A leading golf analyst has called for Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson to be kicked out of the hall of fame over their support for the rebel Saudi-backed LIV tour.
The Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee, a PGA Tour winner himself, accused the pair of trying to destroy the game.
The controversy over the breakaway tour has overshadowed the leadup to the year’s third major, the US Open, which will be played at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
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“As far as I know, it’s never happened that an athlete has been kicked out of their hall of fame but both Norman & Mickelson should be removed from the Hall Of Fame,” Chamblee wrote on Twitter.
“They’ve dishonoured the game & they threaten to destroy the game that they have both so enormously profited from.”
Speaking on the Golf Channel during the LIV tour’s launch, Chamblee couldn’t hide his contempt for those who have joined the breakaway league.
https://twitter.com/chambleebrandel/status/1536898602462855168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“When I hear these players say that they are ‘growing the game’ … it makes me wanna puke,” he said.
“They’re destroying the game. And they are destroying their reputations.
“This is one of the saddest days in the history of golf. Watching these players come together for money and show to the world … they are showing us that they are the greediest, most self serving, self interesting, wilfully blind players in the world of golf today.”
Mickelson, along with other LIV players such as Dustin Johnson, have been banned by the PGA Tour. However, none of the four majors are run by the PGA Tour, meaning Mickelson and Johnson are in the field for this week’s US Open.
Ironically, the US Open is the only one of the four majors that Mickelson has not won, meaning he could become just the sixth man to complete the career grand slam with a win this week.
Victory would see him join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen on that elite list. Mickelson has finished second in the US Open a record six times, most recently in 2013.
US Open dates
The first group of players will tee off at The Country Club at 8.45pm on Thursday (AEST) and the tournament will go for four days.
Weather permitting, the champion will be crowned on Monday morning (AEST), normally some time between 8am and 10am (AEST).
Where is the US Open being played in 2022
The 2022 US Open is being played at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, on the country’s east coast.
It has previously hosted the championship in 1913, 1963 and most recently 1988. They were won by Francis Ouimet, Julius Boros and Curtis Strange.
It also held the 1999 Ryder Cup, where Justin Leonard famously holed a 45-foot putt for birdie to seal a 14.5-13.5 comeback win for the US, having started the final dray trailing 10-6.
Is Tiger playing in the 2022 US Open?
No. Woods is missing his second US Open in a row – he last played at Winged Foot in 2020.
He announced on Twitter last week he had withdrawn from the tournament to give his injured leg more time to recover.
https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1534198107608604674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Who’s in the US Open field?
The usual suspects are all playing – Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth et al, PLUS, as the US Open is sanctioned by the USGA and not the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and the rest of the eligible players from the LIV Golf tour are all in the field.
Round 1 Tee Times
The tee times (AEST) for the first two rounds are below. Aussies are in bold.
Day 1 Morning
(Round 1 Hole 1/Round 2 Hole 10)
- Thurs 8.45pm/Sat 2.30am – (a) Michael Thorbjornsen, Erik Barnes, Matt McCarty
- Thurs 8.56pm/Sat 2.41am – Matthew NeSmith, Patrick Rodgers, Travis Vick
- Thurs 9.07pm/Sat 2.52am – Troy Merritt; (a) William Mouw, Andrew Putnam
- Thurs 9.18pm/Sat 3.03am – Collin Morikawa, James Piot, Jon Rahm
- Thurs 9.29pm/Sat 3.14am – Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Max Homa
- Thurs 9.40pm/Sat 3.25am – Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger
- Thurs 9.51pm/Sat 3.36am – Harold Varner III, Sebastián Muñoz, Alex Norén
- Thurs 10.02pm/Sat 3.47am – Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Young, Will Zalatoris
- Thurs 10.13pm/Sat 3.58am – Adam Schenk, (a) Stewart Hagestad, Grayson Murray
- Thurs 10.24pm/Sat 4.09am – Guido Migliozzi, Branden Grace, Mackenzie Hughes
- Thurs 10.35pm/Sat 4.20am – Beau Hossler, Kalle Samooja, Satoshi Kodaira
- Thurs 10.46pm/Sat 4.31am – Richard Mansell, Tomoyasu Sugiyama, Roger Sloan
- Thurs 10.57pm/Sat 4.42am – (a) Caleb Manuel, Keith Greene, Ben Silverman
(Round 1 Hole 10/Round 2 Hole 1)
- Thurs 8.45pm/Sat 2.30am – Fran Quinn, Callum Tarren, Hayden Buckley
- Thurs 8.56pm/Sat 2.41am – Kurt Kitayama, Denny McCarthy, (a) Sam Bennett
- Thurs 9.07pm/Sat 2.52am – Wyndham Clark, Brandon Matthews, Wil Besseling
- Thurs 9.18pm/Sat 3.03am – David Lingmerth, Sepp Straka, Si Woo Kim
- Thurs 9.29pm/Sat 3.14am – Scott Stallings, Davis Riley, Victor Perez
- Thurs 9.40pm/Sat 3.25am – Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele
- Thurs 9.51pm/Sat 3.36am – Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Brian Harman
- Thurs 10.02pm/Sat 3.47am – Keegan Bradley, Marc Leishman, Aaron Wise
- Thurs 10.13pm/Sat 3.58am – Francesco Molinari, (a) Laird Shepherd, Stewart Cink
- Thurs 10.24pm/Sat 4.09am – Marcel Schneider, Chan Kim, Joseph Bramlett
- Thurs 10.35pm/Sat 4.20am – Lanto Griffin, Joel Dahmen, Jinichiro Kozuma
- Thurs 10.46pm/Sat 4.31am – Chris Gotterup, (a) Fred Biondi, Harry Hall
- Thurs 10.57pm/Sat 4.42am – Chris Naegel, Andrew Beckler, Luke Gannon
Day 1 Afternoon
(Round 1 Hole 1/Round 2 Hole 10)
- Fri 2.30am/Fri 8.45pm – Kevin Chappell, Chase Seiffert, Andrew Novak
- Fri 2.41am/Fri 8.56pm – Thorbjørn Olesen, Brian Stuard, Nick Hardy
- Fri 2.52am/Fri 9.07pm – Sam Horsfield, Cameron Tringale, Shaun Norris
- Fri 3.03am/Fri 9.18pm – Sungjae Im, Mito Pereira, Erik van Rooyen
- Fri 3.14am/Fri 9.29pm – Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau
- Fri 3.25am/Fri: 9.40pm – Joohyung Kim, Séamus Power, Min Woo Lee
- Fri 3.36am/Fri: 9.51pm – Matt Fitzpatrick, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson
- Fri 3.47am/Fri 10.02pm – Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen
- Fri 3.58am/Fri 10.13pm – Danny Lee, (a) Keita Nakajima, Nick Taylor
- Fri 4.09am/Fri 10.24pm – Jim Furyk, (a) Nick Dunlap, Adam Hadwin
- Fri 4.20am/Fri 10.35pm – Richard Bland, Rikuya Hoshino, Ryan Fox
- Fri 4.31am/Fri 10.46pm – Jonas Blixt, Bo Hoag, Todd Sinnott
- Fri 4.42am/Fri 10.57pm – Isaiah Salinda, Sean Jacklin, (a) Charles Reiter
(Round 1 Hole 10/Round 2 Hole 1)
- Fri 2.30am/Fri 8.45pm – Jed Morgan, Taylor Montgomery, Sean Crocker
- Fri 2.41am/Fri 8.56pm – (a) Maxwell Moldovan, Yannik Paul, MJ Daffue
- Fri 2.52am/Fri 9.07pm – Talor Gooch, Adri Arnaus, Tom Hoge
- Fri 3.03am/Fri 9.18pm – Kevin Na, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton
- Fri 3.14am/Fri 9.29pm – Sam Burns, Abraham Ancer, Thomas Pieters
- Fri 3.25am/Fri: 9.40pm – Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Scottie Scheffler
- Fri 3.36am/Fri: 9.51pm – Luke List, (a) Austin Greaser, Corey Conners
- Fri 3.47am/Fri 10.02pm – Gary Woodland, Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau
- Fri 3.58am/Fri 10.13pm – K.H. Lee, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed
- Fri 4.09am/Fri 10.24pm – Jason Kokrak, Harris English, Lucas Herbert
- Fri 4.20am/Fri 10.35pm – Sam Stevens, (a) Ben Lorenz, Davis Shore
- Fri 4.31am/Fri 10.46pm – Daijiro Izumida, (a) Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Sebastian Söderberg
- Fri 4.42am/Fri 10.57pm – Ryan Gerard, Brady Calkins, Jesse Mueller
US Open prize money
The winner will pocket a cool $3.26 million of the $18.1 million in the kitty. The runner up will earn a little more than half that amount.
Who is favoured to win US Open 2022
The golf majors are notoriously hard to pick, as anyone can show up and have a good week.
For the Aussies, Cam Smith is in the form of his life. If he can turn it on with the putter – and brings his usual A-grade wedge game – he’ll be very hard to beat. Adam Scott is a chance if the right Adam Scott shows up, however The Country Club probably won’t suit Marc Leishman.
John Rahm is the defending champion, defeating Louis Oosthuizen by a stroke in a shootout for the ages at Torrey Pines last year. Rebel LIV Golf player Bryson DeChambeau won his breakthrough major at the US Open in 2020 although he hasn’t made a cut all year, and Brooks Koepka managed to put two in a row together in 2017 and 2018.
Keegan Bradley fell in love with the game by attending the 1999 Ryder Cup at the The Country Club, and grew up in Massachusetts. He says he’s playing the best golf of his life, and would love to win in his home state.
Rory McIlroy has been far more consistent this year. He hasn’t liked the US Open much since his win in 2011, but always as good a chance as anybody.
Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur here in 2013, so knows the course well. If he stays mentally strong, he might be a chance come Sunday afternoon (Monday morning for us in Australia). Collin Morikawa won himself a Claret Jug with little links experience, but he could pull a rabbit out of the hat at The Country Club.
Anyway, here’s what the bookies say.
US Open odds (odds via Sportsbet and correct as of Thursday afternoon)
$11 – Rory McIlroy
$13 – Justin Thomas
$15 – Jon Rahm
$15 – Scottie Scheffler
$21 – Cameron Smith
How to watch US Open Golf in Australia
The US Open will be broadcast on Kayo, beginning at 1am Friday.
US Open past winners (course in brackets)
2021 – Jon Rahm (Torrey Pines)
2020 – Bryson DeChambeau (Winged Foot)
2019 – Gary Woodland (Pebble Beach)
2018 – Brooks Koepka (Shinnecock Hills)
2017 – Brooks Koepka (Erin Hills)
2016 – Dustin Johnson (Oakmont)
2015 – Jordan Spieth (Chambers Bay)
2014 – Martin Kaymer (Pinehurst)
2013 – Justin Rose (Merion)
2012 – Webb Simpson (Olympic)
2011 – Rory McIlroy (Congressional)
2010 – Graeme McDowell (Pebble Beach)
2009 – Lucas Glover (Bethpage Black)
2008 – Tiger Woods (Torrey Pines)
2007 – Angel Cabrera (Oakmont)
2006 – Geoff Ogilvy (Winged Foot)
2005 – Michael Campbell (Pinehurst)
2004 – Retief Goosen (Shinnecock Hills)
2003 – Jim Furyk (Olympia Fields)
2002 – Tiger Woods (Bethpage Black)
2001 – Retief Goosen (Southern Hills)
2000 – Tiger Woods (Pebble Beach)
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