Sunday, June 17, 2012

U.S. Open: Day 4

1. Jim Furyk (born in West Chester, Penn.) -1 through 57 holes
2. Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) even through 57
3. Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) +2 through 58
3. Lee Westwood (England) +2 through 58
5. Michael Thompson (Tuscon, Ariz.) +3 through 65
5. John Peterson (Fort Worth, Texas) +3 through 61
5. John Senden (Australia) +3 through 59
5. Ernie Els (South Africa) +3 through 58

65 comments:

  1. Tiger has played Nos. 7-11 in 1-under, so he might've been gearing up for a big run in these last seven holes--if he hadn't played the first six today in a shocking 6-over.

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  2. With our 3-year-old down for a nap, my wife--obviously in honor of Father's Day--has just spent the last 15 minutes sitting next to me on the couch and asking me questions about golf. "How could one course be harder than another if they both have the same par?" "What makes a good golf course?" And so forth. What a terrific friend and wife she is.

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  3. Anyway, while regaling my wife with all my golf knowledge, I've managed to miss exactly what the heck has happened to the best golfers in the world over the last half hour. Furyk is back to even, but now he's two strokes up on the field. McDowell has been joined by Els, Peterson and Webb Simpson of Raleigh, N.C., in the second-place tie at 2-over.

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    1. Hey, cool! Webb Simpson went to Raleigh's Needham Bryant Broughton High School, and I'm friends with two of the custodians at Broughton. Go, Webb Simpson!

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    2. Pete Maravich and Anne Tyler both went to Broughton.

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    3. Thompson of Tuscon has joined the second-place party at 2-over, and McDowell just missed what appeared to be a relatively easy, 6- or 7-foot birdie putt to break it up.

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  4. Ah, good. NBC just showed Tiger roll in a long birdie to get to 8-over. "It's good to see him smile," Johnny Miller says.

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  5. WEBB SIMPSON! Birdie on 10, and my main man from Broughton is alone in second place, at 1-over!

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  6. 1. Jim Furyk (born in West Chester, Penn.) even through 62 holes
    2. Webb Simpson (Raleigh, N.C.) +1 through 64
    3. Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) +2 through 62
    3. John Peterson (Fort Worth, Texas) +2 through 66
    3. Michael Thompson (Tuscon, Ariz.) +2 through 70

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    1. Thompson is the clubhouse leader at 2-over. Good for Michael Thompson!

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    2. They just showed Furyk sweeping the intended path of his putt on No. 11, and it was totally reminiscent of this terrific Bugs Bunny cartoon (5 stars, also highly recommended).

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    3. Els has taken Peterson's place in the third-place tie at 2-over, and now Furyk's in a struggle on No. 12.

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    4. Price has missed about five straight long birdie putts by about three inches apiece.

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    5. Furyk ends up getting his par at No. 12, getting a very ugly shot out of the bunker but on to the green and then rolling in a putt from about two miles away. My main man from West Chester remains even and alone in the tournament lead.

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    6. Then McDowell, the 2010 champion, who had slipped to 3-over for a while, rolls in a birdie putt only slighly shorter than Furyk's for par. And so my main man from Portrush has joined Simpson at one off Furyk's lead.

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  7. 1. Jim Furyk (born in West Chester, Penn.) even through 66 holes
    2. Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) +1 through 66
    2. Webb Simpson (Raleigh, N.C.) +1 through 69
    3. Ernie Els (South Africa) +2 through 68
    3. Michael Thompson (Tuscon, Ariz.) +2 through 72

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    1. Furyk and McDowell both bogey No. 13, so, suddenly, Broughton Webb is tied for the tournament lead at 1-over with Furyk. Els, McDowell and done Thompson are a stroke back.

      Simpson putting for birdie ...

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    2. Another miss by only an inch or two or three. Still tied for lead.

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    3. Retief Goosen eagled No. 17 to get to 4-over. I don't believe I'd heard his name all weekend.

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    4. Els falls back to 3-over with a bogey on No. 16, as his fourth shot--a putt from about six feet behind the green--failed to crest a hill and rolled all the way back to his feet.

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    5. Michael Thompson should pay the $50 and bump to a later San Francisco-to-Tuscon flight.

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    6. And again Simpson steps up to a long birdie putt attempt ...

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    7. This time he rolls a foot past. He'll go to the 18th still tied with Furyk for the lead.

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    8. We're running out of golfers who could win this tournament. Only 10 golfers are still playing.

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    9. Michael Thompson remains leader in clubhouse at 2-over.

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    10. Furyk and Simpson remain tied for the lead, at 1-over. Simpson has No. 18 to play; he has parred that hole in each of the first three rounds. Furyk has 16, 17 and 18 to go. He carded seven pars, one bogey and one birdie across those three holes Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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  8. Els and McDowell are both 3-over. Els has 18 to go; he has parred that hole. McDowell (playing with Furyk) has 16, 17 and 18 to play; he has scored four birdies and five pars on those holes so far this weekend.

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  9. Eight golfers still playing, and still Thompson is alone in the clubhouse lead at 2-over.

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  10. Simpson, on 18, chips from thick grass to within about four feet ...

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  11. And we have a new leader in the clubhouse: Webb Simpson of Raleigh rolls in his par putt on No. 18, and now Michael Thompson can fly home to Tuscon.

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  12. And now Furyk bogeys 16 (he bogeyed it yesterday, too), dropping him to 2-over and a stroke behind clubhouse-leader Simpson.

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  13. Four golfers on the course: Westwood at 4-over and Jacobsen at 6-over, Furyk at 2-over and McDowell at 3-over.

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  14. Furyk and McDowell alone on the course now ... both are laboring en route to the 17th green.

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  15. Furyk and McDowell will both fire from bunkers for their third shots on the par-5 17th ...

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    1. Furyk will be away for his birdie putt ...

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    2. It'll be a pretty darned long putt ...

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    3. And he comes up 18 inches or so short.

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    4. 10 feet, maybe? "Definitely make-able," says Johnny Miller.

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    5. IN! 2010-champion McDowell pulls to within 2-over, tied with Furyk and one off the lead.

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    6. Furyk holes out, so he and McDowell will head to the 18th needing birdies to extend the tournament.

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    7. McDowell birdied here Thursday and Saturday, parred Friday. Furyk: par, par and par.

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    8. McDowell's second shot on the par-4 No. 18 finds the green; Furyk's, a green-side bunker.

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    9. 42-year-old Furyk looks hollowed out by these last few holes.

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    10. Johnny Miller: "That's pretty sad," as Furyk's desperation pitch skitters off the front of the green. "That was almost impossible, and he hit a bad shot."

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    11. Now McDowell will take his shot at Simpson.

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    12. @PGATour just Tweeted that McDowell's putt will be from 24 feet ...

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    13. And like so many Simpson birdie putts on the back nine did earlier this evening, McDowell's try rolls just wide of the hole.

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    14. "He had it totally misread before he hit it," Miller says of McDowell.

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    15. And now Furyk is the last golfer on the course. Rolls in a birdie putt to finish 3-over.

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  16. Replies
    1. So both Chris Paul and I had forgotten the NBA Finals resumed tonight.

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    2. Oh, sure ... Wake Forest love. Tim Duncan probably isn't watching the Heat and Thunder either.

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  17. On the other hand, Rickie Fowler is watching the NBA Finals.

    Rickie Fowler ‏@RickieFowlerPGA
    How bad was that blocking foul?? #offensivefoul
    9:43 PM - 17 Jun 12

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    1. Of course. He's a big Oklahoma State guy, so he's probably pulling hard for the Thunder.

      And he was right about that blocking foul.

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    2. He was, of course, right about the blocking foul, but, honestly, I was so mad at myself for wasting two hours or whatever of my life on that jive Game 2 that I wouldn't allow myself to get worked up over the end of this one.

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    3. For whatever reason, Game 3 bothered me even more than Game 2. I kept thinking of that George Bush quote: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, uh, er, we won't be fooled again."

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