2025 Open Championship in Portrush

[MaineMariner]

6 minutes ago, Frank Newport said:

Why is it a 2 stroke penalty ? Why not one?

Moving his ball (1 stroke), and then not replacing his moved ball (ie playing from the wrong spot) (1 stroke).

 

Probably a good area for rules modernization when the movement is so minor that the player reasonably could not have seen it and did not materially change the lie. Give the player a penalty for moving the ball, but not a second for failing to replace.

[sergizmo]

4 hours ago, Como82 said:

Nowadays given how soft contacts are I’m amazed Bahtia wears glasses on the course.  He must truly be intolerant to them or just unable to put them in/out.  Believe he’s only guy on tour that wears them.  Fratelli occasionally would 

He may need progressive lenses, which have to be glasses.

[Frank Newport]

25 minutes ago, MaineMariner said:

Moving his ball (1 stroke), and then not replacing his moved ball (ie playing from the wrong spot) (1 stroke).

 

Probably a good area for rules modernization when the movement is so minor that the player reasonably could not have seen it and did not materially change the lie. Give the player a penalty for moving the ball, but not a second for failing to replace.

Agree. 2 strokes is excessive.

[m d g]

12 hours ago, Shane Cavitt said:

It is around holes 9 & 10 I believe. It is for the players only. It is around a congested area on the course and it helps the players move to the tee. Interesting anecdote. Hideki is apparently claustrophobic and refuses to walk through it. 

 

Which is interesting/ironic in that Tokyo is a maze of tunnels, especially around the subway and train stations.

 

I'm sure he has a personal driver these days...

[dcfas]

5 hours ago, Ferguson said:

 

What are your thoughts on if he should consider switching to RH?  

 

I think my head would explode. 

[m d g]

4 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

 

🤣

 

Tiger hit the ball as high as anybody, but also used to be able to hit shots in like 16 different windows, high, low, cut, draw, hook, slice.

 

 

 

 

 

So did some other hacker named Jack, if I recall...

[Zjhl2024]

8 hours ago, TiScape said:

Next time, maybe use Mom??? 
 

*1st make sure she still w/us tho 😉 

I remember there was once when Li tossed his putter into the pond during a tournament, it was his mom who picked it up for him...

[Mr.Cleeks]

It’s crazy to think Cam Smith was a top 3 golfer in the world just 3 years ago and now he has 5 straight MCs in majors. His fall off has been just as bad as DJ’s. Makes me respect Phil that much more for showing up and still grinding it out at these majors in his 50s. Bryson and Rahm are the liv guys who still look they care

[toddba11]

15 minutes ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

It’s crazy to think Cam Smith was a top 3 golfer in the world just 3 years ago and now he has 5 straight MCs in majors. His fall off has been just as bad as DJ’s. Makes me respect Phil that much more for showing up and still grinding it out at these majors in his 50s. Bryson and Rahm are the liv guys who still look they care

Cam packed it in once he signed with LIV.  It is a stunning drop off.

[bcjim]

I don't see a connection between Lowry's practice swing and the ball movement. Add in that the movement is miniscule and, if anything, unhelpful and what are we doing here?  

 

Also, Scottie wins. The end.

[toddba11]

Why does the Golf Channel only have Brandel on?   They need another guest. Where is Paul?

[Mr.Cleeks]

3 minutes ago, toddba11 said:

Cam packed it in once he signed with LIV.  It is a stunning drop off.

 Cam finished t9 at the 2023 PGA, 4th at the 2023 US Open and t6 at the 2024 Masters. I thought he would be a multi-major guy and thought he would definetly snag a green jacket at Augusta given how well he plays that course.

[IneverDothis]

4 hours ago, NosajNeelik said:

Did they get “sloshed” is the question. 

It’s Inwood Tavern in Dallas. One of the best bars in the country. Highland Park folks ripping cigs, divorced ones making out on the patio and plenty of townie skanks to boot. Throw in some SMU college hotties and it’s a great little cocktail of people. About as eclectic and divey as it gets in Dallas.

 

Scottie is a very cool guy. John Daly? No, but he’s not a total square like he comes across.

Edited July 19 by IneverDothis

[Como82]

8 minutes ago, toddba11 said:

Why does the Golf Channel only have Brandel on?   They need another guest. Where is Paul?

 

Supposedly was sick earlier last week and not feeling 100% so he's doing day commentary for USA and other networks but basically heading back and going to bed right after.  They said he might be there beginning tomorrow.

[toddba11]

1 minute ago, Como82 said:

 

Supposedly was sick earlier last week and not feeling 100% so he's doing day commentary for USA and other networks but basically heading back and going to bed right after.  They said he might be there beginning tomorrow.

Thanks for the update, I like him and Brandel, especially when they go at it….

[toddba11]

17 minutes ago, bcjim said:

I don't see a connection between Lowry's practice swing and the ball movement. Add in that the movement is miniscule and, if anything, unhelpful and what are we doing here?  

 

Also, Scottie wins. The end.

I thought the penalty was a joke……

[Gregakin]

37 minutes ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

It’s crazy to think Cam Smith was a top 3 golfer in the world just 3 years ago and now he has 5 straight MCs in majors. His fall off has been just as bad as DJ’s. Makes me respect Phil that much more for showing up and still grinding it out at these majors in his 50s. Bryson and Rahm are the liv guys who still look they care

Phil has 10X the talent CS ever dreamed of having, so even at 50+, he rolls out of bed better over the long haul.  But I get your point. 

[NosajNeelik]

26 minutes ago, bcjim said:

I don't see a connection between Lowry's practice swing and the ball movement. Add in that the movement is miniscule and, if anything, unhelpful and what are we doing here?  

 

Also, Scottie wins. The end.

It’s the rule

[NosajNeelik]

2 hours ago, m d g said:

 

Which is interesting/ironic in that Tokyo is a maze of tunnels, especially around the subway and train stations.

 

I'm sure he has a personal driver these days...

He’s not from Tokyo 

[Mr.Cleeks]

1 minute ago, Gregakin said:

Phil has 10X the talent CS ever dreamed of having, so even at 50+, he rolls out of bed better over the long haul.  But I get your point. 

Phil also has arthritis so not every day is painfree

[nsxguy]

40 minutes ago, bcjim said:

I don't see a connection between Lowry's practice swing and the ball movement. Add in that the movement is miniscule and, if anything, unhelpful and what are we doing here?  

 

Also, Scottie wins. The end.

 

There doesn't have to actually BE any, him being that close to the ball.

 

But if you watch carefully, there's a really thin twig, about 8-12 inches long; one end apparently being under(?) the ball, and the other end being where Lowry hit the grass on his practice swing.

 

I'm thinking that twig was either holding up the ball or nudged it slightly when Lowry hit it.

[iBanesto]

10 hours ago, Obee said:

Yeah, that's about as big a swing as you will every see for just about any golfer. Nick Dunlap had that crazy one at The Masters that was even bigger, but 13 shots is massive.

Most of us have been there before. I once went 30, 42 when I first started getting decent at the game, just in 9 flippin' holes!!

 

I went from "I'm going to shoot 59," to: "Can I just go home now" so fast it made my head spin...

 

Curtis Strange at the 1985 Masters shot 80 in his 1st round then 65.

 

[bscinstnct]

Lights out for the field if Scheff keep running

 

 

 

[nsxguy]

3 hours ago, MaineMariner said:

Moving his ball (1 stroke), and then not replacing his moved ball (ie playing from the wrong spot) (1 stroke).

 

Probably a good area for rules modernization when the movement is so minor that the player reasonably could not have seen it and did not materially change the lie. Give the player a penalty for moving the ball, but not a second for failing to replace.

 

The problem when making rules is to try to make them accommodate all such situations. The main rule is to play the ball as it lies.

 

You have to expand your thinking. i.e. what if the player is in a terrible spot ? Maybe can't even take an unplayable lie for 1 stroke.

 

But maybe, if he accidentally causes it to move, say inside and under a bush on a big hill where he couldn't possibly even get a club on the ball, it accidentally rolls down that hill to get him a clear shot for "only" 1 penalty stroke ?

 

So, it's a 1-stroke penalty AND you have to put it back where it was and deal with it as you should have in the 1st place.

 

Otherwise, add 1 more. And if you don't, and it's considered a serious breach, you're DQ'd (because who knows HOW many strokes you'd have taken getting it back in play ?).

 

It's like that Hewlett-Packard ad in the 90's. "We never stop asking "what if ?"" 

 

 

3 hours ago, Frank Newport said:

Agree. 2 strokes is excessive.

 

Edited July 19 by nsxguy

[iBanesto]

Justin Leonard making the cut at the Open.

 

 

[PedronNiall]

15 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

Lights out for the field if Scheff keep running

 

 

 

 

[Como82]

15 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

Lights out for the field if Scheff keep running

 

 

 

 

Which is why I think we have some surprises coming yet.  Its really hard to maintain that type of level, even if you're Scottie for 3 straight rounds.  He's even said before he gets nervous at times in majors and we've seen it somewhat from him where he has rounds of like 68-69 where at times he is rolling for 4 holes then goes 2 over for 4 holes, he usually stops the bleeding but has one of those days often it seems in ones he wins or contends in.  I think he has a good day but would not surprise me if he shoots only like 70 or 69.  If he does that, he won't be leading headed into Sunday.  He'd still be favored though unless someone goes 64 like Fitz or Harman

[1puttTUT]

9 hours ago, kiawah said:

Can you take Scottie now please

 

I can't make any money on Scottie and therefore I hate him...until the Ryder Cup

[Nessism]

6 hours ago, MaineMariner said:

Lowry assessed a 2-stroke penalty, per the internet.

 

That's just brutal luck. He wasn't even swinging close to his ball, wasn't looking at his ball, and was only "caught" because a camera happened to be zoomed in. That same thing probably happened a dozen times on the course today, but nobody was there to see it.

 

Agree.

 

On the other hand, how many times are these guys hitting into the junk, and ball spotters, TV cameras, everyone points to where the ball went.  It works both ways.

[@_the_crook]

1 hour ago, IneverDothis said:

It’s Inwood Tavern in Dallas. One of the best bars in the country. Highland Park folks ripping cigs, divorced ones making out on the patio and plenty of townie skanks to boot. Throw in some SMU college hotties and it’s a great little cocktail of people. About as eclectic and divey as it gets in Dallas.

 

Scottie is a very cool guy. John Daly? No, but he’s not a total square like he comes across.

I've got relatives just a few miles away..Going to hit that up next time I'm down there. Sounds like a good place to drink & people watch.