US Open 3rd Round 2018

Phil is the lead story about this US Open

he is the center of attention, and not in a good way

One of the marshal's said that unfortunately this is the beginning of the end for him. The article also said that it was no big deal for A Johnson and others who were there and witnessed it. I care. Less today. Phil has gotten in trouble via his mouth and actions throughput his career. He's not perfect. IMO the good outweighs the bad. He is impulsive and often opens his mouth and inserts his foot. I am not abandoning ship, however.

Way overblown. He was making a statement about the course but it happened in a knee jerk reaction. Granted I'm sure he regrets it. As far as his reputation he'll be just fine. How about the guys who swear drop F bombs and break and throw clubs. This is what happens in the 24/7 media today.

cheating is taken far more seriously than throwing clubs and using a few cuss words. Everyone always talks about eh integrity of the game and hat golfers would never cheat

If it was cheating he'd have been DQd. Rules however ridiculous are the rules. I suspect the rule will change just like when Tiger took the drop at the masters and he got 2 stroke penalty. Many said DQ but it didn't happen.

gophil36 wrote:One of the marshal's said that unfortunately this is the beginning of the end for him.  The article also said that it was no big deal for A Johnson and others who were there and witnessed it. I care. Less today. Phil has gotten in trouble via his mouth and actions throughput his career.  He's not perfect.  IMO the good outweighs the bad. He is impulsive and often opens his mouth and inserts his foot.  I am not abandoning ship, however.

No one is abandoning ship. I think we are very disappointed in that he broke a rule on the biggest stage. I will always root for Phil, but I did not like what he did and how he responded. He has somewhat tarnished his reputation. He won't be able to talk about integrity anymore because no one will listen. It's too bad Phil did what he did because you know when he woke up this morning, he probably realized he should of let the ball roll off the green.

I don't think that all of the players are put off. Faxon said that he heard from a couple of major winners who support Phil. He was frustrated but also making a statement about the set up IMO.

It still was a Dumb-Ass Move.

j58golf wrote:https://golfweek.com/2018/06/17/amy-mickelson-phil-mickelson-offered-to-withdraw-from-u-s-open-after-incident/https://golfweek.com/2018/06/17/amy-mickelson-phil-mickelson-offered-to-withdraw-from-u-s-open-after-incident/

It still was a Dumb-Ass Move.

j58golf wrote:https://golfweek.com/2018/06/17/amy-mickelson-phil-mickelson-offered-to-withdraw-from-u-s-open-after-incident/https://golfweek.com/2018/06/17/amy-mickelson-phil-mickelson-offered-to-withdraw-from-u-s-open-after-incident/

Not a great moment for PHIL-let the golf be the show and not the rules. IMO PHIL would have likely been one stroke better off without hitting the ball so how can one argue he improved his score by hitting the ball. Up and down in three strokes from 60 feet? That's a near gimme for PHIL

David Duval said that Phil could have taken an unplayable lie and put the ball at. good angle, moving it two club lengths and come out of it in pretty good shape. He didn't see the advantage either. Phil obviously didn't think it out. Or maybe he did. Maybe he made a statement and decided to deal with the consequences.

But he didn't gain anything from doing that, except a lot of disrespect from fans, non-fans, and professionals. That move cost him 3 strokes... 2 for the penalty and he missed the next putt. Even if it was only 2 strokes vs possibly making 3 strokes from where he would have landed, so what?... at that point he was likely to be well out of contention and not 1, 2, or even 3 strokes would have improved him enough to be in contention. Not sure I agree with David Duval, who thought 1 stroke for unplayable, move it over 2 club lengths, and at minimum still takes 2 strokes for up-and-down (3 strokes tota)....but if he let the ball roll, played it without penalty, put it on the green, 2 putt for score....still be 3 strokes. So all that negative hoopla and fanfare for absolutely nothing gained....except some satisfaction as a 'wise-guy' back at USGA (maybe that was worth it to him).

gophil36 wrote:David Duval said that Phil could have taken an unplayable lie and put the ball at. good angle, moving it two club lengths and come out of it in pretty good shape.  He didn't see the advantage either.  Phil obviously didn't think it out.  Or maybe he did.  Maybe he made a statement and decided to deal with the consequences.

bulls9999 wrote:But he didn't gain anything from doing that, except a lot of disrespect from fans, non-fans, and professionals.  That move cost him 3 strokes... 2 for the penalty and he missed the next putt.  Even if it was only 2 strokes vs possibly making 3 strokes from where he would have landed, so what?... at that point he was likely to be well out of contention and not 1, 2, or even 3 strokes would have improved him enough to be in contention.  Not sure I agree with David Duval, who thought 1 stroke for unplayable, move it over 2 club lengths, and at minimum still takes 2 strokes for up-and-down (3 strokes tota)....but if he let the ball roll, played it without penalty, put it on the green, 2 putt for score....still be 3 strokes.  So all that negative hoopla and fanfare for absolutely nothing gained....except some satisfaction as a 'wise-guy' back at USGA (maybe that was worth it to him).

gophil36 wrote:David Duval said that Phil could have taken an unplayable lie and put the ball at. good angle, moving it two club lengths and come out of it in pretty good shape.  He didn't see the advantage either.  Phil obviously didn't think it out.  Or maybe he did.  Maybe he made a statement and decided to deal with the consequences.

I really believe Phil was making a statement. He didn't snap like some writers have said. After all the assurances of the USGA they screwed up on this course again!!. Phil knows this was probably his last chance because he was playing so well coming into it. Who knows what form he will have next year for Pebble Beach. He knew he was out of it and made his point. I don't think he cared if he was DQ or not at that point. Before he answered to the media he thought about it and went with the knowledge of the rule to help make his case. Plenty of golfers said the course was out of control. Rickie got quizzed pretty good after 4th round and handled it great,. Basicly said course never should have gotten to that point. None the less Phil is taking a hit in the press. Caught the end of Colin Cowherd on ESPN and he thinks it was great for Phil to do this and basicly flip the bird to the USGA. lol

Lol

But I agree with the guy on the Sirius PGATour golf channel that if Phil was 'making a statement', he didn't clearly enunciate it....he left it in mystery. Why didn't he say when asked "why did you do that?", why didn't he say "because I felt the USGA once again 'lost control of the course' and it was just silly putting back and forth on these greens and that was my punctuation to how I felt", or something like that. But instead, he turned it into "I thought I could save strokes by doing it that way", which was a cop out explanation.

j58golf wrote:I really believe Phil was making a statement. He didn't snap like some writers have said. After all the assurances of the USGA they screwed up on this course again!!. Phil knows this was probably his last chance because he was playing so well coming into it. Who knows what form he will have next year for Pebble Beach. He knew he was out of it and made his point. I don't think he cared if he was DQ or not at that point. Before he answered to the media he thought about it and went with the knowledge of the rule  to help make his case.   Plenty of golfers said the course was out of control. Rickie got quizzed pretty good after 4th round and handled it great,. Basicly said course never should have gotten to that point. None the less Phil is taking a hit in the press. Caught the end of Colin Cowherd on ESPN and he thinks it was great for Phil to do this and basicly flip the bird to the USGA. lol

bulls9999 wrote:But I agree with the guy on the Sirius PGATour golf channel that if Phil was 'making a statement', he didn't clearly enunciate it....he left it in mystery.  Why didn't he say when asked "why did you do that?", why didn't he say "because I felt the USGA once again 'lost control of the course' and it was just silly putting back and forth on these greens and that was my punctuation to how I felt", or something like that. But instead, he turned it into "I thought I could save strokes by doing it that way", which was a cop out explanation.

j58golf wrote:I really believe Phil was making a statement. He didn't snap like some writers have said. After all the assurances of the USGA they screwed up on this course again!!. Phil knows this was probably his last chance because he was playing so well coming into it. Who knows what form he will have next year for Pebble Beach. He knew he was out of it and made his point. I don't think he cared if he was DQ or not at that point. Before he answered to the media he thought about it and went with the knowledge of the rule  to help make his case.   Plenty of golfers said the course was out of control. Rickie got quizzed pretty good after 4th round and handled it great,. Basicly said course never should have gotten to that point. None the less Phil is taking a hit in the press. Caught the end of Colin Cowherd on ESPN and he thinks it was great for Phil to do this and basicly flip the bird to the USGA. lol

Im sure he would love a mulligan on the explanation. Its been bugging me the way Phil is being sarcastically called "the smartest guy in the room" he had time to think of how he was going to explain it and I guess decided to show off his knowledge of the rules...even though every thing I read says he should of DQ himself. He left it to Mike Davis and the decision was made. The press wont give it up.

I thought that it was very unprofessional of Brandel and Co. to keep referring to the fact that then he wouldn't have been the smartest guy, blah blah blah. Phil is NOT remorseful. He's a big boy and he can handle it. He thinks it's funny. Bigger things than this have blown over, and he has little respect it appears for the USGA and their setups. He's not alone. I am not going to worry about it. He just puts it out there. ADD--ADHD? Who knows. If he still thought it was funny on Sun., he likely still thinks it's funny. Most of my friends thought it was hysterical. Not many people like to see the train wreck that the week-end has become at the US Open. Not entertaining.

Phil certainly sounds fairly remorseful now.

"I know this should've come sooner, but it's taken me a few days to calm down. My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend. I'm embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I'm sorry."

Yea, after he's realized he was on the losing end of the public sentiment battle; and the worst was probably causing such a furor that he was almost half the discussion about the US Open instead of it being 80-90% about the winner.  I heard even Michael Breed say how 'disappointed' he was with Phil's actions.  Then also Jason Day....I'm sure there were a bunch others.  He could have joined the litany of players who spoke their peace on the lousy conditions of the course on the 3rd round, that USGA didn't learn from prior instances (Chambers Bay, 2004 Shinnacock, etc). That course had enough teeth that they didn't have to make the greens so unreasonable. Getting to where I enjoy the British Open (greens are what, 11-stemp meter?) better than the US Open where it's more natural type of setting without trickery.

LongLefty wrote:Phil certainly sounds fairly remorseful now.

"I know this should've come sooner, but it's taken me a few days to calm down. My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend. I'm embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I'm sorry."

bulls9999 wrote:Yea, after he's realized he was on the losing end of the public sentiment battle; and the worst was probably causing such a furor that he was almost half the discussion about the US Open instead of it being 80-90% about the winner.  I heard even Michael Breed say how 'disappointed' he was with Phil's actions.  Then also Jason Day....I'm sure there were a bunch others.  He could have joined the litany of players who spoke their peace on the lousy conditions of the course on the 3rd round, that USGA didn't learn from prior instances (Chambers Bay, 2004 Shinnacock, etc).  That course had enough teeth that they didn't have to make the greens so unreasonable.  Getting to where I enjoy the British Open (greens are what, 11-stemp meter?) better than the US Open where it's more natural type of setting without trickery.

LongLefty wrote:Phil certainly sounds fairly remorseful now.

"I know this should've come sooner, but it's taken me a few days to calm down. My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend. I'm embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I'm sorry."

Think it was more about his play that he was frustrated with. He won at Murifield when the R&A did go full Shinnecock (the greens were measured at 16 one of the days). He should have shot several under par that final day at Shinnecock (a brain dead moment on 5, missed short putts on 10 and 12, the lip out on 14, and the frigging rock on 17).

Had Phil shot 65 or 66 that day that he deserved, NOBODY would have talked about how hard the course was

dortt, CoJack, briedfox --

You have all lost your mind. Find a rule book and read it. Phil broke a rule, it has a penalty, the penalty was enforced. What you're are all calling for is unwarranted and not even possible under the rules as written. If you think it is, please quote the language and rule you are referring to, and I'll happily explain to how you are misguided.

What Phil did was obviously impatient and unwise --- there's no doubt that he cost himself at least one stroke for violating a rule. Breaking a rule to save yourself stokes --- which is what Phil thought he was doing --- is smart. Breaking a rule to cost yourself stokes --- which is what Phil did --- is dumb. Calling for a DQ when it's not even a possible penalty under the rules --- what the three of you seem to be clamoring for --- is ignorant.  

-Greg

I don't think he's sincerely remorseful. He's trying to put it to rest with some well thought out PR. Trying to get people to move on. That's what I am going to do. Hope he wins again.

I do think he's sincerely remorseful in that it was not good strategy and certainly didn't look good (and apparently continues not to look good) to those not familiar with the rules. I don't think you'll ever hear him say "I should have been DQ'd" because he knows that the rules don't even allow for that. Maybe they should, but that's an entirely different discussion.

I'll never know. He's sorry that it didn't work out in his favor, but I'll bet he's not sorry that he made the statement about the course. They screwed with the players again. Kudos to Brooks Koepka. It'll blow over. I thought it was funny when I saw it as I thought once again it was ridiculous out there. I can understand people not thinking it was funny.