Stadler On USGA Big Man's Pairing: “They’re invoking their 5-year-old sense of humor.”

Jason Sobel talked to Brendon de Jonge, Shane Lowry and Kevin Stadler about the USGA's pairing of the three "bigger" golfers. Sobel reviews the USGA tradition of "cute" pairings at the national championship, calling it a "fun little custom" but that a "proverbial line might have been crossed."

The players in question weigth 230, 225 and 250. Two of them were insulted by the move.

Sobel writes:

“When I saw it, I was pretty annoyed,” said Lowry, who points out that he’s lost about 18 pounds in the past six months. “I think it’s very cheeky of the USGA to do what they’ve done. I don’t think it’s fair to the three of us. It’s a mockery, to be honest.”

Stadler wasn't thrilled either.

“I think the USGA is a little mean and insensitive, but that’s just the way it goes,” Stadler insisted. “They’re invoking their 5-year-old sense of humor.”

From the USGA’s perspective, the tradition of producing these groupings is simply a unique part of U.S. Open ritual.

“There are some themes, you know,” said Jeff Hall, the organization’s managing director of rules and competitions. “There’s a fair amount of leeway.”

There were also plenty of other options for de Jonge, Lowry and Stadler.

When asked why those three competitors were grouped together, Hall responded, “I’ve got to be careful. We have some fun.”

Sobel notes that Stadler was paired with Tim Herron and Carl Pettersson at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Comments

[Craig]

It's what happens when you let amateurs run a professional golf tournament.

[Professor Tait's Theory of Golf]

Write that kind of story next week and see what happens.

[LA Man]

It's an unwritten rule of our politically correct culture that if you're fat and white, you don't deserve of the same level of sensitivity as you do if you are black, Hispanic or LGBT.

[Steve Elling]

Dufner's about three more jelly donuts from joining them as a fourth.

[v60golfer]

I am assuming NA NOH and OH was thought about, but probably nixed. this grouping by body type is lame and shows what a bloated piece of crap the USGA is.

[v60golfer]

LA MAn getting paired together in a golf tournament playing for millions is kinda not the same thing as being a gay kid getting the crap beat out of him by the fat and white kids on the playground.

[Neil Young & Geraldo]

Steve-- agree on Duf. He is a couple of pounds away from hurting his brand!! A less tight shirt may also do the trick but he seems to be kinda proud of his round mound.

Also, I'm surprised the USGA would group all those fat guys together. Seems -- at the minimum -- that it's sort of a distraction for that group. USGA does not appear to be protecting the entire field.

[USGA Pairing Chairman]

Gentlemen,

Thank you so much for your comments. We giggled, over a lot of Irish whisky, about that pairing. But if we had more players to work with the pairing would have been ...

Mark Calcavecchia
The younger Stadler fellow
And our 1989 U.S. Amateur Champion, Chris Patton

We don't much care for John Daly, but we admire his fine gut. Have a wonderful U.S. Open! Eat it up!

[Carl Peterson]

NY&G - the concern about distraction was my concern as well. Five years ago the walking officials were sent a memo dictating that they were expected to walk along the 'rope line' to avoid distracting players. And, yet, the USGA staff has no problem with their cute little grouping games.

I put a comment on this topic in the 'groupings analysis' thread this morning.

[Bodenheimer's Bidet]

Maybe there will be a "flat-chested" pairing next week?

[KLG]

So, which group is he "prick pairing" this time? And do they have a legitimate complaint?

[Dave]

I think it's funny, they should be happy they don't have to putt over each other's footprints

[John]

It is 5-year-old's humor. Make pairings that would take some real deciphering. That would be fun.

[tlavin]

The last trait acquired on Tour is a sense of humor. Followed by a thick hide.

[ol Harv]

Served on a tournament committee one time for our City Championship in a fairly big city in the South. For the qualifying round to make it to match play we paired basically by handicap. By coincidence the three highest handicap golfers in the field were black...the only three black guys in the field. Needless to say it was very uncomfortable for us, as well as probably for them. I kind of agree with the players on this one, if the USGA really did do this on purpose. I did see three Austrailians in one group, Baddeley's group. I thought that was weird.Guess there's a reason that it all used to be somewhat random with exception to the US OPEN champ and US AM champ paired together.

[Terry Malloy]

It's moronic and ridiculous. Shame on the USGA for such moves. Run a national championship and act like adults. And they wonder why they're constantly ridiculed.

[3foot1]

Any system of pairing and assigning tee times that isn't random is indefensible in a national championship.

[Romeo "Leeway" Posar]

Hate to say I havehistorically been an apologist for the USGA, but this is childish behavior. Grow up and conduct a national championship like the buttoned-down gentlemen you geeks believe yourselves to be. BTW, Jeff Hall could stand to lose 30-40 lbs. before he uses "leeway" at other peoples expense. Just say'n.

[Steve]

I guess you couldn't pair them with Mickelson or Cabrera either, as they are both at least 230 (Cabrera is probably pushing 260).

I was at a PGA Champ years ago and the pairing was Daly, Gore and Perez...all at least 250 at the time. They joked about it a lot with the crowd as they played and had fun with it.

[4PuttAficionado (F3PA)]

I would have put Phil in the group with de Jonge and Stadler. Phil needs to drop about 40 pounds

[4PuttAficionado (F3PA)]

A PGA tour foursome we need to see is Gay, Couples, Love, Bohn.
It just has a comical ring to it

[Neil Young & Geraldo]

Nice idea 4putt. KLG mentioned above that there might be an a--hole group out there.

Well what about some other groups? I'm sure they can get creative.

Shortest hitters group.
Known rules cheaters group.
"Playas" (ladies love em) group.
Lefty group.
Obsessive twitterer group.
Suspected PED-ers group.
Pothead group.
Democrat group. (Might be hard to get 3).
Long putter group.
Rumored to be gay group.
Weird hat group.
Vocal Atheist group. (Again, might be hard).
Group made of just Bill Haas and Jason Day.
Really bad teeth group.
Drinking problem group.

[blaker97]

4Putt--
I just had a huge laugh out loud belly chuckle. Thank you for that. That was well played.

[JT]

Gay, Couples, Love, Bohn. That's funny!

[offered]

USGA In House Championship
Who would be in the
Head and Shoulders pairing?
Pompous I know it all pairing?
Bigot pairing?
Losers aka public course guys pairing? Oh wait, not enough guys to fill a public course group!

[david]

If you don't want people mocking you bcause you've decided to be obese, the solution is ( literally ) in your own hands.....

[Ping Pro 1959]

Geez you guys lighten up! Being a "bigger" guy I loved that pairing and would have followed them looking for swing tips ! And if they feel bad about it let me know and I will gladly take their place. I am thrilled that they spotlighted the "full figure" golfers and did not hide them like most golf tournaments do...
And if the players don't like that pairing, they can always lose weight!
FYI I am 255 lbs....

[bayhill bogey]

4Putt another great pairing would be Gay Pride Day

[Chris Campbell]

Talk about a storm in a teacup.

[World's Worst Putter]

USGA tournament committee = Bertie Wooster and pals at the Drones Club. No doubt Pongo, Bingo and Tuppy would applaud the Blue Coats.

[4PuttAficionado (F3PA)]

The pairing of:

Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Harris English

Two Englishmen and a man named English. Very clever.

[The O]

@KLG: I think they stopped doing the "prick" pairing because it became too publicized, plus it was way too easy to spot, at least until John Cook stopped playing.

[Steve Foehl]

Geoff - I'm with you thinking a lot about Frank Hannigan this week. He so loved the Open. He used to say the best way to make the pairings would be to take all 156 3x5 cards (these are the cards with each player's name that were used by the USGA to record scores and make the cut and do pairings for round 3&4 in the old days) and stand at the top of the circular staircase in Golf House, throw them in the air and pick them up by threes. Of course TV would not allow it.

[Ed]

steve hits on a replacement for that "can you break 100" event they used to have--Sunday before the Open we have Holly Saunders pull cards out of a barrel and make the tee times...just like the Derby.

[Chopper Read]

Lose some weight or grow some balls, your choice pikers!

[ol Harv]

Saw the "big boys" threesome today and they all smoked drives on #8. Made me chuckle when I saw them.

[Cotton]

One of Frank Hannigan's sad and bitter legacies.