British Open, 2017

[Cowtown]

Royal Birkdale: another humorless, lunar landscape of a golf course, almost impossible to see where the fairway is, with conduits to the bowels of the earth rather than playable bunkers. Lovely. The only way it could be worse is to have Nick Faldo's directionless, self-indulgently inane prattle running through the telecast. Oh wait ...

C'mon Kuch!

 

[donniesyracuse]

Nice leaderboard

 

[jordoo]

Royal Birkdale: another humorless, lunar landscape of a golf course, almost impossible to see where the fairway is, with conduits to the bowels of the earth rather than playable bunkers. Lovely. The only way it could be worse is to have Nick Faldo's directionless, self-indulgently inane prattle running through the telecast. Oh wait ...

C'mon Kuch!

Cow I think you've hit on one of the difficulties in the Open Championship. These guys are often unable to to see what they are aiming for. They have to pick a line and go for it. That is hard to do consistently over four rounds of golf. As far as the bunkers go a lot of these links courses have no defense other than the bunkers and heather. Remember if you or I played the course the fairways would be much wider than what you see in the Open. Personally I'd love to play most of these courses although I can understand why some one wouldn't like the way they look or play. The ones that bother me is when they are so dried out that everything is yellow or brown. You know when the guys hit a shot from the fairway and rather than a divot you get a cloud of dust. Then of course the ball rolls for ever when its that dry.

 

[jordoo]

As far as the tourney goes it looks good for the USA so far with Kuchar, Spieth, Koepka although Kuchar is almost done today and has basically just held serve.

McIlroy could make a lot of noise coming from behind. When he gets hot he can win anything. He hung in there yesterday and fought back to +1 and is -3 through 12 so far today.

 

[donniesyracuse]

I love waking up to golf already in progress. The British Open has become my favorite major. One can spend all morning watching golf and when it's over, there is still a whole day left.

 

[jncuse]

Phil missing the cut gives me the same feeling as Duke losing.

It should be an interesting weekend, expect the leaderboard to change quite a bit over the next 5 hours as many leaders are just going out. Right now a score of Even in the clubhouse is at 18th, but I would think by the end of the day that is probably top 10, and odds are that Kuchar will have the lead.

Mcilroy by shooting a 69 will move way up the leaderboard.

EDIT - I seem to remember many evenings at the Open where the wind dies down a bit. It seems like it just slowed a bit (whether it continues or not??), but this could be ideal tee time for Spieth and Koepka.

 

[jr4750]

Check out the first picture in this link. Should we all become Lee Westwood fans?

The glamorous golfing WAGs of the British Open revealed | Daily Mail Online

 

[jordoo]

I love waking up to golf already in progress. The British Open has become my favorite major. One can spend all morning watching golf and when it's over, there is still a whole day left.

Saturday and Sunday morning the weekend of the British Open are great! Sipping coffee watching the best players in the world and relaxing.

 

[Cowtown]

Cow I think you've hit on one of the difficulties in the Open Championship. These guys are often unable to to see what they are aiming for. They have to pick a line and go for it. That is hard to do consistently over four rounds of golf. As far as the bunkers go a lot of these links courses have no defense other than the bunkers and heather. Remember if you or I played the course the fairways would be much wider than what you see in the Open. Personally I'd love to play most of these courses although I can understand why some one wouldn't like the way they look or play. The ones that bother me is when they are so dried out that everything is yellow or brown. You know when the guys hit a shot from the fairway and rather than a divot you get a cloud of dust. Then of course the ball rolls for ever when its that dry.

Agreed Jordoo, I don't much like courses like that. I also dislike how much run-out there is, way off one's target line both on so many of the fairways and greens. Seems to place more of a premium on luck than it does skill.

And then as usual, there's Faldo's relentless, mind-numbing prattle ... :blah:

 

[jordoo]

Agreed Jordoo, I don't much like courses like that. I also dislike how much run-out there is, way off one's target line both on so many of the fairways and greens. Seems to place more of a premium on luck than it does skill.

And then as usual, there's Faldo's relentless, mind-numbing prattle ... :blah:

Fair enough. Golf certainly has an element of luck involved which is likely why you play four rounds. I would agree that abnormally firm and fast course would increase how much luck (good or bad) plays into the final results.

 

[Cowtown]

Fair enough. Golf certainly has an element of luck involved which is likely why you play four rounds. I would agree that abnormally firm and fast course would increase how much luck (good or bad) plays into the final results.

I get it that it's golf, and not chess. So, I guess somehow you just accept that fast fairways and knobby greens are simply part of the British Open.

 

[Cowtown]

Nice leaderboard

Every time I see Ian Poulter tee it up I find myself hoping he'll clang it straight OB.

 

[OburgOrange]

I always pull for the Hoff. Meet him in Hilton Head one year, great guy. But, I see he is blowing up today after being tied for first yesterday. Smh

 

[jordoo]

I always pull for the Hoff. Meet him in Hilton Head one year, great guy. But, I see he is blowing up today after being tied for first yesterday. Smh

I like Hoffman as well. He has some of the weirdest mannerisms on the golf course but is a very steady player who has really improved over the last 5 years. Unfortunately his pattern in majors lately has been to get off to a great start and then fade back.

 

[Cowtown]

Jeez, Justin Thomas sure got into a mess on number 6. Stuck the club into the fescue, missed the ball and nearly knocked himself over. When we hit one like that, count one, pick it up and toss it out. No sense getting hurt or damaging your equipment. :noidea:

 

[jordoo]

Jeez, Justin Thomas sure got into a mess on number 6. Stuck the club into the fescue, missed the ball and nearly knocked himself over. When we hit one like that, count one, pick it up and toss it out. No sense getting hurt or damaging your equipment. :noidea:

I'm jealous I'm at work and can't watch. I sprained my wrist pretty badly about 10 or so years back slashing at an 8I out of 18" fescue where the ball was sitting down in that really tangled messed up first couple of inches. The ball actually came out but my hand and club just stopped. Since then I don't play those shots unless its sitting up nice and pretty. Take an unplayable is less painful.

 

[Cowtown]

I'm jealous I'm at work and can't watch. I sprained my wrist pretty badly about 10 or so years back slashing at an 8I out of 18" fescue where the ball was sitting down in that really tangled messed up first couple of inches. The ball actually came out but my hand and club just stopped. Since then I don't play those shots unless its sitting up nice and pretty. Take an unplayable is less painful.

Yep. At this point, score doesn't really mean anything. Golf is just some exercise and a chance to be outside on a nice day with some friends. It's not like we're on the way to turning pro. So when someone says "I shot an 83 today," you know there are some fluffed lies and a couple of 2 1/2 foot gimmes in the mix. And we don't usually play more than 6,000 yards or so.

 

[jordoo]

Yep. At this point, score doesn't really mean anything. Golf is just some exercise and a chance to be outside on a nice day with some friends. It's not like we're on the way to turning pro. So when someone says "I shot an 83 today," you know there are some fluffed lies and a couple of 2 1/2 foot gimmes in the mix. And we don't usually play more than 6,000 yards or so.

I don't play nearly as much as I'd like to so it has taught me to appreciate it all that much more. I'm not as good as I used to be but a majority of that is consistency and lack of reps. I hit the ball as well as I ever have. I still have all the shots in my short game. I'm much better at thinking my way around the course and out of trouble. I don't let bad shots or holes fester. I just don't execute the shots as consistently as I used to. The best part is that I enjoy it more than I ever have and I'm much more enjoyable to play with because of it.

 

[Cowtown]

I don't play nearly as much as I'd like to so it has taught me to appreciate it all that much more. I'm not as good as I used to be but a majority of that is consistency and lack of reps. I hit the ball as well as I ever have. I still have all the shots in my short game. I'm much better at thinking my way around the course and out of trouble. I don't let bad shots or holes fester. I just don't execute the shots as consistently as I used to. The best part is that I enjoy it more than I ever have and I'm much more enjoyable to play with because of it.

Ed Zackley

 

[jordoo]

This leaderboard is looking like we are in for a good weekend. Its going to have a good international feel. Matsuyama and Sung-Hoon are right there. McIlroy, Poulter, Bland and Ramsey all under par. And of course the Americans another strong showing with Spieth, Kuchar and Koepka hanging in there at the top. Plus another 6 or 7 in the top 20. Ernie Els is only 5 shots back.

Spieth with a 69 now -6. He is going to be tough to beat this weekend.

 

[jncuse]

The books really like Jordan Spieth's ability to close. And other than the blowup at Augusta in 2016, he has been quite good holding for entire weekends.

 

[jncuse]

The course is playing really easy today. Greens are soft from rain last night and there is no wind.

Scores of 65 are already in and several players are -4 or better on the course right now. The major record of 63 is in jeopardy right now.

Don't believe there is any bad weather come in from the leaders . I think Speith will have to shoot at least 68 today to maintain his lead.

 

[jncuse]

They just one of the most amazing anomalies in my view. 31 times has a player shot a 63 in the major. But not one player has ever shot better than it.

 

[jncuse]

Grace only needs a par on the 18th to shoot a major record 62.

EDIT - And he did it. Branden Grace with the first ever 62 at a major. A player ranked around #25-#50 over the past 5 years, who always seems to do well in the majors but has yet to win.

 

[cuseattle]

Boom.