The Official NPR Golf Thread

[Biffer]

Didn’t get any rain before the close of play last night, but got some over nought. That, combined with really low winds gives the early starters a great opportunity to get a good score in. Scheffler or Johnson might rip it up

[Blackmac]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

[Biffer]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

This morning I think. It’ll stop raining in the next hour and the wind should start to return around lunchtime. The course will dry very quickly and scoring won’t be as low this afternoon. Let’s see who takes advantage.

[Biffer]

Very good of the R&A to grant Mark Calcavecchia a special exemption to play this year. 2020 would have been his last automatic place as a former champion as he turned 60 that year. So they gave him an exemption to come back and play a final time this year.

[Blackmac]

Very good of the R&A to grant Mark Calcavecchia a special exemption to play this year. 2020 would have been his last automatic place as a former champion as he turned 60 that year. So they gave him an exemption to come back and play a final time this year.

Greens looking very receptive at the moment. How are you enjoying St Andrews. It's sadly a pretty poor viewing experience for the spectator compared to the other courses on the rota.

[Biffer]

Very good of the R&A to grant Mark Calcavecchia a special exemption to play this year. 2020 would have been his last automatic place as a former champion as he turned 60 that year. So they gave him an exemption to come back and play a final time this year.

Greens looking very receptive at the moment. How are you enjoying St Andrews. It's sadly a pretty poor viewing experience for the spectator compared to the other courses on the rota.

I’m not, I’ve got covid. Sold my ticket to a friend of a friend.

But yeah, St Andrews is a bit pish for the spectator. Some good spots up around the turn, and at the 17th, but apart from that it’s never great (been four times before).

I’ve put my name in for Liverpool next year because I missed it this year and haven’t been since Carnoustie (2018). Not that I think Royal Liverpool is worthy of being an Open course.

[Biffer]

I’d also like to complain about commentators who say someone is ‘minus four’. It’s four under you pricks.

[Biffer]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

Didn’t turn out that way. Even par for the cut, same as projected yesterday.

And of the last five groups out tomorrow, the ten players include the world numbers 1, 2, 4, 6 & 9, the others are all top 50 and include two previous major winners.

I think it’s fair to say it’s a great test that bringing the best out of the best golfers in the world.

[Tichtheid]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

Didn’t turn out that way. Even par for the cut, same as projected yesterday.

And of the last five groups out tomorrow, the ten players include the world numbers 1, 2, 4, 6 & 9, the others are all top 50 and include two previous major winners.

I think it’s fair to say it’s a great test that bringing the best out of the best golfers in the world.

The courses can't really change at the same rate the equipment has, you can't make every hole 100m longer or one shot more difficult to keep up with the advantages the modern player has.

Jack Nicklaus more or less said the other day, "So what if the players are shooting in the 50s?"

It's still a test of who is best over the four days.

When they come back in five years time and it's blowing horizontal rain and they are shooting 80s there will be another set of complaints

[Blackmac]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

Didn’t turn out that way. Even par for the cut, same as projected yesterday.

And of the last five groups out tomorrow, the ten players include the world numbers 1, 2, 4, 6 & 9, the others are all top 50 and include two previous major winners.

I think it’s fair to say it’s a great test that bringing the best out of the best golfers in the world.

To be fair it was probably the most difficult set of pins I have ever seen. I think some had never been seen before. Still good to see the Old Course holding up. I was a member for seven years and to be honest it is generally a bloody breeze to play. I used to play with an old lad in his late 60's who drove the ball about 200 yards but knew how to play it and always broke 80.

It would be a hoot to see them stretch the New course as far as possible and use that once. So bloody tight compared with the Old

[Blackmac]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

Didn’t turn out that way. Even par for the cut, same as projected yesterday.

And of the last five groups out tomorrow, the ten players include the world numbers 1, 2, 4, 6 & 9, the others are all top 50 and include two previous major winners.

I think it’s fair to say it’s a great test that bringing the best out of the best golfers in the world.

The courses can't really change at the same rate the equipment has, you can't make every hole 100m longer or one shot more difficult to keep up with the advantages the modern player has.

Jack Nicklaus more or less said the other day, "So what if the players are shooting in the 50s?"

It's still a test of who is best over the four days.

When they come back in five years time and it's blowing horizontal rain and they are shooting 80s there will be another set of complaints

Yeah, on a links course the best player always wins, regardless of the score to par.

[Biffer]

Sadly St Andrews will be destroyed today. No defences at all.

Didn’t turn out that way. Even par for the cut, same as projected yesterday.

And of the last five groups out tomorrow, the ten players include the world numbers 1, 2, 4, 6 & 9, the others are all top 50 and include two previous major winners.

I think it’s fair to say it’s a great test that bringing the best out of the best golfers in the world.

To be fair it was probably the most difficult set of pins I have ever seen. I think some had never been seen before. Still good to see the Old Course holding up. I was a member for seven years and to be honest it is generally a bloody breeze to play. I used to play with an old lad in his late 60's who drove the ball about 200 yards but knew how to play it and always broke 80.

It would be a hoot to see them stretch the New course as far as possible and use that once. So bloody tight compared with the Old

That’s why I like Carnoustie, and enjoy hearing the pros from the US whine about it. It’s how you tell the real class player imo - the top ones relish the challenge, the mediocre grump about how it’s not set up the same as the ones they play every week.

[Biffer]

Calm again this morning, but more of a breeze later when the leaders are out. Opportunity for someone to come from the pack.

[Blackmac]

Calm again this morning, but more of a breeze later when the leaders are out. Opportunity for someone to come from the pack.

I have to admit I desperately want Rory to win this one.

[Biffer]

Calm again this morning, but more of a breeze later when the leaders are out. Opportunity for someone to come from the pack.

I have to admit I desperately want Rory to win this one.

Same here.

He’s been top 10 in four of the last five majors, and 16 times since his last win. I reckon he’s due, and once he gets one, a few more will follow rapidly.

Edit - I think sometimes we forget what an achievement winning multiple majors is, because of what Tiger did. In terms of players who might win more, you’ve got McIlroy and Koepka on 4, Speith on 3, and DJ, JT and Morikawa on 2. That’s it for multiple winners. If McIlroy wins two more that puts him ahead of Seve, up with Faldo and Trevino. We can’t set the standard of a great having to do what Tiger did.

[Grandpa]

Pretty good day for Rory... almost faultless golf for three days... Viktor pretty good too!

Nice touch from Cameron Smith.. shot one over... and still had time to shake the hand of everyone in his group... including the guy holding the score sign...

[fishfoodie]

Pretty good day for Rory... almost faultless golf for three days... Viktor pretty good too!

Nice touch from Cameron Smith.. shot one over... and still had time to shake the hand of everyone in his group... including the guy holding the score sign...

Some people are just sound ! No airs, & graces, or worse yet, entitlement

Rory & Viktor are probably delighted they didn't end up in a pair with DJ; they obviously get along well, & as Rory said, they were able to feed off each others momentum

[Biffer]

Remember how people say Colin Montgomerie is the best player never to have won a major? Monty was top ten in a major ten times.

Rory McIlroy has been top ten in a major seventeen times sine he last won one..

[Grandpa]

Pretty good day for Rory... almost faultless golf for three days... Viktor pretty good too!

Nice touch from Cameron Smith.. shot one over... and still had time to shake the hand of everyone in his group... including the guy holding the score sign...

Some people are just sound ! No airs, & graces, or worse yet, entitlement

Rory & Viktor are probably delighted they didn't end up in a pair with DJ; they obviously get along well, & as Rory said, they were able to feed off each others momentum

And Cam Smith now well in the hunt!

[Blackmac]

Astonishing last round from Smith but Rory can only blame himself.

[Insane_Homer]

Astonishing last round from Smith but Rory can only blame himself.

-2, bogey free round isn't a blow out by any stretch.

Smith won that with an amazing back nine.

[Kawazaki]

Astonishing last round from Smith but Rory can only blame himself.

-2, bogey free round isn't a blow out by any stretch.

Smith won that with an amazing back nine.

-2 is not even par for a player like McIlroy on that course in those conditions and with easier pins.

Very odd that he couldn't reach the green with his drive at the 18th. He knew he needed eagle.

[Kawazaki]

Monty was top ten in a major ten times.

Yeah, but two of those was when Tiger won a US Open by 15 shots and a Masters by 12!

[Blackmac]

Astonishing last round from Smith but Rory can only blame himself.

-2, bogey free round isn't a blow out by any stretch.

Smith won that with an amazing back nine.

Nah, that's a poor effort by his standards. Players were always going to tear that up today and it was obvious he had to get to at least 20 to make it safe. It wasn't a bad round just a day where he couldn't get the putter going.

[dpedin]

Astonishing last round from Smith but Rory can only blame himself.

-2, bogey free round isn't a blow out by any stretch.

Smith won that with an amazing back nine.

Nah, that's a poor effort by his standards. Players were always going to tear that up today and it was obvious he had to get to at least 20 to make it safe. It wasn't a bad round just a day where he couldn't get the putter going.

Agreed - someone was always going to score low and Rory with a 4 stroke lead needed a 68 at worst to win the title, however his putter was a bit cold today and Smith showed why many think he is the best putter in the world at the moment. His par on the 17th won him the Claret Jug.

[Biffer]

-2, bogey free round isn't a blow out by any stretch.

Smith won that with an amazing back nine.

Nah, that's a poor effort by his standards. Players were always going to tear that up today and it was obvious he had to get to at least 20 to make it safe. It wasn't a bad round just a day where he couldn't get the putter going.

Agreed - someone was always going to score low and Rory with a 4 stroke lead needed a 68 at worst to win the title, however his putter was a bit cold today and Smith showed why many think he is the best putter in the world at the moment. His par on the 17th won him the Claret Jug.

Said in commentary yesterday that Rory’s second shots weren’t getting close enough for him to give his putter a chance to get hot. So many of his birdie or eagle putts were from 20 or 30 yards, rather than ten or fifteen feet.

[dpedin]

How's folks courses doing in this weather? My course in Embra is doing ok - we had a little rain last week. Our fairways are hard and fast but greens and surrounds are being watered and are ok. They are however under a bit of stress and greenkeepers are worried about disease (anthracnose) due to hot and dry conditions and the traffic on them due to the weather and aren't cutting them as short during the week to avoid stressing them too much. I'm finding it hard at times hitting mid and long irons of the hard fairways, lack of skill mostly.

Played Dunbar on Monday and it is very hard and fast - I was hitting the ball miles with the wind and if I managed to keep it low it even went a distance into the wind. Played 2-3 below my handicap. Greens were fast but playable. Hitting wedges instead of mid irons into most greens and getting up close on par 5s helped. Putting from anywhere vaguely close to the greens was fun! However if there are water shortages even up here and they have to cut back on watering greens then I can imagine a few greenkeepers having some sleepless nights. How are courses in the SE and elsewhere coping?

[Kawazaki]

Everything is burnt to a crisp in my neck of the woods. No significant rain for months.

[inactionman]

Patrick Reed suing the Golf Channel and the awesomely monikered Brandel Chamblee for $750M - seven hundred and fifty million dollars - for defamation. Cue Austin Powers memes.

It is true that most of the world thinks Patrick Reed is a tit, I'm not sure you can really blame anyone but Patrick Reed for that.

It's presumably silly money as its raised by the same silly arse who tried to sue Sasha Baron Cohen on behalf of Roy Moore and he's no real hope of winning.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... l-chamblee

[fishfoodie]

Patrick Reed suing the Golf Channel and the awesomely monikered Brandel Chamblee for $750M - seven hundred and fifty million dollars - for defamation. Cue Austin Powers memes.

It is true that most of the world thinks Patrick Reed is a tit, I'm not sure you can really blame anyone but Patrick Reed for that.

It's presumably silly money as its raised by the same silly arse who tried to sue Sasha Baron Cohen on behalf of Roy Moore and he's no real hope of winning.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... l-chamblee

Could be a touch of the Wagatha Christie about this lawsuit, with Reed having a lot of topics that he doesn't want to have aired in court.

Will his darling wife want to discuss the many social media accounts she uses to attack other Pros, & their families with ?

Will he want to discuss how other peoples possessions made their way into his golf bag ??

It'll all be fair game when the question of how much his, Character, is worth

[fishfoodie]

Golf, & Sports in general need to get a handle on excluding these idiots from events.



Reports are this was a narcissistic fuckwit ... sorry, Social Media Influencer.

[Blackmac]

Golf, & Sports in general need to get a handle on excluding these idiots from events.



Reports are this was a narcissistic fuckwit ... sorry, Social Media Influencer.

What's amazing is the amount of fuckwits commenting on golf websites that think Rory was in the wrong here. They are also the same sort of pricks who support LIV and think there shouldn't be dress codes on golf courses. Twats to a man.

[fishfoodie]

Golf, & Sports in general need to get a handle on excluding these idiots from events.



Reports are this was a narcissistic fuckwit ... sorry, Social Media Influencer.

What's amazing is the amount of fuckwits commenting on golf websites that think Rory was in the wrong here. They are also the same sort of pricks who support LIV and think there shouldn't be dress codes on golf courses. Twats to a man.

I think 99% of those responses are from Saudi bots

[dpedin]

Played my home course today in 30mph winds in preparation for end of season Tour coming up this weekend. Nairn on Saturday and then rounds at Castle Stuart on Sunday and Monday before heading then back down the road to Edinburgh for a round at Gullane No1. All great courses but Castle Stuart is one of my all time favourites, tough yet fair and playable for all standards and I love the clubhouse. Really looking forward to the trip and fingers crossed for fair weather and not as windy as it was today. I will be taking plenty of golf ball just in case.

[Blackmac]

I see Fat Pat Reed is up to his usual cheating shite. Hits his ball into the first of three palm trees and the ball sticks 20 foot up in the cut palms. Reed gets a pair of binoculars and claims he can identify his ball in the tree when footage shows there are about 6 other balls stuck in the same tree. Biggest problem is that TV footage is now clearly showing that the cheating fat prick was looking in the wrong tree.

[Kawazaki]

I'm not a big contributor to this thread as I don't play much golf anymore, in fact I haven't played a round for years, since well before lockdown, possibly since before 2015! Anyway, I went to the range with a mate earlier today and hit a few balls. I was inconsistent and fairly dreadful as you'd imagine but then I got a tip which resulted in such a huge improvement to the quality of my ball striking that I thought I'd share it. I simply concentrated on maintaining flexed knees throughout the stroke and especially through impact. Now, this might be something you all do anyway but I was straightening up my legs, think I've always done it, and it just meant my alignment was all out. It does feel a less powerful stroke with flexed knees but what I might have lost in length I more than made up in consistency.

I don't think I'm a golfer again just yet but the game did give me one of those little gifts it sometimes tosses your way to keep me interested in maybe playing again!

[fishfoodie]

I see Fat Pat Reed is up to his usual cheating shite. Hits his ball into the first of three palm trees and the ball sticks 20 foot up in the cut palms. Reed gets a pair of binoculars and claims he can identify his ball in the tree when footage shows there are about 6 other balls stuck in the same tree. Biggest problem is that TV footage is now clearly showing that the cheating fat prick was looking in the wrong tree.

Just ban the prick from the Tour & have done with it.

It's not like the cheating prick is beloved by anyone ?

[bogbunny]

I see Fat Pat Reed is up to his usual cheating shite. Hits his ball into the first of three palm trees and the ball sticks 20 foot up in the cut palms. Reed gets a pair of binoculars and claims he can identify his ball in the tree when footage shows there are about 6 other balls stuck in the same tree. Biggest problem is that TV footage is now clearly showing that the cheating fat prick was looking in the wrong tree.

Just watched the videos. Fairly clear he is cheating again.

Fat Fuk Cheat

[Blackmac]

I see Fat Pat Reed is up to his usual cheating shite. Hits his ball into the first of three palm trees and the ball sticks 20 foot up in the cut palms. Reed gets a pair of binoculars and claims he can identify his ball in the tree when footage shows there are about 6 other balls stuck in the same tree. Biggest problem is that TV footage is now clearly showing that the cheating fat prick was looking in the wrong tree.

Just watched the videos. Fairly clear he is cheating again.

Fat Fuk Cheat

He claims he marks his Pro v by extending the alignment arrow. Half the bloody golfers on earth do that and it's not an identifying mark it's an alignment aid. A competitive golfer is supposed to try and have a unique mark. The prick has just seen that ball in the tree and then bullshitted to the officials who can also probably see that mark and aren't in a position to dispute it. Surely now they have seen the slow motion footage they will re examine it.

[Blackmac]

Sky are now conclusively saying that Reeds bill ended up in the first tree. So the DP Tour are basically sanctioning a cheat by not reviewing it.