2012 MediaLine U.S. Open Golf Championship

[Scorekeeper]

Hello all,

First of all, I am very sorry about the MediaLine Masters. I won't bore you good people with details, but ol' Scorekeep had a bit of a family emergency going on in early April. Running the Masters event was so far off my radar that it didn't even register with me until it was much too late. My apologies for not making an appearance at the time, if only to explain.

Anyway... onward and upward....

The U.S. Open tees off Thursday morning at 7:00 am (Pacific) at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Which means it's time for the 2012 MediaLine U.S. Open Championship.

Here's how it works:

You pick any five golfers from the field. On Sunday night, the combined scores of your four best golfers are added up. The lowest score wins.

This allows one of your golfers to miss the cut. If two of your five golfers miss the cut, you are automatically eliminated.

Your poorest-finishing (5th place) golfer is still important. He's the first tie-breaker. If there's a tie for the title, the winner will be the MediaLiner with the best 5th-place (wildcard) golfer. (Note: A wildcard golfer who makes the cut will automatically trump a wildcard golfer who misses the cut.)

If there is still a tie, the second tie-breaker will be the MediaLiner with the closest prediction to the final score for his/her final group. (In other words, the combined score of your four best golfers after Sunday's final round.) In effect, you're predicting what you think the winning score will be... as I am assuming you think your team will win.

Your group must be posted on this thread by Thursday at 7:00 am Pacific Time (10:00 am Eastern). Any team edited after the first golfers tee off will be void.

Only one fivesome per MediaLiner.

Here are the Thursday groupings and tee times.

Here are the current odds.

Here is the Scorekeeper's team:

Tiger
Dustin Johnson
Dufner
Rose
Harrington

(Predicted final score for my top four golfers: -2)

HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE 2012 MEDIALINE U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP!

[Another side]

Tiger Woods
Ricky Fowler
Phil Mickelson
Rory Mcllroy
Bubba Watson

Score -5

[Sultanosurf]

Originally Posted by Scorekeeper

... ol' Scorekeep had a bit of a family emergency going on in early April...

Glad you're back, Scorekeep, and hope things turned out well after your April adventure. (And that it didn't involve the missus trying to pry you out of an Escalade with a 7-iron)

With a 670-yard 16th, a pinball green on 14, and safari-length rough, Lakeside could leave a lot of favorites in a fog.

Can anybody stop an Irish 3-peat? Does a rare Monday playoff look likely? Why does a fifth player sound so much more exotic as a 'wildcard'?

Many questions, few answers...

[Mr. Rugen]

Tiger
Luke Donald
Lee Westwood
Hunter Mahan
Matt Kuchar

Score (-6)

[Ralphie the buffalo]

The calvary comes to the rescue...I'm happy to see you back, Scorekeeper, and hope all is better on the homefront.

Now let me think about my picks a while

Here is something that might also help players pick a team
http://www.officialworldgolfranking....gs/default.sps

[Ralphie the buffalo]

Rickie
Rory
Luke
Hunter
Phil

team score will be -11

(and my unofficial dark horse is Bo)

[Sultanosurf]

McDowell
Dufner
Lefty
Tiger
DJ

-12

Second-guess second team:
Westwood (Coming off a win, but prefers slower greens)
Rory (Not much to explain)
Luke (Seems a lot like Lee Janzen, last winner at Oly)
Bubba (One of a handful who could play 16 in two shots)
Schwartzl (Pretty sharp in the majors)

[Jane Craig]

Donald
McIlroy
Mickelson
Rose
Woods

-12

Good to see you back, Scorekeep!

[Tripe Face]

I always wait to post after Jane... because I have to look for a flaw in her logic in order to beat her.

McIroy
Donald
Westwood
Rose
Watson

-8

[Sultanosurf]

I'm worried about Rugen, pehaps struck by a helicoptered five-iron of doom. No Batman Butler, Cardigan Caftan, or Luke Duke?

[Mr. Rugen]

Originally Posted by Sultanosurf

I'm worried about Rugen, pehaps struck by a helicoptered five-iron of doom. No Batman Butler, Cardigan Caftan, or Luke Duke?

My new bit is to not do a bit. I'm taking this shizz to the Andy Kaufmann level.

[Ralphie the buffalo]

Andy Kauffman is dead.

[Ping-Pong Ball]

Keegan Bradley
Jason Day
Peter Hanson
Tiger Woods
YE Yang

-8

(My Official Ralphie he Buffalo Dark Horse who will lead early before cracking on the weekend: Sang-Moon Bae. Who knew Punky Brewster has reinvented herself as a men's golfer?)

[Clever Login Name]

Originally Posted by Mr. Rugen

My new bit is to not do a bit. I'm taking this shizz to the Andy Kaufmann level.

I don't have a new bit.

[Tripe Face]

Originally Posted by Clever Login Name

I don't have a new bit.

I have 12 new bits. For my Black and Decker Cordless Electric Drill.

[Clever Login Name]

I just think guys who brag about their power tools are super gay.

[Tripe Face]

Originally Posted by Clever Login Name

I just think guys who brag about their power tools are super gay.

You think I'm "super"? That's so kind of you.

[Sultanosurf]

Considering the history of the US Open, some of Rugen's previous picks might be better. Only Ping-Pong is really stepping out of the box for long-shot names, which is usually who wins this tournament. I'm still pondering some truly noir horse. Kashmir Cashmere or somebody.

I get how the M-L Pool format favors collecting 'name' players, but just as we pay a little extra for low round in our own golf birdie pools, I'm hereby announcing that I'll be paying a real $1 bill to the person who predicts the actual winner. (Ties broken by your final Pool ranking) A little extra sauce...

[Ralphie the buffalo]

Originally Posted by Sultanosurf

I get how the M-L Pool format favors collecting 'name' players

I proposed last year that everyone be required to pick a player from outside the world ranked top 20. It was discussed and recieved mixed comments.

I did pick all players in the top 20 this time because I wasn't competitive going higher than that in the past. In the spirit of fun, my entry has an unofficial dark horse ranked at #30, Bo Van Pelt. We will see how he does.

[s'news]

Golf Savant Jim selects, if allowed his usual exemption...

Dufner
Woods
Donald
Westwood
Dustin Johnson (first name included in case of other Johnsons)

[Ralphie the buffalo]

Are there too many Johnsons for the Keeper to Score?

[Ping-Pong Ball]

Originally Posted by Sultanosurf

Considering the history of the US Open, some of Rugen's previous picks might be better. Only Ping-Pong is really stepping out of the box for long-shot names, which is usually who wins this tournament. I'm still pondering some truly noir horse. Kashmir Cashmere or somebody.

I get how the M-L Pool format favors collecting 'name' players, but just as we pay a little extra for low round in our own golf birdie pools, I'm hereby announcing that I'll be paying a real $1 bill to the person who predicts the actual winner. (Ties broken by your final Pool ranking) A little extra sauce...

I tried something new & left it to math. I set up a mathematical algorithm I created with emphasis on golfer's qualifying exception to this years Open, how they played on the Tour since last year's Open with emphasis placed on the 2012 Season, & how they faired in the past few US Opens. I just set-up the formula & went with what the number's told me. I figured since my gut sucks, I'd try something different. Of course, if the formula I created is crap, so will my results. I just figured math never lies. Guess we'll see.

[Ralphie the buffalo]

That is a nice formula PPB. I picked guys I wanted to root for.
That and if you say,

Rickie
Rory
Luke Hunter
and Phil

fast three times, it has a nice poetic rhythm to it.

[Ralphie the buffalo]

Would anyone like to put this young upstart on their team?
http://www.cbssports.com/golf/blog/e...in-the-us-open

[sportzchick]

I'm in.

Woods
McIlroy
Watney
Mahan
Westwood

First 5 names that came to mind... minus Phil.


-13