OT: British Open

[storrsroars]

If Lowry plays par golf from here on out, he wins this by 5. Everyone else but Westwood is tripping over themselves to see how many bogeys they can card.

Barring a monsoon this will probably be anti-climactic.

It's not Tiger at Pebble as far as score goes, but it certainly feels like it.

Good for Lowry. After that shaky start he's playing this course and the conditions beautifully, staying under the wind and finding good positions. Short game is about perfect.

 

[storrsroars]

Got a chuckle that Westwood gets to take the umbrella away from his gf to leave her get soaked and it's perfectly OK under the circumstances.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Lowry can start drinking early, he is not losing this.

Yep. He is playing against the weather, not the course or opponents.

10 holes of attriting losses. Each decent shot takes a potential huge number out of play. No one is shooting under par for their remaining holes.

 

[storrsroars]

Coming out of the turn, thought Westwood had a decent chance of 2nd. His putter has totally failed him on back 9. Might be that 46 years and cold and wet getting to him.

Those three missed straight putts from inside 6' likely cost him $700K. Helen can't be happy about that ;-)

 

[Jaker]

christ, how many eagle putts will fleetwood leave short??

 

[Chin Diesel]

Stenson. Nice.

Shank off the hosel and a snapped club.

 

[storrsroars]

Cripes, JB Holmes has dropped 57 places today. He must have a record for worst round by a co-leader heading into 4th round. At -14 on day with one hole to go. Must be driving Koepka crazy.

Make that IS driving Koepka crazy.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Koepka shoots 74.
2nd time in his last 21 rounds at majors he shot over par.

 

[Robertelamin]

That final round was awful.

 

[Jaker]

Fleetwood could have put pressure on Lowry early, but he could not make a putt.

 

[Jaker]

That final round was awful.

Yup, pretty anticlimatic

 

[storrsroars]

Koepka shoots 74.
2nd time in his last 21 rounds at majors he shot over par.

Hard to putt much worse than he did on front nine. Question is, how much was a carryover from yesterday's lousy putting and how much was him getting impatient with Holmes.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That final round was awful.

Wasn't exactly compelling TV but what else is there to watch Sunday morning in mid-July?

 

[storrsroars]

Yup, pretty anticlimatic

Thought it was decent up until the leaders were through 10. Then it was basically over. Still enjoyable for the course alone. Hope to see it back in rotation within next 10 years.

Apparently costs ~$275 US for a round there to get humbled.

 

[Robertelamin]

Wasn't exactly compelling TV but what else is there to watch Sunday morning in mid-July?

Cornhole!

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Koepka shoots 74. 2nd time in his last 21 rounds at majors he shot over par.

To Koepka's credit, we noted he waited to congratulate Lawry long after he finished his round.

 

[huskyrob1]

To Koepka's credit, we noted he waited to congratulate Lawry long after he finished his round.

Koepka reminds me of a young Arnold Palmer like no other player in years. Not in facial similarities but the athletic build, Palmer's dominance of the game before Nicklaus came along, how he gets along with other players, etc.

 

[jleves]

I thought the course overall was excellent. Obviously getable when the weather laid down, but they had to be careful with the setup because it was brutal when the winds kicked up. The pins were easier today than yesterday and nobody in the final 14 groups shot under par. I liked some of the risk reward shorter par 4s particularly the 5th with the OB trench 5 yards beyond the green. Scenically it was beautiful.

And anyone who didn't enjoy watching Lowry come down the final holes as the obvious victor in front of those Irish crowds is soulless.

 

[mauconnfan]

I thought the course overall was excellent. Obviously getable when the weather laid down, but they had to be careful with the setup because it was brutal when the winds kicked up. The pins were easier today than yesterday and nobody in the final 14 groups shot under par. I liked some of the risk reward shorter par 4s particularly the 5th with the OB trench 5 yards beyond the green. Scenically it was beautiful.

And anyone who didn't enjoy watching Lowry come down the final holes as the obvious victor in front of those Irish crowds is soulless.

Agree on all. Would’ve been fun to have some excitement but with the history of the week the result was wonderful. Amazing how many guys fought to 9 or 10 under early mid roundto try to grab 2nd but none could hang on and most ended up 5 or 6 under. Weather made it tough but beautiful course at all times.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Weather is reasonable so far but no one making an early charge.

Gotta love waking up on a Sunday morning and having the final round under way.

If weather holds up I can catch the final round in TV and bust out a round myself and still be home by 5pm.

Color me envious. It's killing me watching this. Been dealing with some major stenosis issues past 5 weeks which has pretty much laid me up from any activity, including my job. But in early June I played my first round of year and was hitting it better than I have in 3-4 years, partly I think due to losing 25 lbs - weight that I believe turned my usual fade into a duck hook due to change in rotation plane. Hoping to get back on a course before leaves come down.

Fowler's round is over before he's even hit one in bounds.

Well, had thunderstorms all morning through about 1pm. Clouds went away and had mid-April weather. Hardly any clouds, mid-80's and low humidity. Went out with a neighbor around 3pm and got in 25 holes. First nine was cold- no driving range or anything, played from the forward tees. Played the back 9 from the men's and then replayed seven of holes on back 9 from the tips.

Birdied both par 5's from the tips.

Glorious afternoon.

 

[whaler11]

That’s like three straight terrible majors and there isn’t another one for something like 225 days.

 

[uconnfan68]

That’s like three straight terrible majors and there isn’t another one for something like 225 days.

I know... don’t like their new schedule. Fedex money must be too good. Wonder how they’ll manage without 4 weeks off between tournaments.

 

[UconnU]

That’s like three straight terrible majors and there isn’t another one for something like 225 days.

Tiger woods winning the masters?

 

[whaler11]

Tiger woods winning the masters?

count backwards with me....

 

[UconnU]

count backwards with me....

Yea I guess it was 3 majors ago now... All the majors seemed to happen in such a short period of time this year it didn’t feel like it was that long ago.

 

[Chin Diesel]

the whole purpose of the change was to get everything wrapped up by the start of football season. Mission accomplished.

A secondary effect is some of the bigger name players will start playing a few tournaments in the fall whereas before they took off 2 months from competitive golf. So, fans in those cities will get to see some bigger name players who previously skipped fall events. It's also going to put pressure on the tournaments in the summer to maintain a strong field.

Everyone plays five events- 4 majors and the TPC.
A full August with FedEx
WGC Championships

That's 11-12 events right there and all the top players put them in to their schedule and fill in the rest.

Winners go to Hawaii for tournament of champions
The other Hawaii tournament (Who doesn't want to play in Hawaii once a year?)
Many Europeans and some Americans go to Race to Dubai
Europeans play the BMW in England
Memorial/Arnold Palmer Invitational
California swing- Riviera, Pebble, Torrey Pines
Florida with Palm Beach and Innisbrook along with the API.
All the rest.



I think over the next few years you'll see top players play a major, take next week off, play a tourney, take a week off to prep for next major and then play the next major.
A more aggressive schedule would be play a major, play the week after to adjust game, take week off, play to prep for next major, play a major.
Basically you'll have a every other week schedule or a 3 on, 1 off schedule.

 

[freescooter]

Wasn't exactly compelling TV but what else is there to watch Sunday morning in mid-July?

I’ve played a few of those Irish links courses, though not that particular one, and if you’ve never done it when the wind and rain are up you have no idea how difficult it can be. With the wind at my back I hit wedges 180 and in my face I used a driver off a 150 yard par 3 and came up short. I’m not saying I’m as good as those guys but I will say that when you get tough weather like they had Sunday it is a completely different course. You need to know how to play low shots and it really helps to have a bump and run game. I’ve seen putts blown off line at Ballybunion the wind was so fierce one time. When the weather is calm though the courses aren’t all that difficult.

 

[eebmg]

To Koepka's credit, we noted he waited to congratulate Lawry long after he finished his round.

Koepka wins the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational by 3 strokes. Continues to show not only how great a golfer he is but a really decent guy. Nice post game interview regarding this particular tournament and his feelings about St. Jude. Give him his due.