The Open Championship 2018

The Open Championship thread.

Here’s a preview by some of the players.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ConorSketches/status/1018880460888428545/video/1

So Tiger returns to the scene of his first foray and if you are to believe some of the articles his golfing love of links. Mixed bag I always thought, for the Super Realists of the world he's rubbish, hates bad weather and can't play in the wind. But, he's won 3 of them including (if my memory serves) imperiously in conditions at Hoylake that were similar to how I understand it's likely to be at Carnoustie. As with everything internet forum based, reality is somewhere inbetween. Shame, but I think it's (again) a case of "can he make the cut?" rather than "can he, can he?"

The track of dreams and nightmares. Harrington and Lawrie flying Celtic flags on the previous two visits, Lawrie particularly in dreamland in 99 from 10 shots back on the last day while clearly too much strong Gallic cheese gave Van de Velde the nightmare of needing a double bogey and somehow (please don't, just get out and put your shoes on man, what are you playing at?) contriving a "lucky" 7. Almost simultaneously Tony Romero's comeback was similarly derailed on the back 2 (double double) after an imperious outward 16. Similarly, Garcia's 8 foot putt on the 72nd for the win slid by (he thought he'd hit it perfectly at the time and interestingly afterwards???) giving him more sleep issues than a manchego toastie just before bed while Harrington's double barrie burn visit on the 72nd scraped him in to the playoff which he won to bolster the Emerald Isle's list of major championships. Longest open rota course, nastiest closing stretch, firmest fairways in recent memory and almost universally being called tricky.

So, how to play. Woods (sorry Super) and Spieth see links golf as an exercise in imagination, many old hands see the mental battle of good shots getting bad breaks and vice versa as the key battle. Made for champions. How do the youthful 2018 Major winners see it? Both Reed and Koepka are indicating driver could be the weapon of choice. To paraphrase, they both think if they can get past the traps, the rough isn't too bad so why wouldn't they use that distance advantage - interesting to see how that pans out against the "conventional" wisdom. Smacks of foot in mouth but could be hands on trophy.

Spieth now has his hands off the trophy having passed it back over to the blazers of destiny at the R&A and reading about his woes with his putter it sounds like it won't be back in those sweaty mitts at least this year, but the greens are usually slower than those on the PGA Tour, Woods (sorry again) commenting that he thinks it could be one of those weeks where the fairways are faster than the greens. A lack of pace combined with relative flatness could hide putting weakness, but I just don't think Jordan will be re-filling the claret jug this year - I do hope the youngster cleaned out the residue of his Coca Cola or mocha makky dichiato (or whatever these youngsters drink these days) though.

Local knowledge of the course record (62) held by Tommy Fleetwood is apparently meaningless in the conditions with Tommy amongst the pros citing 260 yard 7 irons but it must help knowing how to get it done, at least once, around there. I don't think there is a pro that should win a big one any more than Tommy, let's face it he needs to get a couple of quid from somewhere for a razor and a pair of scissors.

So - very, very much cobbled together in a very un-Kwini like manner (especially my "facts" which may well not be!), although in one final nod to the pied piper of golfing prose I leave you with the one question around the oldest major being contested by the youngest and longest players ever. Plotting or Power.

My thoughts are plotting. Power didn't qualify!

Tiger doubtless licking his lips at the prospect of not having to hit his driver this week.
But I don't think re-running his '06 strategy will cut it this time, as he's just going to get left miles behind the bombers - several of who have already said they'll be blasting it as far as they can to get past the trouble & take their chances.

2006 showed that Tiger could handle being miles behind the bombers. The final round was the best example: Woods v Garcia, Sergio bombing 50+ yards further, leaving himself wedges into the green, Tiger hitting mid irons and even long irons into the green but still putting it close.

That was a long time ago however. Tiger is still very very good with his approaches from distance but would he be able to compete with say Dustin hitting improved wedges after monster drives?

Just gone to the bookies to place my bets. Fowler, Noren, Lahiri and Poulter. Keeps up the interest.

If players do start bombing the ball out there, won't that make for long rounds waiting on every par four for the green to clear?

I'm never wrong wrote:Just gone to the bookies to place my bets. Fowler, Noren, Lahiri and Poulter. Keeps up the interest.

If players do start bombing the ball out there, won't that make for long rounds waiting on every par four for the green to clear?

Probably not, the first theoretically drivable par 4 is the 3rd, can’t believe they’re trying that with Jockys burn in front, they either need a lucky bounce from short or if they land on the green they’re through it. Most will get on Hogans (6th par 5) in 2, pretty much the same for Specs (14th). They won’t get on 7 or 11 from the tee in a light westerly. That’s about it for the driveable par 4s. 7 and 11 are the 2 holes to watch the stats between the strategists and the bombers.

So, I’ve spent 2 days watching which to be honest hasn’t helped a great deal but I will say this, even the bombers have been checking their plan B irons off the tee. The rough is mostly burnt to a frazzle but not everywhere, there are still some places they need to avoid.
Rory is hitting it right and I mean not left or correct I mean right!!
I’ve watched a lot over the last couple of days but something hit me like a brick today... Langer Carnoustie 2018 could be the updated version of Watson Turnberry 2009. Think about it about it, it’s playing into the shorter hitters hands. Langer obviously can’t keep up with the Rory’s but my goodness he’s steady and accurate.
Ultimately though I think it’s gonna be Rose, and about time too. As an aside, and I would still have said Rose before this happened but I won a Justin Rose signed driver today, had to answer a question on what his home club was. Collected it off the man himself and I just get the impresssion he’s super relaxed and in a good place. We shall see, if Langer and Rose miss the cut I will NEVER make a golf prediction again!!

Roller, great post!

Bets are on for my outsider shouts. Schauffele @ 80/1 after he won me money at Shinnecock, not convinced he’s really an outsider at all but keeps getting priced as one. Fox @ 125/1, Bjork @ 150/1 and Goosen @ 300/1, following the same logic with Goose as JAS was with Langer. Top ten from any of them should see me in profit for the week.

Good moaning

Pieters drove the first and they didn’t show it?

sirbenson wrote:Pieters drove the first and they didn’t show it?

Saw that Sirb - Only saw his eagle attempt....

I’m surprised there isn’t more players under par given the lack of wind at the moment.

Agreed, no one obviously taking advantage yet of conditions about as good as they’ll get. Good news for the later starters with the tougher conditions today.

Rahm just drove the 3rd

Greens already not looking very good... Going to be hard on the afternoon guys

Anyone have any insight as to why DJ has a longer warm up then most players?

JAS wrote:So, I’ve spent 2 days watching which to be honest hasn’t helped a great deal but I will say this, even the bombers have been checking their plan B irons off the tee. The rough is mostly burnt to a frazzle but not everywhere, there are still some places they need to avoid.
Rory is hitting it right and I mean not left or correct I mean right!!
I’ve watched a lot over the last couple of days but something hit me like a brick today... Langer Carnoustie 2018 could be the updated version of Watson Turnberry 2009. Think about it about it, it’s playing into the shorter hitters hands. Langer obviously can’t keep up with the Rory’s but my goodness he’s steady and accurate.
Ultimately though I think it’s gonna be Rose, and about time too. As an aside, and I would still have said Rose before this happened but I won a Justin Rose signed driver today, had to answer a question on what his home club was. Collected it off the man himself and I just  get the impresssion he’s super relaxed and in a good place. We shall see, if Langer and Rose miss the cut I will NEVER make a golf prediction again!!

Good post.

Rich Beem was also jumping on the Langer bandwagon last night.

So DJ just hit his drive on the par 5 6th OB and still managed to score par

Pieters this morning and now Koepka have driven the first. Rory was over the back of the 3rd off the tee as well. Still only -5 best score but I can see lower before the end of the day.

Does anyone know what Tiger has on the back of his neck? Is it more advertising or something to protect his back?

INW - It's Kinesiology Tape, something that supposedly helps aid recovery and hold tissue in a certain place.  You tend to see it on a lot of athletes that have minor aches and pains. 

According to the Golf Channel coverage we have here he slept awkwardly last night and woke up with a crick in his neck.

If Tiger Moobs is looking for a bit of rogerisation tonight, he can take his pick from the commentators on 5 Live, Ian Carter and Mel Reid are literally gushing in a quite sickening fashion. Their legs must be already akimbo in the commentary box.

Thanks 1GG I

Sergio plays out of a burn into a bunker.

Really terrible bogey by Tiger on the 13th

Love the look of the course. Looks like a proper old school sun burnt traditional course.

Also, Tiger Moobs? I know its just classic bantz from the boards regular dapper laughs, but mr s.r would you consider yourself to have a better physique then tw?

beninho wrote:Love the look of the course. Looks like a proper old school sun burnt traditional course.

Also, Tiger Moobs? I know its just classic bantz from the boards regular dapper laughs, but mr s.r would you consider yourself to have a better physique then tw?

In terms of having a balanced body and no moobs (or the early signs of) absolutely.

He's got a ridiculous body, tiny little chicken legs and a stupidly over-worked upper body. No wonder he's a cripple.

You are a very odd man, Super. There are many, many unsightly and poor and strange physiques out on that golf course today. To pick on Woods as being ridiculous, is well, utterly ridiculous.

I didn't really pick on him Diggers. Referring to him as Tiger Moobs is really not much more than a gentle dig at his narcissism.

His upper body, when compared to his lower is ridiculous. So much so that even Rory extracts the urine out of him because of it. So if it's good enough for McIlroy to notice and comment on, then it's fair game for any of us.

What it is from McIlroy is rich (if true), if anything he is the over muscled one.

I agree he's also over muscled, but I don't see him walking on a pair of tooth picks (which is what Rory was laughing at)

I also don't see Rory saying things in a BA Baracus fashion "no one out works me" That's proper narcissism.

It's a ludicrous conversation but when I was a gym bunny my body was the same, legs don't get bigger. Calf and thing muscles will but if you have skinny legs they will not go big. Not that you'd want them to IMO. And I was doing far more leg and cardio than weights, it's just body shape.
The simple fact I see the bloke is in great nick, look at a similar aged guy in Poulter. Weedy limbs, so no power and a very silly looking pot belly...and he's in better nick than a stack of others.
You and your obsessions.

Rory needs to ditch his mate and get a caddie that can read greens for him.

4putt wrote:Rory needs to ditch his mate and get a caddie that can read greens for him.

Most players, no matter how bad they are at putting (unless you're on the LPGA it seems), don't get caddies to read greens. Everyone has a different idea of pace.

Didn't Rory have a "proper" caddie for for years, and everyone said he should get rid of him?

Players should just play with who they are comfortable with, look at Fleetwood, he was in a mess a few years back, got a mate as his caddie and it transformed him.

Rory is a sketchy putter, pretty much always has been, a don't think a different caddie would make a difference.

Diggers wrote:It's a ludicrous conversation but when I was a gym bunny my body was the same, legs don't get bigger. Calf and thing muscles will but if you have skinny legs they will not go big. Not that you'd want them to IMO. And I was doing far more leg and cardio than weights, it's just body shape.
The simple fact I see the bloke is in great nick, look at a similar aged guy in  Poulter. Weedy limbs, so no power and a very silly looking pot belly...and he's in better nick than a stack of others.
You and your obsessions.

You're right there are some terrible body shapes out there, (Molinari, Aphibarnrat, Lowery, Westwood) etc, but for a man who is so obsessed with his own image, Woods' body, (and his sagging man boobs) is rather lop sided.

Why wouldn't you want bigger legs than a sparrow in golf (by bigger I DO mean thighs and calf muscles?) It's core to the swing and crucial to protect the joints. You don't see sprinters with puny upper bodies and massive legs, so why the opposite in golf?

Of course you can get bigger if you have skinny limbs, look at people like McIlroy, Woods, Stenson, Garcia etc. They all used to be skinny (well McIlroy used to be fat, but you get my drift)

Hello Diane Knox...

Lots of putts coming up short but surely perfect conditions for some low scoring this morning

wiretapper wrote:Lots of putts coming up short but surely perfect conditions for some low scoring this morning

I would think the late starters will have the better conditions today

Yeah the rain has gotten much heavier now

The early-late starters are going to have a nice advantage

super_realist wrote:

Diggers wrote:It's a ludicrous conversation but when I was a gym bunny my body was the same, legs don't get bigger. Calf and thing muscles will but if you have skinny legs they will not go big. Not that you'd want them to IMO. And I was doing far more leg and cardio than weights, it's just body shape.
The simple fact I see the bloke is in great nick, look at a similar aged guy in  Poulter. Weedy limbs, so no power and a very silly looking pot belly...and he's in better nick than a stack of others.
You and your obsessions.

You're right there are some terrible body shapes out there, (Molinari, Aphibarnrat, Lowery, Westwood) etc, but for a man who is so obsessed with his own image, Woods' body, (and his sagging man boobs) is rather lop sided.

Why wouldn't you want bigger legs than a sparrow in golf (by bigger I DO mean thighs and calf muscles?) It's core to the swing and crucial to protect the joints. You don't see sprinters with puny upper bodies and massive legs, so why the opposite in golf?

Of course you can get bigger if you have skinny limbs, look at people like McIlroy, Woods, Stenson, Garcia etc. They all used to be skinny (well McIlroy used to be fat, but you get my drift)

Actually you get a lot of sprinters who look exactly like that, Chambers, even the older version of Bolt. Again, he looks absolutely fine, I genuinely believe you have a form of mental illness which means you see something different when you look at him.

Great round by Fleetwood

Superb round from Tommy Fleetwood!

DJ, Noren and Hoffman all make birdies at 16! I'd imagine no other group will manage that all week!

Fleetwood hadn't long started his round when I was driving to work and Talk Sport radio reported his putter was cold! Must have warmed up pretty quickly!

Just noticed Poults has had a bad day.....

What was Matsuyama thinking with the 2nd shot on the 18th?

All 71 shots of Woods televised.

Kisner playing well but hasn't smiled once. Must have a mouth full of ulcers.