British Open

Well, after picking the Masters and the US Open champs, I think my streak is over. I am going to pick Padraig Harrington to win it all, but there are too many people on their game right now. With the way that Ernie, Tiger, Weir, Perry and Furyk are playing I can't see how any one of those players can be a favorite - they all have a great chance if they can keep their head in the game all four days. All that said, Padraig is due - this is the year of the first timers. Hey, maybe Phil will win?? HAHAHA!!!

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Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Hi Gord,

I wouldn't bet against Padraig winning, he certainly has the game - but does he have that little extra to win a major?

Good Luck on continuing your winning predictions Gord, I hope you are laying bets on all of them.

Just a point of information...There is no "British Open" but there is "The Open". The term British Open is an American way and incorrect way of referring to "The Open". In the United Kingdom we use the correct title for this most prestigious tournament and never refer to the Open by any other name.

My pick for the open is Darren Clarke with Sergio Garcia as second choice

I think Darren Clarke has a great chance and the course will suit him. Ernie and Tiger are obviously favourites. But watch out for some outsiders like Padraig Harrington. Also keep an eye on Paul Casey for a top ten finish!

Visit the Official Open Championship website here

I'd like to see Paddy or Monty win it.

Or how about Duval? We know the game is there, it's just been a while since he put it all together. (Edit: an 8 on #9 and a 7 on #10 takes Duval out of contention).

Of course - I'm backing the Danish Vikings with all my heart. Difficult conditions like changing or bad weather could help get our guys well in play.

But Royal St. George's is the golf course from hell, as the first few holes have already proven.

How about Tiger opening with a TRIPLE-bogey at hole #1? Who would have put money on that?

Well ... nothing against Jerry Kelly's massive 11 at #1.

So - when the course is a killer, who rises to the occasion?
None other than GREG "The Great White Shark" Norman. Who birdied #1, and eagled #4. How's that for opening the Open.

This will be a fantastic tournament, where the candidates for the win will have to play perhaps their best golf ever.

__________________
//Mox
2007 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red strong 3w 13,5* and 5w 18* graphalloy fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Odyssey White Steel 2-ball SRT putter
Titleist NXT Extreme

So many could take it out. Ol Monty on home soil might prove a surprise, and patriotically I think Peter Leonard may give a shake.

Whatever the result it'll be great viewing those tough windy days are good levellers - even of the Champs

Sadly, Montgomerie is out before he even got really started.

An injury to his wrist BEFORE ever teeing off, forced him to retire after 7 holes.

Azinger is out after 10 holes, having had a run of bogey, bogey, dbl bogey, dbl bogey on the last 4 holes he played.

Jerry Kelly - who started the Open in the worst possible way, with a SEVEN-doubled bogey - has elected to retire after round 1.

And stupid, temperamented Thomas Bjorn caught an 8 on 17, when he failed to lift a bunkershot out of the trap, and in irritation hit his wedge into the sand, thus incurring a 2-stroke penalty for grounding in a bunker. How's that for 2 dumb ones to put on your scorecard ?!

The Big Easy is at +7 after 18, Tiger had to struggle to get back with a +2. The Open is most definately ON.

And I have to tip my hat - no, remove it completely and wave it cheerfully in the air - in recognition of Norman. What a player. He might have had the "luck" of being out early, although it didn't seem to play all that much easier out there in the morning, as I'm sure many scorecards will show.

And Otto was first in the clubhouse, and has stayed the clubhouse leader all day. Pretty amazing.

What a great little game.

__________________
//Mox
2007 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red strong 3w 13,5* and 5w 18* graphalloy fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Odyssey White Steel 2-ball SRT putter
Titleist NXT Extreme

I have to give the nod to a forty something. Watch out for Freddy "boom-boom or Norman.

GolfBald

What do you all think about Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik being disqualified?

The story so far:

Jesper Parnevik and Mark Roe failed to switch cards on the first tee, something that they do not normally need to do as they are normally given their playing partners' card, but the Open is different. After completing their round they went to the scoring hut were two officials are on hand to check the cards with the players, all four of them failed to spot the error. Apparrently it is a duty of the officials to ask the players if they had exchanged cards etc. Both players maintain that neither official asked them this.

At the end of the day the players are responsible for checking their cards. However if the Official's should have checked this then the players should be let off.

Apparently Bobby Locke made a mistake when marking his ball in the final round of the Open. He marked his ball one putter head to the side, but failed to place it back to its correct position (a putter head back to the side - where it lay originally). He then putted out. The R&A over-ruled this breaking of the rules as he did not gain an unfair advantage, Locke won the Open. Surely this could be done for both Roe and Parnevik, as neither player was unfairly trying to gain an advantage!

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Greg Hutton
Managing Director
golftuitiononline.com | the global golf forum
3skillsgolf Instructor

What can I say.

I'm gutted.

Bjorn blew it all by himself. First by getting 2 penalty-strokes for "testing the sand" in the bunker on 17th on the first day, and then by being too hot-headed in the bunker on 16th on the home stretch.

When the first shot comes back to the bunker. Why doesn't he leave it, relax, take a little breather before stepping back in? Instead he just sets up again, and makes EXACTLY the same mistake as he had just made.

*sigh*

Oh well ... Curtis played a great Open, and had four bogeys on the back nine, so maybe it was fair enough that Thomas should have a bit of bad fortune too.

Still ... he must hate himself for taking the two penalty-strokes on the first day.

__________________
//Mox
2007 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red strong 3w 13,5* and 5w 18* graphalloy fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Odyssey White Steel 2-ball SRT putter
Titleist NXT Extreme