Find the error

I hope BBC didn’t sent their reporters to the wrong venue, otherwise it is a 621 mile drive to Oakmont.

AlexanderThe 19th holeTrackback1 Comment

Jun, 14th

Arnold Palmer about the U.S. Open

The Head Nut sent this interview with Arnie around, I thought I’d share it with you:

RAND JERRIS: It’s an honor and a pleasure to welcome Arnold Palmer to the interview room here at the U.S. Open, he is a 3-time United States Golf Champion, having won the U.S. Amateur in 1954 and the U.S. Open in 1960 and the U.S. Senior Open in 1981. Arnold, maybe you can start us off with thoughts about Oakmont, what it means to you when you hear the words “Oakmont” and “U.S. Open.”

ARNOLD PALMER: I don’t know how extensive you want me to be, but Oakmont is Oakmont. And I don’t think with — from what I have been told and what I have seen myself Oakmont isn’t a great deal different than it’s been for years and years. They’ve changed a number of things, obviously added distance. I don’t think that — the thing that is going to probably have the most affect on everyone in this field is the greens. I don’t think the greens — maybe Mr. Ford can tell me, but I don’t think the greens have changed much in how many years, about 100, Bob? They’re going to be fast and they’re — and I have a feeling if it stays dry without thunder showers, they will be firm.
I don’t think they’ll be too — I think they will be reasonably firm, let’s call it that, and that’s pretty typical Oakmont. I’ve been talking to some of the guys that have been out there and I’ve talked to some of the former champions that have been out there on the golf course. And they tell me that this field — and this is just an observation, that this field is not really ready for Oakmont. I say “the field” and I’m generalizing. I think probably what they were telling me is that they haven’t really learned yet how to play Oakmont. And they may do that in the next couple days.
But this golf course takes a lot of thought, and someone who really gives it that thought would have a chance. Whatever you say, and I can be corrected in almost anything I say because I didn’t win here, but I came close a couple times. If you stay below the hole, generally if you’re below the hole or uphill at the hole, you have a pretty good shot. And if you can do that for 72 holes, I would give the guy that can do that, hit the fairways and stay below the hole most of the time the best chance to win this tournament.
The rough is pretty substantial, but it’s always been substantial. Maybe not quite as much as this year, but it will be a factor, as it always is. The length, again, it’s relative to where they hit the ball or how hard they hit the ball, and it goes back to whether it was 1935 or ’62 or ’73 or ’94 or whatever. Keeping the ball in play, staying below the hole is kind of the secret to playing Oakmont.

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AlexanderWatching the ProsTrackback0 Comments