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    The 150th Open Championship thread

    And every year, the Open seems to get more and more "open", by design or accident.

    After Greg Norman in 2008 and Tom Watson in 2009, it's virtually impossible to rule out any of the old guys having a charge this year. What odds Colin Montgomerie, 48 I think now, and presumably focussed on his Ryder Cup duties, improbably finding a bit of form around a St. Andrews course he knows like the back of his hand, roared home by a bouyant home crowd? 150-1 according to William Hill, approximately the same odds they gave to last year's winner Stewart Cink.

    Tiger Woods is naturally favourite, having won here in 2000 and 2005. 4-1 looks short odds on Tiger at the moment, though, especially if the Scottish weather does its bit. Woods missed the cut last year, let's not forget.

    A glance at the World Rankings suggests that, at last, a British winner might be a strong possibility. Westwood, Casey, Donald, Poulter, McIlroy, Rose all in the top 20, all favoured to around 33-1 or lower in the betting. As well as Graeme McDowell, although I think he'll be so distracted by the press and public attention at wanting pictures of him with the US Open trophy he's not got much chance of doubling up.

    What of Gangster Octopus's annual assertion that the best place to look is among the unfancied Americans? After Curtis, Hamilton and Cink in the last decade one's inclined to look carefully at that. Ben Crane? Rickie Fowler? Ricky Barnes? God forbid, "Bubba" Watson? All in the 100-1 to 150-1 bracket.

    And a relatively unkown (continental) European player almost always seems to give it a good go, before just tailing off - Parnevik, Rocca, Van De Velde, Bjorn, Levet. Peter Hanson shot a 65 round St Andrews on the final day of the Links Championship on tour last season, and starts at 125-1. Edoardo Molinari's clearly in form, maybe he will be the one to take the trophy back to Europe.

    It'll be brilliant, simply because it's at St. Andrews. I can't wait.

    #2
    The 150th Open Championship thread

    Sparta Rogindam wrote:
    A glance at the World Rankings suggests that, at last, a British winner might be a strong possibility. Westwood, Casey, Poulter, McIlroy, Rose all in the top 20, all favoured to around 33-1 or lower in the betting. As well as Graeme McDowell, although I think he'll be so distracted by the press and public attention at wanting pictures of him with the US Open trophy he's not got much chance of doubling up
    I understand our leader will be offering similarly populist support as he did for the football team and Murray at Wimbledon (apart from the obvious difference that neither of them have actually won anything yet):



    PS particularly as McDowell is from Portrush, would Rogin be able to use his considerable influence to get a one-off Brit Open there sometime in the next few years? If the players, caddies and entourage don't want to squabble over the Triangle's limited number of de luxe hotel suites, there's always the student halls at Coleraine Uni. Or Tiger could give everyone a lift in his private jumbo for each day's play?

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      #3
      The 150th Open Championship thread

      If he's flying that flag and banner it's more likely to be for McIlroy than for McDowell, I think (unless he hedges his bets in a "coalition" style).

      McIlroy's never failed to break 70 round St. Andrews (although he has only played it to date in the far more benign conditions of the Links Championship, a fairly knock-about pro-am event held in October, not under the ferocious pressure of an Open Championship in July in front of 50,000 fans).

      The opening groups, when they're announced on Wednesday by the R&A, could have a significant impact on the overall outcome of the championship. I think whoever plays with Tiger will need huge mental fortitude just to ignore the huge hoopla that will surround the American, especially if he plays badly.

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        #4
        The 150th Open Championship thread

        Have we fuck had 150 Open Championship threads

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          #5
          The 150th Open Championship thread

          Bill Longmuir to lead after the first round.

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            #6
            The 150th Open Championship thread

            Ah, Bill Longmuir. Or indeed Bobby Clampett (remember him?).

            Last time at St. Andrews, it was nearly someone called Mark Hensby, who came home in 67 and would have led the Open (but has never been heard of since) but for some no-hoper called "Tiger Woods" who shot a 66.

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              #7
              The 150th Open Championship thread

              Wayne Stephens?

              http://mitchalbom.com/d/node/643

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                #8
                The 150th Open Championship thread

                Sparta Rogindam wrote:
                Ah, Bill Longmuir. Or indeed Bobby Clampett (remember him?).
                Was he one of the Beverley Hill Billy's?

                I think Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els will be in with a chance of winning.

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                  #9
                  The 150th Open Championship thread

                  Els yes, Harrington no.

                  There you go, you have the Rogin FOR FUCK'S SAKE DON'T FOLLOW MY BETTING TIPS (TM) tip for this year's championship.

                  Harrington for a 3rd Open championship, nailed on, then.

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                    #10
                    The 150th Open Championship thread

                    I know I've asked this before.

                    We usually call it the British Open, although I know it's just The Open. But is it always in Scotland or sometimes also in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?

                    Who runs it?

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                      #11
                      The 150th Open Championship thread

                      Reed, it's THE Open (run by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. The "R" bit of R&A is supplied by Prince Andrew, I've never seen any othe others swinging a club.

                      It could be held anywhere, really, but isn't, by tradition. They always hold it on one of a rota of links courses - and for the foreseeable future, they will follow the recent pattern of going England, Scotland, England, Scotland, St.Andrews in 5-yearly cycles.

                      It's the closest golf's got to a genuine World Championship, and it's wonderful because of that. Its winner (in the fashion of most ancient events that started in Victorian Britain) is simply decribed as "The Champion Golfer" of that year.

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                        #12
                        The 150th Open Championship thread

                        I thought it was called 'the Open' (as opposed to the 'British...', simply because it was the first. Similar to the (English) Football Association or (All-England) Wimbledon championships.

                        It's hardly ever played in Wales or Northern Ireland, possibly because of a limited infrastructure at the best courses there (see my earlier post on the thread).

                        Ther's been one Brit winner in the last 17 years. Brilliant.

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                          #13
                          The 150th Open Championship thread

                          I don't pay much attention since my Dad died, but I stayed in St Andrews after the cup final and my host is very much a St Andrews golf person, works every year at the Dunhill, has done consultancy for the Golf Trust etc

                          So: he says that the R & A are desperate to avoid a 'who?' reaction to the winner, and would've loved to be the place where Tiger made a roaring comeback.

                          Failing that (and Tiger is likely to fail them, however much they set the course up for him-or-someone-like-him) he was tipping Els.

                          Very high winds, which are possible this weekend, would make it more of a lottery anyway tho'.

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                            #14
                            The 150th Open Championship thread

                            I think I'll go for Francesco Molinari. He's got to put his putting game together one day.

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                              #15
                              The 150th Open Championship thread

                              The forecast is for lightish winds tomorrow, but 20mph with gusts by Saturday. And intermittent rain throughout. So that could prove something of a leveller already, we know Tiger and Phil can't play in bad weather.

                              I really have got no particular feeling at all about this one. Not that my tips always come off anyway, but I normally have a "feeling" for some players. In this one, I simply don't. I honestly think it will be that open. I might just stick in a pin in the starter list a few times. Tell you what, someone give me three random numbers between 1 and 156.

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                                #16
                                The 150th Open Championship thread

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                                  #17
                                  The 150th Open Championship thread

                                  Using this, I came up with 32, 35 and 53.

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                                    #18
                                    The 150th Open Championship thread

                                    I got bored so stuck mine on using my own random generator - Gallacher, Ishikawa and Hanson. All e-way at phenomenal odds though, so who knows.

                                    Yours actually look quite good - they work out as McIlroy, Mahan and Wood (Chris, that is).

                                    I might stick a quid on the nose on each of them, seeing as you've picked them for me.

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                                      #19
                                      The 150th Open Championship thread

                                      And just to complete my £10 deposit, I've stuck another one on Gregory Havret, as well.

                                      So there we go. The Rogin "tipster's shadow of death" passes over Peter Hanson, Gregory Havret, Ryo Ishikawa, Stephen Gallacher, Hunter Mahan, Rory McIlroy and Chris Wood.

                                      If any of that lot break 80 tomorrow (or indeed complete their rounds, having variously come in retired injured, run out of balls or simply walked off the 8th tee into the sea never to be seen again) I'll be delighted.

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                                        #20
                                        The 150th Open Championship thread

                                        It could be held anywhere, really, but isn't, by tradition. They always hold it on one of a rota of links courses - and for the foreseeable future, they will follow the recent pattern of going England, Scotland, England, Scotland, St.Andrews in 5-yearly cycles.
                                        Where do they have it in England? It always looks the same on TV. It looks like Scotland. It's the only golf tournament on TV I ever bother to watch and of because its the only one that feels like it's really played in nature.

                                        Surely St Andrews has more than one course, doesn't it? Is it always the same course for the Open? Who do you have to be to be a member of St Andrews?

                                        It's the closest golf's got to a genuine World Championship, and it's wonderful because of that.
                                        But I recall Colin Montgomery calling the US Open the real world championship. The field in all of the majors is more or less the same, isn't it? (although the PGAC isn't an Open, of course).

                                        In the US, it seems like The Masters gets the most buzz. It has its own theme song.

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                                          #21
                                          The 150th Open Championship thread

                                          Reed, St. Andrews is a public course.

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                                            #22
                                            The 150th Open Championship thread

                                            Reed John wrote:
                                            It could be held anywhere, really, but isn't, by tradition. They always hold it on one of a rota of links courses - and for the foreseeable future, they will follow the recent pattern of going England, Scotland, England, Scotland, St.Andrews in 5-yearly cycles.
                                            Where do they have it in England? It always looks the same on TV. It looks like Scotland. It's the only golf tournament on TV I ever bother to watch and of because its the only one that feels like it's really played in nature.

                                            Surely St Andrews has more than one course, doesn't it? Is it always the same course for the Open? Who do you have to be to be a member of St Andrews?
                                            All the courses and rotation.
                                            Three of the four English courses are on the Lancashire coast, the fourth, Royal St George's, is in Sandwich, Kent. It is the host course next year.
                                            The Open is always played on the Old Course at St Andrews

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                                              #23
                                              The 150th Open Championship thread

                                              Very benign conditions so far, and looks like we could see some very low scores unless the wind gets up. John Daly's 7 under through 12, and there are a host of early starters 3 or 4 under on their front nines as well.

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                                                #24
                                                The 150th Open Championship thread

                                                I remember in 1999 saying to my very keen golfer collegues, 'what about Paul Lawrie, 125/1, must be worth a punt?' Their derisive laughter cost me a few hundred. So I've put a bit on him this year e/w because its blowing a b*stard gale and pissing down.

                                                3 under after the first round seems quite good but a lot of them are scoring really well. Can Daly really keep it up for four rounds? I'd be delighted to lose my cash to him just to see the looks on the R&A crusties faces as Johnny Boy ambles up to take the jug, nipping a fag and adjusting his outlandishly garish jacket and handing his half finished burger to Prince A before taking the tumultous applause.

                                                I've also got a bit on Westwood and Mickelson although I'm not sure why as he doesn't seem to like the cold.

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                                                  #25
                                                  The 150th Open Championship thread

                                                  I've gone for Sean O'Hair at just about every Open he's ever played in, after he started the one at Hoylake with a 69 a few years ago. Always lost money on him. This year I didn't bother, and he looks like being one of tonight's clubhouse leaders.

                                                  Still, I'm pleased I was guided by OTF towards McIlroy, he's having a blinder. That 17th hole is going to be a leveller this week, though. They've grown the rough on the bank down to the road, so the old "putt up the bank" option will no longer work. So if anything goes long through that green, it's basically a pitch shot off gravel or tarmac to an elevated, fast, ten-yard wide green three feet higher than the ball at your feet, which runs downhill away from you into the most fearsome bunker in golf. We could see some players taking sevens or eights there this week if they chance things.

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