Nobody talking about the US Open from the famed Bethpage Black?

[Condem]

Very interesting to see what Tiger does tomorrow.

[Forkboy]

1. I know, I have even watched any of it yet.

x(

I'm hoping to catch a good amount over the weekend. Bethpage Black is fearsome. Plus, I'm rooting for Lefty this week. :)

[Condem]

2. Now, Fork, talk to me.

I got into it with someone here, at The Masters. You CANNOT be a Phil fan and be a Tiger fan at the same time. Like being a John AND Paul guy. Doesn't work. Me. Tiger. As far as greatness, no one close. Not Federer. No one. The man is simply amazing.

[Forkboy]

3. I'm a Lefty guy, but agree Tiger is on a level like few others in the world in any sport.

I don't dislike him, but I don't root for him either. He's so damn good that it's almost unfair when he's really on his game, so it's hard not to root for the person he's up against on any given weekend. I wasn't around for the Nicklaus/Palmer days, but I think the argument can be made that Tiger will be better than them both, if he isn't already. I see no records that he will leave untouched by the time he's done.

I usually root for the no names, but with what Phil's wife and him have dealt with recently it would be cool to see him win it, so I'm in his corner this week.

[Condem]

4. Don't like him much, Fork.

Gotta admit, though. Watching Phil shake hands with the folks in the gallery. With his wife going through the ordeal. Brought a tear to this cynical bastid's eye. Tiger would never think of doing that. Oh well. That's what we are. Life's Rich Pageant.

[Forkboy]

5. All I know is that it's fun watching the two play golf.

Tiger especially makes some shots that just leave me shaking my head. He's pretty much the first athlete since Gretzky that has made me just go :wow: all the time.

[Condem]

6. We can only hope, Fork.

That they're in the final twosome. I'll be honest. I turned off The Masters when they were done. NOTHING as compelling as the two finest in the sport going at it with one another. Especially at Bethpage.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. I Sympathize For His Wife's Ordeal Too

But, i still don't like that smug twit.
GAC

[ProfessorGAC]

24. Why Are You A Lefty Guy?

A silverspoon, libertarian crank gets your support? Why?
GAC

[Forkboy]

30. Because he's a golfer, not a politician.

:shrug:

Politics rarely enters my sports world, unless the athlete's bring politics into it themselves (Shilling is a good example). As soon as you start going down that road you have to be consistent. It's easy in a single player sport, where you can say, "Yeah, he's a repub, I'll root for someone else", but then take that to a team sport and where are you? Because every team in every sport has Republican's on it. So what do you do? Do you root for the first baseman but not the left fielder, and how do you root for the whole team? You can't do it and be consistent with this attitude, and I think it's silly to even try.

I'm watching golf, not CNN.
Phil is a great golfer.
His wife was just diagnosed with breast cancer last month.
Tiger is always the favorite.

I got a bunch of reasons.

Do you honestly tune into the PGA and cross check each golfer's political affiliations before you decide whether to root for them or not?

[ProfessorGAC]

33. Do You Honestly Have NO Interest?

Have you ever heard him speak? Have you ever heard him pontificate about things on which he's wholly uneducated and then act like he's got everything all figured out? And, his silverspoon upbringing has nothing to do with politics, but with behaving like the world owes him something.

And, unlike you, i'm capable of paying attention to more than one thing at a time. So, i can watch golf and still be aware of someone's politics and off the course behaviors. It's not CNN or golf! One can, (or at least should be able to) be aware of multiple factors.

I didn't insult you. I just asked a question. Apparently i touched a nerve, because you couldn't reply without being rude.
GAC

[Forkboy]

34. Well, aren't you special.

I wasn't being rude before (though I have no compunction about being so now). It's a stupid thing to worry about. But you have fun storming the castle!

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Have Fun When Your Team Signs Michael Vick

Oh, you can't separate that behavior from the game, can you?

Tool!
GAC

[Forkboy]

36. Have fun trying to explain to everyone why you're a hypocritcal jagoff...

...when you root for any sports team. Oh, you don't root for any teams with Republicans on them, do you?

Hypocritcal, reactionary ass.

:hi:

And oh hey...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=215&topic_id=99530#99747

[Onceuponalife]

8. Thank you

(Lefty is my nickname on a couple other forums I post to)

[Forkboy]

9. LOL...well good luck this weekend.

:)

[fishwax]

7. I always pull for the out-of-nowhere and underdog types, so

I'm happy for Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover, who are at the top of the leader board right now.

Tiger is playing around the cut line right now--he's got a birdie putt coming up on 13 that should put him back on the right side of the cut line ...

[Condem]

10. The question is, will they ever finish and when?

Not today. Noon teeoff, at best. Which means Monday regulation for the first time in 26 years. Just a mess.

[rocktivity]

31. They NEVER should have tried to play and of the first round on Friday

They must have known that it was expected to rain heavily for EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT.

I'll consider it a moral victory for Tiger if he finishes ahead of Phil, LOL!

rocktivity

[Condem]

32. The 15th hole in the first round killed Tiger, rocktivity.

Never got it going after that.

[a kennedy]

11. Kinda fun seeing David Duval back on the leaderboard......

he's had a tough go of it lately..... I'll be rooting for Steve Stricker too...

edit to spell check.

[Bluzmann57]

12. Eldrick has very little chance

He's 11 back and appears not to have much of a chance. It would be neat to see Mickleson win though.

[Condem]

13. Agree, Bluz

If Tiger got to even par after the second round than anything was possible. Not counting him out yet, but he's going to have to shoot at least 5 under today. And hope the field comes back to him. So far, doesn't look like it.

[joeybee12]

14. This has been bugging me, so I finally googled Bethpage Black...

...Bethpage is the state park (site of the former hamlet of Bethpage) and Black is one of its three golf courses. Thank God for google.

[Condem]

15. Barnes up one over Glover after three rounds.

8 under. Phil at 2 under. Tiger, one over. Not this year, El Tigre. First day killed him.

[trumad]

16. Depends...

it the field contracts---- like they've been known to on the last day---and he starts making putts--- anything can happen.

He came back at Bay ill this year with a 5 shot deficit....

I agree---it looks tough for the guy... but...

[Condem]

17. I know, Tru, never count him out.

Especially if he gets the putter going. Watch out for Michelson. Not as far to go as Tiger. If he gets that gallery on his side, could fluster the gentlemen ahead. Looking forward to it. Hoping for good weather. Tiger could use a break. None, so far.

[Condem]

18. Wow. What a dumb ass, I am.

Had no clue they were going to start the final round , tonight. Watching without sound, because we got tornado warnings all over eastern Iowa. Tiger at even par. Seven back, with eleven to play. Doable.

[Captain Hilts]

19. I lean Mickelson, but don't give a shit. They're all right wing, sexist cranks for the most part. nt

[Condem]

20. I think our Tiger has come around, Captain.

Has visited Obama a couple times at the White House.

[Captain Hilts]

21. He's still perfectly okay with the PGA holding a major tournament at a club that exludes women.

To be frank, I think if Augusta National wants to exclude women, that's okay with me, but the PGA endorsing it is something I'm of two minds of.

But Woods' total lack of concern about the PGA's endorsement of this disappoints me.

[bullwinkle428]

27. The PGA Tour has nothing to do with the running of The Masters tournament -

it is totally a production of the Augusta National Golf Club.

[Captain Hilts]

29. I understand that, but the PGA and Woods have never expressed any dissent

with the policy.

As I said, it's Hootie Johnson - I can't remember who's running the club now - right to run the club that way, but it is, essentially, sanctioned by PGA players, including Woods. Would he play in a tournament at a club that excluded black or Jewish members? I think not.

[Awsi Dooger]

22. Glover has to be the favorite heading into Monday

He's a solid PGA pro. Barnes has an overly involved swing, almost amateurish at times, with the moving parts. No threat of recent success. I would have given him no chance prior to the tournament. If Barnes wins it will be the biggest shocker in the four decades I've followed major tournament golf.

Comebacks are overrated. I learned that early in Las Vegas, when all the sharp guys were betting on the lead team at halftime of football and basketball games, while the public softies kept projecting miraculous turnarounds that almost never happen. Every time Tiger fails to fire in the first two rounds of a major the networks waste time hyping his chances. If I were Tiger I'd buckle down in the first round and make damn sure I posted par or better, knowing even the top guys will crumble if they see Tiger threatening good form.

Anyway, Bethpage is unique due to the great fan atmosphere but I'd hardly call it famed. It was a public course in disrepair during the '90s. Not enough memorable holes. That's the problem. Too much reliance on hay and heavy bunkering and change of elevation. This doesn't even feel like a US Open with balls stopping immediately and the greens actually that color and not a hard crusty brown.

[fishwax]

23. Barnes got off to a horrible start in the final round before they called play

I think he'd've been better off if things had slowed down and he hadn't had the chance to tee off again today. It was bad enough missing that putt at the end of the third round, but he added a couple more on the 1st hole and then his horrible tee shot on #2. And after only one bogey in the first two rounds he had four on the back nine today.

Every time Tiger fails to fire in the first two rounds of a major the networks waste time hyping his chances.

"I know he's eight strokes back, but it feels like, if he gets one of these putts to fall then anything could happen."

Sometimes they'll say it 8 or 9 times in the third round alone. :eyes:

[trumad]

25. Agree

Although I do get a kick out of you offering Tiger advice.

[bullwinkle428]

28. The way things are going right now, even par may win this thing!!

If someone can get in early at -2 or perhaps even -1, I will be liking their chances!