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The Masters starts today. Tiger's back, along with all the hoopla that surrounds him. It will be interesting to see how he plays. Paddy is in decent form. Hoping he makes a good run at it this time. Going with Goosen or Stricker to win it. Els is also in good form, so he's another one to watch.
Tiger looks like he never left the game - incredible. playing some amazing golf already.
McIlroy +2 F and Harrington +1 after 14 are only hanging in there - scoring seems good enough.
I'd like to see Westwood win it and he's off to great start. But i wouldn't back against Tiger now.
Great rounds by the old guys Watson and Couples.
My remote is about to give up golf, Bohs Rovers game and Leinster on at the same time. What a game Leinster. Reckon thats why there was empty seats at Rovers.
Lads, anybody played any Open Championship venues ? Played Royal St Georges Sandwich during the week (culminating in a 350 mile drive in a Fiesta to Fishguard to get the 3am ferry to Rosslare). Did Birkdale a few years back - top top drawer.
Anybody recommend any others ?
Can't believe no one's mentioned McIlroy last night, what a performance the putt on 18 summed his day up, he really could do no wrong, some performance by a lad who is surely going to be a superstar in the game.
Yeah, he was brilliant alright. Shoots a 62 to set a course record and like you said, the last putt really put an exclamation mark on his day. The crowd went ballistic when that one dropped. Fair play to Harrington, Westwood and a few others, as they waited around to see him win it. Great stuff to watch.
Well done to Graeme McDowell, 2010 US open Champion. Held his nerve as others around him slipped up.
Just seen this now, what a result, I wanted to stay up but he was only teeing off at my bedtime!
What a result for him and Irish Golf. Cements his place on the Ryder cup team too I would think, so there should be at least 3 Irish on there.
Harrington starts The Open with a double bogey six, while good old John Daly is burning up the course at 6 under par. Looks like this could be an interesting tournament.
McIlory posts a -9 63 for his first round. Superb shooting. Missed a very makeable birdie putt on 17 as well that could have made it a 62. Tiger currently -6.
Anyone think its a bit of a pity the scoring is so low ?
Majors are supposed to be a bit harder than this? Hope the wind picks up over the next few days which it is supposed to.
Wind is already picking up. McIlroy could be in an incredibly strong position at the end of the day. Very unfortunate for the later starters.
It's hard to set up an Open course, it's reasonable to expect it'll be windy and if the wind blows the scoring will be high, if it's set up hard expecting benign conditions and the wind blows, the whole field will be over par and all the pros will be having a canary.
True enough about setting up the course alright.
however they seem to be ripping it apart again this morning. Oosthuiszen -4 for the day to lead at -11. Casey -3 after 3 to go to -6. Calcavecchia -4 after 12 , gone to -7 overall.
Its good anyway that everyone looks like getting a spell in good conditions. Should make for a congested leaderboard and an exciting weekend.
The wind can be unpredictable in its strength, but its fairly consistent in links golf that whatever wind there is picks up through the day. So those that have an early start on Day 1 have a later on on Day 2 to compensate and it generally evens out.Quote:
Originally Posted by passinginterest
Where it really starts to get interesting is the weekend where early starters down the leaderboard can post a low score with the leaders going on in much worse conditions.
Rory in free fall this afternoon, tables are turning from yesterday. +4 for the day, -5 overall and seven off the lead. He'll do well to keep that in the current conditions.
Rory's Meltdown on Friday cost him a title that was there to be won, congrats to Oosthuizen though under par all 4 days no mean feat.
Congrats too to Shane Lowry & Colm Morriarty who both made the cut and ended up under par at their first ever Major.
Irish Open this week. Plenty of the Irish players high up in the Leaderboard McGrane, Harrington, Hoey, Clarke, McIlroy all in the top 20 even though its early days.
Ross Fisher has gone berserk down there today. He is -9 after 13 holes. 3 birdies needed in the last 5 holes , and with a reachable par 5 included in them - maybe a 59 is on !
Heading down there tomorrow - really looking forward to it.
Edit - Fisher -10 - needs two more birdies for a 59 !
Chance gone now tho - probably a little disapointed that he didn't birdie the 16th.
Harrington in with a 67 for -7.
So the Gleneagles starts today and then the Ryder Cup team will be finalized on Sunday night.
So given that Paul Casey (world ranking 9 ), Luke Donald ( 10 ) , Padraig Harrington ( 18 ) and Justin Rose ( 22 ) are all not going to make the team and people like Simon Dyson ( european ryder cup ranking 13 ) Eduardo Molinari ( 16 ) and Alvaro Quiros ( 15 ) all busting a gut to make the team, who would people's wildcards be ? Throw in in form Welshman Rhys Davies as well.
Montgomerie has stated that he wanted all his possibles to play at Celtic Manor and this week at Gleneagles so on that basis he should pick Dyson, Molinari and Quiros! If he picks the higest world ranked players not in the team the Casey , Donald and Harrington will get the picks.
Personally I think he will compromise a little and go with the 2 players in the world's top ten Casey and Donald and hand the last wildcard to Eduardo Molinari due to the fact that he has won the World Cup with his brother and these 2 would take some beating I think during the ryder cup as well.
Obviously that leaves out 2 times PGA tour winnner this season Rose and 3 time major winner Harrington.
I don't think you're too far off the mark there RAM. I think Paddy is in big trouble, given his last two Ryder cup tournaments weren't great personally. That said he is one of a few European major winners. With respect to the man, he has more reason than most for not playing Gleneagles, as he is a Special Olympics ambassador and had committed months ago to running a clinic on either the Weds or Tues before the Barclays, and couldn't renege on that commitment. I believe he has his own Harrington clinic on the other day also, so he was never going to feature in the final qualifying tournament.Quote:
Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid
I've a feeling he'll also go with the other Molinari brother. They will be a handful in the doubles and that will count for a lot over the course of the two days. I can't see him picking Casey funny enough, I do see him picking Luke Donald, given that he missed the last one through injury and seems like quite a likeable guy, and then the last choice could be a toss up between Harrington, Rhys Davies, or someone random like Robert Karlsson, who consistently is decent and has good Ryder cup experience.
Harrington makes the team. Lucky boy.
Edoardo Molinari also makes it, with Luke Donald. Molinari's last 3 holes at Gleneagles were amazing. Brilliant win, with or without the context of Ryder Cup selection.
Cant wait for the Ryder Cup on Friday, 7.45am start. Surely one of the most exciting events on the sporting calender and made for TV!
From what I can make out - the following are the pairings for this morning's practice session
McIlroy / McDowell , Molinari's
Hanson / Jiminez , Kaymer / Westwood
Donald / Poulter , Harrington / Fisher
And not sure the way the americans are paired off but it looks something like.
Z Johnson / Mahan , Stricker / Woods
Furyk / Cink , Kuchar / Overton
Mickelson / Fowler , D Johnson / Watson
Europe are favourites and home advantage should swing it but Americans should put up a really good contest. They have 4 out of the worlds top 5, major winners in Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink and some real in form players like Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.
Either way I cant see there being more than 2 points in it. Should be some 3 days.
Harrington singled out as the outstanding performer in the first days practice rounds.Really getting excited about it now, although still havent figured out my plan of action for taking friday off work!
Not going to finish till Monday now and ALL singles match will start Monday morning. Great, not.
Looks like an Irishman yet again may be the man to seal the Ryder Cup for Europe. Step up to the plate McDowell
I’d imagine imagine he’s petrified of upsetting his adopted home too much. GMac indeedQuote:
Originally Posted by elroy
Another Irishman wins the Ryder Cup for Europe. Brian Cowen is busy perfecting his G Mac impression for the next drink-in.
In trying times its nice to see that Irish begrudgery is alive and wellQuote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Fantastic day of golf, amazing tension and drama. Everything thats great about sport
I begrudge him nothing, but just because he's Irish doesn't mean he's not a tool. I'd have thought these "trying times" would've rammed that point homeQuote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
What evidence have you got for him being a tool, other than having an American accent and talking in the "say a lot whilst saying very little" parlance of nearly every modern sportsman?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Judging by anecdotes, both what I've read in articles and a from a friend who sat beside him on a plane, he's a decent skin who remains down to earth. I could think of 50 rugby, GAA and football players who would be way above him in the tool stakes, some through personal experience...
I dont understand what ur problem with his nickname is. Most sportsmen have one and I doubt any of them came up with that nickname themselves. Just seems like u are going out of your way to have a go at himQuote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Had to laugh during the Fourballs on Saturday when McIlroy hit into the water and MacDowell shouts " Dont worry Rolls - I got your back!" - Fierce American accent on him alright! Anyway who cares! he's certainly a great golfer to close things out - that was tough on him today, yet when he really needed to perfrom, he did.
Awful pity it had to be on a Monday tho - missed all but an hour or so during lunch.
The Americans took defeat surprisingly badly I thought - usually most of them don't really care - but they really wanted to win this one. They will be really tough to beat next time around over there.
Calm down fellah, its the fecking internet. I think "Gmac" is as horrible a nickname as I can remember. Based on that, I think he's a tool.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
No big deal.
He's plenty of fans out there and, won the US Open and earned the point that won the Ryder Cup. I think he can handle me not liking him based on his nickname
A lot of guys I know seem to hate McDowell for his accent as much as anything. In fairness Portrush via Alabama would be the accent from hell.
Anyway always thought GMac seemed a decent sort who doesn't take himself too seriously. No patch on Jimenez - he's the crazy sitcom golf pro uncle everyone loves.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/mu...13_373966s.jpg
A good representation from this island!
McGinley's gone missing from that pic unfortunately, but bang on.