ODDS TO WIN 2006 U.S. OPEN | |
Name | Odds |
TIGER WOODS | 3/1 |
PHIL MICKELSON | 5/1 |
VIJAY SINGH | 10/1 |
RETIEF GOOSEN | 10/1 |
ERNIE ELS | 12/1 |
JIM FURYK | 20/1 |
SERGIO GARCIA | 25/1 |
DAVID TOMS | 25/1 |
LUKE DONALD | 25/1 |
DAVIS LOVE III | 25/1 |
DARREN CLARKE | 25/1 |
ADAM SCOTT | 30/1 |
CHAD CAMPBELL | 30/1 |
PADRAIG HARRINGTON | 30/1 |
MIKE WEIR | 30/1 |
CHRIS DIMARCO | 35/1 |
JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL | 35/1 |
TIM CLARK | 40/1 |
DAVID HOWELL | 40/1 |
GEOFF OGILVY | 40/1 |
STEWART CINK | 40/1 |
MICHAEL CAMPBELL | 45/1 |
SCOTT VERPLANK | 45/1 |
FRED COUPLES | 45/1 |
STUART APPLEBY | 45/1 |
ROBERT ALLENBY | 45/1 |
HENRIK STENSON | 50/1 |
STEPHEN AMES | 50/1 |
COLIN MONTGOMERIE | 60/1 |
LEE WESTWOOD | 60/1 |
FIELD (ALL OTHERS) | 7/2 |
Thanks to my buddy Jason for this nice interview on his site beginnergolfing.com.
Jason is quite active here commenting and over at The Golf Space. He asks me a few questions about my blogs and sites and it was quite fun answering them. Stop over and check it out..
I like the email interview idea. I’ve had a few done and I’ve done a few as well. I should do more.
Date/Day | Network | Program | Time |
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June 12 (Monday) | ESPN | SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open | 4-4:30 p.m. |
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June 13 (Tuesday) | XM 146 ESPN |
U.S. Open Week – Pregame SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open |
10 a.m – 3 p.m. 4-4:30 p.m. |
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June 14 (Wednesday) | XM 146 ESPN |
U.S. Open Week – Pregame SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open |
10 a.m.-3 p.m. 3:30-4:30 p.m. |
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June 15 (Thursday) | USOpen.com ESPN XM 146 NBC ESPN ESPN |
U.S. Open Live Webcast First Round – Part I First Round First Round First Round – Part II First Round (Best Of) |
9 a.m.-5 p.m. 10 a.m.-2:55 p.m. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 3-5 p.m. 5-7 p.m. 8-11:30 p.m. |
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June 16 (Friday) | ESPN2 USOpen.com ESPN XM 146 NBC ESPN ESPN |
SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open U.S. Open Live Webcast Second Round – Part I Second Round Second Round Second Round – Part II Second Round (Best Of) |
Midnight 1 a.m. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 10 a.m.-2:55 p.m. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 3-5 p.m. 5-7 p.m. 8-11 p.m. |
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June 17 (Saturday) | ESPN2 ESPN XM 146 ESPN NBC |
SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open Second Round (Best Of) Re-Air Third Round SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open Third Round |
1-2 a.m. 3-5 a.m. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 11:30a.m.-12:30p.m. 12:30-7 p.m. |
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June 18 (Sunday) | ESPN2 ESPN2 XM 146 ESPN NBC |
SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open Third Round (NBC Re-air) Fourth Round SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open Fourth Round |
Midnight-1 a.m. 2-5 a.m. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 12:30-7 p.m. |
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June 19 (Monday) | XM 146 ESPN2 ESPN2 |
Playoff (if necessary) SportsCenter @ The U.S. Open Fourth Round (NBC Re-air) |
Noon – conclusion 12:30-1:30 a.m. 1:30-4:30 a.m. |
NOTE: If the Championship is tied after four rounds an 18-hole playoff will take place Monday starting at noon. ESPN will broadcast the first two hours of the playoff and NBC the remainder.
*courtesy usopen.com
There are OBVIOUS reasons why a range finder will help, mainly getting the yardage to the flag.
BUT after testing out a few (and deciding on the pinseeker) I’ve thought about it and there are MANY ways other than just yardage to the flag that a range finder can help your game.
Pace of play
If used correctly, a range finder can speed up play. No searching for sprinkler heads or markers and pacing yardages off.
Conversely if used incorrectly or too much they may slow down play.
More fairways hit
I often blow my drive through doglegs. I’m not a “bomber” in today’s sense but I can knock it out there fairly far. Using a range finder to determine if I should hit driver or what line I should hit my driver on could be a big advantage. More fairways hit, lower scores.
If my drives go 280-300 and the dogleg is 255, that means pull a 3w or take some off the corner. Confidence in knowing what shot to hit, more fairways, lower scores.
Lay ups and carries
Yardages to hazards or targets other than the flag: Say you want to lay up short of a water hazard or ditch or something like that? You can get an exact yardage to the front of the hazard and take a club or two less. You can get a yardage to clear the hazard and take a club or two more.
The most important reason to use a range finder
This could be the most important reason to own a range finder: KNOWING EXACTLY HOW FAR ALL YOUR CLUBS GO. I could see hitting lots of shots on the range and the course and then shooting the ball when it comes to rest to determine the EXACT yardage all your clubs go.
For instance I conveniently have the following numbers for my irons: LW 100, SW 100-110, GW 120-125, PW 140, 9i 150, 8i 160, 7i 170, 6i 190, 5i 200, 4i 210, 3i 230 etc…
Now those are really “convenient numbers” aren’t they? They are all base ten basically. But if I were to take a 7i and hit say 30 shots and shoot the average I could come up with a fairly exact distance my 7i really goes. I bet it isn’t exactly 170 yards. Maybe it’s 167. Maybe it’s 175?
So take that information onto the course. The pin is exactly 180 yards away. But the front of the green slopes away from you. The front of the green is 175 yards. After shooting my 7i I determine it goes exactly 175 yards. I choose 7i, hit the front of the green and the ball rolls down to exactly pin high.
That kind of data could only be determined with a range finder, or spending hours pacing off shots on the range. You can’t really pace off shots like Bobby Jones used to because you’d either be killed by other golfer’s shots on the range, or kicked off by the marshall.
Conclusion
Some more “traditional” or “old fashioned” types may poo-poo range finders but they’re just another advancement in the game of golf like balata and steel shafts were in their day.
I think when used properly range finders can increase the pace of play and give the player better data on his game. Having more confidence in club selection and distances can only help the player’s confidence and help him execute good shots which go the right distance. For most amateurs especially, distance is a big “unknown.” Most amateurs come up short on the majority of their approach shots.
I voted in the current poll that Phil Mickelson will place higher than Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open. Xtremecruiser, admin for golfdiscussions.com disagrees.
We have a bet but we’re not betting money.
What should the stakes be?
Dual polls and posts here and at GD.