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US Open no picnic for Europeans
Illinois, June 11: The hard currency at the U.S Open has seldom been the Euro. In fact, European golfers hoping to make it big in America have traditionally been left a spent force by the rota of demanding Open courses, where accuracy, patience and discipline are premium considerations.
Illinois, June 11: The hard currency at the U.S Open has seldom been the Euro. In fact, European golfers hoping to make it big in America have traditionally been left a spent force by the rota of demanding Open courses, where accuracy, patience and discipline are premium considerations.
Briton Tony Jacklin was the last European to win a U.S Open 33 years ago and current players, such as Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Briton Nick Faldo, are under no illusions as to the size of their task at this year's championship starting on Thursday.
"U.S Open golf is not what European golfers are familiar with," Harrington, runner-up on the European Order of Merit last season, told a news conference on Tuesday. "The courses we play in Europe ... ask for a little bit more imagination, a little bit more flair in your game. "A U.S. Open course tests your ability to hit it straight, hit it on the green and two-putt.
"Flair ... is the last thing you want at the U.S. Open. You want to be like a machine ... you want to be the most boring golfer around this week."
The 31-year-old Harrington, searching for his first major championship win, is not convinced he is ready to lead the European challenge to glory at Olympia Fields.
"I would suggest 'ready' is a strong word," he said. "It sets out expectations. I do need a lot of things to go right for me in order to be a winner here this week. I'm prepared if that happens to go with it."
Faldo, a six-time major winner, has never won the U.S. Open, although he lost out in a playoff in 1988.
"It is definitely a different degree of consistency you need here," he told reporters. "If you miss greens here you are in trouble. It's a career up-and-down just to get the thing up-and-down.
"If you spray it too much you run up ugly numbers and then there's the putting -- you get 15-footers with three-foot breaks, and you get that all the time.
"You just don't get that in Europe, where you only get six inches to a foot of break for the same length of putt."
Spaniard Sergio Garcia added: "The rough here (at Olympia Fields) is quite thick. It's not too high at the moment but it will get higher.
"The greens can get tough with a bit if speed, and if they firm a bit it's going to be a good challenge. But the course is looking great, it's in good shape."
Bureau Report
Briton Tony Jacklin was the last European to win a U.S Open 33 years ago and current players, such as Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Briton Nick Faldo, are under no illusions as to the size of their task at this year's championship starting on Thursday.
"U.S Open golf is not what European golfers are familiar with," Harrington, runner-up on the European Order of Merit last season, told a news conference on Tuesday. "The courses we play in Europe ... ask for a little bit more imagination, a little bit more flair in your game. "A U.S. Open course tests your ability to hit it straight, hit it on the green and two-putt.
"Flair ... is the last thing you want at the U.S. Open. You want to be like a machine ... you want to be the most boring golfer around this week."
The 31-year-old Harrington, searching for his first major championship win, is not convinced he is ready to lead the European challenge to glory at Olympia Fields.
"I would suggest 'ready' is a strong word," he said. "It sets out expectations. I do need a lot of things to go right for me in order to be a winner here this week. I'm prepared if that happens to go with it."
Faldo, a six-time major winner, has never won the U.S. Open, although he lost out in a playoff in 1988.
"It is definitely a different degree of consistency you need here," he told reporters. "If you miss greens here you are in trouble. It's a career up-and-down just to get the thing up-and-down.
"If you spray it too much you run up ugly numbers and then there's the putting -- you get 15-footers with three-foot breaks, and you get that all the time.
"You just don't get that in Europe, where you only get six inches to a foot of break for the same length of putt."
Spaniard Sergio Garcia added: "The rough here (at Olympia Fields) is quite thick. It's not too high at the moment but it will get higher.
"The greens can get tough with a bit if speed, and if they firm a bit it's going to be a good challenge. But the course is looking great, it's in good shape."
Bureau Report