The Open Championship

[luckyeddie]

I watched about 6 or 7 hours today and frankly an awful lot of the new generation of pros seem to know very little about playing links golf (I appreciate that most of them only play it once a year).

I'm by no means the world's best golfer (H/C 14) but even I know that when the wind's blowing, the ground is your friend.

There's a few old heads at the top of the leader board who do, though.

Greg Norman (-2)
Davis Love (-2)
Freddie Couples (level)
Tom Watson (level)

Surprised to see the following numbers

Steve Elkington (+15)
Shigeki Maruyama (+12)
David Duval (+12)
Paul Lawrie (+10)

Hope it blows even harder tomorrow.:baddevil:

[Mr. P]

whatever i said about ernie els, i take that back. what a shocker he played!

[marc71178]

Back to +4, maybe he's on the way towards the top (although I believe conditions will improve this afternoon?)

[luckyeddie]

Although conditions (and scores) will improve a little according to forecasts, the back 9 will not give up birdies easily.

Don't expect anyone to take the course apart - a 68 will be like gold.

Greg teeing off now. He will take 70 if you gave it to him.

[marc71178]

Woods is looking ominously close to the top already!

[luckyeddie]

Davis Love (-1) now the only man under par - got the fluke of the day with that rebound off the out of bounds marker.

Start of a lifetime from Mark Roe - 3,3,3,3,3,3,4 - 6 under for the first 7 to move to level and second place.

Tiger just 4-putted the twelfth from nowhere to go to (+2) but yes, he does look good apart from that aberration.

Projected cut now (+8) - may even go to (+9).

[Slats4ever]

HAHAHAHAH spare a thought for poor old Mark Roe. HAHAHA poor bastard got disqualified. Oh well all part of the game.
Going into the last day, what a feast.
Finally we'll get to see the battle of Garcia and Woods. It's been a while since they've both been close to the top. I think we'll lose Bjorn early, Vijay won't contend. Davis Love, Sergio or Tiger, one of them.
Peter Lonard will move up into top 3, he's a great wind player

[Mr. P]

how'd he get disqualified?

[luckyeddie]

Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik did not exchange cards on the first tee.

For 18 holes, they were each marking the wrong card (not a problem - can be rectified later).

When they got to the scorers hut, they still hadn't noticed (still not a problem - the officials will check them too)

They signed the cards (still not a problem - still time to sort it out)

They left the scorers hut. (Bonggggg).

At any time up to leaving the hut, if anyone had spotted the error, they could have just crossed the names out and written new ones. Or got new cards and filled them in.

It sounds dumb, but I've done it myself - very easy to do. Another pair did the same thing yesterday and spotted it when the got to the scorer's hut.

Not the end of the world, but Roe was playing magnificently.

[Mr. P]

what happens if you're half in-half out? does your whole body have to be inside?

[luckyeddie]

With the early starters burning up the course again this morning, I think this is the most open Open for many years.

The very nature of links golf is that there is an element of chance. Post your low numbers on the first 8 holes (2-8 are all real birdie prospects) and hang on.

The beauty of this course is that it can bite you at any time - and par is still a tremendous score. If anyone finishes at better than (-1) I think they'll win it, yet conversely I think that someone could go as low as 64 given the luck. That means that there are 28 still in with a chance.

OK, make that a 63 which means that there's 40 still in with a shout.

[Mr. P]

it's been an interesting tourny, seeing as nobody has really had a dominating round. 69 has been the low, really.

[PY]

Ben Curtis takes all. Monster putt at the 18th :O

[marc71178]

Ben who?

[Rik]

Vijay Singh...this guy I used to respect but since that comment he made about women golfers I have lost all respect for him.

The Roe incident, I do think it is quite stupidly harsh, but that's the rules I suppose.

Tiger's not had much go his way really.