THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

First topic message reminder :

Congrats to Zach Johnson

It ended up behind the tee, then hit a marvellous shot to an inch or two. Shame we didn't see the ball in the air.

Deleted

Davie wrote:I think we've found where McLaren is .. just out of shot on this picture

Depends which shot we're talking about...

Lawrie might impressive.

17th hole, to me, seems like it was designed on the back of a napkin at the bar late one night.

Half an hour for a ruling on where the ball should be dropped?!

already sick of "Sir Nick"

I think we can now say 9C is officially a has-been who won't be returning. If he can't score on the world's easiest major course, in the easiest conditions available, how can there possibly be any way back? Good riddance.

Oh Paul

I see GW, the bookie, is laughing all the way to the bank with all the money you've lumped on Gary Boyd. Either that or the weight of expectation is a little heavy.

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:I see GW, the bookie, is laughing all the way to the bank with all the money you've lumped on Gary Boyd.  Either that or the weight of expectation is a little heavy.

Pay for my own holiday, then.

Only ever see St.Andrews once every five years plus one round annually, but everything about it seems fair today.
They say Dustin "overpowered" the golfcourse, but "just" a 65. Seems about right - sure Mike Davis would consider it a Par-70 given the nature of the shorter Par-4's.
Loving it so far.

The BBC did a compilation of slow motion bits. One showed the ball being driven off a tee. It looked to me as though the bottom of the driver hit the ball at the "equator". I would have thought it would need to hit it a bit lower down. Can any experts confirm?

It might not have been someone's best drive in that instance. If you watch them live you can see some really ropey shots which tend not to be on tv unless the cameras are following a certain group or the leader had an oops.

Well, I better face the music I suppose! 77 is extremely disappointing to say the least.

As they say, you can't win it on day 1 but you can lose it, and I thing Gary will have to play extremely well to even have a chance of being there for the weekend. I'm led to believe he'd never failed to break par there before, saved his worst for the Open! I think he needs to hope the weather turns nasty.

Here's one bet I will win......I bet none of you lost as much as me on him!

At least my second choice, Tommy Fleetwood, is doing okay.

Agree Kwini. Course looks excellent test. Obviously needs the wind but as interesting an 18 holes as I've seen in a while. Indulged myself by watching all day and not yet uncorked a white one so still objective.
Johnson D and Z very impressive for different reasons.
Sleigh great to watch. A real craftsman.
Small point great to see English Ams in England golf gear rather than some manufacturer flogging through them.
Pity Lee W blew up but Willet looking good.

Thanks Grumps

Speith not Sleigh! Weisberger grumpiest golfer of the day award. Tiger "made lots of mistake" You can say that again though I take no pleasure in the best golfer I've seen struggle to that extent!

Yeh it's hard seeing someone struggle that much when they shaped golf as it is now in so many ways (in terms of mainstream coverage, buzz etc). I have never followed golf week in week out, until a couple of years ago, but to me he has never looked right since the whole scandal that rocked the world. Mentally tortured and scarred and it's sad that the very media who were so quick to stir the pot and strip his personal life down so publicly now sit and question where the Tiger of old has gone and discuss what's gone wrong with him (injuries, coach changes, swing changes etc) without even a mention of their part!

*side note, he scrambled the back 9 as well if not better than quite a few out there today so it's not all doom and gloom*

Anyhow...moving onto the golf, been a great start to the tournament and it looks like it could really play out as a thriller. Disappointing performance from Fowler thus far but not out of contention as the afternoon times have shown what a big difference to scoring just the slightest of weather changes can make. Johnson looked sublime and could well have come in around 9 under...his power will allow him to eliminate some of the risks come high wind (especially as he seems so adept at keeping it low and still hitting heavy).

If Rickie had a black curly wig he could be a Harry Enfield character of certain UK regional stereotype. What is with the bright blue shell suit? Let's hope he doesn't have an orange one, or we are into TV ads of a certain vintage!!

puligny wrote:Speith not Sleigh! Weisberger grumpiest golfer of the day award. Tiger "made lots of mistake" You can say that again though I take no pleasure in the best golfer I've seen struggle to that extent!

Really? I thought it was great. I'll be seeing him miss the cut in the flesh tomorrow. Good riddance.

No birdies so far today on #17 - only about 8 on #16.

And great to see so many young British golfers doing well, even without Rory. Including some amateurs.
Move over Poults, Westwood (tough finish for him).

kwinigolfer wrote:No birdies so far today on #17 - only about 8 on #16.

Scoring so tough on 17 that Paddy Power weren't offering odds for the bogey or worse!

So it looks like there will be a substantial wind tomorrow!!

A day in the office trying to follow the events by online scoreboard. Home now and looking for highlight show.

Nothing.

So it seems tomorrow morning is going to see the worse of the weather...what do we project the cut is going to be? and does anyone see someone making a major move from the pack?

If the weather gets really windy, cut prob be +2 or +3....................

GPB wrote:Qualfiers through the "Open" Qualifiers.

Gailes Links: Fox, Kinnear (AM), Young 
Hillside:  Arnold, Edberg, Neibrugge (AM
Royal Cinque Ports: Balcombe (AM), Boyd, Taylor(AM)
Woburn: Dinwiddie, Dunne (AM), Goosen

Some decent scores among the Open Qualifiers

Goosen 66
Niebrugge 67
Dunne 69
Kinnear 70
Arnold 71
Edberg 72
Fox 72

Rain delay first thing this morning

That looks like a break for the early starters!

if there is a long delay it will play into the hands of DJ/Spieth and the others that were due to be in the afternoon wave today (fri). they may get to play a decent chunk of their round 2 in Saturday mornings benign conditions rather than Friday evening's gale.

Davie wrote:A day in the office trying to follow the events by online scoreboard. Home now and looking for highlight show.

Nothing.

Never mind. Why don't you record the Beeb's coverage while you're at work if it's that important?

hend085 wrote:if there is a long delay it will play into the hands of DJ/Spieth and the others that were due to be in the afternoon wave today (fri). they may get to play a decent chunk of their round 2 in Saturday mornings benign conditions rather than Friday evening's gale.

Saturday's forecast is for a strong wind pretty much from early morning to the end of the day

well there goes that theory so

No dropped shots for Tiger so far today. Good start!

Play restarting in 25 mins!

Just hope the weather doesn't make the contest a lottery.

I would have expected a live on-course report from super by now.

incontinentia wrote:Just hope the weather doesn't make the contest a lottery.

Will on this course.

Gotta agree with SR it's had it's day. Dullest course, wide open fairways and huge greens. Only difficulty is the weather which makes tee times far more important than they should be. Surviving on the 'home of golf' moniker.

kwinigolfer wrote:I would have expected a live on-course report from super by now.

Tiger's not out yet, probably not worth turning up till then

I know it's just on TV but Adam Scott really does always seem like a jolly nice chap

MustPuttBetter wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:I would have expected a live on-course report from super by now.

Tiger's not out yet, probably not worth turning up till then

Woods not out til 10 past 6!

who said tiger would not be playing at the weekend!

Lots of red numbers early.
Isn't there a chance that the boys out there now might be getting the best of the conditions for Round 2? Wind is only expected to pick up between now and Saturday evening, the greens will be at their softest, make hay even if the sun don't shine.

Danny Willett's swing looks very wristy. Will it hold up under pressure?

MustPuttBetter wrote:Danny Willett's swing looks very wristy. Will it hold up under pressure?

Think so? I was just thinking it looked pretty solid! Certainly making the game look pretty straight forward just now.

Assume the cut is Top 70 and ties, not Top 70 pros as for the PGA Tour?

How about Monday's headline: "Danny Champion of the World"?
OK, Way premature. But wouldn't it be nice!

Birdie on #17 for Jaco VanZyl.
First of the tournament! May not do him any good, but an eagle on #18 might get him sniffing the cut!!

I'm guessing the wind is to pick up in the next few hours? Willett, Zachary and Warren seem to have lucked out with the draw if that's the case.

DJ and Spieth will be screwed.

incontinentia wrote:I'm guessing the wind is to pick up in the next few hours? Willett, Zachary and Warren seem to have lucked out with the draw if that's the case.

DJ and Spieth will be screwed.

Not really.  It was much easier yesterday morning than afternoon so it's evened out about as much as it can in an Open. Willet very impressive so far today after a fine round in yesterday afternoon's trickier conditions.