The Olympic Course was too difficult

Last year, the US Open was won with a score of sixteen under par – set by Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. As a result, it seemed clear that the tournament’s creators this year wanted to ensure that a young pretender would not win one of golf’s most coveted prizes by simply hitting the ball longer and straighter than anybody else. However, although the intention was correct, the execution produced a US Open course that barely allowed for the best players in the game to showcase their skill sets. The very nature of the course at Olympic means that precision hitting is essential and the course does not naturally favour those who can hit the ball long and straight. This week we saw near impossible pin placements and fairways cut unfavourably for the players. By all means, the US Open should test players, but any Major should capture the imagination of the viewing public. Like it or not, Webb Simpson scrapping to a win with a score of one over par will not excite spectators in the same way that McIlroy’s win did last year.

Perfect play from Simpson

Not many people considered Webb Simpson as someone who could even compete in this year’s US Open, let alone win the tournament. However, in retrospect, the American played both the course and the occasion perfectly by keeping under the radar and away from the spotlight until the very last moments. By playing consistently all week and then producing a good last round, the 26-year-old managed to secure his first Major and almost certainly a spot on the US Ryder Cup team this year.

McDowell is back with a bang

Perhaps the biggest winner this week is Graeme McDowell. Although that may sound like an extremely illogical statement to make considering the Northern Irishman suffered heartache, missing out on the chance to win his second Major, he proved above all else that he is a force in world golf. The irony is that McDowell did not play to anywhere near his potential at Olympic, and but for razor sharp accuracy from the rough and superb putting on the greens, he would not have been anywhere near the leaders. McDowell has proven this week that there is more to European golf than the trio of Luke Donald, McIlroy and Lee Westwood. Although golf seems to be swinging back to US dominance, Europe have players more than capable of causing problems in the match play format – a good sign ahead of the Ryder Cup. If McDowell can finish second without playing well, imagine how he will fair on top of his game.

McDowell and Furyk set for final day showdown

Graeme McDowell launched himself into pole position ahead of the final round of the US Open, with a joint share of the lead after shooting a two under par round of 68. His leading rival is Jim Furyk, who produced a level par round on Saturday, and he has played both economically and extremely consistently over the entire tournament. The US Open looks likely to come down to a final day decider between the pair who are two shots clear of the rest of the field. It will provide McDowell with an opportunity to secure a second US Open title in three years, and perhaps more importantly, send a gentle reminder to his critics and players that Europe’s golfing hopes do not just rest with Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood. He certainly has the right kind of game to succeed at Olympic. The Northern Irishman is not the longest hitter in the game, but his short game is relentlessly accurate and he putts well from distance. The same could also be said for Furyk – so the final round is shaping up to be sensational.

Woods falls away from the field

After two fantastic opening rounds, Tiger Woods’ US Open bid took a catastrophic blow on Saturday after he carded a five over par round of 75 to move from -1 to +4. The former world No1 and 14-time major winner struggled to fire in all aspects of his game in the third round to leave his chances of obtaining a 15th major all but over. Despite being the favourite throughout the tournament, Woods, who has only won two PGA tour events in as many years, still looks to be struggling with regards to stringing four good rounds of golf together. Although not completely out of the tournament, it would take something of a miracle for Woods to triumph at Olympic. Perhaps he will have to wait for another Major to achieve complete golfing redemption.

Westwood is still hanging on

But for an extremely poor first round, Lee Westwood would be right in the mix to secure an elusive first Major this week. The Worksop-based Englishman played wonderfully to get round in 67, three under par. That round leaves him three shots off the lead but crucially he takes the momentum of possibly the best round anyone has played this week with him as the tournament moves into the final day. Westwood may not have won a major in 57 attempts, but write him off at your peril on Sunday.

Donald’s MBE isn’t based on Major performances

It was announced that Luke Donald would be made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List this week. The world No1 has been in quite stunning form all year but when it comes to the Majors, he just does not seem to be able to cut it. Shooting a nine over par 79 in the first round meant that it was going to take something very special even to get back into the top half of the field, but the Englishman failed to even produce that as he carded a two over par round of 72 to finish eleven over and miss the cut. Afterwards, he comically tweeted, “I better start playing better in the majors or they might take it [the MBE] away”. With only the British Open and the PGA Championship left to play this year, it seems clear that Donald is starting to wonder whether he will ever win an elusive Major.

Woods looks set to contend for a 15th major

The 2012 US Open is far from over, but it looks like Tiger Woods will certainly be in contention come Sunday night, and there are very few people who would argue he does not stand a great chance of winning at Olympic. His fairway hitting is phenomenal and therefore it is no surprise that the former US Open winner and world No1 is right in the mix this time around. Woods currently holds a share of the lead having carded a level par round of 70, which included three birdies and three bogeys. He will be well aware that the job is far from finished and that one bad round could ruin his dream, but Tiger is certainly on the prowl and that will send warnings to the rest of the field.

Olympic delivers the toughest US Open course yet

Has there ever been a more difficult venue than Olympic for the US Open? Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut on Friday, blazed his way round Congressional last year, posting a score of 16 under par, and the USGA have ensured that there was not even the slight chance that someone could do that at Olympic. The fairways are extremely narrow and Friday’s pin positions were as tough as any around the world – pinned tight to corners and on tricky slopes to ensure getting close with the approach was simply impossible. It would be amazing if the eventual winning score is anything more than perhaps -2 or -3, and the fact that only three players (Woods, David Toms and Jim Furyk) are better than level par at the halfway stage shows just how difficult Olympic is to negotiate.

World No1 Luke Donald will have to play catch-up at the US Open after he posted a disappointing first round score at the Olympic Club on Thursday.

The 34-year-old capitulated to a nine over par score of 79 to all but end his chances of winning the tournament on a day which was characterised by big name struggles.

Perhaps the players were caught off-guard by just how difficult the Olympic Club is to negotiate as Donald, Rory McIlroy, Steve Stricker and Phil Mickelson were all caught out by the narrow fairways and small, razor-sharp greens with almost unreachable pin placements.

One favourite who did perform on the opening day was Tiger Woods – the former US Open champion looked in imperious form, hitting an extremely solid one under par round to tie for second place behind clubhouse leader Michael Thompson – the 500/1 outsider who hit an exceptional score of 67 to steal the show from the bigger names.

It wasn’t all bad news for the Europeans though, even if the pre-tournament favourites slipped away – Justin Rose looked extremely assured and carded an extremely competitive score of 70 to tie with Woods in second place.

Joining that group is 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell, who was little fancied before the tournament began.

The Northern Irishman is known for being a player who thrives under pressure and relishes the chance to prove his doubters wrong – the last round of the 2012 Ryder Cup is evidence of this.

It would also be impossible to review the opening day without mentioning Andy Zhang. The 14 -year-old became the youngest player to compete in the modern day US Open and performed admirably in his first round by hitting a ten over par round of +10.

While that score may look anything but promising, this was an occasion which could have completely overwhelmed the young player with the entire world watching.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the lesser backed players seem to be performing well so far.

Olympic has developed a reputation as a place where underdogs usually excel, and the last time the US Open visited the course, complete outsider Lee Janzen was crowned champion.

Unless Woods can move clear of the pack, there remains the possibility of an upset at Olympic, which could live up to its reputation as a “graveyard for champions” – anything could happen.

Luke Donald, England

The world No1 is in the form of his life, and it would be amazing if Luke Donald is not among the leaders at Olympic Course later this week. The Englishman has often been ruled out of previous US Open tournaments because he is among the shorter hitters in the game. However, this year’s course is unlike previous venues for the tournament such as Congressional or Pebble Beach. It plays at around 7000 yards which allows the shorter, accurate hitters to have a chance of making birdies. Donald’s short game is one of the best in the world, making him a definite one to watch this time around and possibly even the favourite.

Lee Westwood, England

How long before Lee Westwood breaks his Major hoodoo? It seems as though every time a major tournament arrives, people talk about the man from Worksop as having a good chance of winning. Taking a more realistic standpoint, it is hard to see where a Major will come from if Westwood fails to claim one this year, and the US Open is his best chance out of the three left to play. Relentlessly accurate from tee to green, he should profit from the narrow fairways on offer at Olympic where others may struggle. The biggest issue is his putting – Westwood would have triumphed in The Masters at Augusta if he had made easy putts on the green and he will need to complete that aspect of his game to triumph this week. Tee to green there is nobody better, and to rule Westwood out would be extremely foolish.

Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland

As reigning US Open champion, it would be difficult not to mention Rory McIlroy. If the Northern Irishman used the tournament to arrive on the scene last year, then this year’s battle will illustrate how much he has developed over the past twelve months. As previously mentioned, Olympic is unlike Congressional where McIlroy won in 2011, so the 22-year-old will need to show a more patient aspect to his game. Having slipped from world No1 and missed three cuts in the last month, it would take something special for McIlroy to win again this year.

Tiger Woods, USA

Heading up the American charge will be Tiger Woods, something which seemed unlikely a matter of months ago. However a resurgent victory in the Memorial Trophy in Ohio last week has given the former world No1 every reason to be optimistic heading into the US Open. Everyone is aware that Woods is unpredictable, but it is that which makes him so dangerous. Perfectly capable of producing moments of magic at crucial times, expect Tiger to roar and rule him out at your peril.

Steve Stricker, USA

Having spoken about four of golf’s powerhouse players, it may seem strange that Stricker is mentioned as a potential US Open winner. Certainly a dark horse heading into the tournament, the 45-year-old will be able to draw on extra experience that other players don’t have. Mentally, Stricker is as strong as anyone and his swing is mechanically as good as anybody’s in the game. A fantastic outside bet to steal the crown from the young pretenders.

The England management team’s decision to drop bowler James Anderson for the final Test against the West Indies will be an ever-present talking point over the next week.

On the one hand, there is the school of thought which suggests England should capitalise on their dominance over the West Indies, and therefore play their best team on Friday.

However, there is a daunting series against South Africa to think about and, with that in mind, should England be risking their best players in what is essentially a dead-rubber fixture?

England coach Andy Flower has made it quite clear that his priorities lie in a squad rotation policy.

“The days of us playing our players until they either wear down significantly or snap physically or mentally, those days are over,” he said earlier this week.

In resting Anderson for this test, England are not showing a sign of weakness but actually one of strength because they can afford to drop such a key player and not allow it to have a seriously detrimental effect on the team.

England have already won this series regardless of the result in the third Test at Edgbaston, and before people start criticising the decision to drop Anderson, perhaps they should think about his potential replacements.

The most likely candidate to fill the void is Steven Finn – the only England bowler who can consistently bowl faster than 90mph and has the genuine ability to scare the inexperienced West Indies top order into submission.

Finn was England’s leading wicket taker in the 2010/11 Ashes series before he was left out after the third Test in Perth, and it is only due to the consistency of Tim Bresnan and Chris Tremlett in recent series that he has been unable to force his way back into the test team.

Statistically, England’s reserve bowling attack of Finn, Tremlett, Monty Panesar and Graham Onions would rank at No4 in the world behind only England’s front line attack, South Africa and Australia.

They present a better bowling option than the West Indies could even dream of, and with the current state of the tourists’ top four, it’s unlikely that their young batsmen would particularly relish facing any of England’s reserve attack.

It is extremely important for England to rotate their bowling attack wherever appropriate. Big money franchise teams all over the world, particularly those playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are desperate for English players but in recent times have found it difficult to lure the best players away from their county and international duties.

The danger is that we are producing so many cricketers of the highest calibre that those who aren’t playing regularly could be tempted by a lucrative IPL contract if they keep seeing the door to the England squad being slammed shut in their faces.

Twenty20 franchise cricket is a huge danger to international cricket, and it has impacted heavily on Kevin Pietersen’s decision to retire from all forms of One-Day International cricket.

The issue for England is successfully keeping a group of players hungry for Test match cricket, and if a rotational squad policy will help to achieve that then it can only be a helpful thing.

To date, the damage has been limited, with only fringe international players such as Dimitri Mascarenhas regularly heading out to India to earn big money in the IPL.

This season saw more established players such as Eoin Morgan and Pietersen secure extended moves out to India, with Pietersen’s stint playing for the Delhi Daredevils proving incredibly lucrative.

IPL team’s chairman will be eager to target the quality reserve players that England currently possess, and Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss need to ensure that players such as Finn and Tremlett are given an opportunity to showcase their talents for England at relevant and regular opportunities.

Tiger Woods roars back into form ahead of the US Open

It may sound like an obvious statement to say that Woods is now back in form after winning in Ohio, but it was the manner of the victory which signalled his intent to return to the summit of world golf. The win was only Woods’ second PGA victory in three seasons, the first coming at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Invitational in March this year, ending a spell of 30 months without a tour win and a period which saw the former world No1 drop to 128th in the PGA money listings. Throughout this time he has looked lost on the golf course, almost swallowed by an inevitable weight of public expectation placed on his shoulders. However, this weekend the crowds in Ohio were treated to Woods at his very best. It appears that his new swing is finally paying dividends, allowing the 36-year-old to relax and play both solid and spectacular golf shots. A score of -9 over four rounds was enough to see Woods home as the new Memorial Tournament champion and reach Jack Nicklaus’ total of 73 PGA tour wins. The entire weekend will have handed Woods a huge confidence boost with the start of the US Open in San Francisco just 10 days away.

Luke Donald holds onto No1 ranking

Although an overall score of -1 for the tournament may not have set the world on fire, it was enough to ensure that Luke Donald will head into the US Open as world No1. Donald has also now notched up 100 weeks in the world top 10 and certainly ranks as one of the most consistent players in the game at the moment. A top-20 finish in Ohio, coupled with his victory at the BMW PGA Championship last month, ensures that the Englishman is in an excellent place heading to California, where he will want to banish past demons and secure an elusive first Major win and his place as a great of the game. Questions remain about whether Donald has both the flair and mental temperament to triumph in a Major championship, but what can be said is that he is unlikely ever to be in better form than he is heading into this year’s US Open.

Rory McIlroy falters again ahead of US Open

Last year, Rory McIlroy recovered from his Masters heartache to win the US Open at Congressional and announce himself as the new kid on the golfing block. However, having lost his world No1 ranking to Donald last month, the 23-year-old Northern Irishman has failed to make three successive cuts, including two poor first rounds in Ohio this weekend. It would be unfair to start picking holes in McIlroy’s technique because he is still in his infancy and has many years to fine-tune his swing. The key for McIlroy is his mental state. He is probably the most naturally gifted golfer in the game today, but youth also brings naivety and we have seen this week that McIlroy has not reacted positively to losing his No1 ranking. Whether he will come back and perform well in San Francisco to retain his US Open title remains to be seen, but the signs do not look promising.

Woods produces one of the greatest shots of all time

The win in Ohio was truly ‘Woods-esque’, characterised by a defining moment in the final round on the 16th green. A wayward approach shot had left Woods skulking in the rough on the far side of the green, faced with a chip down an electrically fast slope with water situated past the hole. To stop the ball dead would have required a pitch to land just short of the green in order to allow the ball to trickle down the slope towards the hole. However, the rough was too long to make this shot work, leaving Woods facing the impossible. What he produced was a miracle. Using a high lob wedge, the new Memorial champion produced the perfect pitch which ran down the slope and into the hole.