The 150th Open Championship

[fixyurdivot]

This week brings us to the final major of the season, The 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.  Not sure where this event lands in your "best of the best" choice on majors but for me it's second only to The Masters.  A healthy portion of the field have little travel and can get some rest before teeing it up.  Colin Morikawa returns to defend his title from last year and will need another A game performance, and possibly some great bounces, to join the select group who have successfully defended (Padraig the last in 2007/08).  

Unfortunately I'll be traveling and may not get time to watch much coverage.  But fortunately I have PGA Tour radio and can listen into whatever they have going.

Maybe it's because of all the tour churn of late, dunno, but I'm kind of thinking this year will have an unexpected winner (no, not Phil ).  How do you think this years event goes down?

Don't forget to make your pick for this weeks winner https://runmypools.com/JRMPNWWF.  Good luck!

[Shankster]

TW and JD in a playoff.  Ends in a Tie.

[fixyurdivot]

36 minutes ago, Shankster said:

TW and JD in a playoff.  Ends in a Tie.

Maybe during a pre-round putting green contest, and only because they ran out of daylight.

[MacTourney]

Nothing like brown fast fairways, balls bouncing around like dice on a crap table, bunkers you can't see, wind saying 'oh no you don't', playing low and not high, the smell of tavern bread, appreciative and knowledgeable golf fans, tradition, acquiescing to the demands of nature, a sea of waves nearby and a sea of waves when coming home.    Love the Open...best week in golf.

Tiger's leg is trashed, but will be a fun week. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

So freaking happy that it is the Open this weekend. Been watching all morning and may not move for the next 4 days. 

[Shapotomous]

I love watching the Open.  Not only is it fun watching the golf played on the links style courses but live golf with morning coffee is great!

And if Justin Thomas has a fashion consultant for his clothing contract they should be fired for those pants!  

[bens197]

Waking up with a cup of coffee and live golf is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

In a close second, a crowd of spectators who clap appropriately, recognize talent and resist the infantile urge to shout moronic statements. 

[fixyurdivot]

Listened to PGA Tour radio quite a bit on my road trip the last couple of days and there was lots of talk about course conditions being the most firm and fast they'd ever seen. Sobel and Collins show said it wouldn't surprise them if someone over the 4 days drove a ball 500 yards (now doubt wind forecast dependent).  Haven't watched any of round 1 but those of you who are, will this renew the distance debate?   It also sounded like 4 days of dry conditions leading into the event... but wait... a system moves in and now we have rain likely Friday.  Mother Nature likes to play golf at St. Andrews, and mess with players fates.  

[cnosil]

See lots of interesting things on this course.  Hideki just hit a 3/4ish wedge from on the green and was still short of the hole.   Some of the Greens are pretty big.  

[benb1989]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

Listened to PGA Tour radio quite a bit on my road trip the last couple of days and there was lots of talk about course conditions being the most firm and fast they'd ever seen. Sobel and Collins show said it wouldn't surprise them if someone over the 4 days drove a ball 500 yards (now doubt wind forecast dependent).  Haven't watched any of round 1 but those of you who are, will this renew the distance debate?   It also sounded like 4 days of dry conditions leading into the event... but wait... a system moves in and now we have rain likely Friday.  Mother Nature likes to play golf at St. Andrews, and mess with players fates.  

On the radio im sure someone just said Rory hit an iron (presume his 2 Iron) 345 yards on the 18th

[Middler]

A good first day for many big names, especially Rory, Cam Smith, Scheffler & Schaffele - hopefully JT will do better tomorrow. Sorry to see Tiger off to a very rough start. But looking forward to how this year’s tournament plays out, LONG way to go.

[fixyurdivot]

I can't tell if Tiger was actually playing that bad or the competition is just playing that much better.  Probably a little of both but think the latter more so than not. I listened to most of the round today on PGA Tour radio; which is actually kind of fun... a little like listening to baseball. It seemed like at least 50% of the coverage was focused on or about him... started getting a bit long in the tooth.  Now that he's not playing the weekend, that should go down to about 45%.  

Some fantastic pairings going out tomorrow.  Quite a few LIV players making the cut... I could be wrong but suspect they had extra motivation.  I'm hoping that either a healthy weather system pops in or it goes dog biscuit hard and dry.  I'm rooting for either of the Cam's to win it.

 

[cnosil]

1 minute ago, fixyurdivot said:

I can't tell if Tiger was actually playing that bad or the competition is just playing that much better.  Probably a little of both but think the latter more so than not.

 

Based on watching the coverage the past two days, Tiger was playing that bad. 

[Rickp]

18 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

I can't tell if Tiger was actually playing that bad or the competition is just playing that much better.  Probably a little of both but think the latter more so than not. I listened to most of the round today on PGA Tour radio; which is actually kind of fun... a little like listening to baseball. It seemed like at least 50% of the coverage was focused on or about him... started getting a bit long in the tooth.  Now that he's not playing the weekend, that should go down to about 45%.  

Some fantastic pairings going out tomorrow.  Quite a few LIV players making the cut... I could be wrong but suspect they had extra motivation.  I'm hoping that either a healthy weather system pops in or it goes dog biscuit hard and dry.  I'm rooting for either of the Cam's to win it.

 

Cam Smith looks out of sorts today.

[Middler]

Could be a great watch tomorrow with Rory and Hovland, hope so! They played great today. I wouldn’t root against either so I’ll be happy to see either get a win - or a Cam. It’ll take a lot of meltdowns for anyone else to win.

It has been a treat to watch a tournament on a course that plays so unlike any US tournament course.

[FrogginBullfish]

Pulling for Rory big time. He's come so close so many times the last few years in the majors and I think him capturing another major would be the best way for this major season to end.

[Middler]

Cam Smith unbelievable! Rory had so many great putts that just didn’t fall. Zinger just reported that Cam had 9 fewer putts than Rory this Open, and only 12 putts on the back nine today, so Rory was better tee to green but it wasn’t enough…

[ParFore74x]

11 minutes ago, Middler said:

Cam Smith unbelievable! Rory had so many great putts that just didn’t fall. Zinger just reported that Cam had 9 fewer putts than Rory this Open, so Rory was better tee to green but it wasn’t enough…

Cam Smith was on it today. What a fantastic round to close out his weekend and bounce back from his Saturday round of 73. 

[Rickp]

Great Championship Sunday!!  Cam Smith earned every bit of it!

[MGoBlue100]

Having just been to St Andrews, this was amazing to watch. Scottish & Open were both fantastic fun to watch. Congrats to Cam; wanted to see more out of Hovland, but it just wasn’t his time yet. Here’s to the Champ seeing how many beers fit into the Claret Jug!

[MacTourney]

2 hours ago, Rickp said:

Great Championship Sunday!!  Cam Smith earned every bit of it!

Boy did he ever, an assassin with the flat stick. 

[fixyurdivot]

Congratulations Cameron Smith!!  I got to watch part of the closing nine holes after finishing up a round of golf in Pocatello, ID and then the conclusion on PGA Tour radio on my drive back home.  That was an amazing round of golf.  And how about Cameron Young hanging right there and having the 72 hole lead for about 10 seconds. An eagle finish on 18 forcing Smith to make the 3 for the win... outstanding.  Just a hunch here, but I'll bet we have some spies trying to figure out this "mirror" thing C. Smith uses as part of his putter practice... assassin is right.

[FrogginBullfish]

Disappointed Rory couldn't pull it off. I've always liked Rory, but this year more than ever, he's really shot up in my books. 

[Rickp]

2 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Congratulations Cameron Smith!!  I got to watch part of the closing nine holes after finishing up a round of golf in Pocatello, ID and then the conclusion on PGA Tour radio on my drive back home.  That was an amazing round of golf.  And how about Cameron Young hanging right there and having the 72 hole lead for about 10 seconds. An eagle finish on 18 forcing Smith to make the 3 for the win... outstanding.  Just a hunch here, but I'll bet we have some spies trying to figure out this "mirror" thing C. Smith uses as part of his putter practice... assassin is right.

It seems Tournament Winners are getting younger and younger!!  The 2 Cams out on a show today.

[fixyurdivot]

45 minutes ago, Rickp said:

It seems Tournament Winners are getting younger and younger!!  The 2 Cams out on a show today.

They mentioned that all 4 majors this year were won by 20 something year old's... a first I believe.

[MattF]

15 hours ago, MGoBlue100 said:

Here’s to the Champ seeing how many beers fit into the Claret Jug!

1.5 - 2 apparently.

[fixyurdivot]

14 hours ago, FrogginBullfish said:

Disappointed Rory couldn't pull it off. I've always liked Rory, but this year more than ever, he's really shot up in my books. 

You and the 99% of the UK.  I was a bit disappointed in a couple of the post round PGA Tour radio shows and their pretty overt whining about Rory not winning.  Comments like "not to take anything away from Cameron Smith but..."... seriously?   Yea, I get it.  It was supposed to be the storybook ending.  Rory, the new defacto face and defender of the PGA Tour makes a statement win.  This whole LIV vs. PGA Tour, hero's vs. demon's thing is getting petty and childish. 

 

1 hour ago, MattF said:

1.5 - 2 apparently.

Those "oil can" sized, 25 oz., Foster's Lagers though. 

[Shapotomous]

@fixyurdivot I agree, I was real tired of the wrap up shows lamenting a Rory loss more so than celebrating the astounding back nine 30 of Cam Smith.

[LICC]

I think the R&A needs to re-think having St. Andrews host the Open so frequently. The Old Course seems a beautiful setting but just isn't holding up to modern equipment to be a special challenge for one of the top golf events in the world. There are way too many holes that are putts or chips/little pitch shots on the second shot. And the criss-cross holes making the rounds head toward 6 hours don't help. Maybe they re-think the set-up and make the rough more difficult for drives that miss the fairways, but as an elite championship test, St. Andrews is showing its weaknesses.

[TBS]

3 minutes ago, LICC said:

I think the R&A needs to re-think having St. Andrews host the Open so frequently. The Old Course seems a beautiful setting but just isn't holding up to modern equipment to be a special challenge for one of the top golf events in the world. There are way too many holes that are putts or chips/little pitch shots on the second shot. And the criss-cross holes making the rounds head toward 6 hours don't help. Maybe they re-think the set-up and make the rough more difficult for drives that miss the fairways, but as an elite championship test, St. Andrews is showing its weaknesses.

Rough doesn't help the distance issue. It only punishes shorter hitters and rewards bombers. Easier to hit out of rough with a wedge than a 6 iron. I think the lack of wind Sat/Sun hurt the course more than setup.