Bang for Your Buck
One great thing about betting golf is the entrainment value. Four days of watching the best players in the world. Yes, tape it on DVR - only takes about an hour to watch each day. Just find the colors your players are wearing and fast forward to ones you car about. For $40 you can pick 8 players. If one of them was Louis Luis Oosthhuizen $5 @ 80-1, you had a real shot at a $400 pay off yesterday.
Some things are more important than sports or twitter followers though. Like Family. Believe it or not, I did not watch the conclusion of The Us Open live. After 3 days of posting pics of live coverage on Twitter - I got out and played golf with my little sister. The 108 degree sun was a refreshing change of pace.
At 730pm our escape from the course was a covert mission. We avoided the restaurant bar, yelled - "don't tell us what happened" into the bag room and slipped out the side exit with our bags. Our efforts were greatly rewarded at 130 in the morning, watching the conclusion of the final round on DVR.
The Castle WallsWith 4 players at (-4) the barbarians in the field, most well over par - had an even more difficult mission - breach the leaderboard wall of 4 under. The first to attack was Rory. When we arrived at the course - the guys in the pro shop revealed that he was shooting under par and moved to (Even). By the time we got drinks at the bar he was (-1). Watching it on the computer register in the bag room - our 18 something friends told us he was (-2). We were in the cart and off the grid from there.
When I got home - I carefully turned on the TV with remote in hand. The players appeared well into the back 9. I turned away, mumbling; "nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh", hit mute, found the DVR menu with one eye open and hit Start Over. We had seven hours of suspense ahead of us.
was slowing down as we began to catch up. As it turned out he didn't factor.
as the leaders tee'd off. Jordan Spieth missed the fairway which led to him standing over a short 4 footer for par. He looked at the hole and missed. Not the start I was the start I was hoping for.
no offense to DJ, became our nemesis. I had no money on him and wanted Jordan or Jason to win this. His ability to crush fairways into submission and stick approach shots for birdie looks was superhuman. Although he missed several birdie puts - DJ wouldn't go away and jumped out to an early 2 shot lead.
one of the four leaders at (-4) was visibly in pain. the Fox cameras followed his every move. They actually spit screened between him and Jordan Spieth for a bit. Following him down the maze of stairs that players had to traverse from one hole to another. Not only did this detract from the already lousy coverage - it was intrusive to Jason and exploitative. were they waiting for him to fall? I know better than to watch News on Fox. Lets all pray we never have to watch golf on that network again either.
Finally missed a fairway and green, launching one into the gallery. He fell on his sword and dropped all the way back to (-3).
(Shot 2) Brandon Grace
Wouldn't go away. He had closed 6 out of 6 of his last leads and was tied with Spieth at (-5) going into the Final Holes. Then on 16 he put his tee shot on a boxcar headed for Canada.
The ball went through a fence and left him and his caddy scrambling for a way out. They did not find one. He dropped out of contention to (-3)
(Shot 3) Jordan Spieth
put his tee shot on 16 in the fairway. It rolled left headed for a dream ending bunker, but came to rest on a patch of rough. His chip rested just short of a ridge in front of the hole. His birdie put headed toward the hole, then lipped out to the right.
My little sister turned away 'Damn!
Me: "Wait a minute Rhonda"
I rewinded, "OMG! It came back and dropped in!
Jordan Spieth Had Done It!He now had a 3 shot lead in The US Open with Just 2 holes to go. Fox posted the records he was about to break with the win as he tee'd off on 17.
(Shot 4) On 17
It all came apart. Jordan put one in the wilderness. A few shots later he missed a short range Bogey put. Falling all the way back to (-4)
Jordan Spieth
would not see the promised land after all.
did factor in the end, birdying 6 of his last 7 holes on the back 9. He held the clubhouse lead at (-4). This now required Jordan to birdie 18 or face a playoff on Monday. Spieth had threatened to drive it up the 1st hole fairway to avoid not carrying the bunker on 18 if it played as a par 4.
birdied 17 to create a 4 way tie at the top.
Jordan lined up on the tee box like he would go left up the 1st hole fairway. But it was set as a par 5 after all. So, instead he hit a great tee shot that stopped just short of that much feared fairway bunker.
now was crucial - he yelled for the wind to hold it back. It ran toward the fescue, then stopped just short and rolled back toward the hole. within about 15 feet for Eagle. Jordan would miss the Eagle, Birdie, and go to the clubhouse with the lead at (-5). But DJ could easily get to the green in 2 on 18 and Eagle to win it.
After dominating with distance for most of the tournament - DJ.could close this out with more of the same. He carried the bunker Spieth had gone to great lengths to avoid.
sat in the PGA trailer reflecting on winning the US Open on 16, only to lose it on 17. All he could do is wait to see if he would get another chance on Monday.
DJ consistently hit great approach shots all week too. His shot into the green on 18 rested just 12 feet from the pin for Eagle.
My little sister and I stood speechless, around the glow of the television. The ancient campfire, replaced by a new storyteller. We shouted and leaped in the air as DJ missed the Eagle put. Then we realized our 7 hour journey was destined to continue. We knew DJ would tap in for birdie to force a playoff. What we didn't realize at the time - was that the playoff wasn't on the DVR and would be played the next day.
The Miss Heard Round the World
It wasn't how we wanted to win, nor would Jordan have chosen this ending. A tournament criticized for allowing luck to play too great a factor - did exactly that in the end. Looking back though, Jordan Spieth hit 3 amazing long puts that barely lipped out. He got one back as DJ missed his. As anti climatic as the ending was - Seven words are burned into our memory forever;
Announcer: "Jordan Spieth! Has won the US Open".
-Rick Jansen
This was nice too:
Bets that Finished Top 10 in Green
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