BRITISH OPEN-SPOILER (Day 2 Combined threads)

Huskypride28 · July 21, 2006

John Daly was -2 going into 18 (almost -3 but he lipped out a birdie putt on 17) when he sprayed his tee shot with a driver so far right and out of bounds the camera couldn't find it. Then he slices his 3rd shot (after a drop) out of bounds with his 3 wood to finish +1 and miss the cut. Unbelievable! Why does he feel the need to go for it all the time. All he had to do was make par and he was in. So sad.

bpratt · July 21, 2006

I've been watching this thing all day in my office, and I have to comment somewhere, so it might as well be here.

1) Hoylake is awful. You can't call it a major if even par is the cut number. Obviously, this will be the end of this course's major history.

2) Can you call them greens? Shouldn't they be called browns?

3) Tin Cup Daly made 8 on 18 to miss the cut.

4) Tons of big names missing the cut: Vijay, DLIII, Cink, Monty, Darren Clarke (82 today), Appleby. And it's not like some British Opens, where guys who hit the ball high miss the cut--these guys are all different. Other questions: Is Vijay's career starting to fade? Is DLIII completely cooked?

animalistic · July 21, 2006

thats a good post....

vijay is fading

davis is cooked

the greens are good..just a little burnt

course is v average by open standards

BRENTY · July 21, 2006

What do you know? It's a classic Links course the way golf is meant to be play not the easy target golf you guy play in america.....

bpratt · July 21, 2006

I would rather play St. Andrews than any other course in the world. I love good links courses. Hoylake is not good.

Ducky · July 21, 2006

Geez, I didn't even know about that. I was thinking that Sergio Garcia was known as 'self destruction', considering he put himself in a position to attack and blew it on the back nine (although, to his credit, he did save par well on several occasions).

KevCarter · July 21, 2006

Brenty,

I agree with you, we are VERY spoiled over here. It's gotten silly really, we expect beautiful green and perfect lies everywhere. That is really NOT what golf is all about. Hoylake is rewarding great play, and punishing poor play and poor thinking, and you better be grinding on every shot.

Gosh, look at the leaderboard, the big guns that are playing well are there, and I believe will still be there at the end. I am enjoying this Open Championship...

Kevin

vanquish007 · July 21, 2006

So, Daly's got a decent round going...

........great approach on 16 that results in a putt for eagle......decent birdie chance on 17, and ends up with a tap in par.......

........he's -2 going into the 18th (an extremely birdie-able hole) looking good until he decides to JUMP ON THE FRIGGIN' PAIN TRAIN!! Driver OB, drop and then a 3 wood OB. Ends up triple bogie on the hole!!! ;) :drinks:

It was the most painful thing to watch......ala take your pick of a Mickelson or Montgomerie meltdown at the US Open at Winged Foot. All he needed was a par!

I just wanted 'Big John' to make the cut!! DAMN!!

Needless to say he might be drinking heavily tonight after that one!

Anyone else catch that?

nikemike · July 21, 2006

I can agree with bpratt on several issues. I don't get the notion that this is "how golf is suppose to be played". IMO, just b/c it originated like that doesn't mean that's "how its supposed to be". Basketball started with peach baskets and I'm sure glad it's not like that now. I could hit balls in a field for free, when I'm paying, it better at least look decent.

With all that said, I don't think Hoylake is a terrible venue, it's defenses are simply void this week. Next week, it could be raining sideways with 25mph winds and 50 degrees. shhhh IT happens.......

taylormadefan · July 21, 2006

With all that said, I don't think Hoylake is a terrible venue, it's defenses are simply void this week. Next week, it could be raining sideways with 25mph winds and 50 degrees. shhhh IT happens.......

I don't think we'll have to wait till next week, it's supposed to be coming tomorrow afternoon!

One of the things I love about the Open Championship is that they don't seem to have the obsessions with "defending old man par" that the US Open does. The R&A will never be accused of "Shinnecocking" players, and I applaud them for that.

So the course is open for the taking? Who's on top of the leader board? The best ranked golfers in the world who have played the best up to this point. Isn't that the way it should be? All the players seem to like it so far.

dannypharvey · July 21, 2006

what a whalley brain, moaning about the course being brown. EVERY piece of grass in the area is brown including people's back garden's in the area. it's what a links course is supposed to look like at this time of year.

!my 200th post too!

BCULAW · July 21, 2006

Man, I agree completely. What the USGA did to Shinnecock was criminal. Personally, I do not find Hoylake to be a compelling venue, but I enjoy this much more than I have enjoyed the US Opens over the past 5 years or so, with the exception of Bethpage. I don't mind seeing 65s on the course, as long as they result from stellar play. The course should reward stellar play with birdies, but punish mediocre play with bogeys. Like the course or not, Hoylake seems to be doing that for the most part.

As for links style golf, I don't mind the brown. Nice change of pace, IMO. The greens seem to be rolling very true, so how can anyone complain. I'd rather have brown fairways and green greens. Remember, Shinnecock was brown fairways and brown greens - horrible combination . . . what a crime for that majestic course!!!

tanj · July 21, 2006

Hey you can't help that brown grass. THey're in a drought for chrissakes. They and we in Australia don't have all the luxury of having all that water to keep the grass green or the resources to have every single course with bore water.

I think this Open tournament has been great. In fact, I have liked this major the best so far. It has allowed the professionals to play professional golf and not being restricted to hit only certain types of shots. Here they can hit any shot they want and there will be punishment and reward but it is still fair. If you want to watch players struggling, go to your local course and watch that.

Josh

sandy · July 21, 2006

Course reminds me of all the old ABC broadcasts from years ago when Palmer first went. Then it was in Black and White (which it could be today as well). All the courses looked like this. Only St. Andrews was a consistent exception. Maybe that is why they went away from these type courses and went back to St. Andrews so much was because those other courses certainly aren't pretty. Obviously perfect for Tiger since he doesn't have to use his 39% fairways hit driver. Probably reminds him of the accuracy he had in 2000/2001. Over the years though this course is more the norm than the exception.

hoganboy · July 21, 2006

Links courses are supposed to be like this in the summer, before watering was done heavily this was the way they played. As someone said earlier the R&A should be applauded for leaving the course as a par 72 instead of the USGA trick of rebadging two par 5s as 4s and saying par 70.

To the person who said that because the cut is 1 under this isn't a major course, then the same happened in 1990 at St Andrews so by your reasoning should we stop going there. If there is no wind then the top players will score well round these courses. I'd say the course has done well and produced a great looking leaderboard going into the weekend. Just gotta hope for an exciting finsih.

golfernut78 · July 21, 2006

a -1 par cut line might seem low, but its not like a ton of players went super low. you've got 34 players between -3 and -1 and there are only six players that are -6 or lower. plus, last year woods was the 36 hole leader at -11 and won the tournament commandingly finishing at -14, so while the scores might have been on the low side the first two days, we still have two more days were the true defense of this course can show itself.

RSchaffer29 · July 21, 2006

a -1 par cut line might seem low, but its not like a ton of players went super low. you've got 34 players between -3 and -1 and there are only six players that are -6 or lower. plus, last year woods was the 36 hole leader at -11 and won the tournament commandingly finishing at -14, so while the scores might have been on the low side the first two days, we still have two more days were the true defense of this course can show itself.

great point

I also believe this course will beat them up on the weekend

Titleist34 · July 21, 2006

All i have to say is, The British Open is at Hoylake this year..........the course obviously isnt that bad

And do u hear Tour Pro's complaining? No

golfernut78 · July 22, 2006

maybe we are seeing such low scores because the eagle has landed. there are eagles all over this course, and i'm not talking about the par 5's. people are holeing out a lot of shots. you can't blame a course for that.