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The curious case of the World number one golfer

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    Ryder Cup postponed until 2021, with knock on effects for future editions and other international competitions

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      Thank gawd for that, I can think of few sporting events that would be more diminished by a lack of fans than the Ryder Cup

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        Really? I have been given the impression that the Ryder Cup seems to attract the worst kind of obnoxious tossers (in a sport which normally seems reasonably free of such people)

        Maybe I've just been shown some of the worst incidents which are in no way representative

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          American fans yelling "in the hole!" as one of their guys tees off on a par four? Annoying as it is, the Ryder Cup is all about that I'm afraid.

          And to be fair, by 2021, screaming "get in the hole" when Bryson DeChambeau tees off on a par four will not be ill-informed bravado but possibly a keen observation on how close his 370 yard drive has got...

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            The two Ryder Cups I've attended have not been significantly more tosser-frequented than most other major international sporting events I've been to.

            Granted, they were both in Europe but there were masses of Americans there - though I am willing to acknowledge that the behaviour of their idiot fringe is more extreme on home soil. Though still no worse than what I've seen some riders subjected to on Le Tour.

            I was going to say that some of the supporters' outfits may be more ridiculous but given the extent that fancy dress now percolates through other sports' showpieces perhaps not.

            All of that notwithstanding, take the crowds away and the event would be even paler shadow of its usual self than the football, cricket etc. that we currently have.

            It really is a unique and very special atmosphere.
            Last edited by Ray de Galles; 09-07-2020, 06:44.

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              Jon Rahm holds a four-shot lead going into the final round of the Memorial Tournament, and will become world number one if he wins. He would be the first Spanish number one since Seve and be the sixth player to become world number one before winning a major championship, after Ian Woosnam, Fred Couples, David Duval, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.

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                Rahm did just that, but not before losing half of an eight-shot lead with some sloppy golf, and almost getting himself DQ'd for failing to notice he'd moved his ball addressing it before a chip shot. There are around half a dozen players who could take the number one spot with a win at either the WGC in a fortnight or the USPGA after that, so Rahm's reign at the top might be short-lived.

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                  And so the USPGA begins today with Justin Thomas back as world number one, having won last week to evict Rahm from the top spot after just two weeks. History could be made this weekend in a number of ways - Brooks Koepka can become the first player to win the same major three times running since 1956, Jordan Spieth (if he remembers how he used to play) can complete a career grand slam, and there are four or five English players with a realistic chance of being our first ever USPGA champion, unless you count Jim Barnes who moved to America when he was 7.

                  I predict none of the potential stories will happen and Webb Simpson will, perhaps fittingly, win a major no-one will ever remember.

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                    Harding Park looks to be a smidge more difficult than it was back in the day when Flynnie and I played it (separately).

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                      I played it once and had an absolute stinker of a round. I don't think it was hard. I think I just played really badly.

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                        So that's three regular posters for Harding, compared to two for Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black. Is there another major venue that can beat three? Maybe the Old Course?
                        Last edited by ursus arctos; 07-08-2020, 22:37.

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                          I've played the Old Course, and birdied the 18th after hitting the most memorable shot of my life that rolled through the valley of sin to about 4 feet. I was applauded off the green after holing my putt by a group of tourists with cameras. I'd birdied the first earlier, too. What happened on the other sixteen holes is best forgotten. I tried to deliberately get my ball into the Road Hole bunker, from about 50 yards away, just to say I'd been in it, and missed.

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                            How many non-US players are skipping the USPGA due to COVID?

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                              Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post
                              How many non-US players are skipping the USPGA due to COVID?
                              I think the most significant withdrawals were Francesco Molinari, Lee Westwood, Thomas Pieters, and Padraig Harrington. Brandon Grace withdrew because he'd actually tested positive.

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                                Any spectators or fake crowd noise?

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                                  No fake crowd noise on the US feed.

                                  There aren't significant numbers of spectators, though it is striking to see couple of dozen media and course officials following Tiger Woods compared to the relative solitude in which the other pairings play.

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                                    One thing that had been widely predicted at this event was lots of lost balls, as the pros smashed the things 300 yards into rough with no spectators to spot the balls for them, or indeed hit. That hasn't happened as far as I can tell. However, Rory McIlroy got himself a fair play award when a commentator did tread on his ball in the rough. On replacing it (as is perfectly allowed) McIlroy suggested that the replaced ball was sitting up too high, and requested that it should be pushed further down, effectively penalising himself. And did, ending up with a bogey on the hole.

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                                      Originally posted by Rogin the Armchair fan View Post
                                      I've played the Old Course, and birdied the 18th after hitting the most memorable shot of my life that rolled through the valley of sin to about 4 feet.
                                      I visualised myself doing something similar both times I played it, but didn't come close to pulling it off.

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                                        Annoyingly, this is shaping up to be one of the most memorable majors of all time, with about 20 players teeing off tonight within three shots of the lead. And as it's on at about 3am BST I won't get to see it.

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                                          Do you know why they started at 7am local time?

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                                            So it finishes within East Coast prime time and San Francisco is 3 hours behind?

                                            CBS always publishes a schedule with a 9pm finish knowing that in reality it will be closer to 10pm.

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                                              Go Bears

                                              What a champion

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                                                Cripes:

                                                https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gol...an%20Morikawa.

                                                Morikawa was born just 63 days before Tiger Woods claimed his maiden major, the Masters of 1997

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                                                  The Masters will take place in November without fans at Augusta National

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                                                    Is anyone watching the US Open? I was wondering how the organizers have adapted to the shorter daylight hours (and how the Masters would do it in November).

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