickelson will be the guy primarily remembered for the choke, but this is destined to impact Monty much more. I'm not sure he'll ever be in serious contention again in a major.

Thanks for the specific details. I'm watching the replay right now and Monty did chat with his caddy briefly during the club change. But get this: he took only one practice swing after pulling the 7 iron. So it was one practice swing after another with the 6 iron, then just one with the club of choice, before the biggest shot of his life.

Surely he saw the other leaders dropping shots on the final hole. Even with a bogey the pressure would still be on Phil to par the final hole. As we saw he failed to do it.

Why would Monty hit that putt so hard.. it past the hole 10 feet or so. Should have done exactly what Ogily did after him. Get it closer and sink it for a nice bogey.

I was jumping in the air after his birdie at the 17th and after seeing his tee shot on the 18th I thought 'That's it. That's the first major'... When he 3 putted and when Ogily parred the 18th I was in tears. One bad decision for the whole week and it costed him the title...

If your routine is to take 1 practice swing then it would set up a cascade of disaster to take multiiple swings (especially from a good lie in the fairway -- you take extras if you are unsure of the lie).

Vast majority of folks take way too many practice swings anyway. Why groove a crappy swing? It just slows everything down and is one of the many reasons golf is slow slow around these parts.

Vast majority of pros have a set routine which never changes.

Sorry but practice swings in golf if one of my many pet peeves.

when Phil reached for his driver on 18. You don't win the US Open, you just survive it. What was the winning score, +5?


SIMMS
Nice double, Roy.

TIN CUP
Just keep making pars, asshole.

SIMMS
I'll take eighteen of 'em.

TIN CUP
And I will own you.

after watching the third round yesterday I got in the mood to see it again, but I didn't realize how apropriate it would turn out to be.

+5: they said it was the highest final score for an open winner since 1972 ...

"Birdie to tie, eagle to win. Gutless wonder's laying up."

"It's birdie to win and par to tie for you. Lay up."