2025 Open Championship in Portrush

[bobfoster]

17 minutes ago, nsxguy said:

 

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 ?"" 

I do agree that two strokes is excessive. But one stroke? Definitely. No, he didn't see it. No, it was not intentional. But still? This has never happened to me. Why? Because when my ball is sitting precariously perched in long wispy rough on a links course, I don't take a practice swing less than two freakin' inches from a ball that even a gust of wind might move.

 

I mean, c'mon. 

[m d g]

1 hour ago, NosajNeelik said:

He’s not from Tokyo 

 

I knew that.

 

Making a general comment. Unless he is from a hick town, most cities in Japan are similar.

 

I lived there for almost 2 years : )

[aabcuue]

On 7/15/2025 at 3:26 PM, TiScape said:

In his defense, it’s not his fault 🤓

It is when your the scientist controlling every variable and making plans to account/respond to every condition.

 

The problem is all these adjustment created more conditions that need fixing

Edited July 19 by aabcuue

[WesternRacing]

2 hours 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

 

Honestly, at what point does he just stop playing the majors and save the travel expenses.  Seems like a lot of time, effort, and cost to fly halfway around the world to play two rounds and then head home.  I’m guessing a few more missed cuts at majors and he’ll start watching them from his fishing boat off the coast of Australia.

 

 

Edited July 19 by WesternRacing

[bobfoster]

1 minute ago, m d g said:

 

I knew that.

 

Making a general comment. Unless he is from a hick town, most cities in Japan are similar.

 

I lived there for almost 2 years : )

I never lived there, but did a lot of business in Japan. Its population is over 120 million, and the whole country (geographically) is just slightly larger than half the state of Texas. It is, like, a really really bad place for someone with claustrophobia. Even when you get outside of Tokyo. 

[black bnr32]

Xander - 68 consecutive cuts.  Very impressive and probably doesn’t get enough credit for this stat.

[aabcuue]

On 7/16/2025 at 10:17 AM, Duct Tape said:

🏌🏼‍♀️

Tough viewing call tomorrow. 
 

TdF climb to Hautacam summit finish or First round of Open. 
 

At least it’s not tennis, eh TS?

 

At least now that the tour is basically over w 3:31 lead, unless pogacar cracks, you can watch the open

[nsxguy]

57 minutes ago, Frank Newport said:

 

You seriously think a PGAT golfer would find it easier to advance the ball by trying not to hit it?

 

And you (seem to) think that *I* say idiotic things ? 

 

 

My bad. Obviously, I've wasted my time asking *you* to think. 

 

I'll try to remember that going forward. 👍

 

[WesternRacing]

Rich Lerner and Brandel Chamblee have to be the worst post game tandem in all of sports.  Brandel even looks like he’s sick of listening to himself.

[Pops99]

9 hours ago, Birdman62 said:

 

Only ONE amateur made the cut at a major this year: Justin Hastings.

 

And as an aside, Hastings, the Cayman Islands kid, flew from Oakmont after winning low-am to Edmonton, AB as he was hoping to catch the Edmonton Oilers playing game 7 of the Cup finals at home (didn't happen sadly). And so lo and behold I am teeing off on 1 on Wednesday and he's heading up to our range to hit some balls before he plays our course. Wild stuff. Don't see many guys like that around these parts haha

 

*apologies to the people who hate tangents on here. 

[JungleJimbo]

10 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.

 

 

 

 

the legend  of Tiger Woods keeps getting embellished (but your main point is noted @bscinstnct).  eg from “9 windows” to “16 windows”

 

https://www.golfwrx.com/664080/tiger-woods-breaks-down-his-famous-nine-window-warm-up-drill/

 

 

[iBanesto]

2 hours ago, aabcuue said:

At least now that the tour is basically over w 3:31 lead, unless pogacar cracks, you can watch the open

 

Pogacar > Scheffler.

[JungleJimbo]

4 minutes ago, iBanesto said:

 

Pogacar > Scheffler.

 

 

 

[iBanesto]

27 minutes ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

 

 

 

[joe perry]

They need to come back to Portrush every 5-6 years or so 

 

Allow it to take St Andrews place as the most frequently returned course  unless they roll back the ball allowing the Old Course to be more of a challenge 

 

2028 Portmarnock

2029 Lytham with recent expansion

2030 Muirfield 

2031 Portrush 

 

 

[WorkItBothWays]

4 hours ago, black bnr32 said:

Xander - 68 consecutive cuts.  Very impressive and probably doesn’t get enough credit for this stat.

Interesting article on the major championships cuts in 2025.

 

Cam Smith the only player to play in all four and MC in all four.

 

11 players MC in 3 out of the 4, including Koepka, not sure how many of the 11 were in all 4.  Dunlap for example is playing the Barracuda this week. Cantlay and Straka a little surprising especially the latter given he's had a good season.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/golf/news/sixteen-players-made-all-four-major-cuts-in-2025-one-player-missed-all-four

 

[aenemated]

Man, this got weird. 

[Tiger_Stud]

2 hours ago, joe perry said:

They need to come back to Portrush every 5-6 years or so 

 

Allow it to take St Andrews place as the most frequently returned course  unless they roll back the ball allowing the Old Course to be more of a challenge 

 

2028 Portmarnock

2029 Lytham with recent expansion

2030 Muirfield 

2031 Portrush 

 

 

Portrush doesn’t seem to be a big challenge either 🤷‍♂️

[NosajNeelik]

7 hours ago, m d g said:

 

I knew that.

 

Making a general comment. Unless he is from a hick town, most cities in Japan are similar.

 

I lived there for almost 2 years : )

Tokyo has 30 million people. The next biggest has 3. Most of the country is small towns and countryside, he’s from shikoku island which doesn’t even have a city. Did you not travel much while you were there? 
 

family is from there so been there many many times. 

Edited July 19 by NosajNeelik

[NosajNeelik]

5 hours ago, Frank Newport said:

Someone please start a thread compiling the most ridiculous posts on here and add this one ☝🏻 to it.

 

Its almost as good as the posts in the US Open thread claiming that the USGA actually slows the greens at Oakmont for the tournament. 🤣

Add this to the list 

 

[lefty1978]

Bryson to -1

[WorkItBothWays]

3 hours ago, joe perry said:

They need to come back to Portrush every 5-6 years or so 

 

Allow it to take St Andrews place as the most frequently returned course  unless they roll back the ball allowing the Old Course to be more of a challenge 

 

2028 Portmarnock

2029 Lytham with recent expansion

2030 Muirfield 

2031 Portrush 

 

 

That will never happen

[fowlerscousin]

Dechambeau, GOAT?

[iBanesto]

Stenson is 4 under for the day through 9 holes.

 

What is this? 2016?!

 

Also that Graffaloy Blue shaft.

 

[avrag]

It is important to start with these disclaimers: 
I love links golf. I love playing it, I love watching it, and I will always defend it as a the way golf was meant to be played against everybody who doesn't like it.  
I love the Irish culture and the Irish landscape. All people from Ireland I have met were extremely pleasant and likeable. 
So please, I don't want to draw the ire of this entire nation at me. 

 

That being said: 
I don't understand the glowingly positive things people said about Portrush in all of the previews, especially that it is a fairer test than many other Open venues. I can't remember ever seeing so many great shots ending up with terrible results and so many mediocre shots with good results. In my view, this is caused by the way the greens are built with their false fronts and upturned saucer features. 
And after watching two full rounds, I still don't recognise many of the holes immediately, like I usually do on almost all other Open courses. The 4th, 5th, the 16th and the 18th are the only exceptions.
I also ask myself how this course is even playable without thousands of spectators and hundreds of spotters and marshals. 

[cardoustie]

Lowry ruling BS

[bscinstnct]

2 minutes ago, iBanesto said:

Stenson is 4 under for the day through 9 holes.

 

What is this? 2016?!

 

Also that Graffaloy Blue shaft.

 

 

No wind? If it doesn’t pick up leaders gonna be off to the races 

[Como82]

Someone is gonna shoot like 62-63 today in the top 15-20, maybe 2 guys.  Could see one of Scottie/Harman/Fitz/Li pulling away from the other 3 and someone coming from out of nowhere in that -5 group to be within 2 strokes of the lead at the end of the day

[RoverTiger]

40 minutes ago, fowlerscousin said:

Dechambeau, GOAT?

[Guest]

Watching the tv coverage on nbc, it’s only been on for 40 minutes and I’ve had to watch what seems like 20

minutes of Johnson Wagner throwing golf balls around the course. I came here to watch golf not Johnson Wagner. Does anyone enjoy this part of the coverage?