The grounds over which golf is played, is in Scotland called links, and is usually a particular sort of sandy soil in the neighborhood of the seashore, its surface mostly covered with short coarse grass, here and there interrupted by breaks, pits, and inequalities. These interruptions are necessary to impart interest in the game.
JAMES GRIERSON
A rather cold, analytical take on the mystical grounds for golf in the (United) Kingdom.... The fact is that those ancient Scots could only take their recreation on such grounds because they weren't able to grow crops there. So, with the Scottish open as our background music, shall we get on with things?
Portrush On My Mind - And everyone else's as well, or so it seems. First, let's get right to the best news of the day... Is this the most John Daly header ever?
I'm gonna go with no, due to the absence of beer and Hooters. But does anyone have an addrees for the spider, as I'd like to drop a thank-you note in the post? But it so happens it wasn't just any spider:
Daly detailed an incident via social media on Sunday describing how he suffered a bite from a brown recluse spider in England and eventually had to be treated days later at Uniontown (Pa.) Hospital.
“Fast forward to Friday, mouth/mouth, compressions & unknowingly now in an ambulance rushed to ER all while on family vacation & straight into surgery! Removing what developed into a major infection in my abdominal area & treated for early sepsis all from a brown recluse!”
He is a fan favorite...at least among brown recluse spiders. He'll be playing in the Barbasol off-field event instead, sparing us the this image at Portrush:
Did you catch the announcement about the format for a playoff? They will conduct a three-hole playoff, if needed, for good sensible reasons:
Royal Portrush required some reconfiguration to be able to stage the British Open for the first time in 68 years, meaning the 17th and 18th holes from the Dunluce Links are being replaced by two new holes from land on the Valley Links.
With course changes, there also is a one-time alternation in a playoff if it’s necessary.
For the first time, the R&A says, it will go to a three-hole aggregate playoff at Royal Portrush involving the first, 13th and 18th holes. The 13th is a par 3 with the green not far from the 18th tee. The Open had been using a four-hole aggregate playoff since 1986 at Royal Troon.
An R&A spokesman says the decision was “geography-based” and any playoff is expected to return to four holes at other links.
Three holes, as used by the PGA Championship, feels about right. Enough to be a fairish test, but not delaying lunch too long.
Henrik Stenson arrived early and had some thoughts on the venue after a couple of loops:
An early look at the putting surfaces also proved beneficial. The greens at Royal Portrushweren’t quite what Stenson had been expecting, although he does think they will be running at what he called “usual Open speed,” maybe 10-and-a-half on the Stimpmeter.
“The greens were more elevated than I thought they would be,” he says. “Which is not to say they necessarily sit high on their own—although some do—but often enough they look that way because the ground around them falls off on either side. If it gets windy, it will be difficult to land balls short and run them in. More often, we'll have to flight shots in there.”
All of which only confirms the notion that—weather permitting—Royal Portrush is likely to present one of the more stringent tests in only its second appearance on the Open Championship rota, and the first since 1951. Stenson’s impression is that, though the par 5s will present legitimate birdie opportunities, the same cannot be said for too many of the par 4s and par 3s. Even the so-called “easier” holes demand respect.
A few are pushed up a bit, most notably the Par-3 third. Henrik's got more for us:
“The hardest holes are the fourth, the 11th and the 16th (“Calamity”),” he says. “I went up onto the 16th tee and had 240 yards over the ravine. That’s a beast of a par 3. I can see them using a variety of tees, depending on the strength and direction of the wind.
“The rough is thick in some areas, but not too bad in others. Nothing was outrageous or super-severe, although I don’t want to be in it too often. If you get a good lie and have a short iron in your hand, I’m pretty sure you can play golf. But it is risky. There are ferns. There are bushes. So you have to be careful.”
No. four is a great one, with the entrance to the green protected by huge dunes on either side...
Over lunch yesterday, Bobby D. was expounding on how little the players talk about how they practice. This isn't practice, per se, but it's very much in that spirit of understanding how they go about their jobs:
“I like to walk a course I haven’t played before,” he says. “If I go out and play right away, my tendency is to get caught up in my swing and how good—or bad—my shots are. Walking, I am able to give the course and the pin positions my full attention. I like to check all the yardages, formulate a plan for each hole, then try them out the next day.”
Thanks, Henrik, for the little peak behind the curtain.
On his substantive point, though, I happened to speak to Mr. Lowell Courtney yesterday, he of the Portrush Courtneys. Lowell says that it's been wet and that the course is soft, and that accordingly he thinks the boys will torch it. he further noted that they're not expecting much wind, though it's perhaps too early to take that as authoritive.
Golf Digest goes way out on a limb on throws out thirteen names (plus three near-misses) for your fantasy consideration. Very risky picking this guy for sure:
1. Brooks Koepka (10/1)
Reason to pick: He's won four of his past nine majors and finished runner-up in twoothers. Oh yeah, and his caddie, Ricky Elliott, just happens to be from Portrush and grew up playing what will be a largely unknown venue for everyone else. We're not making the same mistake as we have in the past: Brooks is OUR favorite to win no matter what Vegas says and no matter what happens between now and the third week in July.
Cause for concern: He could eat something funky on the eve of the tournament? Seriously, it's hard to think of anything with this major-championship monster.
Truly the year of living dangerously....
But this guy?
7. Jordan Spieth (30/1)Reason to pick: Spieth is still searching for a first win in nearly two years, but thatvictory came at the Open. He was also tied for the 54-hole lead at last year's Open before a final-round 76. It's possible that no one benefits more from the slower greens in this event than Spieth, whose aggressive style allows him to make more long putts without worrying about too many slick comebackers.Cause for concern: Of course, you have to hit greens to have opportunities, and Spieth only ranks 137th in strokes gained: approach. He's also 198th in final-round scoring average. Still, his 30-to-1 odds seem a bit high. Lock that in while you can.
I'd have expected that last 'graph to be far longer... See, I'm so old that I remember way back to April, when Augusta Nationals was supposed to cure his game.
Alistair Tait has an amusing confession about Rory, though I'm not quite clear on the offense involved. Here's his header:
Fair enough, but here's the evidence cited:
McIlroy’s 61 came in qualifying for the 2005 North of Ireland Championship when he was 16 years old. I wasn’t jumping up and down when I heard he’d conquered one of Ireland’s greatest links. I wasn’t entirely sure about Rory’s potential.
I first saw the wunderkind from Northern Ireland in the 2003 British Boys Championship at Royal Liverpool. I ventured out with much anticipation to watch him play the first round against an unknown English kid called Graham Benson. The experience was underwhelming. Benson won.
I wondered then if McIlroy was the subject of too much hype.
I was eager to reappraise my judgment during the 2006 British Amateur Championship at Royal St. George’s. Eager because of his Royal Portrush course record the previous year. I didn’t get the chance. Rory shot 78 around Royal St. George’s in the opening qualifying round and never turned up for the second round at Prince’s.
I saw a lot of Rory in 2007. I watched him three-putt the final hole to lose the Lytham Trophy to Lloyd Saltman. I saw him lose to a then little-known Danny Willett in his opening round of the British Amateur at Royal Lytham.
Of course, I saw him take the silver medal at Carnoustie when Padraig Harrington won the 2007 Open Championship. Rory finished T-42.
I witnessed McIlroy three-putt the final green at Royal County Down to lose a singles match to Billy Horschel on the opening day of the Walker Cup. The following day he and Johnny Caldwell lost 2&1 in foursomes to Horschel and Rickie Fowler despite being 4-up after five holes. Great Britain & Ireland lost the match 12 ½ – 11 ½.
Finally, this is the lesson Tait takes from his tale:
McIlroy, Saltman and many others are the reason I no longer speculate on the future careers of up-and-coming amateurs. I could probably rhyme off a dozen players who were supposed to go on to be big stars only to crash and burn once they turned pro.
What amuses me so terribly is that his description of the prepubescent Rory sounds alarmingly like the current version of the man, don't you think?
That citation of the 2007 Walker Cup requires the re-posting of this iconic photo:
Anyone know what ever became of those two young men? I've been reliably informed that between them they have four majors, though the distribution between the two can be discerned by the facial expression of the lad on the left.
Speaking of Rors, he takes us on a tour of the two new holes, first the three-shot seventh:
I like that he speaks of the view from the road, which is indeed special:
And here's Rory on the Par-4 eighth:
It'll be quite the emotional week for Rors, and all of his fellow Ulstermen, given that which they've survived.
OK, I'm officially excited.... How about You?
Udder Stuff: Got a little time for some non-Open Championship musings? Is this the most Trump header ever?
Trump's Doral cancels charity strip club golf tournament after nonprofit pulls out
I need to get out more, as I didn't know there were charity strip clubs.... How could the bride object?
The story itself is quite convoluted, but the reader is free to click through if in the market for some gratuitous Trump-bashing.... That latter not exactly a scarce commodity these days.
Care for some Prez Cup roster speculation? I know, but we're a mere six weeks from the sutomatic picks being awarded, and here's the current state of the U.S. roster:
LOCKS: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, MattKuchar, Bryson DeChambeau
That’s a formidable first four for the red, white and blue. The only real question mark is Thomas. Since injuring his wrist at the Honda Classic, the 2017 PGA champ's game has been erratic, failing to make the weekend in three of the last six events (including missed cuts at the Memorial and U.S. Open). For his part, Thomas says the wrist is a non-issue, simply needing more starts to develop a rhythm. He's also been an American assassin at these events, winning 3.5 points at the 2017 Presidents Cup and a team-best four points at the Ryder Cup last fall.
That list seems more notable for who's missing, no? The guy in the photo, for instance.
That is dispensed with quite readily:
NOT A LOCK, BUT C’MON: Tiger Woods
For the briefest of moments, set aside the emotions and drama and everything else wrapped around his Augusta triumph. Stripped to its core, Tiger Woods won the most important golf tournament of the season. That alone merits inclusion.
Conversely, those sentiments are very much a part of Woods’ package, as is his standing in the game. To think tour officials would allow a healthy Tiger to pass on this borders on absurd. That Woods, by all accounts, is up to the challenge almost makes this a moot point.
The only way this doesn’t come to fruition is if Woods suffers a setback or undergoes a clean-up operation of some sort. Which would subtract substantial juice from this event. But lest this notion bums you out…we did mention Woods WON THE MASTERS AT 43, right?
There's simply no precedent through which to analyze this, it likely comes down to how Tiger wants to play it. He could make history and play, or he could be the wise patriarch and graciously allow a younger player to have the experience for the good of the cause.
Next up, those that shouldn't be reading this:
SHOULD BE IN: Patrick Cantlay, Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler
Even if Woodland falls out of the top eight, it's hard to envision the U.S. Open champ not getting a nod. Especially since his year hasn’t been on a one-hit wonder, boasting two runner-ups and ranking eighth in strokes gained/tee-to-green. Ditto Cantlay, who’ssecond on tour in strokes gained.
The only player of real interest is Fowler. He has his detractors, but they are not in the U.S. locker room. Fowler's ninth in points, has six professional U.S. team appearances under his belt, and perhaps just as importantly, is beloved by sponsors. Something would have to go seriously sideways for Fowler not to be in Australia.
At this point it’s worth noting the team is up to 10 players, three of which would be rookies in Schauffele, Cantlay and Woodland (with DeChambeau making his Presidents Cup debut). That could spell trouble for some young guns on the ropes. More on this in a moment.
Can you feel the excitement building?
The only one of those three that moves the needle is Rickie, and most of us are well over his act....
Please stifle your yawns for this category:
WORK LEFT TO DO: Tony Finau, Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner, Brandt Snedeker
For an event needing buzz, those names will have us checking the NFL schedule.
But here's where it starts getting interesting:
THE DILEMMA: Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed
Spieth is 30th in the standings. Unless he captures the claret jug, there's no argument his play (74th in strokes gained, 72nd in FedEx Cup points) warrants a spot. He's also made six straight appearances for Team USA, and despite the reputation as a shaky putter, he's been one of the best short-game players in golf this year (sixth in sg/putting, first in putts over 25 feet). Similar to the Fowler stipulation, Spieth's popularity—with the team, and around the world— cannot be overstated. Case in point: Phil Mickelson, who was 30th in the 2015 Presidents Cup standings yet still earned a captain's pick. Outlandish as it may seem, Spieth is very much in the conversation.
The Reed case is not as complex. His T-5 in Detroit was his first top-25 finish since February, and the stats don't paint the profile of one nearing a breakthrough. The off-the-course blasting after last year's Ryder Cup hasn't conferred Reed many backers. Still, the former Masters champ has been a tour de force for Team USA, and should he get hot in the next two months, don't be shocked to see his name among the captain's pick candidates.
I actually think the opposite, that the Reed case would be the more complex, but he's played so poorly that I imagine he's taken Tiger off the hook.
And while you might have expected a third name in that category, he's awarded his own:
WILDCARD: Phil MickelsonMickelson is 14th in the standings thanks to a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach and T-2 atthe Desert Classic. He also remains an authoritative figure in the locker room, and his Team USA appearance streak (playing on every Ryder and Presidents Cup team since 1994), while not only remarkable, is a big selling point on the experience front.On the other end of the spectrum. . . since that Pebble victory, his game has been a mess, missing seven of his last 10 cuts (which includes an early exit at the WGC-Match Play) and finishing outside the top 50 at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. The stats underline the struggle, as Mickelson ranks 126th in strokes gained, 138th in sg/off-the-tee and 145th in sg/putting. Furthermore, Mickelson looked gassed at last year's Ryder Cup, losing 5&4 with Dechambeau to Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren and falling 4&2 to Francesco Molinari.
Mickelson's battle against Father Time has been admirable, and one that isn't over. Alas, in his game's current form, picking Phil is a pick strictly out of ceremony.
OK, but left unmentioned is that hostile take-over of the selection process and the bromance with the Captain. the golf doesn't figure to be much of a factor, methinks.
Can you identify the pool boy in this photo?
Before there was Y.E. Yang, Francesco or Brooks, there was Ed Fiori, the original Tiger-killer. The year was 1996, Tiger said "Hello, World: and headed to places like Milwaukee to try to earn his Tour card. At the Quad Cities Open he coughed up his first 54-hole lead, which the pool boy describes:
Everything changed on No. 4. Tiger hooked his drive into the pond. I lost track of him for a bit, so it wasn’t until I was standing on the next tee, and saw the standard bearer put in a new number, that I realized what had happened. Tiger had made a quad. A quad!Suddenly, I was one shot ahead.If you think that’s hard to believe, check out what Tiger did on No. 7. He four-putted for a double bogey with one power lip after another. That, I did happen to watch. There’s no other way to put it: The kid self-imploded.
“Bullet, let’s see if we can get this one in to the house,” I said. Which I did, winning by two shots over Andrew Magee; Tiger wound up four back. People were surprised, no one more than yours truly.
As I recall, it didn't take Tiger long to learn how to hold onto a lead, but always fun the see how this game keeps us all humble.
I shall leave you to get on with your day. I will not be able to blog in the morning...please don't pout, as it's for a worthy cause (Play for P.I.N.K., specifically), though the weather forecast isn't inviting. Most likely we'll next meet on Monday, when we'll wrap the weekend and flood the zone on our Portrush coverage.
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