Played easier as the wind died down in the evening, but still very difficult overall. Looks like only Horshel and Mickelson at -1 going into tomorrow.

Phil played the easy holes terribly and the difficult holes well today. I guess you can't expect much different with him.

To play 7-13 +2 and 14-18 -1...WTF

That's why Phil is so goddamned frustrating...and fascinating.

I had a sneaking suspicion it would play tougher than we all thought. I have a friend who's actually played Merion along with a few other US open courses, and stated it was probably the toughest he's played.

Outside of Oakmont of course, which is brutal.

One a side note, I may have a chance in a few weeks to make a trip to Tulsa and play Southern Hills. Only problem is, the wife and I are expecting our first mid to late July/Early August. So I'm not sure I'll get to make it.

They funnel fairways at US Opens. The guys try to squeeze as much distance as they can instead of laying back and playing it to the widest part.

Which is a dumbass strategy. Most of these guys hit 8-irons 170+. There is no reason why most of those guys couldn't have hit 6 iron off the tee at 10, and they still would have had a wedge in their hands.

Well, not really. Those are the holes you HAVE to score on. You have to make birdies there, or atleast try.

And with those greens and the slope, you can't do it consistently with 8 irons.

So I get it, but if you're hitting iron off the tee, you damn sure have to hit the fairway. Most are hitting 3 and 4 irons there, which they will hit about 230 to a 24 yard wide fairway. It's not really a tough shot, it's not easy, but it's one that they should be able to do pretty regularly.

On a hole like 10 you can hit 6-iron, gap wedge.

What this week has proven, more than anything, is that most pros should probably be carrying 3 and 4 hybrids.

I think most guys are going to hybrids lofted about at a 2/3 iron. I always carried a traditional 2 iron thinking the hybrids were an old man shtick. Finally converted myself and glad I did.

However, the only problem I have with a hybrid is that you really have to try hard to work it either way. They're built to fly straight, which is actually tough for those guys to like to do.

Its one thing I hate about the new "game". Guys with new technology don't/can't work the ball and hit golf shots. They work to have a preferred shot and thats what they hit, no matter what.

I love watching guys work the ball, especially on the range. Frankly, I would rather sit and watch tour guys hit balls on the range and/or work on their game, than I do watching them play.

Unfortunately, that's exactly the kind of club the modern player needs. A forgiving hybrid that he can just point and shoot, especially for a course like this.

Getting too cute with their shots is precisely why they're missing so many fairways. Aim in the middle of a 25 yard fairway and you can hit a 10 yard pull and be more than safe. Aim at the edge and double cross it and you're ****ed. Aim at the rough and hit it straight and you're hacking it out.

I actually think Mickelson made a poor choice in driving clubs. He would have been better off, IMO, to hit a 13* driver with a 43" shaft than that Frankenwood. The COR is going to be larger, so it's likely to travel farther, and that clubface would be more forgiving than a fairway wood tuned down so far.

http://www.meijer.com/assets/product...MBLK_A_400.jpg


I have this on my basement wall. We used to lease a building to a driving range and when they were done with it and we were picking it up I found it rolled up in a cubby hole. I took and had it framed and put it on my wall.

I love watching Poulter miss putts. He's a smarmy prick.

Mickelson not even carrying a driver.

lol

Glowing endorsement for callaway

He'd be a moron to carry one on this course with the way he swings any driver. He didn't carry one at the 2008 Open either.

FWIW, he's also carrying a Titleist 5 wood that's about eight years old.

I could see why he would put the old titleist in the bag. I was blasting my old Titleist driver yesterday. The 460cc drivers are rediculous. 983E for the win!

Fairway woods are entirely different animals than drivers. I guarantee you that a 913D is at least 10-12 yards longer than a 983, and considerably more forgiving as well.

The third hole is ****ing brutal **** whore of a par 3.

Mickelson was way too impatient with that chip and it just cost him a stroke. There was no need to hit it that damned hard.

Mental mistakes like that are just as damning as foolish decisions off the tee.

Total chunk job from Tiger.

Mickelson continues his absolutely atrocious putting. If he even had an average week with the flatstick he'd be five shots clear.

Rolfing: "That will not be a right edge putt."

ROFL

Phil. Has crumbled

I don't know if I'd call bogeying 3 and 5 crumbling. His problem is his piss awful putting.

And Phil finally makes a putt. He needs to use that momentum to get to -2 by the time he walks off 13, because the lead is likely to be -3 or -4.

Tiger just bogeyed a 280 yard par 4 without hitting a shot in the rough.

Steve Stricker is a beast...who just made double on 9.

Hell yes phil

That putt at 6, which was a devilish whore of a downhiller, really righted his ship.

It has to be intimidating to play with a guy like Donald, who seems like he'd one putt every green if the hole was the size of a thimble.

LOL @ Sergio

Nice 10 bro

Mickelson caught after missing another putt, "OMG. I can't believe I do this everytime" HAHA

Luke Donald doubles the final hole. Phil bogeyed it too... but finishes round 3 as the only player under par, -1. Three guys at E.

Phil was really unlucky to bogey that hole. He hit two excellent shots only to have the second run through into an absolutely impossible lie. He played the last 12 holes about as well as you could expect on that course.

He's hit the ball so well this week that he'd have the tournament by the balls if just a few more putts would have dropped. He putted a lot better on the second nine, but he wasn't getting a ton of those to drop. The putts on 15, 16, and 18 were all pure but either burned the edge or lacked a rotation of speed.

I was expecting Donald to shit himself like that all day. It's unsurprising to see he's still the guy who would rather finish fifth than win.

Mahan has an excellent chance tomorrow. He is probably the best driver of the golf ball alive, but I wouldn't trust him over a six footer.

I think the +3s and better have a theoretical shot, but the course is so hard and the leaderboard so good that I'd almost guarantee +1 or better wins.

I just hope that after so many disappointments that Phil finally earns his redemption.

Taking wagers on what hole and how Phil blows up?

He finally pulls it off?

Thinking Phil wins finally. He's just got to restrict the stupid thing he does today to something small rather than something large and it should be his.

If not him, I could see Charl doing it. Been playing well all week and the pressure shouldn't be too much for him to handle. Don't think Donald or Rose have the guts to pull off a win like this.

Rory just hit the ball into the water twice and bent his 9-iron in frustration. I think he's had about enough of this course.

Meanwhile Steve Stricker hits a tee shot out of bounds, then hits a flat out shank from the fairway. I could've hit that ball. That was ugly.

Furthermore... Luke Donald just beaned a tee shot into a female volunteer's head. Now completely stuck behind a giant bush with no visible path to the green. Today is going to be brutal.

That shank looked like shots I hit from time to time

What channel is this on today?

Guys coming unglued.

Phil better get his shit together if he wants to win

Channel 41 in KC

Clubhouse leader is +7

Sixteen putts through seven holes for Mickelson. You cannot underestimate how absolutely pathetic that is.

The dude just lives to choke away US Opens.

Duffer in at +5

Twenty putts through nine holes for Mickelson. He's literally putting like a 25 handicap.

Day might win it since Phil can't make a putt to save his life

Darn shame.

Wow

Mickelson's fall from grace after that shot will be delicious

Putt? Who needs to putt?

LMAO

**** yes

That's one way to avoid issues with the putter. He got his breaks back for shots like 15 yesterday, 2 today, and a few other putts.

Mickelson needs to take a deep breath now and just focus on making par at 11. He has a tendency to follow up really good holes with blowups because he loses focus.

Given that Rose has (uncharacteristically) holed so many putts, he needs to play near perfectly to win and/or force a playoff.

Two doubles and an eagle on a ridiculous 80 yard iron shot out of deep rough already in 10 holes. Greatness courts failure, indeed.

Rose distracted by a fan after his tee shot there. Still wonder about him handling this pressure.

Another big putt made by him.

Rose is not a good putter, but he cannot ****ing miss. This is ridiculous.

He's basically careering it with the putter Retief Goosen style.

**** Justin rose tho for real

Rose playing great but about to enter the meat grinder. Let's see if he holds up.

Hopefully the blimp drops an aids bomb on him

In the strokes gained measurement, which essentially is a stat the measures mediocre putting, Rose ranks 156th on tour. He gives up almost 4/10 of a putt per round to the field average.

Deploying aids starter kit

Rose came out of that bigger than life. He's lucky as hell to get in that bunker.

Rain would suck more than mickelsons putting

Rose has a clean lie in the bunker, but shanks it.

Rose just shanked that bunker shot.

Someone needs to man up.

Overcooked

Bogey on deck

PHIL!

Phil, you ****ing idiot.

In US Open conditions, and with these brutal last five holes... it'll likely be a matter of survival now.

Playing the last five at par would be manning up.

Mickelson just needs to play for bogey on this hole. Downwind in an awful lie, he'll be lucky to get it on the green.

Maltbie really underestimated how hard that shot is. He's a ****ing moron, but still.

Fail train coming thru.... Choooo Choooooo

I am streaming live through USopen.com and they are showing guys who are clearly out of the running. Is it like that on TV too or are they just ****ing me here?

Average putts per green for Phil: 2.17.

It wouldn't surprise me if Tiger, who finished +13, took fewer putts this week.

They are on the featured group most likely which is not the final group I'm guessing