Sunday, June 16, 2013

U.S. Open -- Day Four

Happy Father's Day from the 2013 U.S. Open champion.


Previous reports:

-- Tournament preview

72 comments:

  1. With all of my heart, I hope that Go Heath, SmartMom and -Girl and the NumberedSons are not reading this comment as it appears because smartphones are not allowed when you're sitting in the grandstands behind the No. 17 hole during the only hole-in-one ever hit at a U.S. Open at Merion.

    Jason Sobel ‏@JasonSobelGC
    Shawn Stefani makes one of the most improbable aces ever, bouncing one in left rough on 17, then into the hole. Kisses the rough afterward.
    11:39 AM - 16 Jun 13

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  2. @BillyHo_Golf has teed off in his horrible pants.

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  3. 1. Phil Mickelson of San Diego, Calif., 1-under through 54 holes
    T2. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), even through 54
    T2. Charl Schwartzel (Johannesburg, South Africa), even through 54
    T2. Steve Stricker (Edgerton, Wisc.), even through 54
    T5. Luke Donald (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England), 1-over through 55
    T5. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 55

    My main man from Grant, Fla., BillyHo, just lipped out a par putt at No. 2, so ol' Octopus Pants is back to 2-over for the tournament. Either he's going to have to charge mightily or it's going to be a heart-breaking afternoon for the homeboys back in southern California and South Africa if Horschel fulfills my vision of his becoming the 2013 U.S. Open champion.

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  4. Jason Sobel ‏@JasonSobelGC
    Dale Earnhardt Sr. had five second places in 19 Daytona 500s before finally winning. Phil Mickelson has five second places in 22 U.S. Opens.
    2:13 PM - 16 Jun 13

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  5. Schwartzel birdies No. 1 to move into a tie with Philly Mick at 1-under.

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  6. BillyHo's score has now soared to 3-over, and the winning eBay bid on those octopus pants in a few years just fell another $250.

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  7. Donald and Rose, playing together, both bogey No. 3, so now they're back to 2-over, and Stricker triples No. 2. He joins Horschel at 3-over.

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  8. Meanwhile, Jason Day of Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia, has birdied No. 4 to get to 1-over for the tournament. He and Schwartzel are the only golfers in the top nine to be under par for the day. Philly Mick just missed a 5-footer for birdie on No. 2.

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    1. Dan Jenkins ‏@danjenkinsgd
      I can see now that Phil's going to make me work for this.
      2:53 PM - 16 Jun 13

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  9. But Schwartzel bogeys No. 3, so now Philly Mick is left alone in the 1-under lead.

    And Tiger finishes with a 74 round, 13-over for the tournament.

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  10. Rose rolls in a birdie to get back to 1-over.

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  11. ARRRRGH! While I was checking on 40-year-old Bartolo Colon and the Swingin' A's, 43-year-old Phil Mickelson swung himself out of the U.S. Open lead. A double bogey at No. 4 drops Phil back to 1-over, tied for third behind Mahan and Schwartzel at even.

    And now 46-year-old Steve Stricker has missed a par putt at No. 4 after taking on four strokes over his previous two holes.

    COME ON, MIDDLE-AGED GUYS! DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'!

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  12. And now Schwartzel's second-straight bogey now leaves Mahan alone in the lead at even par!

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  13. Third-straight bogey for Schwartzel, on No. 5. Since moving into the U.S. Open lead by himself, the South African has drifted back to 2-over and a tie for fourth.

    However, I absolutely don't think Schwartzel's wigged himself out of this tournament. He's pretty tough.

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  14. By the way, in looking for that last link about Schwartzel holding it together at the 2011 Masters, I've come to see that I've simply been saying the same things over and over again for the last two years. Here's me complaining about Adam Scott's awful putter, and here's me talking about how Tiger's nerve is probably more frayed now than 10 years ago.

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  15. But now Schwartzel doubles No. 6. He's back to 4-over. Wow.

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  16. 1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), even through 7 holes today
    T2. Jason Day (), 1-over through 9
    T2. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 1-over through 5
    4. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 2-over through 6
    T5. Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.), 4-over through 9
    T5. Charl Schwartzel (Johannesburg, South Africa), 4-over through 6

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  17. Oh, my ... Schwartzel now misses from maybe 5 feet for par at No. 7. Here's his day so far: birdie, par, bogey, bogey, bogey, double, bogey.

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  18. OK, so here's what's happened to yesterday's leaders so far:

    After six holes, Phil Mickelson is 3 over for the day and 2 over for the tournament.

    After six holes, Hunter Mahan is 1 over for the day and 1 over for the tournament.

    After eight holes, Justin Rose is 1 under for the day and even par for the tournament.

    After seven holes, Luke Donald is 4 over for the day and 5 over for the tournament.

    After eight holes, Billy Horschel is 2 over for the day and 3 over for the tournament.

    After eight holes, Jason Day is 1 under for the day and 1 over for the tournament.

    After seven holes, Charles Schwartzel is 5 over for the day and 5 over for the tournament.

    After six holes, Steve Stricker is 5 over for the day and 5 over for the tournament.

    So after a couple of hours of mostly terrible golf, it's a three-way battle now between Rose, Mahan, and Day, with Mickelson still having an outside shot at getting back into competition.

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  19. Golf Digest ‏@GolfDigestMag
    Luke Donald's last four holes: bogey, bogey, bogey, double. He's +6, six shots behind the leader. #usopen
    3:40 PM - 16 Jun 13

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  20. Wow! Excellent and lovely putt from Jason Day to join Justin Rose in the lead!

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  21. An NBC guy just said Billy Horschel's "octopus pants aren't working. They cold be calamari soon."

    It was pretty funny when Dan Jenkins made that joke a couple of hours ago:

    Dan Jenkins ‏@danjenkinsgd
    Billy Horschel and his fried-calamari pants bogeyed the second hole.
    2:18 PM - 16 Jun 13

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  22. Leaderboard:

    T1. J. Day (Aus): Even (64 holes)
    T1. J. Rose (ENG): Even (62)
    3. H. Mahan: +1 (60)
    4. P. Mickelson: +2 (60)
    5. B. Horschel: +4 (63)

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  23. Spare a thought for Jason Dufner, who just completed a remarkable 67 that brings him in at 285 -- 5 over par. But Dufner would have had a 64 -- and would be sitting in the clubhouse at only 2 over par -- if he had only parred the 15th hole. But his drive went out of bounds, and he took a triple bogey that finished him off.

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  24. Tiger did end up winning his duel with Rory McIlroy. Tiger shot 293, 13 over par. Rory shot 294, 14 over par.

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  25. After a birdie on 10 that put him into a tie for the lead, Jason Day drove into the rough on 11. Day tried to hit the ball from the rough all the way to the hole, but he didn't make it, and his ball splashed into the creek in front of the green.

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  26. Ernie Els taps in a birdie on the almost-impossible 17th hole to move to 4 over par for the tournament.

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  27. Rose has a decent putt for birdie on the 10th hole. He has been making everything today, but he misses this one. He taps in for par to remain at even par for the tournament.

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  28. Mickelson hits a tremendous shot to the back of the 9th green -- an extremely difficult shot. But he is probably still too far away for a birdie.

    Day saved a bogey on the 11th hole by hitting his fourth shot from the drop area into the greenside rough and then CHIPPING IN to make a five. He falls out of the lead, and is now one over par for the tournament, but that could have been much worse.

    Mahan's shot on 9 lands on the front of the green, a long way from the hole.

    Horschel three-putts the 11th green to take a bogey and fall to 5 over par. Those pants are ridiculous.

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    Replies
    1. Now that BillyHo has played himself out of contention, Johnny Miller could afford to resist cracking on the pants on Horschel's most recent appearance on the screen.

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  29. On 11, Rose's drive splits the fairway.

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  30. Mickelson's birdie putt on 9 looked good all the way, but catches the edge of the hole and lipped out. He finishes the front 9 in 39 shots, with a double-bogey on 3, a birdie on 4, a double-bogey on 5, and six pars.

    Rose's shot on 11 is safely on the green.

    Mahan also pars 9. He goes out in 37, with one bogey and 8 pars.

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  31. Now we're back to that goofy highlight package with Costas, and he has some fun mocking the Mets and the Cubs. Again, the Cubs fans must love that.

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    1. What is the deal here? Why have they focused on this series two days in a row?

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    2. It's gotta be Costas. He's a baseball guy.

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  32. It just seems impossible that the NBA playoffs are still going on. And the NHL has only played two games in its final. What a nightmare.

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  33. Els bogeys the 18th hole, and finishes with a 69. He is five over for the tournament, tied for the clubhouse lead with Jason Dufner.

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  34. Rose three-putts the 11th green for a birdie, and he falls to 1 over par, in a three-way tie for the lead with Day and Mahan.

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  35. Horschel's back within three strokes of the lead.

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  36. On the short par-4 10th, Mickelson lays up -- but Mahan takes a chance, and whacks his drive just short of the green. That was a great shot.

    Day makes a four-footer to save par on 12 and remain at 1 over.

    Rickie Fowler, cruising along at 5 over par, almost makes a hole in one at the short 13th hole. That should be a birdie to put him at 4 over.

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  37. From 76 yards away, Mickelson pitches his wedge toward the par-4 10th. The ball lands about seven feet from the hole, and ROLLS INTO THE CUP!

    THAT IS AN EAGLE! MICKELSON MOVES BACK TO EVEN PAR FOR THE TOURNAMENT AND HE TAKES THE LEAD.

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    1. yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  38. Fowler birdies 13 to move to 4 over.

    Mahan hits his chip shot fat on 10, and he will have a pretty long birdie putt.

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  39. If Mickelson wins this tournament, that will be one of the most famous shots in golf history.

    Mahan cannot make birdie, and his par leaves him at 1 over, a stroke off of the lead.

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  40. Day's long birdie putt on 13 looked good all the way, and somehow just missed. He stays at 1 over.

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  41. But on 12, Rose hits his approach shot to within about a foot of the cup. That will be a tap-in birdie that will tie Mickelson for the lead.

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  42. OK, I'm off to Sunday evening services. I've gotten Mickelson back into the lead, and now the rest is up to him.

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  43. Justin Rose does, indeed, birdie No. 12--he's back to even.

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  44. Phil Mickelson is Indiana Jones.

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  45. Family get-together ... much conflicting traffic ...

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  46. T1. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 1-over through 14
    T1. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 1-over through 14
    T1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 16
    4. Jason Day (Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia), 2-over through 17

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  47. Mahan's par putt on No. 15 rolls substantially wide right, so he'll drop out of the tie for the lead ...

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  48. Rose, on No. 17, chips to within a tap-in for par; meanwhile, Mahan misses the bogey putt, too.

    And Mickelson bogeys, too!

    1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 17
    T2. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 2-over through 15
    T2. Jason Day (Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia), 2-over through 17
    4. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 3-over through 15

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  49. Day is done, it appears ... lips off a par putt on No. 18. He'll drop to 3-over.

    1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 17
    T2. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 2-over through 15
    T3. Jason Day (Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia), 3-over through 18
    T3. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 3-over through 15

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  50. Octopus Pants finishes 5-over for the tournament.

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  51. Philly Mick, whose feet we've rarely seen in the last two hours as they've so frequently been buried in high grass, lands a freaking amazing pitch 10 to 15 feet from the hole on No. 16. He'll have a birdie try that would pull him back into a tie for the lead ...

    My mother would absolutely trade in my two older brothers and me for Jim Nantz, Phil Mickelson and Butler basketball coach Brad Stevens.

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  52. Mickelson's birdie try (even shorter than I thought) stays just right of the No. 16 cup.

    Rose fires his second shot on the par-4 No. 18 into the fringe behind the hole.

    1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 17
    2. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 2-over through 16
    T3. Jason Day (Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia), 3-over through 18
    T3. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 3-over through 15

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  53. NBC has decided that Rose might well win, as he walks up the No. 18 approach, because they are going through a bunch of stuff about his dad.

    Here's what I would point out about Justin Rose if I were NBC: He looks exactly like Gabe on The Office.

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  54. Rose chips to within a tap-in. Did Go Heath predict that Justin Rose was going to win? I think he might've.

    1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 18
    2. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 2-over through 16
    T3. Jason Day (Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia), 3-over through 18
    T3. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 3-over through 16

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  55. OK, family leaving for Bardstown ... missed how it happened, but ...

    1. Justin Rose (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1-over through 18
    2. Phil Mickelson (San Diego, Calif.), 2-over through 17
    T3. Jason Day (Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia), 3-over through 18
    T3. Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), 3-over through 17

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  56. Mickelson's second shot from the rough lands about 40 feet short of the green. He'll have to hole that one to force a tie.

    Here's Mahan ... he'll have to hole this second shot from the fairway to join the tie at 1-over ... no, won't happen ...

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  57. So, here we go ... Mickelson either sinks the signature shot of his career, or he claims a sixth second-place finish in the U.S. Open.

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  58. Well, congratulations, Gabe.

    And the even worse news is that Phil might well not get his sixth second-place finish.

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  59. Also, congratulations, Golf Course.

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  60. T2 at 3-over for Phil.

    OK, I'm off to try to salvage my family relationships.

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