…the German golfer who won it last year.
It’s the 115th U.S. Open and Fox Sports will debut its professional golf coverage (it broadcast an amateur event as the real kickoff), and Chambers Bay is hosting its first major professional tournament venue. (A U.S. Amateur was played there.)
The hype coming into the event was that the course located near Tacoma, Washington, and built on a former quarry site prominently features 100-percent fescue greens, just like links courses in the British Isles. The United States Golf Association touted it and the information has been endlessly regurgitated.
As far as the Fox debut, I’ll bet my dadgum last dollar that there’s going to be a lot of talk about Father’s Day during the final round on Sunday, including every golfer in the field who was a dad, has/had a dad or knows a dad.
I fear Fox lead golf announcer Joe Buck will do his best to follow the leads of Jim Nantz and Kelly Tilghman and get sappy.
I can hear him now.
“That was a wonderful putt for a 9 from Tiger Woods on the 18th hole Friday when he missed the cut by 12 shots. Well, the good news is Tiger will get to be with his children on Father’s Day.”
As far as the actual winner of this U.S. Open — hold onto your Weiner Schnitzel — Martin Kaymer will successfully defend his title, which he won last year at Pinehurst.
Der glückliche Vatertag! (That’s Happy Father’s Day in German.)
(Editor’s note: Kaymer was 2-over for the first round and seven shots back. But Pioppi is staying with his prediction, which he made before the tournament began. Tiger Woods was 9-over par through 17 holes at press time and in danger of missing the cut.)
Follow Superintendent’s 2015 U.S. Open coverage.