US Open Golf

At the cost of sleep-deprivation, I stayed up until the early hours of this morning, following the conclusion to the US Open golf, at Olympic Club.

In the end, I was quite satisfied with the outcome.  I don't have any particular axe to grind with regard to individual players, but the constant cheerleading and partiality towards European golfers exhibited by some members of the British media is really starting to irritate me. I can't help feeling that some of the praise which they have accorded to Webb Simpson was said through gritted teeth. Needless to say, there have been the usual mutterings about the nature of US Open courses, and the "quality" of winners which they tend to produce.  I dare say that these misgivings would have been less vocal had a European (or any non-American) golfer lifted the trophy.

I must admit that I know relatively little about Webb Simpson, but his pedigree is good, and he was a worthy winner, producing the goods when the other leading contenders found various ways of floundering.  People say that this type of golf is attritional, and lends itself to a lack of spectacle, but on the other hand it does closely examine all sorts of qualities and attributes required of a golfer.

I wonder how the media will react should an unknown (particularly one from across the pond) win the upcoming Open Championship?