Fox Sports has come under fire for some of the rookie mistakes the network has made in covering its first U.S. Open, and when commentator Greg Norman began waxing poetic about how spectacular a place Chambers Bay was for spectators, we could imagine Billy Horschel rolling his eyes in disbelief.
Greg Norman praises Chambers Bay vantage points that Billy Horschel rips as fan-unfriendly
Fan experience lacking at Chambers Bay, despite what The Shark would have you believe.
David Cannon/Getty Images
“That’s a great sight there. That’s what it’s all about, this links-style golf,” Norman said on Friday as cameras panned moving lines of fans miles from a tiny group of golfers down on the course.
“These vantage points that these spectators come out,” continued Norman, who unintelligibly rambled on about “sand dunes up, down, up and down,” or something perhaps having to do with obstructed sight lines.
“But the end of the day, they do get great vantage points,” he said. “And if you get bored looking down on [a particular threesome], you just have to look out at Puget Sound and you’re going to go, ‘Ah, that’s why I’m out here.’”
Well, not really. Chances are the good folks of Tacoma, Wash., and environs coughed up the big bucks to see some actual action played by some of the best golfers in the world.
And those on the ground at University Place would beg to differ with Norman, whose own vantage point from the Fox Sports tower was probably as good as it gets:
.@SharkGregNorman talking about the great vantage points all over Chambers Bay for the fans who are not saying that. At all.
— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) June 19, 2015 Brian Floyd noted on Thursday how difficult it was -- for safety reasons on the slippery, hilly track dotted with dunes -- to watch Tiger Woods miss the cut or Jordan Spieth play his way toward his second straight major championship. It was just as tough on the golfers, who are used to playing to packed grandstands of cheering fans, as Horschel and other contenders made clear after Thursday’s opening round.
What's disappointing about @usopengolf is the fans not being about to walk around the course/get close enough to most of the greens to cheer
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 19, 2015 Fans are having a hard time walking the course. They can barely see anything from outside the ropes.
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 19, 2015 I would be pissed if I paid a lot of money for tickets and could barely see the top players hit golf shots.
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 19, 2015 I truly miss the cheers/roars when you hit a great shot. Especially if you can't see where it finished. I feed off the energy of the fans!
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 19, 2015 Spieth, telling Golf Digest he found the eighth hole “eerie,” agreed.
“I’ve never played an entire hole in a major championship with no gallery,” Spieth said after carding a first-round 2-under 68. “It was kind of odd. And there’s a delayed reaction from the crowd because they’re so far away.”
Phil Mickelson termed the fan situation “weird” after he posted an opening 69. “Amy wants to come out and follow and she simply can’t, she just can’t.”
Ellie Day, Jason Day’s wife, is expecting and took her husband’s advice to play it safe:
@AshleyKMayo So excited for this week but I am SO disappointed I can't really watch this week. So lame.
— Ellie Day (@ellielaneday) June 19, 2015 @AshleyKMayo I'm on site but not out there. Jason (and everyone) said its nearly impossible... And not super safe esp since I'm prego
— Ellie Day (@ellielaneday) June 18, 2015 Anyway, Greg, enjoy the view.
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