Just Suck It Up

This week, bar none, we are witnessing the strangest US Open in my lifetime. It's monkey golf. It's pinball. Many of the players are griping about it. It's just all so unfair. 

Well, boys, no one ever said golf was fair. There has always been the element of luck involved in golf; bad shots rewarded, and great shots ending up in a bunker, or worse. It's part of the game. Chambers Bay has, to some extent, been an experiment. Let's play on a links-style course that also has huge elevation changes and dramatically undulating greens; and let's make those greens fast and, not necessarily by design, bumpy. 

It's a hard test. Short putts will be missed more than usual. But it is the same test for everyone. At the end of the week, the best player will win. Whoever wins will have to be in command of his game and his emotions. He will be on a roller coaster ride. But, if he can stay focussed and remain positive, the best man will win. Luck may be involved this week, but the man who plays the best will win. 

I like DJ's composure. He looks to be very much in control of himself, even if he may not be able to control the bounces. I like Patrick Reed's determination and toughness. I'm not sure Jordan Spieth is doing himself any favours, vocalizing his disgust with the set up, but he is definitely the best player at the top of the leader board, and, if he keeps his head, is likely to win the second leg of his slam. 

Yes, gentlemen, it's tough out there. Conditions aren't pristine. It's not necessarily fair. But, nobody ever promised you a rose garden. It's the same for everyone, so suck it up, and we will watch the best man win; just like we do every week.