European Tour - Dunhill Links

The usual good scoring in this event continued yesterday. Carnoustie, the only course putting up any defence. Great starts from Oliver Wilson and Tom Lewis with 64's.......Wilson has threatened a few times in recent years without doing too well at weekends and Tom Lewis has turned into a Thursday specialist, usually ending up as a Sunday also ran.

Speaking of also rans, Harrington at +4 probably needs at least -10 over the next 2 days just to make the cut and spare a thought for Nick Dougherty who ran up a 12 at Carnoustie's 18th on his way to 86....................

The Cut after 3 rounds will be the usual Top 60 & ties i believe, so if the weather stays fair, it'll fall at -6 or -7 so there isn't room for any Links nightmares.

Thanks John! Donaldson and Luiten have started very well yesterday (-7 and -5 on Carnoustie). Big disadvantage starting there, but they seem to have done nicely. Let's wait and see if they can continue their fine form on Kingsbarns and rip the course apart. Should get a 62 easily today, perfect conditions.

It's almost inconceivable that a professional golfer could shoot an 86 in those conditions, even at Carnoustie. Even if you give him a double bogey 6 instead of a 12 at the last it would still be an 80. Of course you can't play well all the time, but that is a truly abyssmal effort.

Good job Dougherty isn't the breadwinner.

Nick seems to be done for. Such a long slump and nowhere near a comeback. He has only been in the money twice in total since January 2011, playing a cool 42 events. Even Michael Campbell is outperforming him by a mile

It's not like he can't play here as he won it in 2007.

I'm actually surprised he still has a card given his form over the last few years.
I hope he can turn it round at some point but it doesn't look like he will any time soon.

Dougherty you mean? He hasnt got a card, is playing on a past winner's exemption. Only invites for Mr Nick...

He plays mainly challenge tour and I think I saw his name in the q school entries. You've got to hand it to him, can't be much fun shooting high numbers week in week out, but he keeps trying. Made plenty of cash in the past though so not going to feel too sorry for him.

Having watched the open at carnoustie, I would say that you could shoot 80 odd if every bounce and kick went against you (unlikely I know). Only saw a bit on telly last night (seemed a lot of coverage of Huge Grunt) but they didn't show Dougherty horror round.

How can you go from being good, and a winner, to be bad and struggling so much. Is it a mental thing? Or is it. like many young players in different sports, he thought he had cracked it, believed the hype and di not work on his game?

If I knew the answer I'd be a very rich man, strange how some have gone to the extremes of winners to nothing though.

I would have thought those that started at Carnoustie posting -3 or -4, or better, would be very well positioned seeing as they go to Kingsbarns today and finish at St Andrews. I think anybody who didn't go low at St Andrews will struggle to make the cut. It would be interesting to see what the scoring averages are for each course.

Thanks John,
Didn't all the so-called "star" golfers kick off at Carnoustie? You could say Donaldson was overnight "leader in the clubhouse".

Good to see Kaymer off to a good start this morning - he started to play better as this year went on, so no surprise if he has a really good late season run.

Cheers John.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dougherty suddently has tooth ache.

Other invite Micheel embarrassing himself (and tournament organisers) once again.

Yes Kwini, they always start off the "stars" at Carnoustie and have them play Sat and Sun at TOC. Wouldn't want the little dears to have to travel for the final round.

Of course what would make this tournament really great would be a Carnoustie Sunday but i think the sponsors/celebs love the "home of golf".

Really feel for Dougherty................

I don't recognise the names of the vast majority of the Ams. Danny Willetts partner - Mustafa Koc!!!!

According to the Pro Am Leaderboard, Michael Campbell and Sandy Dawson are -7 after 7 holes today..................is Campbell playing on in the pro am (unlikely) of is there a club pro gone out in his place?

Anyone know?

What was wrong with Michael Campbell yesterday? Unusual for a pro to w/d when he's under par.

golfermartin wrote:I don't recognise the names of the vast majority of the Ams. Danny Willetts partner - Mustafa Koc!!!!

Apparently a very wealthy Turk. At least he isn't playing with Jason Bohn.

A mate of mine is caddying for someone he described as a complete hacker. Wasn't Dougherty though.

Think when I looked last night only 6 of the top 40 had played their opening round on Carnoustie (and the stars of the field started there). Anybody else think Kingsbarns & TOC need toughened up a bit?. Or even more radical...why not give Carnoustie the Sunday round??

Dougherty's a really interesting case. Loads of potential as a kid (The next Nick Faldo) then took a while to get going then his game fell off a cliff. Obviously everyone wonders why.

There is a theory that sportsmen who are often well ahead of their peers when young don't develop the skills to be able to work out problems and develop themselves as they never needed them to be better than their rivals. The main man in Moneyball (Billy Beane) was like this. Great at all sports, drafted early but didn't start well and could never work out how to improve. Michael Jordan is the other way round. A late developer and nowhere near first round draft pick. Apparently had his older brother been taller we would be eulogising him but through all their games in the back yard the younger brother had to work out how to improve and win which he was then able to carry on using.

Not saying that this is necessarily true and it is no slight on how hard Dougherty is working. In fact dragging yourself through the pain of playing badly, failing at Q school, etc. given where he's been must say otherwise. Personally I found if I was going through a bad patch the best thing I could do was walk away from the level that I was trying to play at and just play with mates for fun and get back to enjoying the sport. Then the improvement often followed.

Lots of good points mighty, but not about Michael Jordan. First round draft pick after leaving UNC early, third overall behind only Olajuan(sp?) and Bowie - both drafted early because their teams needed centres.
 
 
I wonder what influence Nick Doc's mother was on him? She died very suddenly when Nick was on the Heritage leaderboard in Hilton Head - he withdrew and, apart from one win in Germany, don't feel as if he was ever the same again.

MontysMerkin wrote:Having watched the open at carnoustie, I would say that you could shoot 80 odd if every bounce and kick went against you (unlikely I know). Only saw a bit on telly last night (seemed a lot of coverage of Huge Grunt) but they didn't show Dougherty horror round.

Amateurs breaking 80 at Carnoustie is a good knock Monty.

Just to try and give an illustration, stats from the Tassie held there earlier this month (350 competitors ranging from +4 to 15 hcp). Half the field play the Championship (Par 70) one day & the Burnside (Par 68) the next. The aggregate qualifying score to get into the scratch Matchplay (Top 64) was 161 i.e. 23 over par. Whilst there were hcps up to 15 competing the majority of the field were Cat 1 and the vast majority certainly single figures. CSS's were 77 Championship 70 Burnside both days.

For the Pros? dunno what they should expect but given CSS's of 77 from the front tees that would equate to 78/79 off the tips (the par goes up from 70 to 72 as 12 & 14 become Par 5's), granted there's a wee bit less wind this week than when we were there. Those stats above compared to the Pro scoring yesterday illustrate the gulf between the Pros and the rest of us and how good they really really are.

JAS, you also need to consider the weather here yesterday.
Absolutely no wind at all, so even on Carnoustie a fairly easy test of golf.
Just look what they did at TOC and Kingsbarns, although they are both very easy courses indeed.

super_realist wrote:JAS, you also need to consider the weather here yesterday.
Absolutely no wind at all, so even on Carnoustie a fairly easy test of golf.
Just look what they did at TOC and Kingsbarns, although they are both very easy courses indeed.

I'd love to play it benign Super but 4 years of attending the Tassie (14 rounds on the Championship course) I think I've had less than a 3 club wind once. I live in hope!! Kingsbarns and TOC I've played once each, if I got them again in less than a 2 club wind I'd expect to go close or beat my handicap. Carnoustie though I'd be extremely happy to make the buffer.

Kingsbarns and TOC's only defence is the wind. Which is why I wouldn't be surprised by a course record this week.

Carnoustie is more difficult in that respect as the course actually has a few teeth unlike TOC, but to put it in perspective, we've had club members shoot 64 on TOC in medals on windless days, guys that are only +1 or +2 aswell, no where near being even bog standard amateurs, let alone even the worst European Tour players.

The Cut is going to get to -9 by tomorrow evening....................

Luiten has Joost got to -14, Ollie Wilson too.
Anyone going for a lead at -15 this evening?

59 watch?
Uihlein -10 after 15 holes . . . . . . .

Make that -11 through 16 with a par 5 to finish on too.

Grumpy, A very easy par 5 too, good chance for Eagle, and certainly Birdie.

According to the notes on the ET website he didn't make 59; maybe a 60 but his score isn't posted yet

Looks like a 60/61 Grumpy unless he does a Westwood and holes his 2nd for an Albatross. Playing the back 9 first, surprised he didn't birdie a few more on the front 9, there's a couple of really easy holes there that he didn't take advantage of.

Very impressive player and could be a really good shout for a Ryder Cup spot.

With Uilhein and Koepka doing pretty well, will more young Americans make the Euro tour a stepping stone? Because that really will make it a secondary tour, especially if they are successful then jump straight back to America,.

Impressive 60 from Uhlein shame for him he had an average first round.

He's going to TOC next, along with Luiten, so they have a good chance of getting into a great position for Sunday. Lewis has to go to Carnoustie so that may hinder him a little more than the other two.

Nick Dougherty in with a 68, an 18-shot improvement on Thursday. If he makes another 18-shot improvement Saturday, he should make the cut. No problem!

kwinigolfer wrote:Nick Dougherty in with a 68, an 18-shot improvement on Thursday. If he makes another 18-shot improvement Saturday, he should make the cut. No problem!

I was just about to comment on that turnaround. Good for him for sticking in there, it would have been easy bearing in mind he isn't going to make a penny this week to just give up and go home and pump the wife. Given our talk about Sex:Golf ratio I would think he gets the best of both worlds. I hope for Di's sake his golf is not where his skill lies     

Luiten could have his major breakthrough if he wins this, moving up to around #35 in the world and a major step towards Ryder cup qualification (I know half of us think it is overrated, but still, and for a Dutchman to maybe get there, only a couple of weeks after qualies have begun).

super_realist wrote:

kwinigolfer wrote:Nick Dougherty in with a 68, an 18-shot improvement on Thursday. If he makes another 18-shot improvement Saturday, he should make the cut. No problem!

I was just about to comment on that turnaround. Good for him for sticking in there, it would have been easy bearing in mind he isn't going to make a penny this week to just give up and go home and pump the wife. Given our talk about Sex:Golf ratio I would think he gets the best of both worlds. I hope for Di's sake his golf is not where his skill lies     

If she's still with him then he's clearly doing something right   

"The Cut" = Top 60 - was -3 after round 1. -6 after round 2.................looks pretty good for a -9 cut then......................

That means:  Pad Harri needs 65 at TOC, Quiros needs 65 at KB, Casey & Paul Lawrie need 66 at TOC, and Nick Dougherty needs just a a 53 at TOC!

Nice start for Howeller on TOC, he is playing well and needs to as he's just inside the line for the RTD.

Playing in a annual charity match today between my 1st and 2nd Clubs in honour of one of David's late friends so it would be nice to see him post a low 60 something today of all days.

Scoring seems even lower today than the first two days - James Kingston -7 after 10 holes, cut just about to go from -7 to -8, so John's prediction of -9 looks about right.
Plenty of big names will be left behind, including the very out-of-form Olesen.

kwinigolfer wrote:Scoring seems even lower today than the first two days - James Kingston -7 after 10 holes, cut just about to go from -7 to -8, so John's prediction of -9 looks about right.
Plenty of big names will be left behind, including the very out-of-form Olesen.

This thing could go to -10!!

What's the course record at TOC...is is still 63??

I think it is 62 John.

David Howell. Wow. Be great to see him win.

62 for Casey. How'saboutthatthen?
 
Edit: And: Is that Lowry making a pig of himself at -9 at Carnoustie (with one hole to play)?

Edit. Edit! Harrington in with a 64 - playing Sunday and who'd've thunk that 48 hours ago?

Wow... -9 with one hole to play for Lowry at Carnoustie... pretty strong right there...

Winning score - 25?

JAS wrote:Nice start for Howeller on TOC, he is playing well and needs to as he's just inside the line for the RTD.

Playing in a annual charity match today between my 1st and 2nd Clubs in honour of one of David's late friends so it would be nice to see him post a low 60 something today of all days.

Nicely obliged by David...and his home club won the charity match as well (clearly inspired!!)..also happy to say my partner and I contributed a point...happy days )

I hope there'll be a bar tab picked up by David tomorrow if he stays in the shake-up - champagne of course if he wins!


Do they adjust the tees for tomorrow at the Dunhill? Imagine they won't want another handful of 62's and 63's.