150th Open Championship (golf)

[tiger76]

The famous old course of St Andrews is a fitting stage for such a historic tournament.

My two predictions are Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele they are the 2 in form players heading into the event.

A couple of longer shots might be Bob McIntyre and Tommy Fleetwood, both are used to playing links courses.

And this could well be the last time we see Tiger Woods playing St Andrews which will be historic in itself.

By Scottish standards the weather doesn't look too bad, so it might be a fairly low winning total this year for the victor.

[Clarets4me]

A small investment at my Turf Accountant with ....

Xander Schauffele 14/1
Matt Fitzpatrick 18/1
Cameron Smith 25/1
Jordan Spieth 16/1
Will Zalatoris 16/1

and an outsider bet on Ryan Fox at 66/1

[CaptJohn]

I'm looking forward to this event immensely. Home of golf for the 150th, couldn't be better
I have been fortunate enough to have played the Old Course and felt as though I was stepping on hallowed ground but it's not even the best course in St Andrews IMHO. I much prefer the Eden Course.
The ballot is now open for the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. I've already applied for my tickets for the Thursday and Friday and suggest any golf lovers get their applications in ASAP as there will be massive demand.
[url]https://www.theopen.com/ticket-ballot/url]

[jrgbfc]

I've backed Xander Schauffele, Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood. Managed to pick the winner at the Masters and the US Open so far this year so hope my lucky streak continues!
Think the course will still be a test with a wind and really dry, firm conditions should ensure the players still have to think a bit.

[1914tyrone]

Been to the practice day today, weather was stunning but windy. Hard to tell any form, but they were all enjoying. Watched Westwood and Willet together. Fabulous watching a group playing in the 17th bunker, including Rahm easily chipping out several times left handed. Show off!
Forecast is great, should be an awesome event.

[The Enclosure]

I hope Rory or Tommy can win.Whoever wins will thoroughly have earned it this year. The ground is so hard and the ball could bounce and run forever.

[exilecanada]

As in all golf majors I'm hoping a non Yank wins Rory's due, he's been playing well of late. Considering the weather forecast is pretty benign, winner could be as low as -18.

[CrosspoolClarets]

I'm looking forward to this event immensely. Home of golf for the 150th, couldn't be better
I have been fortunate enough to have played the Old Course and felt as though I was stepping on hallowed ground but it's not even the best course in St Andrews IMHO. I much prefer the Eden Course.
The ballot is now open for the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. I've already applied for my tickets for the Thursday and Friday and suggest any golf lovers get their applications in ASAP as there will be massive demand.
[url]https://www.theopen.com/ticket-ballot/url]

I also played it, quiet day, glorious sun, little wind and an unhurried 2 ball.

Was a magical day. For me, the best in St Andrews and possibly the best I have played (Dornoch the other contender). I have also played Turnberry and Carnoustie but I rank the Old better.

The best thing for me (relevant for this week) is that it becomes a totally different hole depending on where the tee shot finishes. Lumps and bumps everywhere. Will be a low score this week, but will still test them.

[AwayClaret]

I've backed
Cameron Smith
Hideki Matsuyama
Patrick Reed
Justin Rose

Should be a belting spectacle.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Backed
Schauffele Top 10 inc Ties, Fitzpatrick, C Smith & Zalatoris Top 20 inc Ties @ 20/1

McIIroy Top 10 C.Smith & Morikawa Top 20 @ 12/1

Spieth, Cantlay & Morikawa all as singles

Good to see Poulter booed on the 1st tee as well

[tiger76]

Backed
Schauffele Top 10 inc Ties, Fitzpatrick, C Smith & Zalatoris Top 20 inc Ties @ 20/1

McIIroy Top 10 C.Smith & Morikawa Top 20 @ 12/1

Spieth, Cantlay & Morikawa all as singles

Good to see Poulter booed on the 1st tee as well

It will be interesting what reception the Lviv golfers get, sounds like an unwelcome one if Poulter is anything to go by good.

[tiger76]

Shaping up well for the weekend, Young setting the early pace, but a heck of a cast chasing him, headed by Rory.

Tiger in grave danger of missing the cut following a 78, and he looks a shadow of his former self sadly.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Amazing reception for Tiger walking up the 18th

[CrosspoolClarets]

Walked over that bridge last year, didn’t quite get the reception Tiger got. It was actually very slippy - I nearly fell in. Always a few hundred people watching the 18th, even on a standard casual round for us amateurs.

Got to say McIlroy is looking really good, but I have said that so many times before. I was walking with him when he had his 80 meltdown in 2010, never shot more than 69 here apart from that round. It was fascinating to watch a player implode like that live rather than on the TV.

[Steve1956]

Amazing reception for Tiger walking up the 18th

We walk over that bridge quite regularly no one claps us though
Great reception sad to see the greatest golfer ever to walk the planet missing the cut.

IMG-20220707-WA0008.jpg (231.56 KiB) Viewed 1159 times

[tiger76]

Smith and Young the ones to catch right now, but a large chasing pack on their heels, dominated by Americans and Aussies I have to say, we could do with a stronger European challenge, although Hatton and Mcllory are trying to keep pace.

A mention for 21 year old amateur Barclay Brown -5 presently.

[Steve1956]

Rory moves to 10 under,three shots off the lead,it's good to see him playing well again,I think he might just win this ....come on Rory.

[tiger76]

Rory moves to 10 under,three shots off the lead,it's good to see him playing well again,I think he might just win this ....come on Rory.

He's in with a great chance, but he needs to stop missing simple putts, that could be costly come Sunday.

Staggering that Rory hasn't won a major in 8 years, and it's high time that drought came to an end with his ability.

[Steve1956]

Just pulled it back to 10 under on the 17th.

[Steve1956]

The defending champion looks like he will miss the cut.

[Steve1956]

These late nights don't half make the crowd rowdy,I wonder what causes that?

[Clarets4me]

A small investment at my Turf Accountant with ....

Xander Schauffele 14/1
Matt Fitzpatrick 18/1
Cameron Smith 25/1
Jordan Spieth 16/1
Will Zalatoris 16/1

and an outsider bet on Ryan Fox at 66/1

Still got some skin in the game, with the top 5 all through to the weekend lying between 1st and 24th = .....
Turns out Ryan Fox was an outsider for a reason !

[slw]

great final round from cam smith, 28/1

[Tricky Trevor]

Deserving Champion. Rory couldn’t find the hole enough in his final round but good to see him back to putting 4 rounds together in a major.
Shame the golf was spoiled for me by the course. The rough wasn’t and players putting from 20 yds off the green should never happen at a major. Far, far too many players -10 or better. It was more like target golf but standard of play from the top 4 was remarkable.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Deserving Champion. Rory couldn’t find the hole enough in his final round but good to see him back to putting 4 rounds together in a major.
Shame the golf was spoiled for me by the course. The rough wasn’t and players putting from 20 yds off the green should never happen at a major. Far, far too many players -10 or better. It was more like target golf but standard of play from the top 4 was remarkable.

Fair opinion but I disagree. St Andrews usually has the cream rising to the top, a sign of course quality, and it did again. So many world class players up there.

St Andrews has fescue rough on sandy, fast draining soil and this has a wispy nature to it. You can catch a bad lie but it is normal to have rough like that on links. Golf wasn’t designed for the type of rough we see on most courses.

The putting off the green - another links attribute. Golf is meant to be played as much on the ground as in the air, St Andrews is great at that. The style gave Smith a chance to win with that putt around the bunker on 17, US courses and he is frozen out and has to take bogey. The Old normally gives a player a chance to recover if he is inventive enough to see it.

Like I say though, fair opinion, I just wanted to defend the course in its absence

[Duffer_]

Well said Crosspool. Just to add, the weather played its part in the (low) scoring.

[tiger76]

RM will be kicking himself this morning, but he really shouldn't be, -18 at a major is normally a winning score, however Smith and Young holed the crucial putts well Rory had a few that just lipped out.

Small margins as they say.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Morikawa is a clown, missed out on £260 due to him hacking his way round in perfect conditions

[CrosspoolClarets]

RM will be kicking himself this morning, but he really shouldn't be, -18 at a major is normally a winning score, however Smith and Young holed the crucial putts well Rory had a few that just lipped out.

Small margins as they say.

He should, really. He is going to struggle to get over this one.

He didn’t do anything worthy of abuse.

But he had a putt for birdie on all 18 greens (unheard of), his longest putt holed was about 3 feet, he had about 6-9 putts of 10-20 feet and missed them all. On a few holes he was chipping or pitching on for eagle, and rarely knocked it stone dead. There was only one bad stroke, a nervy yank on the putter early on, but he bottled it on and around the greens, it wasn’t the Rory we know.

He will be kicking himself big style. A 2 shot lead with easy par 4s coming up at 9, 10 and 12. He knows.

[jrgbfc]

Gutted for Rory, but have to hand it to Smith, was some incredible putting. And Fleetwood got me a place so I got my betting money back.
Not sure St Andrews is still fit to host the open, if they get good weather it's too easy for the modern player.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Gutted for Rory, but have to hand it to Smith, was some incredible putting. And Fleetwood got me a place so I got my betting money back.
Not sure St Andrews is still fit to host the open, if they get good weather it's too easy for the modern player.

The cut was 144 shots (even). Four years ago the cut at the US PGA was also even.

Last year at Royal St Georges the cut was 141 (one over). The cut at Augusta has been one over seven times.

So, given the lack of wind, St Andrews held itself up really well. Players who weren’t good enough will of course complain, like Matt Fitz did.

[Big Vinny K]

Not fit to host the open ?
I doubt any player would agree with you - in fact quite the opposite as they often say it’s their favourite course.
The weather conditions were benign and that was obviously a big factor in the low scoring.
But if you look at the top 30 finishers then it’s mostly full of the best players in the world.
I’ve been to St Andrew’s to watch the Open and you do not realise from the TV pictures how difficult the course is. The fairways are like the surface of the moon !! It’s virtually impossible to get a flat lie - you are invariably hitting it from a downhill or uphill lie.

The issue with St Andrew’s is now the length of the course - but that is the issue with many courses round the world. They were not built or designed to ever cope with the length that players can now hit the ball. The technology of both golf clubs and balls has moved on so much too……it’s put a 100 yards on at least compared to the old clubs and the one piece balls. And we are not talking about the days of Tom Morris….it’s moved on massively from only 20 years ago.

[Clarets4me]

Nice return on my £2 E/W on Cameron Smith ( 25/1 ) , and a small pay-out E/W on Jordan Speith ( 16/1 ) ...

As for the argument on Golf club and ball technology, the authorities now need to look at playing with a " Championship " ball, designed to take some distance off the Professional players. Some of the world's great courses have been lengthened and expanded already, and although they can increase the difficulty by pin positions, adding bunkers or growing out the rough, it seems wrong that these should have their character changed in this way.