Lessons Learned from Day 1 of the 2011 U.S. Open (Part 2)

Lessons Learned from Day 1 (Part 2)

It’s not easy being the favorite

Luke Donald struggled during round one at Congressional.

There were a handful of favorites coming into the U.S. Open, and none of them fared well on day one.  The trio of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer looked far from the best three players in the world.  Perennial favorite Phil Mickelson was, in short, all over the yard, and his questionable decision to use a 2-iron off many of the tees kept him below par.  The fact is that for many people, the pressure of being the favorite is very tough to overcome.  Like LeBron trying to win a title, it’s sometimes harder when everybody’s expectations of you are through the roof.  Once again, don’t be surprised to see an underdog take home this year’s Open.

Wiley vets will always contend.  Especially those who can putt.

You can never count out the veterans who have been there and proven that they have what it takes to win a major.  After day one of the Open, it would appear that the two veterans in the best position to make a run at the title are Davis Love III and Stewart Cink, both of whom are currently sitting at one under par for the first round.  Both of these players have won majors before, and in a major where putting is at a premium, you can never count out Stewart Cink and his trusty flatstick.

There are certain players who do well in majors.

For 63 hole this past April, Rory McIlroy was by far the best player at Augusta.  While a few wayward drives may have quickly and firmly dashed his hopes at winning his first major, the fact remains that Rory shows up in the majors.  There are just some players who always manage to pull their game into shape when the big ones come around, and Rory is one of them.  While he might have choked in his best chance to win a major, Rory has proved that he has what it takes to put up good numbers in major championship conditions.

There is nothing more important than “Hanging around.”

You can’t win the U.S. Open (or any tournament for that matter) in the first round.  But you can certainly lose it.  The key to contending in a major is not throwing any large numbers at the course.  The best example of this from round one was Phil Mickelson.  Phil saw every corner of the course, hitting wayward drives, punching out, and scrambling on every hole.  And yet, unbelievably, Phil somehow finished his round at only two over par.  Anybody who had watched him play today would have sworn that he was much worse off than that, but Phil is still completely in this tournament.  By preventing any huge numbers on day one, Phil ensured that he will have a shot to compete for the next three days of the tournament.

“Horses for Courses” is true

Some people just play well on certain courses.  Whether they have a level of comfort at a certain venue, or the design just fits their eye, there are certain players who love playing certain courses.  Think of Tiger at Firestone Country Club, where he has managed to win a whopping seven times.  When it comes to Congressional, Sergio Garcia has found a certain comfort level that has allowed him to play great golf at the venue.  Sergio has played well at Congressional during the AT&T National, and currently sits at three under after the first round.  While Sergio has been slumping as of late, a date with Congressional might be just what it takes to get the Spaniard going.

Advertisement