Conference 7.286::golf

Well Mark O'Merea has a pretty good track record at Pebble Beach, but can he
play in June?

Larry

    Freddie Couples.
    
    
    bob
    

    I believe Davis Love III has the best control of his game right now. 
    Freddie has already met the goals he set for the year, so I believe it
    will be hard for him to get motivated.

    
    I believe Freddy will be motivated, but I also believe he won't win,
    or he shouldn't. If he wins, the pressure will quadruple on him to
    go for the slam. If he loses, but is in the top, then he won't get
    a choke/motivation rap, but the pressure will be off for the slam and
    he can go about winning in peace.
    
    I pick:
    
    Davis Love III
    Ray Floyd
    Freddie
    Calcavechia 
    
    to be in the top 5, ok toss in Watson to round it out.
    
    Davis Love III will win by 2.
    
    --Bob
    

    I'll make an early prediction this time. After doing this for four
    years and handicapping the hell out of things and never picking a
    winner in this conference, my dart board is ready.
    
    Steve Elkington
    Ray Floyd
    Corey Pavin
    Mark O'Meara  (you can't leave him out)
    Jeff Sluman
    
    
    DLIII and The Freddie will also make a run. From the Euro ranks, Faldo
    and Richardson will contend. Ollie has not played well. Norman is also
    playing well but.......
    
    Ken

    
    Bernard Langer is getting ready to take a top title I believe.  He
    seems to be there or there abouts at the moment and he'll be in the top
    five.
    
    You can never rule out Nick "Mr Golf" Faldo.  He will also be in the
    top five.

    I really like Boom Boom but haven't seen his name for a while which
    bothers me. O'Meara has to be in the top five! Davis is playing well
    but not as well as he was earlier. I like Floyd in the top five, he
    thrives on pressure and I'll round it out with the Shark....he is due
    to win a big one.....or will it be someone from the "new breed" like
    a Jeff Maggert???? He has played well this year.....or Tom Kite....
    God, I can't make up my mind???? Okay, I'll go with Greg Norman even
    though I'll be cheering for Boom Boom!!!!!!
    
    Gordi

    Norman will have a hard time since he is only an alternate as of today. 
    I will reserve judgement until the St. Jude this weekend.  It is
    Freddy's first tourney in a while.  I don't have much hope for the
    foreign contingent.  They don't seem to fair well at Pebble.  O'meara
    has to be a favorite along with Love.  Four days at Pebble with the
    wind and the pressure will surely produce a deserving winner.
    
    I read where Norman was closed out of a certain berth by an impossibly
    long birdie putt on the last hole by ...Larry Mize...de ja vu all over
    again....run for the snake bite kit...this is what marked Norman's down
    turn before.  Seems that Watson got him at Pebble and Mize got him at
    the Masters.  Looking forward to a summer of golf on TV.
    
    SCD

    Will Greg get an exemption? After the Masters controversy I doubt it. I
    heard Crenshaw also didn't make it. I hope Norman gets in. He's playing
    well right now.
    
    My pick is still the Elk. He had a strong finish at the Memorial.
    
    Ken

	If Norman Plays.
1. Greg Norman		-12	 
2. Fred Couples		-10	 
   Davis Love III	-10
4. Steve Elkington	- 8
5. Scott Simpson	- 7
5. Mark O'Meara		- 7

	If Norman does not get in.

1. Mark O'Meara		-11
2. Fred Couples		-10
 . Davis Love III	-10
4. Steve Elkington	- 8
5. Scott Simpson	- 7
   Curtis Strange       - 7 (I'd love to see him win, but him game has been off)


Steve

RE: -.1

What tournament do you think they are playing at Pebble Beach?  The scores you
listed certainly not for the US Open.  If the weather is good the winner will
have a total between 280-282.  If the weather turns at all nasty par will be
a great score!

>	If Norman Plays.
>1. Greg Norman		-12	 
>2. Fred Couples	-10	 
>   Davis Love III	-10

Larry

    I'm still tryin' to figure out why Mark O'Meara will shoot four shots
    lower if Norman doesn't play...
    
    --Jack

In article <[email protected]> [email protected] writes:
>Title: 1992 US Open
>Reply Title: How I'd handicap-em!
>
>
>	If Norman Plays.
>1. Greg Norman		-12	 
>2. Fred Couples		-10	 
>   Davis Love III	-10
>4. Steve Elkington	- 8
>5. Scott Simpson	- 7
>5. Mark O'Meara		- 7
>
>	If Norman does not get in.
>
>1. Mark O'Meara		-11
>2. Fred Couples		-10
> . Davis Love III	-10
>4. Steve Elkington	- 8
>5. Scott Simpson	- 7
>   Curtis Strange       - 7 (I'd love to see him win, but him game has been off)
>
>
>Steve

I don't understand. Does Norman intimidate O'Meara?

[posted by Notes-News gateway]

    Re: .10
    
    Steve, its unanimous. You have some explaining to do on the Norman
    psycy over O'Meara.
    
    Ken

    I like Elkington as well. Other one to watch is Chip Beck.

    
    I'l go off the board and pick the Zinger..  he's due.
    
    Walta

    
      Scott Simpson.   Usually see his name once a year.  Always at the
      US open.
    
    -rick

    
    My brother is called Tim Simpson.  I wonder how he'll get on?
    
    What is it with you Shermans?!?!?  Don't you know that the Europeans
    are going to clean up on this tournament??????
    
    I'm telling you, Bernhard Langer will do it, no worries.

    As usual I like the American pack - Waldorfs, Hallets, Mediates -
    there's 100 of them.
    Of the foreigners I like the Aussie contingent hardly lessened in
    caliber by the Shark's absence.  Something tells me the Orient will
    be heard from also.
    Of the big names Woosnam and Olazebal(sic) from Europe and Payne
    Stewart to make a big push to defend.
    
    The winner - Fred C. - One of the few favorites I can root for - not
    that I have anything against Michael, Mario etal - any guy that can
    tell the world - "yes, I enjoy my TV from the couch" is all right with
    me.

Well Norman is overdue for a Majors?

As for the Norman/O'Meara thing.. Just a hunch. Like picking the
69 Mets!

Steve

Re: -.1

>Well Norman is overdue for a Majors?

Is Sunday's Golbe they had a quote from a ?Baltimore paper.  It side, "Once
Norman couldn't win the big tournaments, now he can't even win the little 
ones!"  

Larry

    
    .18
    
      Ok, I give up.  What or who is a sherman?  8^)
    
    -rick

    Those of you picking Norman....has he moved up from his alternate
    status?  If he gets in at the last second, he might win it because he
    won't have had a chance to let his brain fry from the pressure.
    
    SCD

    Can anyone give me any details on the first round scores....
    
    especially top Scot Sandy Lyle....
    
                                      cheers 
                                             DOUGIE....

    
    Re 22:-
    
    I'll answer your question seeing as I come from the same side of the
    pond as Jamie. 
    
    Sherman is short for Sherman Tank which rhymes with the word 'Yank'. 
    'Rhyming slang' is used as a figure of speech over here. With such 
    'classics' as 'trouble and strife' meaning wife, etc....
    
    Hope this clears up the confusion,
    
    
    POL.

    Dougie
    
      Sandy Lyle shot 73. He was -4 thru 14 I believe then made an 8.
      He made a nice birdie on 18.
    
    -Steve

    Looks like Curtis is having visions again.  Who knows.  There are still
    3 more days of golf, and anything can happen at pebble beach.  Glad to
    see Jack at negative numbers.  Phil Mikelson (pardon spelling) looks 
    pretty good to.
    
    fairways and greens,
    bob
    

    Can anyone post the standings?
    
    Thanks,
    -Tom

    
    Yeah....although it's early doors in the states could someone take the
    time to post the scores before I go home in an hour.....how are the
    europeans doing ?
    
    Ta,
        Del

    From memory, I don't have a paper. 
    
    
     Gil Morgan  -6       (leader)
     Curtis Strange -5
     Phil Mikkelson -4
         .
         .
     Faldo -2 (?)
     Woosie Even (?)
     Lyle  +1
     Watson   +3                  
     Nicklaus +5

    Leaderboard
    
    Gil Morgan		66
    Curtis Strange	67
    Steve Pate		68
    Phil Mickelson	68
    Andy Dillard	68
    Tom Lehman		69
    
    Other Notables
    
    Paul Azinger	70
    Seve Ballesteros	71
    Raymond Floyd	71
    Tom Kite		71
    Craig Stadler	71
    Fred Couples	72
    Davis Love III	72
    Ian Woosnam		72
    Hale Irwin		73
    Bernhard Langer	73
    Sandy Lyle		73
    Payne Stewart	73
    Fuzzy Zoeller	73
    John Daly		74
    Tom Watson		75
    Jack Nicklaus	77
    Mike Reid		77
    D.A. Weibring	76
    Larry Mize		76
    Andy North		77
    Billy Ray Brown	78
    Ian Baker-Finch	74
    Cory Pavin		74
    Peter Jacobsen	74
    
    The course is tough!!  Mickelson said that there were only fairways and
    hazards.  They had the greens soft for the first round and there was
    not much wind.  It should get tougher and higher scores as the wind
    starts and they let the greens harden.  They probably don't plan on
    cutting the rough, so whoever is playing best from tee-green is going
    to score the best.
    
    4 1/2 more hours tonite on ESPN!

    Gil Morgan had a good second round.  He drives the ball very straight
    so he should continue to do well.  Andrew Dillard was 3 shots back at
    -6 when ESPN went off the air tonight.  He was just off of the 17th
    hole.  The later rounds were running 5 to 5 1\2 hours. What do you
    think about the slow play rule being enforced by the USGA? The long
    rough sure isn't helping!!!
    
    Ray Floyd will be in the second group on Sat.  They had better watch
    out for him!
    
    5hrs tommorrow on ABC.

    
    .27 POL    Thanks for the explanation.  All I kept thinking of was 
               Mr. Peobody and Sherman.  8^)
    
      Back to the US open...    Go Andy Dillard!   Is Bob Estes, Scott
      Simpson's heir apparent?
    
    -rick

    Gil Morgan in round three got it to -12 then collapsed.  He was tied at
    -3 with several others until sinking a birdie putt on 18. He will be in
    the last group for the last round with Woosie, who was the first in at
    -3.  With the conditions of the course, anyone within 5 or 6 shots
    could possibly win.  A. Dillard had a rough day and finished at +1.
    Its still anybodys tournament!!
    
    5 more hours tomorrow!!

    
    
    Many congrats to Tom KIte for a great final round and a great win!!!
    He was LONG over due to win a major.
    
    The course was the big winner, so many rounds in the 80s on the
    final day after the wind and fast greens took over.

    A definite hat's off to Tom Kite, a much deserving win. Great to see
    him finally win a major. As Musberger said now it puts him in with the 
    elete. He really managed the course well. On a day when par's where
    like birdies and bogey's like par's, couldn't beleive the scores the
    guys were shooting. Watching on and off most of the day, remember
    seeing  HAlberg -2, then at +9, that was within an 1 hr time span.
    
    Well onto the British open for the guys now. Hopefully this will serve
    as a great lesson for the conditions that are seen over there.
    
    Mike
    
    

	Congrats to Tom Kite for finally winning a Major Championship.
Gil Morgan got to -12 than Pebble Beach said, nobody finishes with
- double digits and took over. Must be extremely tough to play a tough
course in 30 - 35 MPH winds, unbelievable. On the par 3, 6th or 7th hole
which is 112 yrds long. On Saturday Tom Kite hit a SW, on Sunday he
hit a 6 iron.

/Ron

    
    Between Jeff Sluman and Tom Kite they put on quite a display of
    	getting up and down. Tom had to do what seemed impossible to
    	Jack Nicklaus, play par golf through the back nine at Pebble
    	under severe conditions. It's impossible to imagine the
    	level of pressure he was under playing the back nine, with
    	Pebble Beach in her fury standing in the way of a life long
    	dream and torment. I have never seen such a clutch performance
    	against all odds. Noone in the right mind would have bet ANY
    	golfer to survive, let alone major minus Tom? With people
    	streaming into plus figures, and players the likes of Faldo
    	and Stewart reduced to comic relief Kite battled on ! Like
    	David agianst Goliath Kite was victorious . 
    
    	His play that day will always be remebered for decades of Opens
    	to come. He won the US Open, unlike so many majors lately that
    	were lost...
    
    	awesome golf,
    
    	Walta

    
    
      How about the way he pulled out driver on 18 and played it well left
    of the tree. With the wind blowing in so strong, I wonder how far out
    over the ocean he had to play that shot. Absolutely make or break on
    that one since he needed six or better to win standing on the tee.
    He iced it with that one. How many of them in that position would have 
    hit 5 iron? Gutsy play or what?

    I think Kite is one of the classiest guys around. A pal of mine who
    runs Sales at Hogan knows him, and says he's a peach of a guy. BTW, if
    you want to see what conditions were like at Pebble Beach, play one of
    the Irish links courses - ANY day.
    
    --Jack

    
    Congrats to Tom Kite on a truly awesome performance. A well overdue
    Major. The perfect reply to his Masters snub. 
    
    Del. 

    Ditto to all the past remarks about Kite and The Open. After Saturdays
    round it looked more like Pebble Beach should be called Penzoil Beach.
    There was so much oil leaking out there I didn't think anyone wanted
    it. 
    
    After yesterday, it was clear two folks wanted it bad. Sluman and Kite
    played exceptional golf. Montgomerie played a little earlier and maybe
    didn't feel the heat that Kite felt, but Sluman was right in it. To
    think they shot 71 and 72 under those conditions.
    
    Of the 22 players who began the day even par or under, 15 shot 80 or
    worse. Scott Simpson went from 68 on Sat. to 88 yesterday.  Heres a few
    more interesting statistics:
    
    Fairways hit   Kite 7    Sluman 8
    Greens hit     Kite 6    Sluman 6
    Putting        Kite 25   Sluman 24
    Sand Saves     Kite 1/3  Sluman 3/3
    
    Once again the USGA set up the golf course to identify the best golfer
    and Kite proved he was ready to accept what the USGA and Pebble Beach
    had to offer.
    
    Ken

    
    First off let me say, hats off to Tom Kite, when the day started and
    the wind came up, I picked Woosie to be the one to hold it together
    in the wind.  Kite played superbly.
    
    The only bad thing I can say about him, and it has nothing to do wiht
    his golf, was what he said about the qualifying for the US Open and
    to some extent the Masters.
    
    What he said, or how I took it, was that they should re-do the 
    qualifying limits since they don't get the best. He mentioned that
    Norman was not invited to the US Open and he was snubbed at the 
    Masters. Sounded like wounded ego talk to me, he did mention that
    they both had bad years last year and that should have been overlooked.
    Well all I could say was that if you had a bad year and didn't make it
    then there are others who should make it in your place. THey cannot
    go on past years. Norman is in a slump, and Kite seems to have come
    out of his. He made the open by being in the top n of the money list.
    
    I have all the respect in the world for Tom Kite, he is a fantastic
    player. It sort of surprised me that he would be complaining about 
    this, it seemed like bruised ego talking, maybe it woke him up and
    that is what started him playing better.
    
    --Bob
    

    
    Hi Everyone,
    
    	Sunday as I was watching the Open I noticed Tom Kite do something
    that really surprised me... I replayed the tape of Sundays round
    last night to make sure I did see correctly.
    
    	On the 17th hole, Kite had missed his par attempt. After which
    he crouched behind the bogie putt, then reached forward in front of
    his ball and casually tamped down the green with his finger tips
    along the line of the putt! Then picked something from the green
    and proceeded to make the putt.
    
    	When I first saw him do it... I thought "Did I just see that?"
    Thinking "Maybe he didn't actually touch the surface, it just looked
    that way?" 
    	But after looking at the tape there's no doubt.
    
    	I feel bad for Jeff Sluman. If Kite had incurred a two stroke
    penalty it would have been a tied ball game. Tom must have looked
    down at his ball and noticed a bump directly in front of his ball.
    If he missed that putt, he'd go into 18 with only a one shot lead.
    
    	It's all water under the bridge at this point.
    
    
    	Walta
    
    

    
     I noticed the same thing Walta.  Kept waiting for some viewer to call
    in to penalize him.  Guess playing Pebble in that wind was penalty 
    enough for them.  My pick, steady Scott Simpson looked like he was
    positioning himself after 3 rounds for a run at another US Open title,
    then he shoots Sunday's worst round (88).  Sheeesh.  Glad to see Kite
    win.  How about Mr. Grim, Nick Faldo yukking it up after a couple of
    his late birdie putts!  What kind of walk was that?  The 'Nicki
    Shuffle'?  For our overseas friends, that's a US football subreference.
     8^)
    
    -rick

    I heard a USGA official ask him about something after the round. His
    reply was "it was a huge divot 2 feet from the hole, you can go out
    there and check it, no problem"  I assume it was a ball mark which he
    is allowed to repair.
                                                      

    Walta,
    	Thanks for the well phrased tribute to Tom.  I missed the whole
    thing and if someone has taped the last day and would care to loan me
    it I would love to watch it.  Can hardly think of anything I would have
    preferred doing other than watching the open but was way up in
    Jefferson NH.
    	I think Open qualifications and Masters invitations are two
    different things.  The latter should review its policies to make sure
    that a Tom Kite is not excluded because of a brief slump in a long
    distinguished career.  However, under the current rules who were they
    going to not invite in order to get Tom?  
    
    	Yanks, Tanks, Shermans, Peabody.  I always chuckle when a deep
    south American with drawl and (y')all is referred to as Yank.
    
    	Lets's get that British Open note going - I am revising my theory
    on the bottom of the pack Americans (Waldorf etc) being the most likely
    candidates to win the open (and Gil Morgan was a perfect example).  To
    actually put these majors away seems to require a singular determined
    will to win not possessed by your average tour player.
    
    bb
    

    
      I knew you'ld come around sooner or later Bill.  Although, your boy
     Billy Andrade had a great showing this week.
    
    -rick

    I would just like to say one thing,if Tom Kite did not get an Invite or
    qualify for any Major Championship's due to not being good then he
    should respect the decision that had been made,and like a True" Pro"
    just get on with it and gain qualifacation due to Merit/Performance.
    Just like what you would have to do in any Sport,allowing others to
    have a chance to better themselves by gaining qualifacation.
    
    
                                            MAD-DOG RANKIN 
    
                                              SCOTLAND.
    

    
    re. .46
    
    I noticed the same thing Walt and at first I thought he might be picking
    at a spike mark. The TV pictures didn't clearly show the incident but
    I'm sure a man of Tom Kite's integrity would not knowingly infringe on 
    the rules. 
    
    Anyway I'm totally against trial by tv after the incident with Craig 
    Stadler when he was penalised for "building up his stance" by kneeling
    on his water proofs.
    
    Del                                   
    

Re: .a few back

    I saw the same Kite touching the line of his putt & questioning it too.
    When ABC showed the discussion in the trailer before he signed his card
    I assummed they were ensuring that he didn't sign a wrong card.  I
    also assummed they checked out his story!

>    I heard a USGA official ask him about something after the round. His
>    reply was "it was a huge divot 2 feet from the hole, you can go out
>    there and check it, no problem"  

    That's basically what I heard him say, too.

Larry

    re: 48,53
    
    Beleive he also added that the color of the spot was brown, driedd 
    therefore proving it was a divot/ball mark.  It seemed to satisfy the
    marshall/official asking the question.  It also appeared that Kite's
    partner on the day was aware of the action and deemed it OK.  Finally,
    because the question was asked in the tent during the finalization of
    score cards it leads me to beleive that someone from TVland called in
    to register the complaint.  Interesting that the news media did not
    takeoff on this as they have in the past.  Coulkd it bee that Tom is
    such a favorite and the play was so tough that the media decided to
    "give him a break".
    
    Was nice to see a group of golfers having at it with the course for
    once.  Reminded me of the last day of the Ryder Cup.  For once I could
    really relate...or maybe the pros could relate to what the rest of
    contend with everytime out.  Wind, spike marks, greens too hard for our
    abilities, rough to tough, 5 hour rounds...now if they would make them
    find their own ball and bet their own money, you've got a great format
    for the common player to comprehend.
    
    SCD
    ball