First let me say that I've never played golf, but I do have a golf question. On that fateful 18th hole, what brought the ball back into the water hazard? The wind, a hill, or back-spin, or a combination of two or more just mentioned factors.
"Rules? In a knife fight? No rules."
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Theoretically, I think it would have been the slope of the green with lightning fast U.S. Open speeds. However, it is insanely unrealistic that the ball would behave like that. I don't remember the exact distance, but I think it was about 250 yards. From 250 with a 3 wood on U.S. Open greens, that ball really would have gone to the back of the green or off the back in a hurry. Even Tiger Woods couldn't pull that shot back on a normal green from 250 with a 3 wood.
shareRegardless,
A ball hit that Hard would not bounce so soft. It should have Skipped off or it should have stuck like a pile of mud
The only thing that made the ball back up into the water was the movie script. Never would have happenned in real life.
shareit is actually very possible there are ridges all over us open greens if he didnt reach the top of the ridge it iscompletely plausible that the ball would have rolled backwards of the green
shareKevin Costner is better than Tiger Woods, he could obviously put enough backspin on the ball with a 3-wood to try and stick it on the green from 250 yards!
shareObviously my post was in jest. But Costner did do all his own golfing in this movie.
shareYou don't need backspin to make a ball back off a green.
US Open greens are also notorious for having false fronts. Pinehurst is the finest example, and if you recall, they are in NC (which would make an argument for the course being Pinehurst or one in the rotation). If he hit a high cut into the bank of a false front it would kill most of the momentum, and if it didn't make it up past the point of no return on the ff, then it would, as scripted, roll back off the green/into the water.
Moreover, the hard green argument really doesn't hold water in this case, because if you look at the course it's obviously not a traditional US Open setup (look at the rough), so being so literal, in this case, is a fruitless exercise. (Or maybe it just rained a lot that week :) )
Saying that this could never happen in real life is ridiculous.
I've always hit the ball long and high and I can tell you that it is entirely possible to stop a 3-wood like that. I know because I have done it. Hell, I've hit drivers that landed on the green and rolled off the front. There could be dozens of factors that could contribute to a 3-wood shot stopping like that.
The point was made in the movie that the shot was into a light wind that gusted shortly before the ball landed - a high shot on it's way down and flying into the wind could easily stop.
Add to that the possibility that it landed on a slope on the green.
Given that he was shooting for a green with no land to roll a low-hit 3-wood to a stop, he would have gone for a high and soft shot. Any good golfer knows how to make shots land softer and the pros are very good at it.
Maybe the ball was pinched exceptionally well which would produce a higher shot with more back spin - both factors in stopping the shot.
He could have hit a high fade - again a type of shot more likely to stop quickly.
Don't dismiss a difficult golf shot as impossible just because you've never seen it.
That's all fine and good, but the fact is if you actually watch the movie, that the ball hit, rolled up PIN HIGH and then started rolling backwards. If this is the case, then the pin itself must have been cut on such a severe slope that any shot coming into that green would roll off the front, LET ALONE ANY PUTT COMING FROM BEHIND THE HOLE! Give me a break man. Hitting a 50 yard pitch shot would have no chance. Watch the scene again. PIN HIGH... agreed there may have been a false front on that green, and it was apparent from many angles that they showed that there was. However, you cannot possibly cut a hole on a slope like that. Every putt from everywhere on that green would find the water. Jacobson's shot into 18 went 25 feet past How then did he manage to two putt that with the hole cut there? Fact is he would not be able two unless he babied his first put 7 feet short and then hit all hole on his second putt. Not plausable whatsoever and anyone who disagrees really needs to watch the scene again as the ball stops pin high and then starts rolling back with increasing speed. And one last thing...if the greens were that lightning fast I highly doubt they would be soft enough to hold a 3-wood in that fashion. Not saying a 3-wood can't react that way if hit high, but normally the greens would have to be soft for it to occur. Most lightning fast greens if you have ever watched the US Open are also very firm which aids in their quickness. The end.
Ignore the smoke.
Don't sound so matter of fact about that. Apparently, you havn't seen the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
shareI dont care who you are unless that is a huge false front a 3 wood would not come back like that. That ball skipped forward then stopped about pin high and rolled back, that is tough to do with a PW let alone a 3 wood. If the ball hit the front of the green or caught the bank and came right back it would kind of be realistic, but having a 3 wood skip forward then roll up to the pin only for it to roll backward like that is pretty much impossible. The only way would be if the hole was cut right on an EXTREME slope but if that was the case then you would not be able to stop a putt, you would either make the putt or it would go into the water.
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O-kay, who'd like a banger in the mouth?
Anyone see Phil and his lob wedge do the same thing last night!? (Yes, I know a lob and a 3W are .....)
shareYou said it well, KillYourShadow.
Even if it were possible to stop a 3-wood dead on the spot on a US Open green (I guess it's possible if they had a foot of rain the night before) they'd never in a million years put a pin in that position. Every putt that missed the hole would roll right off the green into the water.
The main problem in the arguement that it could happen is this, if the ball wouldn't stop from 250 with a 3 wood what is the logic in laying up to hit a higher spinning higher trajectory shot from a wedge. It makes no sense especially since to make a birdie roy would have to go at the hole to leave a remotely makeable putt. The logic of the announcers to layup its stupid and yes even in the u.s. open a 3 wood wouldnt spin back there false front or not it would skip if you have ever played those type of conditions as I have u would know that the firmness (unless they were soaked) of the greens would prevent the ball from sticking and rolling back from 250 with a 3 wood it doesnt matter what the stimpmeter reads
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