U.S. Open Contest passes 20,000!
It's official. This contest has caught on. We passed 20,000 entrants today, and they're coming from all walks of life: CEO, Civil Rights commissioner, college golf coach, construction worker, Army captain, college student, clergyman--in fact, a whole lot of clergymen, including one who assured us his entire congregation would be praying that he'd break 100--and those are just a Cs. There are a lot of comics.
Allen from Texas:
Reasons why I'm your golfer? I convinced my wife to name our son Hogan... I took my current job in part because the company owns a course I can play anytime, and I want to prove Tiger wrong--I'm a Mickelson fan. Besides, what does Tiger know? He hasn't been a 10 handicapper since he was 8.
Chris from New York City:
I would shoot a 98 with one breakfast ball off the first tee and I have the best golf terms: a Salman Rushdie--hard read; a Kate Winslet--a bit fat but otherwise perfect; a Cuban--needed one more revolution; a Rock Hudson--looked straight but wasn't; a Saddam Hussein--from one bunker right into another. I got a million of em.
Andrew from Arlington, VA:
The son of an irish saloon keeper and a former college golfer, I would make for great TV. Can I get a bonus if I beat Roger Maltbie?More...
Still, many entrants reminded us to keep the competition in perspective. From Craig in Tennessee:
Pressure? Tiger doesn't know real pressure. Pressure is staring at the back of an aircraft carrier on a pitch-black night after flying for two hours over Iraq, knowing that there is only enough fuel for one attempt to land or you're swimming in the Persian Gulf. Golf is the most wonderful game, but men who choke are still breathing afterward. Yeah, I could break 100. I am thinking 82.
Let all those pastors say, Amen.
--Bob Carney
01.06.08
Ted, you're right. The requirement was there, but should have been more apparent. Sorry about that.
As for Oakmont versus Torrey, what it lacks in natural difficulty (compared to Oakmont) will be somewhat supplemented by distance. It will be a bear for a 10-handicap player.
I dont mean to complain but, I'm a low single digit handicap junior golfer and I tried to enter the Golf Digest U.S. open contest. And after filling out the application and writing what I felt was the best mini-essay of my life, I was told that I was too young to enter. All I'm saying is that I would have appreciated some earlier warning.
I think we should clear this all up- Tiger said a 10 handicapper couldn't break 100 at Oakmont. Trust me, Torrey Pines is no Oakmont. I played there last year 3 days after the Open and shot a 102, and I have a 5 handicap. I've played Torrey a few times and the difficulty level isn't close to comparable, so I don't think his comment really applies. Even after the USGA gets done with Torrey, it's going to be the easiest U.S. Open course in history.