Leading professionals continued to pour vitriol on the United States Golf Association (USGA) and their choice of Chambers Bay as the host venue for this year’s US Open.
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The conditions of the greens last week was the main bone of contention, and after finishing their final rounds on Sunday, the outspoken Ian Poulter and Billy Horschel joined the growing brigade of players who decided to criticize the governing body for the game in the US.
Poulter accused tournament officials of lying about the condition of the greens, while Horschel said players have lost respect for the USGA and the US Open.
Poulter, after his 77, posted a picture of the surface (see below) and said USGA executive director Mike Davis should apologise.
On Instagram, he wrote: “This is not sour grapes or moaning or any of that c***. It is simply the truth. Mike Davis, the head of the USGA, unfortunately hasn’t spoken the truth about the condition of the greens.
“Look at the picture. This was the surface we had to putt on. It is disgraceful that the USGA hasn’t apologised about the greens. They simply have said “we are thrilled (with) the course condition this week”.
“It wasn’t a bad golf course, in fact it played well and was playable. What wasn’t playable were the green surfaces. If this was a regular PGA Tour event, lots of players would have withdrawn and gone home, but players won’t do that for a major. They were simply the worst, most disgraceful surface I have ever seen on any tour in all the years I have played.
I look forward to congratulating the 2015 US Open champion very soon, I simply didn’t play well… https://t.co/GMEUGdDlZL
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) June 22, 2015
“The US Open deserves better than that…Simply not good enough and deeply disappointing for a tournament of this magnitude. “And to all you fans that paid good money to try and watch us play golf but couldn’t see anything on most holes because it wasn’t possible to stand on huge slopes or see around stands, I apologise and I’m sorry you wasted your money.”
Henrik Stenson had likened Chambers Bay to like “putting on broccoli”, while Gary Player had branded the course “a tragedy”.
Reigning FedEx Cup champion Horschel, who closed with a 67, showed his frustration during the final round, swinging his putter in a chopping motion towards the sixth green after missing a short putt, but stopping short of making contact.
Horschel insisted the players were not expecting perfection, but labelled the fourth green “God awful” and 10th as “being in dirt”.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment all week,” he said.
“I can be up here for an hour and I’ll keep going. I’ve had this debate on Twitter the last few days with people and it sounds like the players are whining and they’re like, ‘Well, you’re playing for millions of dollars, you’re playing for the US Open’.
I am sorry for my actions on the 6th green yesterday. I did not hit the green with my putter. But still it’s not acceptable behavior to….
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 22, 2015
Do that. It’s not the behavior I wish to show to millions of viewers and fans. And it’s not the role model I wish to be……
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 22, 2015
to so many young golfers in the world today! It was unacceptable and I promise to do better! Once again I apologize.
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 22, 2015
“We’re not looking for perfect greens. We’re not looking for Memorial’s greens or even last week in Memphis. But we’re looking for something that’s very consistent and this week they’re not.
“Four is God awful. Ten is not much better where it was. That hole is in dirt. It’s literally dirt. There’s no grass around that hole.
“I understand Jordan (Spieth) is up on the leaderboard and he’s making plenty of putts. But I’m a really good putter as well and I have not had a great week on the greens. And it’s not due to the fact that my stroke is off or my speed is off, I’ve hit a lot of really good putts that have bounced all over the world.
“People out there think we complain a lot as players, and we don’t. And when we do, I think we really need to be taken seriously on this. I think a lot of players, and I’m one of them, have lost some respect for the USGA and this championship this year for the greens.”
