The Open Championship thread can officially begin with the news today that Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the championship.
Using Ben Curtis's victory in 2003 around this course as an omen, I shall endeavour to discover who's been invited in as the eleventh-hour alternate to replace him, as I'll probably put money on them to win.
It would be gloriously ironic if that were Thomas Bjorn.
Seriously, though, the winner next week will be whoever can keep the ball in play off the tee, especially if the wind picks up. Royal St. George's is that sort of course. If the conditions are benign some guys are going to shoot 63s or better next weekend (like Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart did in 1993) but it's almost unplayable in gusting winds. In 1981, Jack Nicklaus shot an 83 - 83! - on the windy first day then the following day in better conditions shot 66. That same year, similarly, Gary Player opened 81-68, Lee Trevino 77-67 and Nick Faldo 77-68.
Players who go out early on Thursday and finish late on Friday (ie the non-crowd-pulling), or vice-versa, could all well be worth an each-way punt if the weather forecast does look like producing more benign conditions early or late in the day (as it often does around the coast).
Using Ben Curtis's victory in 2003 around this course as an omen, I shall endeavour to discover who's been invited in as the eleventh-hour alternate to replace him, as I'll probably put money on them to win.
It would be gloriously ironic if that were Thomas Bjorn.
Seriously, though, the winner next week will be whoever can keep the ball in play off the tee, especially if the wind picks up. Royal St. George's is that sort of course. If the conditions are benign some guys are going to shoot 63s or better next weekend (like Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart did in 1993) but it's almost unplayable in gusting winds. In 1981, Jack Nicklaus shot an 83 - 83! - on the windy first day then the following day in better conditions shot 66. That same year, similarly, Gary Player opened 81-68, Lee Trevino 77-67 and Nick Faldo 77-68.
Players who go out early on Thursday and finish late on Friday (ie the non-crowd-pulling), or vice-versa, could all well be worth an each-way punt if the weather forecast does look like producing more benign conditions early or late in the day (as it often does around the coast).
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