The Open Championship 2019 - Shane Lowry!!!

First topic message reminder :

Shaneo Lowry!!!!!!!!!!

beninho wrote: And not had a bad year has he?

No, his year has been quite bad, failed to contend in any of the Majors. For him that is actually quite disastrous.  If all he wanted was to be a precocious talent, feature in a Tiger Woods golf game as youth, win every now and again on tour and never really feature in the majors he may as well be CH3.

I would guess he could have had his pick of caddie when he split with JP. We have no idea whether anyone else would have been better or worse. I guess it's about what makes him comfortable on the course.

Ben

Don't want to sound like a douche, but having seen Rory's caddy work up close I can tell you it wouldn't be difficult for someone to do better.  Even a bag carrier type caddy should know the course, get the actual and plays like yardages correct, get the wind correct, offer a club with the correct yardage and know the greens.  The dip sht on Rory's bag doesn't seem to get any of those things correct.

Haven't seen Rory with HD but he and JP were not engaged at all in the weeks before they split.
Also, most of the pros do their own work on the course as well as their caddy's; I hope Rory has good judgement in that regard, because the ultimate responsibility is his.
Hope he shoots 59 today.


Golf Channel speculation that the dates of this WGC and Minneapolis's 3M event will be switched next year, but can't see that making any difference to the pro turn-out. And it will pit the WGC up against (most likely) the Irish Open.

Rex Hoggard reckoned pros were suffering from jet lag following a late night charter from Northern Ireland which landed in Memphis at 2.00 a.m.
Good lord, why didn't they have a normal evening in Portrush/Belfast and fly in the morning; they wouldn't have suffered any jet-lag at all? Rookies!!

Tuesday and Wednesday nights I was in the two biggest casinos in the Memphis area. I was kind of looking for a golf pro (hoping they might have extra tickets to St Jude) but I didn't see any playing any table games.

GPB wrote:Tuesday and Wednesday nights I was in the two biggest casinos in the Memphis area.  I was kind of looking for a golf pro  (hoping they might have extra tickets to St Jude) but I didn't see any playing any table games.

Can't you afford a ticket?
If we'd've known we could've started a Go Fund Me page for you.


Hadn't realised John Daly apparently has special dispensation to use a cart now in PGA Tour events. All due to self-inflicted ailments presumably. Ridiculous.

Yes, I could afford them. Why pay when you might get free tickets? Really didn't want a 2.5 hr drive after a few hours of Swamp-A$$ watching golf.

Been there, done that after going to see the old St Jude (or playing TPC Southwind)

GPB wrote:Yes, I could afford them.  Why pay when you might get free tickets?  

mmmm . . . . Thought you were made of sterner stuff.
Not surprising the Tour has to be so sycophantic to the TV Networks . . . . . .

kwinigolfer wrote:

GPB wrote:Yes, I could afford them.  Why pay when you might get free tickets?  

mmmm . . . . Thought you were made of sterner stuff.
Not surprising the Tour has to be so sycophantic to the TV Networks . . . . . .

A bit harsh, if nothing else it would have been interesting to see how much a top player would gamble.

McLaren wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:

GPB wrote:Yes, I could afford them.  Why pay when you might get free tickets?  

mmmm . . . . Thought you were made of sterner stuff.
Not surprising the Tour has to be so sycophantic to the TV Networks . . . . . .

A bit harsh, if nothing else it would have been interesting to see how much a top player would gamble.

Sounds like a bit of a fair-weather fan to me. What's wrong with driving home after 7 or 8 hours on a golfcourse in mid-80's temps? Wussy .

We quit watching the Scottish open before the leaders even got onto the back nine and that was only a 45 min drive home.  I have probably out wussied GPB.  

McLaren wrote:We quit watching the Scottish open before the leaders even got onto the back nine and that was only a 45 min drive home.  I have probably out wussied GPB.  

I wouldn't doubt that, Mac, I just expected more of GPB - he's lived in the south for too long, not like his roots where men are men . . . . and so are the women.

Nothing to say here really, just wanted to see this sticky back up top again, carry on.

McLaren wrote:We quit watching the Scottish open before the leaders even got onto the back nine and that was only a 45 min bus ride home.  I have probably out wussied GPB.  

Fixed it for Mac.

Be_the_ball wrote:just wanted to see this sticky back up top again

Is it Shane Lowry you’re talking about?

Solheim Cup: Painfully slow. And no way the US women have ever practiced in weather like this. Advantage Europe.

Shotrock wrote:Solheim Cup: Painfully slow. And no way the US women have ever practiced in weather like this. Advantage Europe.

Speaking of painfully slow, It took my 3 ball 4 1/2 hours today. we had to let 2 X 2 balls through. One of the guys in the group unbelievably slow.

Shotrock wrote:Solheim Cup: Painfully slow. And no way the US women have ever practiced in weather like this. Advantage Europe.

Don't buy that. America has wind. For example if you have played in Chicago, you have played in worse wind than that.

The entry conditions for this year's Open include spots for women at Regional Qualifying. Admittedly, you would have had to have been in the top five for any of the women's Majors, but still......
A round at Regional Qualifying and then two rounds of Final Qualifying for around 12 spots is a bit daunting, but it can be done.

If you want to watch the 150th Open at St Andrews you will have to join the R&A's (free to join) One Club and then go in for a ballot. SEE HERE

I reckon there will be at least one disqualification at this years Open. Not for a golf rules infraction, but a Covid infraction. A player going to a pub, more than 4 people in a players house or something similar.

My fourth and last trip to the bookies this year resulted in the following selections. Fleetwood, Niemann, Grace and English. We shall see.

I'm never wrong wrote:I reckon there will be at least one disqualification at this years Open. Not for a golf rules infraction, but a Covid infraction. A player going to a pub, more than 4 people in a players house or something similar.

My fourth and last trip to the bookies this year resulted in the following selections. Fleetwood, Niemann, Grace and English. We shall see.

Probably Lowry heading out for something to eat.

I follow Ian Poulter on Twitter. He has an ongoing "prank" battle with Henrik Stenson. The latest one is that Poulter is staying in a motorhome (possibly on/near) the course. Stenson put a load of food (tuna) on the roof of the motorhome in the early hours of the morning. Poults said it sounded like pterodactyls had landed with a load of tigers on the roof. It was seagulls getting the tuna. Poulter has promised revenge.

The course looks nice! That's the extent of my golf course knowledge.

beninho wrote:The course looks nice! That's the extent of my golf course knowledge.

I'm sure Mac could bore you to death with a Doak like critique.

Found it amusing that Koepka effectively said it was a dog track.

It's highly unlikely I'm going to play it. So, for most courses I can just base it on how it looks. The views etc. And this looks on of the nicer ones on the open rota.

I'm never wrong wrote:I reckon there will be at least one disqualification at this years Open. Not for a golf rules infraction, but a Covid infraction. A player going to a pub, more than 4 people in a players house or something similar.

My fourth and last trip to the bookies this year resulted in the following selections. Fleetwood, Niemann, Grace and English. We shall see.

Had a flutter on Hatton, Fleetwood, Berger and then a few long shots hoping for a place with Dahmen, Rai and Kanaya

Goodness, McIlroy struggling in the first round of a major, who would have thought it?

Duty281 wrote:Goodness, McIlroy struggling in the first round of a major, who would have thought it?

He's a three round golfer these days, like so many others.
Hopefully Gordon Spieth will drop down too.

Why doesnt Bryson take some irons off these tees, is he really that one-dimensional?! His 3 iron would go as far as most guys drivers, and be much more accurate than his own.

incontinentia wrote:Why doesnt Bryson take some irons off these tees, is he really that one-dimensional?! His 3 iron would go as far as most guys drivers, and be much more accurate than his own.

He believes his own hype that he's a "scientist", when he's like a lot of sportspeople in that he's not actually that bright.

Anyone could look at this course and see that if you miss the fairway, you're in trouble.

It was interesting that the Cobra rep fired back so quickly after Bryson criticised his driver. He's obviously a nightmare to work with.

incontinentia wrote:It was interesting that the Cobra rep fired back so quickly after Bryson criticised his driver. He's obviously a nightmare to work with.

.... and the flat cap looks ridiculous

incontinentia wrote:It was interesting that the Cobra rep fired back so quickly after Bryson criticised his driver. He's obviously a nightmare to work with.

That along with the caddie quitting on the eve of the Rocket Mortgage Classic a few weeks back (it was termed a "mutual" parting, which was hilarious), some real cracks beginning to show in Team Bryson. Don't think I've ever seen a statement from a sponsor/equipment provider like the one Cobra put out yesterday

Always struggle to understand how Xander Schauffele is always in the 14/1 to 25/1 range for events, when the last time he won an event was 6th January 2019 - surely at some point you actually have to you know, win something, to justify being such a favourite. They seem to have cottoned on with Finau now, but not Xander

As a "scientist" you would think Bryson would be aware of cherry picking. Because he is sure putting a lot of weight on that US open win.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Always struggle to understand how Xander Schauffele is always in the 14/1 to 25/1 range for events, when the last time he won an event was 6th January 2019 - surely at some point you actually have to you know, win something, to justify being such a favourite. They seem to have cottoned on with Finau now, but not Xander

Betting is about more than how likely someone is to win. It's also about how much has been bet on him. There's an element of mitigation from the bookies, "just in case" they do come in.
Nine Fibulas used to be laughably low odds when he was nowhere near enough fit to win.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Always struggle to understand how Xander Schauffele is always in the 14/1 to 25/1 range for events, when the last time he won an event was 6th January 2019 - surely at some point you actually have to you know, win something, to justify being such a favourite. They seem to have cottoned on with Finau now, but not Xander

7 top 10s in 2020 so they need to protect against the e/w bets. And he is consistently in and around the top 10 for strokes gained tee to green - which will make up a big part of their algorithm in determining the odds.

Plus even if one bookie has him at, say, 50/1. They will just price him slightly higher than the next - so 25/1 if everyone else has him at 20/1. No point going at 50/1, when 25/1 is still the best and will attract the punters.

McIlory is trying to change his swing, well tweek it, with Cowan but it is clear that it is actually his shot selection that is the issue. Watched a bit of the coverage today and the type of shot he tries to play into the green is usually the wrong one. We have been saying it for years on here but he needs a caddy that would open his eyes to a whole new world of shot shapes.

Prime example he had 202 into a par 4 and tried to hit the highest and longest 8 iron he could. It predictably stopped after one small hop at the front of the green and 60 foot short of the pin. So at least a couple of clubs short for the type of shot he was playing. But why not do what every other player did on that hole and play something that you know will run up the green? Just so boned headed.

Into the 2 par 5's he has had about 270 and tried to fly a 2 or 3 iron all the way. Does he really not have a 3 wood or 5 wood shot where he plays it to run up into the correct part of the green, taking any slope that will feed it to the hole? Why try and blast something right on your limit when the ground is firm and willing to help you out?

I think that's a bit simplistic Mac. It's a bit like saying to a tennis player "why didn't you just get it over the net?"

On links courses and in wind you simply don't have the ball on a string the way you can in America. Bounces are random, some fmground is soft, some is hard, some greens slightly slower, some break less.
You've played enough golf to know this stuff. You just can't hit the shot you always want on any golf course, but it's exaggerated on links because there is less forgiveness on most of them on the rota.
Now, I could never hit an 8 202 yards, and nor can you, so you don't really know if that was the right shot for McIlroy or not. If he'd flushed a 7 downwind then perhaps being long was worse than being short?

Super

I thought you were a course management man?

McLaren wrote:Super

I thought you were a course management man?

I am, but your idea of course management is going to be different from McIlroy's.
I agree that McIlroy (and Spud Chambeau) could improve on this but it's difficult to say that every bad shot is down to poor course management.

Surely you've had a bad outcome but been certain it was the right tactic, even if it didn't come off?
How many shots do you hit a round that come off exactly how you want them to? Even Hogan said if he had two or three a round that fell into that bracket he considered that a success.

Super

When was the last time you watched a McIlroy round?

Today has been painful to watch. His choice of shot just doesn't give him a chance. He has Cam Smith playing with him today who he could use as a guide on how to play the course.

With McIlroy he is playing shots that have no chance of coming off. He is hitting the ball extremely well but just not attempting to play golf. He may as well be a robot hitting machine because he doesn't play the game.

He said a few months ago that he believes he plays his best golf when he attacks.
Of course it won't always come off.
You wouldn't criticise Nine Fibulas for his demonstrably poor course management, but McIlroy is an easy target it seems.

Jon Rahm is playing (again) with Lee Westwood's putter.

McLaren wrote:McIlory is trying to change his swing, well tweek it, with Cowan but it is clear that it is actually his shot selection that is the issue. Watched a bit of the coverage today and the type of shot he tries to play into the green is usually the wrong one. We have been saying it for years on here but he needs a caddy that would open his eyes to a whole new world of shot shapes.

Prime example he had 202 into a par 4 and tried to hit the highest and longest 8 iron he could. It predictably stopped after one small hop at the front of the green and 60 foot short of the pin. So at least a couple of clubs short for the type of shot he was playing. But why not do what every other player did on that hole and play something that you know will run up the green? Just so boned headed.

Into the 2 par 5's he has had about 270 and tried to fly a 2 or 3 iron all the way. Does he really not have a 3 wood or 5 wood shot where he plays it to run up into the correct part of the green, taking any slope that will feed it to the hole? Why try and blast something right on your limit when the ground is firm and willing to help you out?

Why don’t you audition to be his bagman Mac? You remind me of one of our Seniors Mac, a few years ago Howeller organised a Pro am at our course and a few decent European tour pros showed up, as it was a charity event, members could bid to caddy for the pros. So one of our seniors had Paul Caseys bag, By the 13th hole you’d think he’d have sussed out Caseys relative length compared to his…nope. Old Clive proceeded to warn Casey of the dangers of the large tree at 260 on the corner of the dogleg and how it could block out the 2nd shot. Casey just raised one eyebrow, bit his tongue, requested the driver and proceeded to launch it OVER the tree, the old boys face was a picture. Point being, pros yardage charts are totally different than any of the likes of us.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Always struggle to understand how Xander Schauffele is always in the 14/1 to 25/1 range for events, when the last time he won an event was 6th January 2019 - surely at some point you actually have to you know, win something, to justify being such a favourite. They seem to have cottoned on with Finau now, but not Xander

Seems like Rory is always one of the favorites, but he hasn't won a major in nearly 7 yrs.

FWIW, IME Bookies are interested in setting realistic odds, they are interested in making money. Their database probably indicates that people are willing to bet on XS in the ~20/1 range so that is where they put him.

If no one is betting on XS they would move the odds to generate more action on XS

Ditto Rory.

So, are the -5's still in it entering the weekend? (I think so; Koepka is my horse.)

Would like to see the wind come up. The one time I played RSG, it was blowing pretty hard.

There was a bit of discussion between commentators Nick Dougherty and Paul McGinley. McGinley thought the R&A would tuck the pins away due to the low scoring so far, Dougherty wasn't keen. My understanding from a TV programme a long time ago (so don't know if still true) is that the pin placements on days 1 and 2 were to facilitate quick play - therefore they were near the route to the next tee.

Does anyone know if they’re releasing what they’re doing to the course between rounds? Greens were beginning to look pretty baked by the end yesterday, as far as I’m aware no rain overnight, yet they’re looking green and fairly lush this morning…which suggests they’ve watered them overnight?