Conference 7.286::golf

    	You'll see the return of one Curtis Strange!!!  With some
    competition from Azinger, Lyle (if he plays) and Norman.
    
                                                 Beak

    	The Country Club seems to be a real shot makers course... tight
    pin placement, undulating fairways. I feel Tom Watson or Mark 
    Calcavechia (sp) , did he make the cut? ... will fair well. Predicting
    golf tournaments maybe a job for Nancy Reagan and her psychic! 
    
    
    	Walt

  Sign me up for Seve Ballesteros.  Great shot maker...
                      Robbie

    I'll predict that Mr. Norman will finally take the BIG one...
    
    	- Ken

    I don't think Seve will win because the US Open course layouts are
    too punishing for him. He is not as accurate as most off the tee
    and on US Open courses that is punishing.
    
    Norman is a little wild too but he has shown the ability to play
    the tough layouts. He is a good one to win.
    
    Personally, I like Ben Crenshaw. He's my guess because the man can
    putt for dough. But, the US Open is always a test of driving for
    show, so will he keep it in the fairway often enough to go to work
    with the blade? We'll see in a couple of weeks...
    
    Mike

 Does anybody know if The Country Club is predominantly laid
out to favor left to right shots or vis-versa?  
              Robbie

    
    	Payne Stewart or Greg Norman.
    
    				Fred Deady
    

 re .6 

> Does anybody know if The Country Club is predominantly laid
>out to favor left to right shots or vis-versa?  

	The latest issue of Golf Digest has a two page full color
	layout of the Open Course as it will be...

	According to that I find:

		Front 9 -  par 35, 3270 yards
		 3 right bends
		 3 left bends
		 2 par 3's
		 1 straight

		Back 9 -  par 36, 3740 yards
		 4 right bends
		 4 left bends
		 1 par 3

	Not many of the fariways seem very wide and there are a fair
	amount of holes with trees on both sides of the length of the
	fairway...

	Peter.

	Emotional guess (=hope): Tom Watson, because he is my favourite
				 player and a real gentleman on the course.	
				 He also has some personality, unlike some
				 of the other guys out there.

        Realistical guess: 	 Some unknown, boring "plodder" hiding behind
				 a sun visor advertising some obscure
				 golf resort. Like the gentleman (what was
				 his name again..?) who won last year...


	-- Mr Litby

It's gotta be Greg Norman.  He's long overdue to win a major outright.
Neither Tway nor Mize will stand in his way this time.

Dale

    
    	I'll have to go with either Watson or Crenshaw...!
    
    	Gene

    One name not mentioned but often among the leaders on final day
    of the big 4 is Bernhard Langer.
    
    Unless he is not playing so well this year.  If par for four rounds
    will win it he is my dark horse.
    
    I would make Sandy Lyle if he plays the favorite off his earlier
    performances.  It would make for a lot of excitement if he got a
    second leg on the grand slam.

    I will root for any American but off
    US Opens of late it could be any of 30 names - Azinger stands out.

    Mark Calcavechia (sp) has been playing in the money since the Masters.
    If he can play a strong 3rd round I think he can pull off the win...
    
    Ben(the Puting Machine) Crenshaw is always a threat in the big 4
    Drive for show Putt for dough....  
    
    
    Jeff

    Fred Couples will win, after his brain transplant this past winter
    he has been in alot of events this spring knocking on the door,
    I just hope his brain dosn't get sucked out on the flight to Boston.

    
    I vote for Norman.  I think he will take it with no problem, he's
    playing really well.
    
    	Mike D.
    

    	I'll throw my $.02 into the Greg Norman win pool. Ben Crenshaw
    to place, and in a tie for the show pool, Sandy Lyle and Fred Couples.

    a darkhorse who seems to always play well in the majors maybe Jim
    Thorpe.  I think that we will see him in contention once again.
     Also the British contigent will be even stronger this year with
    the likes of Lyle, Green, Woosnam, and Dick Fuldo!  The U.S. Open
    may very well fall into the hands of a young lion from the old empire.

    
    
    	Tom Kite has played well the last month, 2nd in the Kemper,
    3rd at Houston a month ago.  Fred Couples is from mass.
    
    bw

     The Europeans are coming good when it matters , with Lyle fresh from 
victory in the British masters. Langer in really hot form , and Ballesteros, 
Faldo , and Woosnam , waiting in the wings, how can they possibly loose.

  With the Ryder cup , the US Masters and the US open, its going to be
a real banner year for Europe.


  Hopefully its not going to stop there either with so much young talent
coming through the ranks , watch out for Olazabal and Ronan Rafferty as
hot tips for the future.


                              rgds

                              Leo

    My votes for Lanny Wadkins. If the Country Club is a shot makers
    course Wadkins has the game and the "will to win". My sentimental
    favorite is Seve. His lack of playing in the States has hurt his
    chances not to mention his popularity. I hope its exciting. I
    understand one of the cable stations will carry Thursday and Friday
    rounds.
    Keep it in the short grass.
    Ken 

     Sorry, I forgot to enter this earlier.  This past Sundays Boston
   Globe Magazine had a wonderful article about Francis Oimet's 
   stunning victory at the US open 75 years ago at the CC. You get a
   real sense of the tradition and history of the golf course and an
   understanding of how big an accomplishment it was for a 20 year old
   amateur to win this event. Also included is a hole by hole description
   of the course. Highly recommended reading.

-rick
    
    BTW, I think Curtis Strange will win it this year.

    What about Frost!
    
    How many times can a guy come second?  
    
    Also, Seve's performance yesterday was VERY impressive.
    
    The VCR will start taping on Thursday...........
    

    
    I'm rooting for The Shark.  Even though he lost to Seve, he closed
    with a 64, another great round to go with a couple of 62s earlier
    in the year, and a final round 64? in the Masters.  Seems he always
    closes with a great final round.  Hope he's near the top after Saturday.
    
    Seve will be tough though, as will Strange, and local boy making
    good Jim Hallet.
    
    I'll be there Friday.  Norman, Trevino, Nicklaus, Watson, Player,
    Crenshaw, Ballesterous...I'm psyched.
    
    Anyone else going?
    
    Dave H

    Well, I was there today and I enjoyed myself. I hopefully have some
    great pictures of Greg Norman, Tom Kite, Tom Watson, Hubert Green,
    Lanny Wadkins, etc. Nicklaus wasn't around when I left so no shots
    of him. The course looks great and the greens are hard, fast and
    pretty small. Watson spent a lot of extra time playing up and down
    shots around all the greens and he putted to quite a few other spots.
    
    It's going to be a good tournament.
    
    Mike

>    Well, I was there today and I enjoyed myself. I hopefully have some
>    great pictures of Greg Norman, Tom Kite, Tom Watson, Hubert Green,
>    Lanny Wadkins, etc. 
>

	You can bring cameras???  I thought that was a no-no or is that 
just during the tourney not the practice rounds.  I'm going into the 
practice round tomorrow, so can I ring the camera??/

Mc

>	You can bring cameras???  I thought that was a no-no or is that 
>just during the tourney not the practice rounds.  

You can only bring cameras to the practice rounds.  That's one of the
great things about them.  The other is that the golfers are a lot looser
since the competition hasn't begun.

The Globe said that radios were prohibited.  I am wondering does any one
know how about Watchman TV's?  I was hoping to brin mine Sat & Sun (& use
with my earphone).  I say someone do this at the Kemper Open.  It was great
because you can keep instantly abreast of what's happening to the leaders.
You get the best of both worlds.  You can be at the course.  But you can
also see a lot more golf when you are waiting for the next group.

re: -1

	Thanks for the info!!!  have to get some film on the way
home!!!


MC

    
   
    
    I went to the practice round yesterday 14-Jun-88. It was great.
    Nicklaus played with Norman. What a crowd following them!!
    
    The concession stands wern't crowded at all. I heard that there
    was a 1 hour wait in Monday.
    
    The reason for no camera's was that people don't know when to take
    the picture. You can't take a picture until after the player hits
    the ball. During the practice round they don't care when you take
    the picture.
    
    There's a sign as you go in saying, No Camera's, Coolers or Ladders
    allowed. Now thats what I always wanted to do was bring my ladder
    to a golf Tournament. "Excuse me Jack, but would you sign my ladder???"
    
    Mike

    
    Jack Nicklaus' picks are Greg Norman, Seve Balasteros (sp), Lyle,
    Strange, Lanny Wadkins...
    
    God it was GREAT to see those guys on Tuesday...!
    
    Gene

    I guess it's time to tally up the votes as the OPEN is upon us.
    
    Norman		7		Woosman		2
    Ballesteros		5		Langer		2
    Lyle		5		Calcavechia	2
    Crenshaw		4		Stewart		1
    Watson		4		Wadkins		1
    Strange		3		Kite		1
    Couples		3		Frost		1
    Azinger		2		Hallet		1
    Faldo		2		Thorpe		1
                                        Green		1
    
    Not a bad field!
    Except for Lanny Wadkins, we are pretty close to Jack's picks.
    (see -1)
    
    It will soon be history.
    Later.......
    
    Mark 

    
    Bob Gilder       -3		David Ishii         +2
    Mike Nicolette   -3		Duffy Waldorf       +2
    SANDY LYLE       -3		Lee Trevino         +2
    Dick Mast        -2		Jay Haas            +2
    Scott Simpson    -2		John Cook           +2
    Seve Ballesteros -2		Mike Swartz         +2
    Larry Mize       -2		Mark Mcnulty        +2
    PAUL AZINGER     -2		T.C. Chen           +2
    CURTIS STRANGE   -1		Fuzzy Zoellar       +2
    Lanny Wadkins    -1		David Barr          +2
    Craig Stadler    -1		Gil Morgan          +2
    Andy Bean         E		Jerry Hass          +2
    Scott Hoch        E		George Shortridge   +2
    Bill Mayfair      E		Ray Floyd           +2
    Hale Irwin        E		Payne Stewart       +2
    Ben Crenshaw      E		Chip Beck           +2
    Isao Aoki         E		Roger Davis         +2
    Setevn Bowman     E		Brian Tennyson      +2
    D.A. Weibring     E		Mark Brooks         +3
    Mark O'meara      E		Robert Wilken       +3
    Dan Halderson    +1		Jim Carter          +3
    Chip Johnson     +1         Jack Nicklaus       +3
    Mark Hayes       +1		Mark Calcavecchia   +3
    Buddy Gardener   +1         Mike Reid           +3
    Nick Faldo       +1		Bobby Wadkins       +3
    Ken Green        +1		Bob Eastwood        +3
    Steve Pate       +1		Alfred Morton       +3
    Jeff Sluman      +1		Tommy Nakajima      +3
    Mark Maness      +1		Ed Dougherty        +3
    Tom Kite         +1		Hal Sutton          +3
    Nick Price       +1		Steve Lowery        +3
    Dennis Trixler   +1		Kenny Perry         +3
    Kent Stauffer    +1		Andy North          +3
    Fred Couples     +1		Tom Watson          +3
    Mark McCumber    +1         GREG NORMAN         +3
    Jim Hallet       +1		
    Danny Edwards    +1

    
    
    	I know I picked Curtis Strange to win, but I also gave 3 other
    names, one of the 4 which I thought would win.  The guys I picked
    are capitolized.
    
                                                  Beak

    	Did everyone get their rounds completed last night before the
    storm hit? I was watching on ESPN and Norman was just teeing off
    the par 3 16th, when the cable went out, so I don't know if the
    rain/lightning held off. BTW, on the par 5 14th, Norman hit his
    drive a mere 335 yards, leaving him a 6 iron to the green. Jeez.
    Also on number 15, he drove over the road, what a cruncher. (1)
    
    (1) Not in any way to be associated with a certain noter from
    node CRUNCH::

    re-.31
    Anyone know what the cut turned out to be??
    
    ed
    

    
    	I think the first cut is after todays round... Can somebody
    	confirm this...?
    
    
    	Gene

    RE: -1   The cut is **definitely**  after today's round.
    
    Chuck

    
    	So, what is the weather like in the Boston area? It
    	is raining pretty good here in southerm N.H. Are they
    	playing?
    
    	Gene

    
    	I just heard that Mize is leading at -7. I also heard that
    	Norman withdrew, hurt his wrist...! Is this correct Barry?
    
    	

    Re: -1   I'm not Barry but I heard the same thing.  Also that Gary
    Player withdrew also, but don't know why.
    
    Chuck

    Can someone give us a tally before we hit the highway? How's Seve
    doing?

As a procrastinator I never can get around to these sorts of things, but this
year I have finally cured my problem.  I am willing to stick my neck out & say
that either Curtis Strange or Nick Faldo will win. 

(Seriously I think that Strange will win the play-off.  The first 3 days he was
quietly working himself into the lead.  Sunday I think that he was aware of the
pressures of winning the open.  He was also having a tough day and was just
grinding out the best round he could with a game that wasn't cooperating.
I look forward to him bouncing back in the play-off.  If I may be so bold I 
think that 4 under will win the play-off.  The sure way to work themselves out
of contention will be to hit the ball into the rough.  They haven't cut it
since competition began and it's getting very long.  Sunday I saw more 
situations where pro's had to play wedges out & were lucky to get it back to
the fairway.)

Larry

    I hope the playoff is exciting in person! I was lucky enough to
    have a friend who is playing in the Mass Amateur so he couldn't
    use his playoff tickets. It's going to be a warm one too!
    
    Mike