THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

First topic message reminder :

Congrats to Zach Johnson

He can't get ill - he's a lean, mean fighting machine

Personally I enjoyed the TV coverage tonight. Just a shame the BBC aren't starting coverage tomorrow until 9am .. 2.5 hours after first tee off

I'm entitled to think it's inducing sycophancy and dew eyed nonsense if I like. Doesn't make me bitter or angry.

I wouldn't want to watch 80 year old hasbeen footballers or tennis players in some gerrymandered exhibition either. I gave it a chance, but it was toecurling stuff. Horses for courses.

Surely BBC have Red Button coverage prior to 9 Davie, or are they just setting up in time for their annual 9C arselick?

super_realist wrote:

Just watching the Champions Comp at St.Andrews, what a load of sentimental old horse sh1t.

You know, I would seek help if I was you. 50K people enjoying themselves, watching great players of the present and past enjoying themselves.

There's so much anger, resentment, bitterness, jealousy all wrapped up in there. You need to find a way to let go of some of this pressure before you become ill.

kwinigolfer wrote:And on another subject!
Is the rather bizarre first tee-time set at 6.32 a.m. so that Ivor Robson might receive a presentation before he squeaks away the first contestant?
And: Is that why Thomas Bjorn is in the opening threesome??

What do 6.32 a.m and TB have to do with Ivor? There's an 11 min interval between all tee times (also 1st and 2nd), so not much time for TB to butt kiss Ivor?

Read some cracking stats on the open earlier;

Of the last 6 winners, 5 have placed in the Top 6 th year preceding their victory.

Of the last 24 winners, only one ( Todd Hamilton) has never played the course before his win.

Has Spieth played TOC before?

Nope he hasn't! Though that matters little with him, if a record/ precedent is there to be broke ATM he is your man to do it

He's played it owen, just not in competition.

pedro, I know. But why then start at 6.32 instead of 6.30? How many meetings do you attend at work that start at xx.32 hours.

yeah, 6.32 sounds like a US airline departure time (e.g. the flight Laura Davies should have been on).

Still I wonder why TB has been given the honour of teeing off first?

pedro wrote:Has Spieth played TOC before?

Not in competition.

He played TOC when he was in Scotland for the Walker Cup.

And he has played it on his golf simulator.  For whatever that is worth.

And the Open is underway!

pedro wrote:Has Spieth played TOC before?

If ever there's a course that you don't need to have played first. This is it. I presume him and his caddie have taken some local advice on bail outs, lines, etc, but even if they haven't he won't need much imagination or shot making to get round.
Wouldn't be surprised to see him shoot 65 on debut. Don't know how much he's practiced, but greens will be true, but slower than he's used to. If he can quickly adjust, and cope with tomorrow's wind. I could see him running away with it.

super_realist wrote:

Surely BBC have Red Button coverage prior to 9 Davie, or are they just setting up in time for their annual 9C arselick?

No sign of any red button coverage yet. This is why I can't wait for Sky to take over. They would have been on air from 6am I'm sure

Opening group all birdie the 1st. Sign of things to come?

EDIT: My mistake, it wasn't the opening group, just the online leaderboard slow to update. Irish Amateur -2 after 2

Agree Davie! I can imagine SKY will also limit the amount of breaks they do, similar to the one minute breaks for that

No bogeys in the first hour of play....so conditions are for scoring early this morning!

Matt Every with a double meaning the first over par score of the tournament has happened!

Lingmerth with 4 straight birdies. Early 59 watch?

Forget 59, it's 254 watch. Even better I think I picked him in my fantasy team. Easy par 5 to come too.

Lowry starts off by hitting his approach into the burn on one...It seems like he isn't the only one who has done that as Streelman made a double bogey alongside

Lingmerth well on track for that 62

Lingmerth is well on his way to a 254 or better

Indeed. Very impressive. Great birdie chances at 8, 9 and 10 too.

Lowry on track for a 354

incontinentia wrote:Lowry on track for a 354

Kilograms or score?

Davie wrote:

super_realist wrote:

Surely BBC have Red Button coverage prior to 9 Davie, or are they just setting up in time for their annual 9C arselick?

No sign of any red button coverage yet. This is why I can't wait for Sky to take over. They would have been on air from 6am I'm sure

I'm sure they would.................and they'd have had 30 minutes of golf and 2.5 hours of adverts and sh!te by 09.00.

sirbenson wrote:Lowry starts off by hitting his approach  into the burn on one...It seems like he isn't the only one who has done that as Streelman made a double bogey alongside

How daft is that?????? What do you gain by being so close to it in any case? Nothing whatsoever.

I don't have SKY, but occasionally I'll subscribe via NOW TV for the Masters or Ryder Cup and the adverts, especially the content of the adverts are infuriatingly annoying. Wall to wall betting adverts.

navyblueshorts wrote:

sirbenson wrote:Lowry starts off by hitting his approach  into the burn on one...It seems like he isn't the only one who has done that as Streelman made a double bogey alongside

How daft is that?????? What do you gain by being so close to it in any case? Nothing whatsoever.

His approach a.k.a second shot.

super_realist wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

sirbenson wrote:Lowry starts off by hitting his approach  into the burn on one...It seems like he isn't the only one who has done that as Streelman made a double bogey alongside

How daft is that?????? What do you gain by being so close to it in any case? Nothing whatsoever.

His approach a.k.a second shot.

Huh? He hit his approach in the burn? Ah. OK. That makes more sense - still silly though .

Another birdie for Lingmerth takes him to -6 after 7!!!

254 Watch: Lingmerth is 2 under "254 par" after 7 holes

Sub 60 is really on today. The R&A would be shamed into admitting the Old Course is past it.

navyblueshorts wrote:

Davie wrote:

super_realist wrote:

Surely BBC have Red Button coverage prior to 9 Davie, or are they just setting up in time for their annual 9C arselick?

No sign of any red button coverage yet. This is why I can't wait for Sky to take over. They would have been on air from 6am I'm sure

I'm sure they would.................and they'd have had 30 minutes of golf and 2.5 hours of adverts and sh!te by 09.00.

Well I'm sure it would be more than that - but even that is 30 minutes more than the bloody BBC.

Davie wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:

Davie wrote:

super_realist wrote:

Surely BBC have Red Button coverage prior to 9 Davie, or are they just setting up in time for their annual 9C arselick?

No sign of any red button coverage yet. This is why I can't wait for Sky to take over. They would have been on air from 6am I'm sure

I'm sure they would.................and they'd have had 30 minutes of golf and 2.5 hours of adverts and sh!te by 09.00.

Well I'm sure it would be more than that - but even that is 30 minutes more than the bloody BBC.

You can keep that. Sorry. Can't stand Sky, their stupid gadgetry and worse anchors.

Thanks I will keep it - and look forward to next year. Yes they may have the detestable Livingstone, Murray and Critchley but that's no worse the Hazel Irvine and sodding Alliss - not to mention Ken "Magnus Pyke" Brown

Both have faults but I know which I prefer as the lesser of two evils, and Sky will at least give the tournament the coverage it deserves

That is some front 9 by Lingmerth. Super seems to be winning the 254 argument so far. Mclaren in absentia.

After completing 1/8 of the tournament, Lingmerth is 2.75 strokes better than 254 pace.

The sky vs bbc debate already. I would be very very surprised if sky start showing live golf at 6.32. They may start coverage, when they all sit around talking for ages. They have never shown a full days golf on any regular event yet. As thing stands the bbc coverage for the open is so much better then anything sky have done yet. But no one can coment on how they do the open because they haven't done it yet!!

It'sa nice looking course compared to some of the other open venues or chambers bBay.

The biggest event they cover is the Ryder Cup. They show 3 full days of that, plus adequate highlight programs. When is the BBC highlight show in for those of us who work during the day?

scabby old nike hat on woods with sweat marks all over it. tought times!

Tiger waiting to go. Trying to spot Super but can't hear anyone shouting obscenities

He's laughing now. Into the burn.

'Which Tiger will we see this week?'

Approach to the first in the burn. Oh

Great shot tiger

incontinentia wrote:That is some front 9 by Lingmerth. Super seems to be winning the 254 argument so far. Mclaren in absentia.

After completing 1/8 of the tournament, Lingmerth is 2.75 strokes better than 254 pace.

Just goes to show what I said about conditions and the ease of that course. I don't expect it to last, but theoretically given the right conditions and the right golfer, it's perfectly plausible when a course has no defences to protect it.

Excellent stuff from Donald too.

all these guys burning it up now though will have the bad side of the draw for the gale tomorrow evening right?

True hendo, but early starters tomorrow are getting soaked.

9C, what a chopper

ah i hadnt heard there was rain due.

Was going to have a game early until I saw heavy rain forecast until 11am. Forecast is frequently wrong though