2025 Open Championship in Portrush

[WesternRacing]

Interesting thing happened to me about seven years ago in golf.  I suddenly started improving significantly and playing good golf, hitting 11-12 fairways a round and 12-14 greens every round.  And golf got really boring to me.  It was really weird, but it got kind of monotonous and I started looking forward to the times my ball found the trees or a difficult fairway bunker.  I shot the best round of my life at that time, a 72 at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach and it was one of the most boring rounds of golf that I’ve ever played.  To this day, when I have a round where I really feel like I have total control of my golf ball, I start to get bored.   It’s the same with watching golf.  I didn’t watch a minute of Sunday’s final round, because I knew it was a fait accompli and would just bore me to death. 

[avrag]

2 hours ago, gvogel said:

Most people who come over the top can't play a lick of golf.  But Scottie does it and hits his soft fade into the fairway so often that it gets boring.  Guess lots of golf fans can't buy into boring soft fades.  If you know, you know.

 

There is no better shot in golf than a reliable soft fade. 

Lee Trevino: "You can talk to a fade, but a hook won't listen."

 

(PS:
Personally affected. Lost my soft fade at the start of this season, and for about two months, golf turned into a horror show, especially driving.) 😄

[avrag]

10 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

but him with a commanding lead going into a Sunday is a bit anticlimactic.

 

This is what I have written about Tiger for close to 20 years on this forum, only to be called a "hater" numerous times. 
I can't wrap my head around the fact that the general consensus seems to be that it is ok to blame Scottie Scheffler for majors being boring, but it was not ok to dislike the "Tiger Era" for exactly this reason. 

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, Holy Moses said:

TaylorMade up to their old tricks

 

Sure. And they photoshopped his caddie out of the picture.

[tiderider]

4 hours ago, StoutKing said:

He has been on a work trip for two weeks and you want him to add on a vacation?  This has nothing to do with N Ireland being a great place to visit.  Man, people are really ornery.

and that's being polite ... 

[betarhoalphadelta]

5 minutes ago, avrag said:

 

This is what I have written about Tiger for close to 20 years on this forum, only to be called a "hater" numerous times. 
I can't wrap my head around the fact that the general consensus seems to be that it is ok to blame Scottie Scheffler for majors being boring, but it was not ok to dislike the "Tiger Era" for exactly this reason. 

 

Eh. I seem to remember similar things during the Tiger era. If Tiger had a strong lead into Sunday, it just seemed inevitable that he'd win. It often had the same anticlimactic feeling as Scottie. 

 

I don't hate Scottie for this now, just as I didn't hate Tiger for this then. It's just a reflection of how damn good both of them are[/were], that you just *know* they're not going to collapse. 

[skujan57]

Potential chaser Rahm says he can come up to Scheffler's level! Taking the easy way out by playing on the LIV tour? I don't think so.

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, avrag said:

 

This is what I have written about Tiger for close to 20 years on this forum, only to be called a "hater" numerous times. 
I can't wrap my head around the fact that the general consensus seems to be that it is ok to blame Scottie Scheffler for majors being boring, but it was not ok to dislike the "Tiger Era" for exactly this reason. 

 

Whether fabricated excitement or not, Tiger brought in the TV ratings.  I don't think Scottie does that.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

28 minutes ago, skujan57 said:

Potential chaser Rahm says he can come up to Scheffler's level! Taking the easy way out by playing on the LIV tour? I don't think so.

Rahm talking trash while hiding out on the exhibition is like...

[bscinstnct]

2 hours ago, avrag said:

 

This is what I have written about Tiger for close to 20 years on this forum, only to be called a "hater" numerous times. 
I can't wrap my head around the fact that the general consensus seems to be that it is ok to blame Scottie Scheffler for majors being boring, but it was not ok to dislike the "Tiger Era" for exactly this reason. 

 

TW had a ton of fans compared to SS, who just liked to see him kick butt

 

Same with Arnie vs Jack. King just had the “it” factor 

 

But SS greatness out there is putting more and folks in his corner, myself included 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21 by bscinstnct

[DLiver]

11 hours ago, Buddon _Burn said:

I think also there was a lot of perceived excitement around Tiger because golf (the game, the tours, the industry, the politics etc.) had all been fairly dry from my memory in the years up to his arrival.

So true. I remember very clearly how mediocre tour golf had become. There was no one dominating the tour, just a bunch of guys winning once every other year. No true stars, just a bunch of guys trying to choke less than the other guys when trying to close the deal. Perhaps I am being a little harsh here, but everyone was hungry for someone who could really play when the pressure was on.

[braincramp52]

36 minutes ago, DLiver said:

So true. I remember very clearly how mediocre tour golf had become. There was no one dominating the tour, just a bunch of guys winning once every other year. No true stars, just a bunch of guys trying to choke less than the other guys when trying to close the deal. Perhaps I am being a little harsh here, but everyone was hungry for someone who could really play when the pressure was on.

I was listening to Butch Harmon talking on Gravy and the Sleeze this morning and he said Scottie is more like Nicklaus than Tiger because of the way he thinks his way around a golf course. He said no one has ever done that better than Jack but Scottie is close.

[discover-it]

Tiger also brought a level of fitness to golf that wasn't there before. I saw him at The Players in his prime. The dude was jacked. 

[PedronNiall]

6 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

 

TW didn’t need no hype, everyone was just in awe…

 

“This guy is it. He is I-T. He is No. 1. Nicklaus was my man. I always loved Nicklaus' game. But Tiger, man, I can't wait to turn the tube on. I study him. I love the way he plays. The way he carries himself.”

 

-Lee Trevino

 

https://www.espn.com/golf/columns/story?columnist=diaz_jaime&id=4667861

 

TW days were crazy….

 

Tailing Tiger at Augusta

 

“As fast as the fairway crosswalk ropes open and close, word has spread over club grounds: "He's on the driving range!"

 

The number of spectators in the practice area triples. Children are ushered to the rope, shorter spouses step in front of taller ones, roast-beef-faced old men squint, and bachelors with full beers flex onto their tiptoes.

 

The merchandise center actually structures its restocking and employee-break schedules around Tiger. "When Tiger's on the course, it's dead, but when he makes the turn or leaves for the day, it gets real busy," says one employee who has worked at the merchandise center for more than a decade.

 

As the gallery compresses and bodies jostle, much muttering begins. Each comment is anonymous, because to scan for the source is to risk toppling over.

 

"There he is."

 

"Man, is he ripped."

 

"He didn't even look at my kid."

 

"What's the big deal? Not like he's going to turn water into wine."

 

The last only underscores what this really is: a communal religious experience. 

 

There he is.”

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/tailing-tiger-woods-at-the-masters

 

 

 

 

 

LT is a hype man extraordinaire and he knows how to sell a story, so can't count that, haha. Still, just one more bit of the machine behind Tiger being seen as he is. 

 

If you actually watch Tiger hitting some of his most amazing shots including the bunker shot above he's no more animated, enthused, or expressive than Scottie, that's the point. In many where he is the celebration was mostly for him. Nothing wrong with that, simply Tiger being Tiger, but if you watch that Masters clip above the crowd really only gets hat tips from him. Most of the big energy stuff was for him or between him and Steve. It wasn't until The Players a few years back when he was joking around with Na that you really saw Tiger letting go and "opening up" in front of the crowd. Commentators even made note of it. 

 

 

 

Prime Tiger was a lot like Prime Scottie, a quiet assassin with an expressionless face while he slipped the blade in. He just had a lot of other elements selling him to the fans. Heck, we certainly didn't see Tiger engaging with Elin, his parents, or his kids nearly as heavily as Scottie does with his wife and family, and I'd argue we see a lot more of who both of them are in those moments than anything out on the course.

[bscinstnct]

49 minutes ago, PedronNiall said:

 

LT is a hype man extraordinaire and he knows how to sell a story, so can't count that, haha. Still, just one more bit of the machine behind Tiger being seen as he is. 

 

If you actually watch Tiger hitting some of his most amazing shots including the bunker shot above he's no more animated, enthused, or expressive than Scottie, that's the point. In many where he is the celebration was mostly for him. Nothing wrong with that, simply Tiger being Tiger, but if you watch that Masters clip above the crowd really only gets hat tips from him. Most of the big energy stuff was for him or between him and Steve. It wasn't until The Players a few years back when he was joking around with Na that you really saw Tiger letting go and "opening up" in front of the crowd. Commentators even made note of it. 

 

 

 

Prime Tiger was a lot like Prime Scottie, a quiet assassin with an expressionless face while he slipped the blade in. He just had a lot of other elements selling him to the fans. Heck, we certainly didn't see Tiger engaging with Elin, his parents, or his kids nearly as heavily as Scottie does with his wife and family, and I'd argue we see a lot more of who both of them are in those moments than anything out on the course.

 

Cheers PN, the best explanation I have for the disparity in popularity is as I said above to @avrag

 

TW is more like Arnold Palmer, just has the qualities that made him a rock star

 

SS more like Jack

 

 

I mean, it his prime Tiger was one of the most recognized celebrities on the entire planet 🌎 

SS on the other hand, just won the open championship, goes to a goes to a movie premiere in NYC and this guy doesn’t even know who he is. 

 

 

But it’s great, I’m really becoming a big fan 🍻 

Edited July 21 by bscinstnct

[Mr.Cleeks]

Just had a few thoughts now that the major season is finished:

• Scottie is the best player since Tiger. At this point it's Scottie vs The Field. This is the best version of Scottie and if he continues to putt this well who knows how much more he's gonna win.
• Very happy that Rory won the Masters, that place has given him a ton of trouble and watching him finally get it done was awesome. I'm curious to see how he stays motivated these next couple years.
• Whatever Bryson has done to get ready for these majors is clearly working. 6 top 10s in the last 8 majors is crazy consistency and if he just cleans up the iron play a bit, he's gonna be dangerous.
• I think Russell Henley is gonna win a major at some point. 5 top 10s in the last 12 majors and just a quality iron player and short game.
• Biggest disappointment has to be Xander.  Has absolutely nothing to show for this year.

[Dutch1008]

46 minutes ago, PedronNiall said:

Prime Tiger was a lot like Prime Scottie, a quiet assassin with an expressionless face while he slipped the blade in. He just had a lot of other elements selling him to the fans. Heck, we certainly didn't see Tiger engaging with Elin, his parents, or his kids nearly as heavily as Scottie does with his wife and family, and I'd argue we see a lot more of who both of them are in those moments than anything out on the course.

 

I think people tend to over inflate the Tiger theatrics because we've been watching the highlight reel for 25 years. There were a whole bunch of Tiger wins where he was up 3 or 4 heading into the weekend and just cruised home playing smart golf and avoiding mistakes. It wasn't always course records at Augusta, double digit wins at pebble, and beating the field w/ a broken leg. A lot of the wins didn't include heroic shots and huge uppercuts, just clinical precision that strangled the field. This was a man that won an Open doing nothing but ripping 3 irons into the fairways for 4 days. 

 

Tiger was also exceptionally bland w/ the media. Revealed nothing, provided no insight or depth. He wasn't charming like Arnie or funny like Trevino. He was mostly a boring golf nerd who just so happened to have a flare for the dramatic on occasion. An all timer and fun to watch, but I think people tend to forget how many boring tournaments his dominance actually produced. 

[black bnr32]

39 minutes ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

Just had a few thoughts now that the major season is finished:

• Scottie is the best player since Tiger. At this point it's Scottie vs The Field. This is the best version of Scottie and if he continues to putt this well who knows how much more he's gonna win.
• Very happy that Rory won the Masters, that place has given him a ton of trouble and watching him finally get it done was awesome. I'm curious to see how he stays motivated these next couple years.
• Whatever Bryson has done to get ready for these majors is clearly working. 6 top 10s in the last 8 majors is crazy consistency and if he just cleans up the iron play a bit, he's gonna be dangerous.
• I think Russell Henley is gonna win a major at some point. 5 top 10s in the last 12 majors and just a quality iron player and short game.
• Biggest disappointment has to be Xander.  Has absolutely nothing to show for this year.

Xander has made 69 straight cuts.   He’s arguably more consistent than Scheffler in that sense, which sounds kinda crazy. Had in injury in there too.

Edited July 22 by black bnr32

[Dutch1008]

10 minutes ago, Mr.Cleeks said:

• I think Russell Henley is gonna win a major at some point. 5 top 10s in the last 12 majors and just a quality iron player and short game.
• Biggest disappointment has to be Xander.  Has absolutely nothing to show for this year.

 

Henley is just so short. It puts so much pressure on his other skills. That said, I could see him stealing something at a classic venue like Aronimink for the PGA next year, Pebble for the USO in '27 or Merion for the USO in '30 if he's still competitive. 

 

I don't think Xander is that much of a disappointment. He was hurt coming into the season and still had a T8 at Augusta, T12 at Oakmont, and T7 at Portrush. Basically had the exact same season as Jon Rahm but Rahm doesn't have an injury excuse. Bad year for sure but I'd say that Aberg, Hovland, JT, and Morikawa were perhaps bigger disappointments. 

[straightshot7]

Tiger had swagger and Scottie doesn’t. The red shirt alone had more charisma than Scottie. I don’t know how many more times this can be said in different ways. But if you know you know.

 

BUT if Scottie keeps winning like this he will get his flowers. And he already is. 
 

It wont matter that he is boring. It will become a positive. He’ll be called ice man etc but he needs to at least win the grand slam before he becomes beyond reproach. 

Edited July 22 by straightshot7

[bscinstnct]

1 hour ago, Dutch1008 said:

 

I think people tend to over inflate the Tiger theatrics because we've been watching the highlight reel for 25 years. There were a whole bunch of Tiger wins where he was up 3 or 4 heading into the weekend and just cruised home playing smart golf and avoiding mistakes. It wasn't always course records at Augusta, double digit wins at pebble, and beating the field w/ a broken leg. A lot of the wins didn't include heroic shots and huge uppercuts, just clinical precision that strangled the field. This was a man that won an Open doing nothing but ripping 3 irons into the fairways for 4 days. 

 

Tiger was also exceptionally bland w/ the media. Revealed nothing, provided no insight or depth. He wasn't charming like Arnie or funny like Trevino. He was mostly a boring golf nerd who just so happened to have a flare for the dramatic on occasion. An all timer and fun to watch, but I think people tend to forget how many boring tournaments his dominance actually produced. 

 

Ya but

 

🤣

 

 

[straightshot7]

Tiger was boring too they say

 

 

[Chanceman]

Contrarian view. Scottie was very disrespectful to the Open and golf history in his winning celebrations. Asked what it meant to him he just basically said it was just another hohum win. No mention of being part of history. Just “cool”. Very little acknowledgement of the crowds. His talk about what’s the point was I believe disingenuous. It means a lot to him to win, he’s a very dogged competitor. But a bit bland for me.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Scottie like... 🤣🤣

Edited July 22 by BlackDiamondPar5

[aabcuue]

1 hour ago, bscinstnct said:

Cheers PN, the best explanation I have for the disparity in popularity is as I said above to @avrag

 

TW is more like Arnold Palmer, just has the qualities that made him a rock star

 

SS more like Jack

I mean, it his prime Tiger was one of the most recognized celebrities on the entire planet 🌎 

SS on the other hand, just won the open championship, goes to a goes to a movie premiere in NYC and this guy doesn’t even know who he is. 

But it’s great, I’m really becoming a big fan 🍻 

SS is in Happy Gilmour2.

Think this is his first movie credits ever.

[Dutch1008]

6 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

 

Ya but

 

🤣

 

 

 

Dear God. Everyone of those dudes is entirely too old to be rocking that getup. In fact the only humans I'd give a pass for that are ASU pledges during the Phoenix Open. At least they'd have the excuse that their fraternity brothers forced them into it. 

[Dutch1008]

17 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

 

Ya but

 

🤣

 

 

 

Also, counter point...

 

[discover-it]

1 hour ago, bscinstnct said:

 

SS on the other hand, just won the open championship, goes to a goes to a movie premiere in NYC and this guy doesn’t even know who he is. 

 

He's white. We all look alike. 😆

[aabcuue]

13 minutes ago, Chanceman said:

Contrarian view. Scottie was very disrespectful to the Open and golf history in his winning celebrations. Asked what it meant to him he just basically said it was just another hohum win. No mention of being part of history. Just “cool”. Very little acknowledgement of the crowds. His talk about what’s the point was I believe disingenuous. It means a lot to him to win, he’s a very dogged competitor. But a bit bland for me.

Guess you missed the part where he said the crowd was pulling for someone else and the amount of heckling that was going on.

 

Even when he approached 18th green, he got light tepid applause compared to other years as noted by us media.

[aabcuue]

19 hours ago, joe perry said:

He couldn’t even stay in Portrush Sunday night and have a party 

 

Guess he had to go back to Dallas on a private jet so he doesn’t miss out on the notorious short Texas Summer and the 98 degree humid weather 

 

Hold the plane and maybe enjoy the pubs in Belfast and leave at 3am from the airport at the very least 

 

Why wouldn’t he want to stay a couple of days in the one of the greatest areas on Planet Earth and have some fun savouring the victory and exploring the area and relaxing away from the course 

 

The Antrim Coast is up there with the great spots such as :

 

The walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach 

 

The coastline and drive or water taxi to Portofino 

The area around Portrush either direction is just as cool as 17 mile drive  with nice some nice beach towns, sightseeing and pubs along the way 

 

No offence but unless he is going to Hooters in Dallas 🙂 and I suspect he isn’t - that city is far behind other places in Texas such as San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth 

Apparently you forgot SS preplanned schedule from many months ago.

 

Today is the premier of Happy Gilmour2 and SS is in the movie. This is probably his first movie credits.

https://x.com/officialtourpro/status/1947426841335370086/mediaviewer