The 150th Open

[bobfoster]

[NOTE: I'm not getting weird and starting The Open thread two months in advance - I'll leave that to MattyO1984, the traditional WRX starter 😅. So this is in the General, not the Tour Forum.]

 

But I'm already excited. We get to see a piece of history this year. This July, the 150th Open, played at the birthplace of golf (I mean it had to be at the Old Course). 

 

Just throwing this out there. First - is anyone here actually going? (I'll be drooling with envy.) Second, any random thoughts? A lot of sports do have history - tennis, rugby, soccer, baseball and basketball all arose sometime in the 1800s, football in the early 1900s. But I know of few sports that have anywhere near the sense of tradition that golf does. And the oldest tournament, being played for the 150th time, on the oldest (18 hole) course is really something. 

[iBanesto]

Many people would assume the Old Course at St Andrews was the first Open venue but it was actually Prestwick GC in 1860.

 

St Andrews was the first played as an Open venue in 1873.

 

 

[ChipStrokes]

despite your good intentions, @bobfoster, the powers that he saw fit to move your British Open thread to the tour forum. 

 

i see a bob vs @MattyO1984 steel cage death match in our near future. 

[gvogel]

I suggest a book: Tom Morris of St Andrews, Colossus of Golf.

 

Tells you just about everything you need to know about Prestwick, and the development of St Andrews.  Yes, it was Old Tom who widened the fairways so to make it easier to play both out and back, without killing someone.

[rukahs]

I'll be there on the Thursday! Cannot wait.

[hammersia]

Leaves me a bit cold TBH. 

 

The R and A, like all golf organisations, have done very little positive for the game in terms of participation or technology, and rake in ever increasing amounts of cash in a monopoly position, ticket prices rising well above inflation every year. They're certainly milking this one.

 

Viewing at St Andrews is frankly terrible, you're walking around the outside for almost all of it, and it sounds like they are going to let more spectators in than ever before, think they're aiming for 260,000 or something like that for the week.

[BrianMcG]

I love the British Open

[Ferguson]

2 hours ago, BrianMcG said:

I love the British Open

 

The British Open, while steeped in tradition, remains the easiest of all majors.

[MattyO1984]

Can hardly wait for the Open to come around!!

 

@bobfoster - I will be there. We got tickets for the Practice Rounds on Sunday and Monday and then again for the Friday of the tournament proper. I am a devotee of the practice rounds. Less people on the grounds, not all of the advertising hoardings, etc are usually in place and you generally get to see an awful lot more of what is going on. We are going to take my son along with us. My wife has family in St Andrews so we will watch some of the golf with him before they head off to visit relatives leaving me to golf geek out my little head. Much more relaxed about taking our little one to a practice round rather than the tournament itself. On the Friday, my buddy and I are going to head along. Spectating is definitely not the best at St Andrews (hence my love for the practice days) so on the Friday, we plan to pick a couple of choice spots and watch guys rolling through.

[Christosterone]

15 hours ago, Ferguson said:

 

The British Open, while steeped in tradition, remains the easiest of all majors.

ferg, u will love this 🙂

 

 

 

 

[dmbolp]

We're going to the SUN & MON practice rounds (going to all 4 major Mondays), got a hotel right in St Andrews last year before they sold out.  Also going to the JPMcManus Pro-Am the week before at Adare Manor in Limerick IR; bought two 2-day caps in the charity auction last month when Tiger announced (MON & TUE), anyone want to buy the caps for TUE?

[pingnewbie]

I have 4 Monday tickets and 4 Tuesday tickets to the Open. The wife and I were excited to go but she's due on July 11th 🤪

 

PM me if anyone is looking for tickets.

[Christosterone]

1978 Open was absolutely bananas…the leaderboard after every round was a future hall of fame ballot

 

 

[tw_focus]

Need a small asterisk on 150* because they cancelled one for the insurance money. US Open, PGA Championship, Masters Tournament did not cancel due to insurance money - they grinded it out, no doubt people worked long and hard to figure out the logistics, the tournaments weren't perfect but they were held and were memorable (CM @ HP notably). The British Open took the easy way out and quit, don't forget.

[bscinstnct]

2 minutes ago, tw_focus said:

Need a small asterisk on 150* because they cancelled one for the insurance money. US Open, PGA Championship, Masters Tournament did not cancel due to insurance money - they grinded it out, no doubt people worked long and hard to figure out the logistics, the tournaments weren't perfect but they were held and were memorable (CM @ HP notably). The British Open took the easy way out and quit, don't forget.

 

🤣

 

You got ‘em there tw_f!

[gvogel]

4 hours ago, tw_focus said:

Need a small asterisk on 150* because they cancelled one for the insurance money. US Open, PGA Championship, Masters Tournament did not cancel due to insurance money - they grinded it out, no doubt people worked long and hard to figure out the logistics, the tournaments weren't perfect but they were held and were memorable (CM @ HP notably). The British Open took the easy way out and quit, don't forget.

They also quit for WWI and WWII.  I don't have a problem with that.

[ebeck66]

Another good book, St. Andrews, In the footsteps of Old Tom Morris.  @gvogel, I will have to look into your suggestion.  I hadn't heard of that book.

[m d g]

Old Tom Morris this. Young Tom Morris that.

 

Middle-age Tom Morris gets no respect.

[Mustard_Tiger]

I love the British Open. I think of the great British Open champions of the past like Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth...

 

You know when you've sipped Miller Lite from the claret jug, you're among the best golfers to ever play the game of golf.

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Mustard_Tiger

[GolfTurkey]

To flog a dead horse, if they really wanted to save a word, it would be more accurate and informative and less pretentious to call it "The British".

[Go Cougs]

"The Open Championship is incorrect. It's now The Open," the Englishman said. "You see? It's gone from the British Open, the Open Championship, now it's The Open...In another five years it will be just called 'The.'"

 

-Sir Nick

[Zitlow]

The Great Triumvirate Harry Vardon, JH Taylor and James Braid won 16 of 21 Opens between 1894 and 1914. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Zitlow

[dalehead]

6 minutes ago, Zitlow said:

The Great Triumvirate Harry Vardon, JH Taylor and James Braid won 16 of 21 Opens between 1894 and 1914. 

Every time I see this statistic I wonder about the other competitors. Seems the only competition for the Great Triumvirate was each other, with the one who was playing best that week coming out on top.

[grm24]

3 hours ago, Mustard_Tiger said:

I love the British Open. I think of the great British Open champions of the past like Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth...

 

You know when you've sipped Miller Lite from the claret jug, you're among the best golfers to ever play the game of golf.

David Duval has entered the chat. 😀

[GolfTurkey]

My dog dug some holes in my garden. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, I placed little flags in the holes and I'm holding a tournament.

 

Only I am invited so I'm calling it "The Closed". PM me if you're interested in tv rights.

[Sumo]

The majors come thick and fast now. 

 

Doesn't seem that long ago we had the American Masters and we've got the American Open coming up. 😬

[Hankshank]

Old course is like Augusta National - some iconic holes carry up some really boring holes last 9. Difference is that the two most important holes on any course apt for TV broadcast - the last two - are great on Old Course but surprisingly crappy on Augusta national.
The boring stretch on Old course is the long line of holes from 12-16 with the possible exception of the 16th green. As boring to play as to watch. Actually pretty much like Pebble beach. Things start to happen again as you reach 17(TV watching wise. Haven´t had the pleasure of playing golf in the US) 

 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Hankshank

[scott_Donald]

I can't wait for this, I will be watching on TV but almost prefer to watch the tournament like that.

 

I can only speak for Royal Aberdeen but the course is already in great condition with the weather been so good since mid April; course is going to be in perfect condition by July.

 

I was going to try and get a practice round ticket but seems impossible; I am lucky with having a property right in the centre of town, I can park there and walk 3 minutes to the Old Course.

 

What is shocking to me is we still have not let the property for The Open yet; rightly the price is stupid but it is so close to everything in town. Restaurant bookings will be interesting in town that week, they are bad enough during The Dunhill.

 

 

[scott_Donald]

15 minutes ago, Hankshank said:

Old course is like Augusta National - some iconic holes carry up some really boring holes last 9. Difference is that the two most important holes on any course apt for TV broadcast - the last two - are great on Old Course but surprisingly crappy on Augusta national.
The boring stretch on Old course is the long line of holes from 12-16 with the possible exception of the 16th green. As boring to play as to watch. Actually pretty much like Pebble beach. Things start to happen again as you reach 17(TV watching wise. Haven´t had the pleasure of playing golf in the US) 

 

 

I actually really like 12, 14 and 16.

 

12 hit a good tee shot and good birdie hole, otherwise good luck as the green is a killer.

 

14 just let it rip off the tee and go for the green!

 

16 so tight for The Old Course, try and keep it right to make it so short but flirt with the Driving Range and OB.

[MattyO1984]

22 minutes ago, scott_Donald said:

I can't wait for this, I will be watching on TV but almost prefer to watch the tournament like that.

 

I can only speak for Royal Aberdeen but the course is already in great condition with the weather been so good since mid April; course is going to be in perfect condition by July.

 

I was going to try and get a practice round ticket but seems impossible; I am lucky with having a property right in the centre of town, I can park there and walk 3 minutes to the Old Course.

 

What is shocking to me is we still have not let the property for The Open yet; rightly the price is stupid but it is so close to everything in town. Restaurant bookings will be interesting in town that week, they are bad enough during The Dunhill.

 

Definitely going to be taking advantage with the parking when we are down. Uncle and Auntie's in law stay in St Andrews - about a 5 minute walk!