Here’s what some people are writing about the U.S. Open and Chambers Bay:
Jordan Spieth won a U.S. Junior Amateur championship at Gold Mountain Golf Club in 2011, and he won the U.S. Open on Sunday at Chambers Bay. Jeff Graham of the Kitsap Sun writes about it.
One of the feel-good stories of the week was Kitsap’s own Troy Kelly, who finished with a 1-under 69. I followed Kelly around and talked to him and his brother, caddie Ryan Kelly, after the round.
In the end, the controversial tournament was decided by nerves and the best player won, writes Cameron Morfit of golf.com.
Here’s what Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press wrote about on Sunday.
Mike Davis heard all of the complains, but the USGA’s executive director said the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay was a big success. Here’s Paul Ramsdell’s story about it in the Seattle Times.
The 115th U.S. Open was the “first completely made-for-TV major championship in golf history,” writes Dave Sheinan of the Washington Post.
Chambers Bay hogged the spotlight, and that’s not right, writes Christine Brennan of USA Today.
Can Spieth buck history and win the Grand Slam?
Chambers Bay wasn’t so tough, according to this Golf Digest report. Check out these numbers.
Golf Digest’s list of winners and losers, or birdies and bogeys.
Veteran golf writer Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times had this take on the U.S. Open and Spieth’s victory.
Art Thiel of sportspressnw.com writes about Jordan Spieth and his caddie, Michael Greller, and the things swirling through their minds during the mind-humbling final half hour of the U.S. Open.
Billy Horschel took shots at the USGA following his final round, and here’s Adam Lewis’ take for sportspressnw.com. Horschel loved the spectacular beauty of Chambers Bay, but said it was a disappointing week because of the conditions of the green.
For Dustin Johnson, it was a choke, plain and simple, writes Chris Case of USA Today.
ICYMI, here’s Gary Player’s rant about Chambers Bay a couple of days ago. It’s worth listening to if you haven’t heard it.
Chambers Bay designer Robert Trent Jones not ready to get into a debate with Gary Player.
Chris Kirk took a sextuple bogey on No. 1 Sunday. For those of you counting, that’s a 10.
Here’s some quotes from the Open:
Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 champion who closed with a 67, finished a few hours before Spieth. Assessing Chambers Bay, Ogilvy told the New York Times: “You have to move the ball both ways and you have to use your brain, which is a rare thing in modern golf and something we’re not very good at, I don’t think. It’s going to be a class act of a player who wins, and really that’s all you want.”
“It has been a strange atmosphere because [fans] can’t seem to get close and on some holes, there aren’t any. I watched Phil Mickelson tee off at the first today, and then people won’t see him until the second shot on the second hole, because you can’t get down the first. From a fan’s point of view, it must have been even a harder trek than for us players.” — Lee Westwood.
On Friday, Henrik Stenson said it was “like putting on broccoli.”
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy begged to differ Saturday. “I don’t think they’re as green as broccoli. More like cauliflower.”
Sergio Garcia on putting at Chambers Bay: “Obviously, luck is always a factor in golf, but this is pushing it a little bit,. This is beyond luck. Sometimes it’s hope. Some putts you hit and you hope it’s going to take the right bounce right or left . . . It just doesn’t feel right.”
Chris Kirk shot 78 to finish 21-over, last among those who made the cut, then tweeted: “The U.S. Open is a great tournament with incredible history. The USGA should be ashamed of what they did to it this week.”
Dustin Johnson, the disappointed runner-up: “You know, I played well today. I did everything I was supposed to do. I hit the ball really well, and I’m proud of the way I handled myself. I just really struggled getting the ball in the hole today. I didn’t think I was hitting bad putts; I thought I hit them pretty good. They just weren’t going in.”
