Some Thoughts on Day Two as It Begins

We're just getting underway here in day two of the US Open at Pebble Beach.  Yesterday, just nine players finished under par.  Already this morning, one of those nine - Alex Cjeka - has dropped a shot. Expect less than a handful of players to be under par at the end of the day.

The setup at Pebble is definitely fair and Mike Davis has done a terrific job on setting up this track.  It is fair, providing opportunities for recovery, but extremely difficult.  To a man, they all echoed that sentiment.  Even in benign conditions, Pebble is tough.  But it has been well established that weather is the best defense that Pebble has.  In June, it may well be nice weather.  Great weather plagued the course yesterday because it allowed Pebble to dry out more.  The course will continue to get harder and faster without a lingering marine layer or any kind of rain.  If the winds remain calm, that still will not be enough to preserve par for these players.

Last night after the day, we took some time to head down to Carmel-by-the-Sea.  It's a very small town about 20 minutes south of The Inn at Spanish Bay, where we are staying.  The drive that we took in the Lexus convertible we have for the week was awesome, although at a cold 54 degrees (the dashboard told me).  Carmel was just fun to drive through.  If you've got an east coast bias, it's very much like upstate Maine, but like this all year.  We dropped by Clint Eastwood's bar, Hog's Breath Inn, and took in a beer and some dip.

This morning, I'll be playing Bayonet.  It and its sister Black Course have redesigned in the last couple of years to rave reviews.  I'll get my first taste of golf on the Monterey.  Don't worry - I'll be following all of the action and catch the closing part of the afternoon to worry about missed cuts, late moves, and all of that good stuff.