Par For The Course: High scores take the fizz out of US Open

I come to the US Open expecting nothing to be fair, Lee Janzen once said.

So true following one of the most demanding US Opens in its 104-year history.

It is a great shame that such a debate has to exist on one of America's finest courses and more so at their National Open. But trying to keep players from shooting very low scores is something organisers are always trying to achieve, but at what cost?

Last week's Open at Shinnecock Hills revealed some real ugly statistics that many of the top players will just want to forget and move on. Ernie Els' final round on Sunday was his highest score (80) ever in the US Open, four double bogeys on his card was more than he has made all season.

Five players shot 79 and actually moved up the leaderboard with 28 players failing to break 80.

The best final round score was Robert Allenby with a level par 70, the worst round of the day was Billy Mayfair who just managed to beat 90 with 89.

"I think they lost control of the golf course," Tiger Woods said after he closed with a final-round 76. "It's terrible for our national championship." Even Goosen was critical, saying of the greens: "I hope they get them back alive again." And Mickelson, whose chances evaporated with a three-putt from eight feet on the 17th green, said: "I played some of the best golf of my life and I still couldn't shoot par, so you tell me (if the course was fair.)"

For many the US Open was more like the British Open with the 'burnt' look all over the course, hard baked greens and shots that needed to be pitched short of the green in order to stop on the putting surface.

The decision to keep the water off for the Championship days must be seriously reviewed as we all saw the greenkeepers hand watering the greens to keep them alive in particular the treacherous 7th green which in turn made a lot of golfers look very ordinary with a green that was totally unfair both in approach and playability. Starving the green of water did throw out some interesting stories such as Garcia bumping into Goosen's caddie, Colin Byrne "How do you finish four under on this golf course?" Garcia asked.

"You can throw the entire Atlantic on these greens and it wouldn't help. They're dead already." a little harsh, but very much the sentiments of all but one of the 156 competitors.

But at the end of the week two people still broke par making the conditions still conducive to good scoring. But at the same time we all want to see the very best players in the world play shots that you or I cannot do, not hack out of the rough, three putt or shoot scores we all are capable of shooting.

Let's all hope the Open Championship at Royal Troon is better received.