Live from the U.S. Open on NBC
“This is the most pressure that these players will face because of what’s at stake. The finish line is in sight and the golf course itself, the demands of this golf course, is many and complicated and the changing conditions an ideal day for a chaser.”
–Brandel Chamblee
“This is the toughest to decipher, so many possibilities.”
–Dan Hicks on what is ahead for today with such a close field
“I think it’s more than a 50 percent chance. Both U.S. Open Champions, both steady and super accurate off the tee.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk’s and Graeme McDowell’s chances
“He has been magical out in the rough and certainly on the green.”
–Brandel Chamblee on Ernie Els
“What’s always so fascinating about a U.S. Open is, when it’s tough, it’s like a heavyweight fight going 15 rounds. He who bleeds the least so often wins.”
–Rich Lerner
U.S. Open coverage on NBC
“With so many stories covered over the last hour perhaps this final round of the U.S. Open boils down to two words: talent and tenacity. The way the Open is set up, both are demanded by the USGA in determining a champion and both traits are necessary to contend. Woods and Hossler, Els and Westwood, Adams, Jacobson and Colsaerts and finally Furyk and McDowell. Which of these players, or perhaps someone from further back, will best demonstrate those traits today?”
–Bob Costas setting up NBC’s coverage
“One thing that we’ve missed out of Tiger is a good final round, like a 63, 64, 65.”
–Johnny Miller on Tiger Woods
“That’s been the story the whole tournament. He cannot get the wedges and short irons inside of 15 feet. It’s amazing really.”
–Johnny Miller on Tiger Woods
“Phil and Tiger look like they’ve turned back the clock to when they were about five (years old).”
–Johnny Miller on the struggles of Mickelson and Woods
“He’s a pros pro. You want to know how to be a pro? Watch this man.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk
“The bottom line is, for Furyk, he wins the Open, and he’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. He needs this one to be a guarantee.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk following his par on No. 1.
Following Lee Westwood’s tee shot at the fifth hole that appeared to land in a Cyprus tree and not come down, NBC ran video of Lee Janzen from 14 years earlier at the 1998 U.S. Open at Olympic, when he too hit the ball into a Cyprus on the same hole. Janzen’s eventually fell out, Westwood’s did not.
“This is eerie to say the least.”
—Dan Hicks on similarities between Westwood and Janzen’s circumstances with the Cyprus tree
“What a two!”
–Johnny Miller on Ernie Els’ eagle on No. 7
“Ernie Els in contention on Sunday afternoon. That’s a nice sounding sentence.”
—Johnny Miller following Ernie Els’ eagle at No. 7
“If he were to win, that would be coming out of left field.”
–Johnny Miller on Ernie Els
“Is he falling apart? We’ll see.”
–Johnny Miller on Graeme McDowell following his errant right tee shot at No. 7
“Either by nightfall tonight, or just before, or in a playoff tomorrow, somebody is going to raise the trophy. But this time, unlike at Congressional a year ago, it appears to be the course that is winning.”
–Bob Costas on Olympic with zero players under par
“That’s a huge miss for him…Those are the kind you have to make if you’re going to win.”
–Johnny Miller after Ernie Els missed a putt on No. 9 for par
“Just a totally different story once we hit the weekend.”
–Dan Hicks on Tiger Woods’ tournament
“That is so dead. That is incredibly dead. That is the end of his chances.”
–Johnny Miller on Padraig Harrington’s approach shot on 18, which landed buried in a bunker left of the green. Harrington was +2 at the time.
“That could be a defining moment right there. That’s a USGA moment.”
–Peter Jacobsen on Jim Furyk’s 30-foot putt on No. 12
“You have to know, folks, you watch these players right now and they don’t look nervous. They are so amped up, you can’t believe it. To win a U.S. Open, (it) changes your life.”
–Johnny Miller on nerves
“Ernie’s got like a second career right now. For him to win is like doing it for the first time.”
–Johnny Miller on Ernie Els, who has won two U.S. Opens
“I was just a touch off. That’s fine. I was still in the ballgame. Today, I just got off to a horrific start. I never got it going early and unfortunately I put myself out of it…There were a lot of positives to be taken away from this week, a lot of positives. Just have to apply them.”
–Tiger Woods to Jimmy Roberts
“I’ve never seen him hit a ball that obliquely left…Never seen him do that.”
–Peter Jacobsen on Jim Furyk’s tee shot at No. 16
“That was one bad swing right there.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk’s tee shot at No. 16
“This was a disaster swing.”
–Roger Maltbie on Jim Furyk’s tee shot at No. 16
“26-year old Webb Simpson with a clutch up-and-down at the 72nd hole.”
–Dan Hicks on Simpson completing his round, which included an impressive up-and-down on the final hole
“That was quite the third shot…I’m impressed with that.”
–Johnny Miller on Webb Simpson’s chip just off the green on No. 18
“This is a sweaty palm putt. He has to have it.”
–Roger Maltbie on Jim Furyk’s putt for bogey on No. 16, which he eventually made
“If he doesn’t win this Open, he’ll remember that tee shot on 16 for the rest of his life.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk
“I’ve probably prayed more in the last three holes than I ever done in my life.”
–Webb Simpson to Bob Costas on his final three holes
“He just fell apart is what it amounts to, at 42 years old and wanting it so badly…You’ve got to feel for him. He sure deserves to win because he works so hard in every aspect.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk’s approach shot on No. 18 that went into the left bunker
“That’s pretty sad.”
–Johnny Miller on Jim Furyk’s first bunker shot on 18, which eliminated him from a chance at winning
“And another U.S. Open slips away from Jim Furyk”
–Dan Hicks following Jim Furyk’s first bunker shot on 18, which eliminated him from a chance at winning
“I don’t know what the heck he is reading there.”
–Johnny Miller on Graeme McDowell’s final putt on 18 which would have tied him with Webb Simpson and forced a playoff
“He’s got the whole package. Good looking guy, always accessible.”
–Dan Hicks on Webb Simpson
“It was nerve wracking…I couldn’t be happier right now.”
–Webb Simpson to Bob Costas on watching Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell try to catch im down the stretch
“Enjoy the jail cell, pal.”
–Webb Simpson after a heckler attempted to disrupt the championship ceremony
“Webb Simpson is your U.S. Open champion.”
–Bob Costas
–NBC SPORTS GROUP–
NBC Sports Group’s 2012 U.S. Open Notes & Quotes
June 17, 2012
Live From the U.S. Open, Noon-2:30 p.m. ET
Golf Channel
“I’m not sure that anything that could happen today would really surprise me. U.S. Open pressure does some crazy things to people. U.S. Open setups do some crazy things to those that are in contention. And I say I’m not sure that anything could happen today that could surprise me, short of Beau Hossler winning this golf tournament. Simply what he is doing is unimaginable.”
—Brandel Chamblee’s opening comments at the top of the show on what he expects for Sunday’s final round.
“One of the things I have been talking about all week is the USGA’s intention of trying re-establish par as a metric for success at the U.S. Open. I think they have done a phenomenal job of establishing par as a great score out here.”
—Notah Begay on the USGA setting up the course conditions at The Olympic Club this week.
“One of the things about this golf course that plays into the hands of shorter hitters is that the 16th hole typically is not reachable by anybody and the 17th hole is reachable by everybody. So it negates the advantage the longer hitters have on this golf course.”
—Brandel Chamblee on the 16th and 17th holes at Olympic Club.
“Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell’s position later in the day is going to be much easier for them psychologically than the guys chasing.”
–Brandel Chamblee on the final pairing of Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.
“Ironically, we have two players in that last group that will be playing Jim Furyk-like golf. We might have to ask, ‘Will the real Jim Furyk please stand up.’”
–Notah Begay on the final pairing of Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.
“Not many people saw a 75 on Tiger’s scorecard on Saturday. I was beside the 18th green when Tiger bogeyed that hole. He walked off the green and actually hit his right wrist on a camera lens. I thought in his press conference he was going be frustrated and short. He was just the opposite. He was revealing. He was open. He was honest. You kind of got the sensation that Tiger understands that on this golf course, in this championship, you are going to have a bad day. And Saturday was his.”
–Todd Lewis on Tiger Woods’ third round 75 on Saturday.
“I was very encouraged by the interview last night. I expected him to walk off the course and in past years, he has been very short and very frustrated. I think that has much to do with the golf as it did with stuff off the golf course. Now that things have settled down in his life and he seems to have the majority of emphasis focused back on golf and his execution. I saw an interview from a player that is completely comfortable with where they are at with their game. He has said this in previous interviews. First you have to get it right on the range. Then in a regular PGA TOUR event, and then you have to get it right in a major championship. There is a progression there. If he can get three out of four good rounds around par, and that fourth round today is his best round of the week, he might have a backdoor chance at winning this thing.”
–Notah Begay on Tiger Woods’ post-round interview and expectations for Sunday’s final round.
“He wants to win another major championship so bad to shut everybody up. I honestly believe the pressure got to him and he choked. He was tangled up with some technical issues. I don’t think he is able to correct things like he used to be able to.”
—Brandel Chamblee on Tiger Woods’ third-round 75 on Saturday.
“The one thing he has not done in his entire career on the PGA TOUR and the European Tour is light it up in the final round of a major championship. He has never broken 70 in the final round of the U.S. Open. He is a prototypical U.S. Open-style player. He just needs to get off to a good start. A good start is very important to him and to make some putts down the stretch.”
—Brandel Chamblee on Lee Westwood’s chances on Sunday’s final round.
“If he can get through that first six-to-eight hole stretch at even par and maybe even 1-under, he can attack the last 10 holes of this golf course.”
—Notah Begay on Lee Westwood’s chances on Sunday’s final round.
“I think this is one of those holes that is going to force a player’s hand. Players that want to win this championship understand they have to play this hole aggressively.”
–Notah Begay on the par-5 17th hole at The Olympic Club.
“He [Beau Hossler] doesn’t seem to be caught up in the moment. As Brandel pointed out, his facebook has blown up to the point where you can’t ‘friend’ him anymore.”
–Tim Rosaforte on Beau Hossler, low amateur at +3 heading into Sunday’s final round.
“The first three days were exactly how we want this U.S. Open. It was a firm, fast golf course. It rewarded good shots and penalized bad shots. You had to think your way around. It really allowed players of varying length to play this course. It was really a wonderful test. In terms of today, we anticipate, because of the great weather we’ve got so far, that it will play much like the first three days.”
–USGA Executive Director Mike Davis on the course conditions at The Olympic Club throughout the week.
“It’s going to be pretty exciting. We have moved the tee markers up pretty close to 100 yards. So it’s going to around the 570-572-range. We did this in the U.S. Amateur a few years ago. When we did it, it made the players on that tee make a choice. If you hit a straight shot you are going to run out of fairway as hard as that hole doglegs right to left. I think you will a nice spread of scoring on that.”
–USGA Executive Director Mike Davis on the setup of the par-5 16th hole for Sunday’s final round.
“One of the things that has happened over the last four years is that Tiger Woods, to a certain extent, has come back to more realistic expectations as far as being compared to mortals in the game.”
–Notah Begay on the current state of Tiger Woods’ game.
“This is a leader’s golf course because the start of this course is so hard that it is going to ‘thin the herd,’ so to speak.”
—Brandel Chamblee on the course conditions for Sunday’s final round.
–NBC SPORTS GROUP–
Recent Comments