Play It as It Floats

So those of you who surf the blogosphere for quick easily digestible tidbits have probably wondered why o why I must churn out at least 600 words on every sports topic I pick up. Well alas! I found something that it may be difficult for me to do for (don't challenge me though, because then it will happen and nobody wants that), Thursday at the US Open. I'll spare you my thoughts on Bethpage Black, a course I've had the pleasure to pay a few different times -- I still consider the 47 I shot on the front my first time out in near monsoon conditions to be possibly a better round than whoever holds the course record -- but will save those ponderings for the next 3 or more likely 4 days of golf to come, especially as I head out there for Saturday's round(s).

I was unable to take in the monsoon golf as I was stuck in the horrific thing known as job training. I instead was forced to take in what I could from Jason Sobel's blog on ESPN. Sobel actually was able to keep blogging through the rain delay and well surpass those 600 words but he also kept me sane through hours of staring at data sheets through his receiving of texts from second level players and perusal of twitter for the always entertaining "Tweets." Well without seeing a single shot from the Black course, here are my thoughts from the 3 hours and 16 minutes of golf a followed live and in color from my palm pilot (yes they still make those).

Ian Poulter is the Shaq of Golf
Well, on Twitter at least. Sobel's updates on Poulter's tweets were some of the best parts of his blogging for the day. The best was when the course was logged with about an inch of standing water Poulter broke the news to the tweeting world (myself vehemently NOT included) that the USGA claimed they could clean up the course in an hour. One hour for a seven square mile or so golf course to be completely drained? Doubtful. Is every sports governing body both that stupid and self-confident. Don't answer that. Also you gotta love a guy who rocks the union jack as one of his more tame fashion statements.

The Leaders in the Clubhouse
Congrats to Jeff Brehaut, Johan Edfors, Andrew Parr and Ryan Spears. You will hold an overnight lead at the US Open. Overlooked awesome thing: how great a golf name is Parr. Screw the extra r, Parr is under par right now and must be loving it. Its a name so suited for the profession, like a linebacker named Slaughter, it just don't get better than that. Is it sad the the best part of a blog is a tweet about cleaning a golf course and the best part of the leaderboard is a random Canadians name? Yes. Welcome to day one of the 2009 US Open!

The Serious Stuff, like Parity
So half the field will have had to trudge through horrendous conditions for nine holes while the other half will have assumed much better conditions tomorrow. One can only hope that the rain expected over the weekend will hit the groups supposed to go out Thursday afternoon in their catchup rounds and even things out. It just doesn't seem fair for one player to have to get up and down from Lake Ronkonkoma Thursday morning while another plays a moist and forgiving course Friday. In the end it is 72 holes of golf, the elements always play a factor. You just have to play it as it lies.