With the U.S. Open starting tomorrow, I’ve been hearing the same words uttered over and over again: “I don’t really care if Tiger’s not in it.” That statement seems to sum up this PGA season for the casual fan. If Tiger Woods isn’t playing, the fans don’t care. He’s that important to the Tour. However, while most viewers have been tuned out, the PGA Tour has been both exciting and unpredictable this season. So here’s my pitch for why you should watch the U.S. Open, even without Tiger Woods.
I’ll start with the tournament itself. Sure the Masters has its traditions from the beautiful Augusta National to the green jackets that live in immortality. But the Masters is played at the same course every year, and there are no surprises for the players. The U.S. Open, however, changes courses every year and is specifically designed to be the most difficult golf tournament in the world every year. The host course will often undergo massively expensive renovations to makes holes longer, include more hazards and make the rough thicker and deeper than ever before. This tournament throws curveballs at the competitors that they’ve never dealt with, making for an extremely competitive field with many lead changes. With the difficulties of the courses, no lead is safe, and maintaining a lead is almost impossible.
In the last seven years, the winner of the U.S. Open has finished better than -1 just twice, with four champions finishing over par. Comparatively, the Masters has been won with a score over par just once in the past 57 years. You will see the majority of the field finish over par, which is astounding considering the competitors are the best golfers in the universe. This year the tournament is taking place at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, where the U.S. Open has taken place twice previously. Those two years (1999 and 2005) the winners were -1 and even par respectively. This is one of the most storied courses in the in the United States and never disappoints with its challenges. Birdies will be at a premium, and the leaderboard will be changing constantly.
If you’re the type of fan that wants a particular player to follow in Tiger’s absence, there’s one that you can’t miss. His name is Jordan Spieth, and he’s twenty years old. Yes, twenty. Spieth busted on to the professional scene in 2012, when he earned an alternate spot at the U.S. Open as an amateur and finished as the top amateur in a tie for 21st overall. That finish earned him the distinction of being the top amateur in the world at the age of 19. The title was nothing new to him, as he had been the top junior golfer in the world just a year and a half prior. At 19 he decided to turn pro in December of 2012, forgoing his NCAA eligibility at the University of Texas, and joined the professional ranks. In July of 2014 Spieth won the John Deere Classic in a playoff with Zach Johnson and David Hearn. The win made him the fourth youngest winner in the history of the PGA Tour and the first teenager to win on Tour since 1932. Not even Tiger Woods won at that age.
The win granted him full status as a PGA Tour member, and he would prove that it was no fluke. He finished the season as the 2013 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, ranking 10th overall in total earnings for the season and was ranked as the 22nd best golfer in the world. He had started the season ranked 810th. This season, he has only continued to improve. In this year’s Masters, he entered the final day tied for the lead with Bubba Watson, and even held a two stroke lead on the field at one point during the final round. He eventually finished second, becoming the youngest runner-up in the history of the Masters, and the highest finish for a player under 21 at the Masters. He has six top-5 finishes on Tour this year and has finished outside of the top 20 in just four of the 16 tournaments he has played in.
Aside from his success, he is just a fun player to watch. He is actually one of the worst players on Tour at hitting the fairway with his tee shots, meaning he leaves himself difficult second shots out of the rough. The result is that he makes spectacular shots to rescue himself and keep his score low. You’ll see him drop his club and swear at himself after one errant shot, then stick it a few inches from the hole on the next swing. When watching golf this year, it’s been impossible to take my eyes off of his game. Oh yea, and did I mention he’s twenty? Anyone who has ever taken a swing knows how difficult the game of golf is and it can take a lifetime to perfect your game. He can’t even get a beer at the clubhouse yet but is the 10th ranked golfer in the entire world, one spot ahead of Phil Mickelson, an all-time great more than twice his age. So tune in this weekend to watch golf’s toughest tournament featuring the best golfers in the world, and don’t be surprised if you see a 20-year old on the leaderboard.
Conrad's Corner Sports 