Faldo's last Open

First topic message reminder :

Sir Nick has announced he will play in his last Open this year at St Andrews. BBC Link here
"I was there" (as Max Boyce would say) in 1990 when he won the Open there.
Always good to announce BEFORE that it will be your final event, then it doesn't matter what you score, people will forgive you. Go before being pushed.......unless he wins it of course!!!

kwinigolfer wrote:Agree about Beemer.
I imagine you (GB&I) guys like what you hear from Kostis and Maltbie in their respective on-course roles?

Ummm.. to be fair they're ok.

Remember seeing Nick Price top it about 40 yards with a fairway wood. The look on his face was...err.. Priceless.

Seem to recall the Goose top one off the 1st tee at some televised event or other to much gallery hilarity. To be fair though, also seem to recall he laced a 3-wood on the green or close and made a regulation par. Not sure the average amateur would walk away w/o any damage having topped off the 1st tee.

Navy

I have a vague memory of the Goose duffing a shot at a US open. Maybe even the one that he won at Southern Hills.

super_realist wrote:I saw Eduardo Romero top one at The Dunhill. Amazing how many terrible shots you do see pro's play when there isn't a Director and Editor around to select the best shots.

Thats not exactly true, I have seen the odd duffed shot while attending a pro event but it is hardly a common occurrence.

Can't imagine there's a pro out there who hasn't duffed one in a tournament somewhere, certainly seen a few. Also seen more shanks recently than one was used to. Poults and Simpson especially seem to hosel one a month at least.

I have a good friend who a number of years ago used to work in the gym complex at Wentworth but wasn't really playing much golf at the time.
He tells a story of eventually being allowed onto the West Course for a knockabout and standing on the first tee feeling, well, a touch nervous (is not how he puts it!). Anyone who's been to Wentworth will know how not very far away from the first tee the practice putting green is. My mate top hooks his opening drive left only to apparently look up and see it miss decapitating Nick Faldo by about a foot.
Would have been some claim to fame huh!

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:I saw Eduardo Romero top one at The Dunhill. Amazing how many terrible shots you do see pro's play when there isn't a Director and Editor around to select the best shots.

Thats not exactly true, I have seen the odd duffed shot while attending a pro event but it is hardly a common occurrence.

The best one of late was 9C's drive in the Masters, the one where he was lucky to hit the ball.

9C's duff on the 13th tee at the Masters was pretty shocking given the ball was teed up nice and high.
Rose had a shocker of a shank on the 11th at Augusta this year also.
Casey got away with a shank a few weeks ago (was it at Northern Trust?) - he managed to get up and down and smiled sheepishly as he left the green.

Going back a few years, I have a vague memory of Peter Hanson being in contention at the Masters and duffing his tee shot on 12 to the extent it didn't even reach the water.

Remember seeing 9C top one at Valderrama at the '97 Ryder Cup. He was trying to hit a long iron out of a bunker on the 11th but it was still refreshing.

I remember three or four years ago Jason Day topping a drive about 40 yards. With a sheepish grin he walked forward, driver still in hand and smashed it again. I seem to recall there was a further twist to it but can't remember the exact details - something like his smashed second driver when close to a bush which he had to hook around and sank his putt for a miraculous par

I've seen some fabulous duffs from touring pros over the years. Nicklaus shanking one off the 12th at St Mellion in '89. I recall Ernie Els completely nobble his drive off the 2nd at St Andrews in a Dunhill Cup, c.mid-nineties. The ball barely got past the teeing ground.

But the best one was Fulton Allem, duffing one so badly off the 16th tee at Augusta in '94 that it didn't even reach the water. And yes, I do mean the 16th, not the 12th. Which means it went less than 40 yards. He roared with laughter (or hysteria), which was a good effort after his putter-snapping reaction at Birkdale three years earlier.

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:I saw Eduardo Romero top one at The Dunhill. Amazing how many terrible shots you do see pro's play when there isn't a Director and Editor around to select the best shots.

Thats not exactly true, I have seen the odd duffed shot while attending a pro event but it is hardly a common occurrence.

The best one of late was 9C's drive in the Masters, the one where he was lucky to hit the ball.

Especially making birdie!