The Open

[94duke]

The British Open is in progress, and as of 8:30 EDT, Tom Watson is the clubhouse leader at -5. Tiger is +1 (T46) after 16 holes.

[4decadedukie]

Go Tommy!

[hurleyfor3]

My favorite golfer whose initials are TW (and who went to Stanford) is leading!

Last year it was Norman, this year it's Tom. Who leads the first round next year? Seve?

[94duke]

I'm just peeking at the leaderboard from time-to-time while at work, but Tiger finished his round at +1. Stewart Cink temporarily tied Tom Watson at -5 when he made birdie on 17, but he turned around and made bogey on 18 to finish at -4.

For the time being Watson is sole leader at -5.

[hurleyfor3]

Course seems to be playing pretty easy. Three people are at -3 at or before the turn... and 17 and 18 are playing pretty easy. I doubt Tom will finish with the lead, but it's fun seeing him up there for the time being.

[94duke]

Miguel Jimenez has posted a -6.
Still quite a few guys on the course.

[rthomas]

Not only Tiger and Watson, but there are alot of scores that are extremely surprising today.

Ogilvy and Poulter +5
Norman +7
Kim +3
Mahan +2
Monty tied with Tiger

John Daly -2 !!!!!

Glover +2 not so suprising with his schedule since the US Open

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I still like Tiger's chances . :rolleyes:

[94duke]

Watson is having a rough start to the day with 1 birdie, 1 par, and 3 bogies.

[mr. synellinden]

He just made his fourth consecutive bogey on the par 5 7th, which is as much of a birdie hole as there is on the course. He is now +4 for the day and -1 for the tourney.

If he can steady himself and play the rest of the way no worse than +1 and finish at Even or better, he will be in okay shape. But this round has 80 written all over it.

[hurleyfor3]

I only discovered now Tom is paired with Sergio Garcia. A bad round turns into torture when you also have to put up with one of the slowest players around. (And Tom himself has served as a paragon of efficient play over the years. These are the things you learn when you care about players other than Tiger.)

Today seems tougher all around.

[94duke]

Watson made back-to-back birdies and is +2 today, -3 overall.
Tiger is even today with 5 pars.

[mr. synellinden]

Did he? At first the leaderboard showed him moving to -3 with a birdie on 10, and then they changed it to a par. That was confusing.

[hurleyfor3]

I saw that too. Jason Sobel's blog (ESPN) says Watson parred 10 to stay at -2.

But now the Open's own scoreboard says he birdied 11 anyway to get to -3 for real.

Minus three is going to look very, very good today if he can figure out a way to stabilize things. Nice round for the Calculator, one hole to go to finish at -4. He's no spring chicken either.

[94duke]

That was very weird. I'm glad it wasn't just me that saw that!

[mr. synellinden]

I saw that too. Jason Sobel's blog (ESPN) says Watson parred 10 to stay at -2.

But now the Open's own scoreboard says he birdied 11 anyway to get to -3 for real.

Minus three is going to look very, very good today if he can figure out a way to stabilize things. Nice round for the Calculator, one hole to go to finish at -4. He's no spring chicken either.

I really enjoy Sobel's live blogs. Tiger just birdied the par 5 7th and is at E for the tourney. If he can play into red numbers before the end of the day he will be in excellent position for the weekend.

Watson has steadied the ship - which is great to see - and is now tied for third. Two guys who I think are going to be in the hunt on Sunday are Goosen and Ross Fisher who are both in the clubhouse at -3. Fisher made a charge on the back 9 Sunday (actually Monday) at Bethpage and has been playing great all season.

[DUKIECB]

Tiger just doubled number 10 and is at +4. He is one shot over the cut as it stands right now. If the cut line doesn't change he will have to shoot -1 the rest of the way or he will be making only the 6th early exit in his 13 year career. That is one amazing stat!

[hurleyfor3]

The cut is low 70 only (no 10-stroke rule). Plus 4 is now 74th place and the field is definitely going backwards. (Unless you're pushing 60, then you just birdied 16.) There are eight people at +3 with significant holes to play, not to mention a handful of others at +2 and +1. So I think the cut will be +4.

When was the last time Eldrick lost a ball in a major, via either water hazard, OB or lost ball?

[DUKIECB]

Looks like hurley is right that the cut will be at least +4, but Tiger is now at +6 and running out of holes fast!

[mr. synellinden]

The cut is low 70 only (no 10-stroke rule). Plus 4 is now 74th place and the field is definitely going backwards. (Unless you're pushing 60, then you just birdied 16.) There are eight people at +3 with significant holes to play, not to mention a handful of others at +2 and +1. So I think the cut will be +4.

When was the last time Eldrick lost a ball in a major, via either water hazard, OB or lost ball?

And that birdie by the 59 year old was a 75 foot putt. He is now tied for second, and would likely be in the last group tomorrow if he pars or birdies 18.

Meanwhile ... Mr. Woods bogeyed 12 also. Now is at +5, and has gone from E to +5 in about an hour, kind of reminiscent of his last four holes at Bethpage in the first round, just worse. After making a birdie at 7, he bogeyed 8, 9, and 12, and doubled 10. That's +5 in 5 holes. Brutal.

He is in serious danger of making the cut. Going in, the odds of Tom Watson playing in the final pairing on Saturday with Tiger Woods missing the cut, had to be about 10,000 to 1.

[hurleyfor3]

And Tom comes all the way back from his five-bogeys-in-six-holes stretch on the front. Birdie on 18 leaves him tied at -5.

It's not just that he's tied for the lead. It's that he's tied for the lead after a good stretch of playing like a 59-year-old.

I can now spend the rest of the day doing actual work.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Doesn't look good for Tiger. The last hour or so he has been so mortal - not what one expects (but what the anti-Tiger crowd roots so hard for). He needs to play his last 4 holes -3 to make the cut.

Go Tiger!

[hurleyfor3]

(but what the anti-Tiger crowd roots so hard for).

In case it's not clear, I'm not anti-Tiger. I'm anti-people whose passion for golf does not extend beyond Tiger.

[cato]

In case it's not clear, I'm not anti-Tiger. I'm anti-people whose passion for golf does not extend beyond Tiger.

FWIW, that doesn't come through very well. I think I understand where you're coming from, but in your posts, you focus just as much on Tiger as any "person whose passion for golf does not extend beyond Tiger."

[DUKIECB]

Tiger just birdied 16 & 17 to get it back to +5. He now needs a bird at the last to make the cut on the number.

Just unbelievable that a guy that will be 60 in two months is tied for the lead after two rounds in a major championship. Who'd a thunk it?:confused:

[hurleyfor3]

FWIW, that doesn't come through very well. I think I understand where you're coming from, but in your posts, you focus just as much on Tiger as any "person whose passion for golf does not extend beyond Tiger."

To do the latter would move into the realm of being a personal attack, and I'm walking a fine line as it is. I think my posting history demonstrates a pretty deep understanding of professional golf over the last 30+ years.

It's not that I dislike favorites out of any sort of principle, either. My favorite golfer growing up was Watson in fact, and he was pretty clearly the world's best from roughly 1977-83. I doubt he'll win, but what if he does?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

My favorite golfer growing up was Watson in fact, and he was pretty clearly the world's best from roughly 1977-83. I doubt he'll win, but what if he does?
It would be great for all us old farts! :eek: :cool: :D

[hurleyfor3]

BTW, I'm pretty sure Watson's oldest daughter is a Duke alumna. (I recall him wearing a Duke hat at the '99 Open in Pinehurst.) In case you needed another reason to root for him.

[Olympic Fan]

I'm not a huge PGA fan, but I'm a sports fan and usually follow the majors. But what's happening at Turnberry this weekend is unfolding as one of the great sports stories in my lifetime.

For the second day in a row, Watson slumped in the middle of the round, but finished strong. His rally Friday was sparked by a 75-foot birdie at No. 16. Today, he regained a share of the lead with a 30-foot birdie at 16. He just missed an eagle putt on 17, then tapped in the birdie to give him the lead after 53 holes.

Watson parred the 18th and will start Sunday's final round with a one-shot lead.

It seems impossible that he will keep it up ... but it's impossible that he's where he is!

[roywhite]

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1013129/2/index.htm

Watson's also had his share of life's challenges---a difficult divorce, and enough of an alcohol problem to give up drinking altogether.

Good luck, Tom. Great story...hope you can finish the deal.

[Olympic Fan]

Wow .. could it be any more dramatic?

Once again (for the third straight day), Watson faltered early, but recovered.

A guy named Fisher took a three-shot lead early, but blew up before the turn. Lee Greenwood took a two shot lead at the turn, but his bogey at 10 and Watson's birdie tied it up at 11.

Five holes to go as I type this and Watson is tied for the lead.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Wow .. could it be any more dramatic?

Once again (for the third straight day), Watson faltered early, but recovered.

A guy named Fisher took a three-shot lead early, but blew up before the turn. Lee Greenwood took a two shot lead at the turn, but his bogey at 10 and Watson's birdie tied it up at 11.

Five holes to go as I type this and Watson is tied for the lead.
And Tom Watson and Stewart Cink head to a 4 hole playoff. Cink birdied 18 to post a -2, at the time tied for the lead, then Watson birdied 17 and bogeyed 18 to finish at -2.

Let's go Tom!

[killerleft]

Watson & Cink starting 4 hole playoff to determine the Open Champion for 2009.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Cink wins going away. On the 18th tee, he told his caddy "we need to stay agressive. I've seen a lot of football, and the only thing a prevent defense does is prevent the team that plays it from winning." Where, oh where, I have I heard that before?????????????? 1)e) http://www.duke.edu/~bct1/images/DBRHPR7.1asPDF.pdf . Stewart Cink is my new 2nd favorite player!

Congratulations Setewart!

[rthomas]

Cink wins going away. On the 18th tee, he told his caddy "we need to stay agressive. I've seen a lot of football, and the only thing a prevent defense does is prevent the team that plays it from winning." Where, oh where, I have I heard that before?????????????? 1)e) http://www.duke.edu/~bct1/images/DBRHPR7.1asPDF.pdf . Stewart Cink is my new 2nd favorite player!

Congratulations Setewart!

Congrats to Tom Watson too. He gave it a great great ride. I've been camping and fishing in Smokehole, WV all weekend and missed it. But I was pulling for him.

[JasonEvans]

Lee Greenwood took a two shot lead at the turn...

I'm just Proud to Be an American (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RssIN3ustUw) on a day like today ;)

--Jason "it is golf, so you are forgiven for putting a Green where a West belongs" Evans

[RockyMtDevil]

did anyone notice the post match comments by Rick Reilly? I thought they were completely off color, his act is about as old as Vitale's...His attempts at "smart" humor were not only way off mark for this particular situation, he's just not funny at all. Why do all these guys need a schtik? Can't we have one decent sports person who just calls the game instead of trying to make a name for themselves?

Man Watson was so close.

[throatybeard]

This weekend was a wonderful example of how great golf can be when we don't have a bunch of autoerotic asphyxiation over Tiger Woods obscuring absolutely everything else going on. One of the all-time greats did something that's never been done before, and a great guy got that life-changing first major victory. This is the game I remember before the Tigerbots ruined it.

It's also an example of how intellectually bankrupt the idea of one-guy-vs-the-field is in golf. To exaggerate Tiger Woods' amazing record does it and him a disservice.

[-jk]

Throaty - you've missed your calling! You'd have been a marvelous Broadway critic! :D

-jk