I am completely flabbergasted by the amazingly boneheaded play of my favorite player today at Winged Foot.
Phil had a golden opportunity to accomplish something that only two other guys have done. He could've locked up the Player Of The Year award and put himself in a rarified air in golf history. As Johnny Miller said, all Phil needed to do was hit 4-wood off the tee at #18 and the U.S. Open was his.
It's like 2001 all over again and everything Phil has worked for and accomplished seems tarnished indeed. I almost hope he doesn't contend at Royal Liverpool, so he can't put himself in a position to do this stuff again.
Incredible. I thought Phil had finally gotten smart about things like this. I was rooting for him; a Phil victory would have set up a fantastic British Open Championship.
Phil had me worried coming in to 18 - I thought maybe he'd made a deal with the devil to win this thing without hitting the fairways. His first tee shot yesterday that miraculously appeared in the fairway from out of the trees was what first raised my suspicions. However, payback is a *****, and Winged Foot payed him and his massive ego back in a big way.
phil didn't use his head at all today, i had all i could do to watch it unfold. 5 iron 1st, 5 iron 2nd, 8 iron on the green, not so hard.
I agree with you on that mikey! And as you saw earlier today, I'm not exactly the authority on course management! Maybe Phil had something extra in his water bottle!
I am not sure if I understand that comment. Are you suggesting he should have played the 18th 5 iron, 5 iron, 8 iron?
He was ahead by one, so he needed a par to win. What you are suggesting would be playing for bogey and a playoff.
no it isnt, 5 iron, 5 iron, 8 iron (or maybe 9 iron or a wedge), putt = par. this way it would of been almost impossible to make more than a bogey unless something really bad went wrong.
Where the heck was his caddy also. He should have just snapped that driver in half walking up to the 18th tee.
I have read a number of posts on here tonight where posters keep saying where’s Phil’s caddie or why didn’t Phil’s caddie have him use iron in place of driver etc. Keep in mind that the caddie can only advise the player it is the player’s final decision as to what club to use not the caddies. Why all is said and done the course out played lefty there is no to blame except Phil.
Last edited by Halk : June 18th, 2006 at 11:24 PM.
Even after he mishit his Drive on 18 I thought for sure he would punch back out to the fairway and try to get up&down for the win. Bogey at worst and an 18 holf playoff...
Plus, I get to work from home on Monday and could have watched the whole thing!!!
phil didn't use his head at all today, i had all i could do to watch it unfold. 5 iron 1st, 5 iron 2nd, 8 iron on the green, not so hard.
Really? You mean he should have just given away his one stroke lead? He's ahead by one shot and you want him to try and get a bogie? He simply did what he was doing all tourney long that got him in FIRST place. He hit driver all week long and it gave him the lead. Why would he change on the last hole and actually try to give up the lead.
I could see hitting 3 or 4 wood, but to actually give away the lead by hitting 5 iron, 5 iron, 8 iron was not the answer.
Actually, it wouldn't have been 5-iron, 5-iron, 8-iron. The hole is 450 yards. Phil hits his 6 iron about 180 off the ground and 190 off the tee (5-iron 190 and 200 respectively), which would leave him at 370-390 yards in two shots or 60-80 yards from the hole. I think 6 or 7 out of 10 times he would get up and down from 60-80 yards out even with that difficult pin location. At most, he should have hit 4-wood off the tee.
The better play would be hit 4-wood from the tee and have 200 - 220 remaining,, meaning a mid- to long-iron. There is no reason not to go for the green in two because his lead was only 1 stroke. But there was no real reason to hit driver either.
June 18th, 2006, 07:30 PM
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