The Open Championship

Sorry about the blogging hiatus, but it's not like there's an important event being played this week.... what?  Oh, well then maybe this would be a good time to inform the reader that I'll be in Scotland during the PGA.

Let's briefly sort through some of the things we missed from earlier in the week:

Shack ventures into the Old Tom Morris shop just off the 18th green, and posts a video worth your time, in which he discusses with Laurie Watson of the Links Trust and Roger McStravick, author of a beautiful new book on Old Tom Morris, efforts to promote the Keeper of the Greens.  Here's Geoff's take on the shop:

And it's irresistible to not at least touch the dinged up wood counter top where Old Tom and his artisans finished clubs over looking the 18th green that he created (a view that had long been mysteriously covered by recent shop lessees). The playground, workspace and house of worship for the first and most important Golf God. (Don't forget all of the storied visitors who walked those floors too, from Bobby Jones to A.W. Tillinghast to C.B. Macdonald, for starters).

It looks very much as it would have back in the day, and while we don't really know where golf was invented, there's little doubt that this is where it took root.

Moving the Golf Hall of Fame ceremony to St. Andrews this year seemed a no-brainer, at least until one of the inductees made the cut in the U.S. Women's Open and a delayed flight resulted in an empty chair.  Sexism, they explained, though I'll go with unfortunate in lieu of misogynist...

I've heard raves about Mark O'Meara's acceptance speech, though admittedly I've not had the time to listen to it myself.  But this from our man on the scene is what got my attention:

A dizzying number of Hall of Famer's in town forThe Open could not be bothered to make the grueling trek up North Street from the Old Course Hotel to welcome Laura Davies, David Graham, Mark O'Meara and A.W. Tillinghastinto golf's most exclusive club, even thoughArnold Palmer, Gary Player and Peter Thomson managed to come from long distances at less-than-spry ages to attend. Among the notables who are in the Hall but could not be bothered to slap on a coat and tie for 90 minutes and make the short commute: Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Nick Price.(Price was at least enjoying a pint amongst the people at the Dunvegan along another Open Champion, Justin Leonard). Also unable to show some support for old pal "Marko" O'Meara wasTiger Woods. O'Meara's introductory induction toDave Marr III, who handled the job with dignity.

Really, Sir Nick?  Not like he makes is living in our game or anything....

Randall Mell throws a bit of a hissy fit about Laura Davies not being there:

This was about a lot of women seeing that the game is still run by men who aren’t as committed to diversity and inclusivity as they profess to be. That’s what Davies’ empty chair screamed during the induction ceremony. 

Yes, women have made a lot of meaningful progress in the game, but somebody ought to put Davies’ empty seat in a display case in the Hall of Fame because it tells the story about women’s still ongoing struggle to find their place in the sport.

Beth Daniel, Patty Sheehan, Karrie Webb and Meg Mallon were among Hall of Famers offended that the induction took place without Davies.

Hey, Tilly wasn't there either, and I think he's got the bigger beef...not that there's many bigger sides of beef than Dame Laura.

But as Gary Smits explains, it's a far more complicate story than most understand:

I can assure you that World Golf Hall of Fame chief operating officer Jack Peter and other HOF officials most certainly did care, and have for years. They have tried to get Davies to accept membership through the Veterans Category, but Davies resisted, wanting to make it on the LPGA points system. She's two points short but got it through the revised nominating and voting process and finally accepted.

Look, it was really unfortunate, but not intentional or malicious in the slightest.  The opportunity to hold the induction during Open week in historic Younger Hall, was not to be missed.  Given the lead times involved, the Hall officials could not possibly have anticipated Laura Davies qualifying for and then making the cut in Lancaster, and then the mechanical issues that derailed her flight.

Some quick thoughts about the morning's play, just as the morning wave is finishing:

The Artist Formerly Known as Tiger Woods - Tiger posted a 76 that's actually far worse than it appears, given the benign conditions.  Most surprising to me was that Alex Myers had written him off by 6:49 EDT:

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Tiger Woods often says St. Andrews is his favorite golf

course in the world and it certainly has the perfect first hole for him. Wide open and calling for an iron off the tee to layup before the Swilcan Burn, it's a great way to get off to a good start.

Well, usually. 

Woods semi-chunked his iron off the tee. His wedge approach was hit slightly better, but it failed to clear the narrow strip of water drawing gasps from a heavy pro-Tiger crowd. Woods dropped and got up-and-down to save bogey, but the problems were just beginning. 

On the 452nd-yard par-4 second, Woods chose an iron while his playing partners both boomed drivers. Hitting his approach from some 70 yards behind Jason Day, Woods watched as his ball came up a good 30 yards short. After knocking his third to about 15 feet, Woods struck what he thought was a perfect putt. He stepped in for a small fist pump, but the ball horseshoed out of the cup, drawing this pained reaction.

Hey, at least he hit the first fairway....small steps.

Jordan Rules -  Spieth posted a strong 5-under 67, and no doubt I'll be taking some heat for my criticism of the lad's travel schedule.  But I remain defiantly unbowed in my contention that he erred in sticking to his original schedule.

I didn't see  his outbound nine, which was playing far easier than the inbound holes.  He made hat there to his credit, but leaked a little oil coming home.  He caught a fairway bunker with one drive and made a trip to the Road Bunker, both of which led to bogeys.  Now he seems to have an intuitive grasp of the subtleties and speed of the greens (those young eyes) and his birdie on 18 I think was big.  

I can't tell from this side of the Atlantic whether the mistakes above were just physical errors or uncertainty as to lines of play.  Word broke yesterday that they had hired a local expert to accelerate the learning curve, a smart move no doubt.  But with the extreme  weather  forecast for Friday into Saturday, that knowledge will be put to good use.

When I turned on the coerage this morning I was amused to see Michael Greller, Spieth's caddie, in shorts with a ski cap.... you'll see a lot of each out there, just not at the same time typically.

Weather - After today's calm start, things are going to get interesting.  Here's Friday's forecast:

FRIDAY - SECOND ROUND WEATHER FORECAST

A strong storm system passes to the west and north of the British Isles but will spread rain and strong winds, especially Friday afternoon. This will be more of a problem for the golfers going out later in the day. Winds will be out of the west between 15 to 25 mph and gusts could be as highs as 35 to 45 mph. Rain showers will be steady through the day. High 64

Winds from the west means that the outbound holes will feature the more difficult left-to-right wind, which is what derailed Rory in 2010.  Most commentators have intuited that the early-late groups will be the unfortunate souls, and that includes our Jordan.

But the reality is that no one knows at this point how the  day will play out.  Even if that prior assessment proves accurate, there could well be significant disparities based upon where specifically on the course a player is during the worst of the winds and rain.  There's also the possibility that a stoppage of play (remember that they suspended play on Friday in 2010 as the winds were moving balls on the greens) could move all or part of the late group's rounds into Saturday morning.

It's all a cosmic crapshoot....but if they're playing in the kind of weather that's forecast, don't miss it.