Going into the 115th U.S. Open, much of the chatter was about the mysterious Chambers Bay and how the newest major championship course would play. Each day, we'll talk to a caddie after their round to see what they learned on the course. The caddies will remain anonymous to protect their strategy and get the truth about what's really happening inside the ropes.
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. -- After moving day at the U.S. Open, caddies have had three full rounds of competition to analyze the course. With one round left, we talked to a caddie about how the course has changed, and whether the USGA should return to Chambers Bay.
How did the Chambers Bay course play different between rounds?
In Round 1 we played in the morning, so it was pretty soft. First round, you know, USGA is a little tame. Second round we played in the afternoon, and it was already toasty and crunchy and bumpy. This morning we got out and they watered the greens, so they had a green tint to them. They were somewhat receptive and playable. We were able to get out in the morning and have a good round, then watch the guys in the afternoon bounce it around like a Plinko chip.
What is it about the greens that are so challenging?
There's quite a bit of undulation. They were built as rye greens, which is a really fine-bladed grass, and they've got poa annua [grass] that has gotten in there. The problem they're running into is the poa annua still stands up no matter how dry it gets, but the rye grass loses its moisture and kind of wilts a little bit. It's a big difference between the rye kind of laying on the ground and the poa annua sticking up. It just creates a bouncing effect.
Was there one hole you would say that the USGA kind of let get out of hand?
We played in the morning, so it's tough to tell, but I will say that the pin on No. 11 is going to be a good one this afternoon. You have to play to the middle of the green, which is to the right of [the pin]. We hit a putt that I thought was going to stop 3½-feet short and it rolled up, almost going in. So that one's going to be one to watch for.
Which is your favorite hole?
I'm probably going to go with No. 17. Today we hit a gap wedge in there. But you can hit anything from a gap wedge to a 4- or 5-iron. So you can bite off whatever you want. If you want to go after it, you could be chipping for bogey. If you want to play smart, you could have 40 feet for birdie.
After playing this golf course in U.S. Open conditions for three rounds and hearing everyone talk, do you see the USGA coming back and having another U.S. Open here?
I actually think it's a great setup. The more we play the course, the more I like it. There are a few holes that probably need to be tweaked. But for the most part, I like it. It's a links-style golf course, and what I like is that there are entrances on the greens where you can get it up if you miss a fairway. Take Bethpage or something like that -- where it's knee-high rough and if you miss the fairway, you're not getting it on the green. It's different.
Winning score prediction?
4 under.