US Open 2015: Players critical of Chambers Bay greens
- Published
Second round leaderboard |
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-5 J Spieth (US), P Reed (US); -4 B Grace (SA), D Johnson (US); -3 J Luiten (Ned), T Finau (US), D Summerhays (US), B Martin (US) |
Selected others: -2 J Day (Aus); -1 S Lowry (Ire), H Stenson (Swe); +1 P Casey (Eng); +2 L Westwood (Eng), J Rose (Eng), M Warren (Sco); +3 P Mickelson (US); +4 L Donald (Eng), R McIlroy (NI); +5 I Poulter (Eng), J Gunn (Sco), C Montgomerie (Sco) |
Missed cut: +6 M Kaymer (Ger); +7 B Watson (US); +8 G McDowell (NI); +16 T Woods (US) |
Justin Rose described the greens at US Open course Chambers Bay as "like outdoor bingo", as players continued to complain about the putting surfaces.
"I'd a five-foot putt on the first and didn't have the first idea what it was going to do. It felt like outdoor bingo at that point," said the 2013 champion.
Henrik Stenson, who is four shots behind the leaders, was also unhappy.
"The greens are borderline laughable. It's like putting on broccoli," said the Swede after his second round 74.
Englishman Rose is on two over, seven shots behind pacesetters Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, and struggled at the seventh in particular, taking two to get out of a bunker for a triple bogey.
"That's not a good golf hole, let's just be honest about it," he added.
"I don't mind the ball coming back into the bunker, but when you can't hit a shot because you've got fescue grasses hanging over the top and you can't make a swing..."
The public course in the state of Washington on the USA's west coast, only opened in 2007 and formerly a sand and gravel mine, has attracted criticism from players all week.
Masters champion Spieth was heavily critical of the 18th hole, which which was a par five on Thursday and par four on Friday, alternating with the first, which became par five.
"This is the dumbest hole I've ever played in my life," he was caught saying by an on-course microphone after he caught the lip of a fairway bunker on his way to a double bogey.
And the world number two was still frustrated at the end of his round.
"Eighteen as a par four doesn't make much sense," he added. "There's a group of about 10, 12 guys that can fly it 310 yards that have an entirely different hole to play there. For anybody else you have to hit it in a five or six-yard area."
And Britain's Lee Westwood also added his voice to the criticism of the hole, tweeting:, external "Shame about 18. I know I made triple [bogey] but it's a stupid par four and a great par five."
In contrast, first-round leader Dustin Johnson, who is one shot off the lead, is relishing the challenge of the course.
"From the first time I played it I liked it," he said. "It's a lot of fun and you need to use your imagination."
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