The Open Championship - St. Andrews (Old Course)

cshea

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Giddyup. Should be a fantastic week.

Adding the TV coverage

Thursday/Friday (EST)

1:30am-4:00am Peacock
4am-3:00PM USA
3:00pm-end Peacock

Saturday

5:00am-7:00am USA
7:00am-3:00pm NBC

Sunday

4:00am-7:00am USA
7:00am-2:00pm NBC
 
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RG33

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Nov 28, 2005
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Outside of the Masters, my favorite golf event to watch. The early morning starts for us Yanks adds some excitement too. Looking forward to this. . . .
 

Mooch

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I was at St Andrews walking around a little over a week ago. Really excited for this year's Open. You really get a feel for that place when the wind whips up. Forecast is calling for some nastiness on Friday but it's Scotland which means that nobody really has any idea what the weather will bring.
 

cshea

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They are doing this little 4-hole Champions tournament thing.

Tiger's got a pep in his step. Not as noticeable of a limp, even having played a ton of golf over the past 6-days (he's at like 100+ holes) He's had this one circled for a while.
 

cshea

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What is happening here? Is the hole set up like that or is this extreme corner cutting?
It's the Road hole, probably the most famous and most difficult hole at the Old Course. It's a dog leg to the right. You can play out to the left but obviously that creates a very long 2nd shot.The pros will cut that corner. it's obviously OB if you hit it too far to the right. Tiger's line isn't extreme, that's where most of them will play it. There will be a few balls into the hotel throughout the week.
 

Average Reds

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Most of the exposed glass in the hotel is shatterproof, but when I was there three Summers ago a guy in my foursome hit it so far right that he reached a window that broke.

Good times.
 

Mooch

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It's the Road hole, probably the most famous and most difficult hole at the Old Course. It's a dog leg to the right. You can play out to the left but obviously that creates a very long 2nd shot.The pros will cut that corner. it's obviously OB if you hit it too far to the right. Tiger's line isn't extreme, that's where most of them will play it. There will be a few balls into the hotel throughout the week.
Its a really narrow fairway too with thick fescue on either side. That hole looks impossible to me.
 

cshea

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That’s incredible. Thanks for the info.
Live From just put a stat up that each of the last 5 times they’ve played the Open at the Old Course, 17 was the most difficult hole played on Tour that season. It’s a real monster. Once you get past the drive, the green is a small, kidney shaped green with a death bunker in the front middle and then OB (literally the road) a few paces off the right and back of the green. It’s hard in benign conditions, add in a 25-30 mph wind and good luck.
 

Oil Can Dan

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So how do we expect Tiger to do? Seems like some things are working in his favor like understanding the course/how to play it and his previous success there. Couple that with less importance on bombing and it seems he may do pretty, pretty good?
 

canderson

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Isn’t this course the “easiest” of the British Open circuit? I remember tons of low scores the last few times.

This is my favorite tournament. Just love it.
 

cshea

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No clue. He’s been very clear about circling this one for a while. It’s the easiest walk he’ll have and, as Rory put it, this is more like a chess board than most and nobody knows how to move the chess pieces around like Tiger.

He’s certainly putting in a LOT of work. He played 36 last week in Ireland for the JPMcManus. Turned up Thursday playing 18 with Tory at Bally Bunion. Spent Saturday night walking 18 and chipping and putting at St. Andrews with JT. Full 18 practice on Sunday morning, 9 holes Monday morning, 4 holes last night for the Champions thing and finally 9 more this morning. He is legit emptying the tank.

I personally thought he looked rough at the JP McManus. That said watching the Champions thing yesterday he looked spry and moving around really well. For whatever it’s worth, he played the 4 holes in -2.

I think making the cut is a fair expectation. He did so at Augusta and the PGA and his leg is probably stronger now than it was for either of those. It’s an easier walk, his favorite golf course, and he knows how to play links golf better than maybe anyone. If ever there was going to be a miracle, this week is probably it, though it’s unfair to expect it.
 

cshea

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Isn’t this course the “easiest” of the British Open circuit? I remember tons of low scores the last few times.

This is my favorite tournament. Just love it.
Yeah. The primary defense for a lot of the Open rota is weather and wind. If there is no wind, the scores will be low Zach Johnson won here in 2015 and -15 was the number for a playoff. IIRC they did get a lot of rain that week which also takes a lot of fire out of the links.

The forecast this week is not a ton of wind but the place is baked out so firm and fast.They’ll make birdies but it’s a challenge.
 

voidfunkt

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Yea this seems like ideal conditions this week for The Open. Too windy and it becomes fun to watch the slaughter but makes the tournament kind of meaningless as it's just a crap shoot. A little light rain predicted and mild wind plus a firm and fast course should setup for something fun and meaningful.
 

Comfortably Lomb

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Live From just put a stat up that each of the last 5 times they’ve played the Open at the Old Course, 17 was the most difficult hole played on Tour that season. It’s a real monster. Once you get past the drive, the green is a small, kidney shaped green with a death bunker in the front middle and then OB (literally the road) a few paces off the right and back of the green. It’s hard in benign conditions, add in a 25-30 mph wind and good luck.
The green is ridiculous and if you bail out left balls want to feed into that bunker. Lots of pros leave the ball in that bunker when trying to hit out because the sides are so steep, and there's risk the ball rolls back into their footprints or where they just blasted out of. The hole is playing something like 495 this year too.



They embed a camera in the face of the bunker so you can see disasters from a really neat angle though!
 

TFP

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Pfft. I got out of the bunker while up against the face in one shot. Piece of cake.

I also putted the ball in there to start. But let’s forget that part.
 

SawtoothPatsFan

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As a graduate of the esteemed University of St Andrews (Class of 2005, along with a certain prince), and frequent victim of the courses in town (the Old included) I feel obliged to point out that the road itself is not OB....anything beyond the stone fence on the other side of the road, however, is.

Which is great, because my already awful lifetime scoring average on that f*&king hole would otherwise be frankly embarrassing. Seriously, an inch over that green and you're playing your next shot off the crushed gravel path or the road itself. Ask me how I know...
 

Comfortably Lomb

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As a graduate of the esteemed University of St Andrews (Class of 2005, along with a certain prince), and frequent victim of the courses in town (the Old included) I feel obliged to point out that the road itself is not OB....anything beyond the stone fence on the other side of the road, however, is.

Which is great, because my already awful lifetime scoring average on that f*&king hole would otherwise be frankly embarrassing. Seriously, an inch over that green and you're playing your next shot off the crushed gravel path or the road itself. Ask me how I know...
Yes, here's Jimenez intentionally bouncing one off the wall across the road back onto the green back in 2010:


And Rick Shiels put out a video highlighting the bunker, road, and wall last week:

 

cshea

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Hovland right up against the lip of a bunker on 12. Awesome.

Edit: Took an unplayable to move it back into the middle of the bunker so he could get it out.
 

E5 Yaz

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His drive on 1 finished in a divot and he chunked the 2nd shot into the burn. Made double.
Ah, I was going off the word "rule" and thought it might have been a different sort of thing. Yeah, divots are a unfair penalty
 

JOBU

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Is the course always in this kind of shape? It looks especially toasted.
 

Ed Hillel

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Tiger should take that LIV money and run.

I wouldn't be surprised if he quits mid-round. Probably another double bogey coming.
 

Senator Donut

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As a graduate of the esteemed University of St Andrews (Class of 2005, along with a certain prince), and frequent victim of the courses in town (the Old included) I feel obliged to point out that the road itself is not OB....anything beyond the stone fence on the other side of the road, however, is.

Which is great, because my already awful lifetime scoring average on that f*&king hole would otherwise be frankly embarrassing. Seriously, an inch over that green and you're playing your next shot off the crushed gravel path or the road itself. Ask me how I know...
Xander played one from the road earlier today.
View: https://twitter.com/theopen/status/1547603835408879616
 

Dave Stapleton

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That ain't happening. There was some idle speculation / rumors though this week on social media that he might retire after The Open.
There really should be more talk about the PGA Tour pension. The pension amounts are based on performance so Tiger probably has a ridiculous amount in his pension (billion?). From what I have heard, the PGA is ripped at the LIV players because they are still entitled to their pensions and there is little they can do about it. Even a threat could be a problem so this is an issue lawyers pay attention to.
 

cshea

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306, row 14
Strong showing for LIV

Westwood -4
Gooch -4
Poulter-3
Bryson -3
DJ -3 with a hole to play
Casey -1

Even Phil shot 72.
 

fletcherpost

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Is the course always in this kind of shape? It looks especially toasted.
Yes and No. I walked some of the course 4 weeks ago and took some photos. The fairways were much greener, but we're getting a proper summer. I'll see if i can dig out a photo that shows the difference.

green 2.jpg