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U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

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    U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

    In an astonishing break from tradition, the USGA have decided to pretty much make up the groups for the first round of the US Open straight off the top of the world ranking list. In the past, the top 30 or so players (determined according to the number of people expected to want to see them play, as much as their ranking) would be roughly drawn into ten groups, so that those groups could be spread out around the day (and hence around the course) and it was also common to pair the US Open champion with the US Amateur champion for the first two rounds as well.

    This year, Tiger Woods will play with Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott in one group, and Ernie Els, Justin Rose and Geoff Ogilvy will be in another.

    The intention can only be to whip up a frenzy about a Tiger-Mickelson "duel" right from the first tee, which while TV will love it, could also result in coverage being exclusively of that group, at the expense of hardly seeing anyone else for four hours, which takes a lot of the fun out of the first round of a major, which is watching out for the guys you've never heard of having the round of their lives and shooting 65s.

    #2
    U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

    Completely agree with your last paragraph.

    I also always enjoyed watching the struggles (usually) of the amateur champion, who is closer to having the skills of a human being than the extraterrestrial tour players.

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      #3
      U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

      Right, I've got about three hours to make my mind up. Having determined to myself for no reason other than random choice that I think this one's going to be won by a young(ish) American outsider, I'm thinking of putting each-way money on all of Boo Weekley, Sean O'Hair, Stewart Cink and Brandt Snedecker.

      Sod it, I'm going to do it now. I'll let you know what odds I get.

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        #4
        U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

        Right, done it. Cink 35-1, Weekley 66-1, Snedecker and O'Hair both 125-1. All 50p each way, 1/4 the odds for a top-5 finish with Willy Hills.

        I even decided to use my change from a fiver to put £1 on the nose on Tim Clark at 70-1, on the basis that southern hemisphere golfers have won this the last four years running.

        Phew! Think I need to go and relax now, this Monte Carlo lifestyle will be the death of me.

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          #5
          U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

          Heh, Snedecker and O'Hair.

          Should have been these two

          (SOUND WARNING)

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            #6
            U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

            Does anyone else think that Phil Mickelson (especially when touching his visor/cap to thank the gallery)looks slightly mad?

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              #7
              U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

              I always get the impression he's constantly haunted by the thought "oh, Christ, what's going to go wrong now?"

              His first words when he won his first major (to his daughter) were along the lines of "Can you believe Daddy's finally won one?", this after about 12 years of being labelled "the best player in the world who can't win majors", as if he at some subconscious level expected her, in his arms, to turn around and say "No, Daddy, you haven't, now wake up".

              I don't think Tiger Woods even comprehends Mickelson's 'comme ci, comme ca' approach to life, which is why maybe the two of them don't get along (allegedly).

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                #8
                U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                The funniest thing about Tiger Woods is that he speaks in exactly the same voice Eddie Murphy uses on his live DVD's to take the piss out of white folks.

                That and his new resemblance to Rafa Benitez

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                  #9
                  U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                  Well, a mixed bag from my tips. 72 from Cink, 73s from Weekley and CLark, 76 from Snedecker. Sean O'Hair seems to have not bothered turning up according to the BBC clubhouse scores, so overburdened was he by the thought of my 50p ridnig on him.

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                    #10
                    U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                    This'll be why you got good odds on O'Hair...

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                      #11
                      U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                      Yeah, suspected as much. William Hills don't appear to have refunded my bet on a "non-starter" yet, maybe they'll catch up when the tournament's over. Or maybe it's just my bad luck.

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                        #12
                        U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                        I took a punt on Robert Allenby before the tournament started at $67 and he's only 2 off the lead.

                        Stuart Appleby was $81 and he's now the joint leader.

                        I must admit I do get my Allenbys, Applebys and Baddeleys mixed up.

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                          #13
                          U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                          So why no money on Rocco Mediate?

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                            #14
                            U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                            Lee Westwood was interviewed on how it felt to be going into the last day of a major in the lead. At this point, he was 2 shots clear of Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. Woods was playing the 17th and grimacing with pain after every shot. Just after the Westwood interview, Woods chipped in off the green for a birdie. He then eagled the 18th to move 1 ahead of Westwood.

                            My man Allenby is 4 shots back.

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                              #15
                              U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                              Come on Lee!

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                                #16
                                U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                                With the leaders approaching the turn, it looks like a three-horse race between Woods, Westwood and Mediate. Both Westwood and Mediate are struggling to make par now, while Tiger has a good chance of a birdie. After a disastrous opening three holes, Tiger looks well-positioned again to win.

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                                  #17
                                  U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                                  Yeah, I turn the radio on and find out that Westwood's taken the lead but just about to blow it. So I turn the radio off...

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                                    #18
                                    U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                                    Some bizarre shot selections from Tiger. Mediate leads by one. Westwood a further shot back.

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                                      #19
                                      U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                                      Cometh the hour....

                                      After producing some poor and downright sloppy play over the last six holes, Tiger was left with a twenty foot putt to force a play-off with Rocco Mediate. It was his only good putt of the day.

                                      Westwood finishes one shot back, after paying the price for a poor run of holes around the turn where he dropped a number of shots.

                                      Tiger made a mess of the par five thirteenth hole. Leading by a shot, and after watching Westwood put his second into the heavy rough, he should have taken the safe option of a low iron lay-up, which would have set him up for a pitch-and-putt birdie and certain two-shot lead. His choice of driver from the ground put him in trouble, incurring a drop shot and subsequent six. He never regained the lead.

                                      Watching Tiger over the final few holes was intriguing. His facial expressions, his demeanour, was expressing complete disgust with himself. He got out of jail today and he knows it.

                                      So, as is the US Open's unique trait, the play off will be tomorrow and over 18 holes.

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                                        #20
                                        U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                                        Wow. Is Tiger on a mission nowadays to see how far he can taunt the rest of the field into thinking they might win, before he beats them? Three up with six to play, then allows Mediate back into a sudden death playoff before beating him. Lucky for him that it wasn't Immelman or Johnson again, he'd have blown it.

                                        Still, 14 majors at the age of 32. Nicklaus had won 11 at the same age. Woods will be overwhelming favouraite for the British Open at Birkdale, which would be number 15 ... he's then got about 10 years to get the last three to become unquestionably the greatest player of all time ...

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                                          #21
                                          U.S.G.A. piling eggs into one basket

                                          My job is awesome. Working with about twenty screens with the golf on, another 5 with euro 2008, and lots of people kind of working with them on.

                                          This has to become permanent. It must. It is just like heaven. Math, hard thinking with sport overload.

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