The Golf Thread

[Tricycle Rider]

Congrats to Sheffield's very own Matt Fitzpatrick on winning his first major!

Rahm had a bad last round while McIlroy and Morikawa tried to come from behind and salvage their game, it just wasn't enough. Speaking of Rahm...

Love Rahm's interview regarding LIV Golf... he's not exactly knocking the players who had joined, but he did say it's probably something nice one could do when ready to retire and ride into the sunset. (It is true some of the big name LIV golfers are of a certain age and look like they don't really need the money or exposure anymore, Mickelson surely doesn't.)

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/golf/12633921/jon-rahm-the-money-is-great-but-the-liv-wouldnt-change-my-life

 

[Tricycle Rider]

In the very near future this is probably the most anticipated golf major of all year (specifically since it's at St. Andrews), hopefully you all will juggle your TV viewing judiciously and appropriately. (No way am I watching round 1 while the riders at the Tour are trying to scale Alpe d'Huez!)

How to Follow | The 150th Open | Coverage Guide

Find out how to watch and follow The 150th Open at St Andrews, with details of broadcasters, video streams, highlights, social media, The Open Radio, The Open Podcasts and The Open App.

www.theopen.com

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Welcome to the Open at St Andrews! (As Rory had said earlier today winning a generic Open is not necessary to complete your "palmares" as a pro golfer, but it sure is considered the Holy Grail when you play and win at the home of golf.)

Have no idea what the weather will be like later this week (when it actually counts), hopefully a little breeze here and there will make things a bit more challenging on this historic links course.

Stay tuned - if things get boring watching a Tour stage just switch the channel to the Open, with any luck you'll get even more bored!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Completely switching gears now (or maybe not) to the Open, watching Tiger is a bit like watching Froome earlier today. They've both had terrible injuries, they're kinda old, but you still respect them as champs.

Go Tiger!

 

[Unchained]

For years I didn't carry a driver in my bag because high handicap and not enough time to practice..just sprayed it around too much!!
I am watching the pros and see almost a constant need for course redesign..these guys are crushing it off the tee..many making it on shorter par 4s..I am in constant amazement at the skill level..
also thought Senior Tour was going to be a bigger thing..

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Tiger didn't make the cut, but then neither did a whole bunch of other (much younger and healthier) players. Ah well...

Gotta love those bunkers at the Open though, once you dig yourself in you better be better than a pro to dig yourself back out!

 

[jmdirt]

I barely follow golf, mostly through headline hunting and/or news blips, but the 'new league' split is kind of intriguing. Maybe the PGA needed a kick in the butt, I just don't know if LIV is the correct organization to do it. I've read a little bit of the back and forth trash talk which doesn't seem to fit with the etiquette of golf, but its kinda entertaining.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

While I was busy watching the World Champs marathon taking place here in Eugene as we speak they had just finished up at the Open, so I missed the finale - how did I mess up my timing so badly?

Anyhoo, congrats to Cameron Smith - not familiar with him, but he's sporting a mullet under that cap, so he's gotta be all right!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Resuscitating this, fittingly quietest, thread on this forum as it's nearly time for the first major of the year - the Masters!

I'm playing catchup on all the LIV drama, while banned from PGA Tour events LIV players are not banned from Augusta because Augusta is its own private entity and they can do whatever the heck they want. I'm surprised so many top players had joined LIV, it should make for some interesting discussion around the dinner table with non-LIV players.

Anyhoo, while the field itself hasn't been announced yet here's a pretty good article on what to expect this year.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/everything-you-need-to-know-masters-2023

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Aaand the race for the fugly green jacket is on, I'm rooting for Rahm and Spieth. All eyes will be on Rory because he has yet to win at Augusta, and of course there's Tiger who I think will be lucky to make the cut.

Not sure what's been going on with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, and Graeme McDowell, it's weird not seeing any of them in the lineup.

Well anyhoo, here's a live scoreboard (at least I think it's live) for those interested in how the tournament is progressing.

https://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/index.html

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Due to windy weather trees are a'fallin' at Augusta, play has been suspended. Stay tuned!

Masters 2023: Trees fall into gallery at Augusta National; no injuries reported

During high winds at Friday's second round of the Masters, a tree fell in the gallery near the 17th hole.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Tricycle Rider]

The 3rd round is currently underway, however, the weather is not so great. Everybody is all kinds of bundled up - never thought I'd see a player wearing a hoodie at Augusta, let alone seeing Tiger wearing some sort of a super warm vest and hat! (At least he made the cut, though.)

My boy Spieth is just kind of all over the place, it's best to not even speak of it.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

While watching P-R I'm keeping an eye on the Masters, due to inclement weather they had to quit early yesterday and are now resuming round 3. It was sad to watch Tiger, he was obviously in pain and was not having a good time. I'm glad he withdrew.

Things are looking good for Koepka and Rahm, it could go either way. And my boy Spieth really stunk it up yesterday, so his chances of winning are nill.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Round 4 is underway, the weather is nice at Augusta for a change. Spieth is paired with Mickelson, hopefully he'll have a more solid round.

Hovland is nipping at Rahm's heels and Cantlay has been doing very well, if Koepka has a total meltdown things are going to get interesting in the finale.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Congrats to Jon Rahm on winning his second major (and his very first fugly green jacket) - I didn't get to see him and Koepka play the very last hole because just before they did ESPN+ cut their stream and told me to go find the coverage somewhere else. By the time I did it was over, I'm sure there will be plenty of replays. Grrrrrrrrrr...

Mickelson and Spieth had a fantastic last round, unfortunately for Spieth the birdies came a little too late. All in all it was a fun tournament, the weather certainly added some thrills and spills.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I know you all are just itching to read up on the latest golf news...

The US Open is coming up starting June 15th, for the first time in 75 years it'll be played in Los Angeles. (More specifically the L.A. Country Club.) There are quite a few exemptions so some LIV players will be taking part, but others had already declined even if they did qualify.

The exemptions make this whole "ban on the LIV players" thing a joke, here's an article about the LIV players who have qualified and some who have entered. But qualifiers are still underway, so the list is incomplete.

Which LIV Golf Players Have Qualified For The US Open?

A total of 15 LIV Golf players are eligible for the 2023 US Open at The Los Angeles Country Club

www.golfmonthly.com

PS - Somehow I had missed this, but apparently LIV and PGA Tour are suing and counter-suing each other, I think it's too soon to be making sense of things. But I think the drama is kind of entertaining even if the golf itself isn't.

https://www.si.com/golf/news/judge-loses-temper-in-liv-golf-vs-pga-tour-hearing-postpones-trial-date

 

[Oldermanish]

I barely follow golf, mostly through headline hunting and/or news blips, but the 'new league' split is kind of intriguing. Maybe the PGA needed a kick in the butt, I just don't know if LIV is the correct organization to do it. I've read a little bit of the back and forth trash talk which doesn't seem to fit with the etiquette of golf, but its kinda entertaining.

There are people who love to play golf as the skill sport it is.
Then there are the organizations that seek to profit greatly off of an image of a "sport" that is meant to be exclusive along economic and ethnic lines. LIV and PGA merge and prove what most people know: it's about the exclusiveness of a hierarchal activity and things marketed from it: ecologically/economically atrocious desert real estate, racially pure fraternity and politics that preserve all that is dear to insecure elitest a*sholes.
That associates of a purely political and murderous regime managed to co-opt a sport few of them play from the "tradition" bound clubs of the world says more about the lack of ethics of the clubs than the new rich Masters of their domain that successfully bought them.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

There are people who love to play golf as the skill sport it is.
Then there are the organizations that seek to profit greatly off of an image of a "sport" that is meant to be exclusive along economic and ethnic lines. LIV and PGA merge and prove what most people know: it's about the exclusiveness of a hierarchal activity and things marketed from it: ecologically/economically atrocious desert real estate, racially pure fraternity and politics that preserve all that is dear to insecure elitest a*sholes.
That associates of a purely political and murderous regime managed to co-opt a sport few of them play from the "tradition" bound clubs of the world says more about the lack of ethics of the clubs than the new rich Masters of their domain that successfully bought them.

Not a fan of golf then?

I know your post is directed at jmd, but being I amuse myself with this thread I'll just say there is definitely a lot wrong with professional golf (or even just weekend golf) in that it's cost prohibitive and such... I mean I've never played a round myself, don't own golf clubs or golf shoes (can't afford them), I don't actually even own a golf ball at the moment. But I can still appreciate the level of difficulty when I watch the pros, I enjoy the quietness of the 'sport', and I'd much rather see golf courses (especially links) than condos and endless concrete parking lots. Plus, over time, you get to know the players a bit, so you get to favor one over the other...

So anyway, that's my excuse for following golf. Not even all of it, mind, just usually the majors.

 

[Oldermanish]

Not a fan of golf then?

I know your post is directed at jmd, but being I amuse myself with this thread I'll just say there is definitely a lot wrong with professional golf (or even just weekend golf) in that it's cost prohibitive and such... I mean I've never played a round myself, don't own golf clubs or golf shoes (can't afford them), I don't actually even own a golf ball at the moment. But I can still appreciate the level of difficulty when I watch the pros, I enjoy the quietness of the 'sport', and I'd much rather see golf courses (especially links) than condos and endless concrete parking lots. Plus, over time, you get to know the players a bit, so you get to favor one over the other...

So anyway, that's my excuse for following golf. Not even all of it, mind, just usually the majors.

Actually loved playing golf when I was younger. Played at a local par 3, caddied at a local exclusive club. It was exclusive in that it was founded by Jewish golfers that were shut out of other Seattle wasp clubs. They had a distinction; they allowed anyone to apply and had the first membership clubs with other races other than white on white. Most of the senior Seattle Sonics coaches and some players secured membership.
That said; when my best paying member of a regular foursome found out I wasn't Jewish I got frozen out and couldn't get another job.
I've had the misfortune of being around a family member (by marriage) whose business relied on heavily on Hispanic staff that were very loyal. Among his other golf buddies of a venerable Seattle club the racial references were worse than I'd ever hear in Florida in '72. This is the same group of guys that would die to be in the presence of certain Seattle Seahawks after the Superbowl win. All frat boys and discussed other subjects with the same dim perspective.
LIV and PGA are the heartbeat of that attitude.
Nothing wrong with the game. Plenty wrong with The Game. Buncha' poseur jock wannabes revelling in clubs the unwashed can't get into.

By the way: Dirt and I get along pretty well and I doubt the current events would sit well there, either.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Actually loved playing golf when I was younger. Played at a local par 3, caddied at a local exclusive club. It was exclusive in that it was founded by Jewish golfers that were shut out of other Seattle wasp clubs. They had a distinction; they allowed anyone to apply and had the first membership clubs with other races other than white on white. Most of the senior Seattle Sonics coaches and some players secured membership.
That said; when my best paying member of a regular foursome found out I wasn't Jewish I got frozen out and couldn't get another job.
I've had the misfortune of being around a family member (by marriage) whose business relied on heavily on Hispanic staff that were very loyal. Among his other golf buddies of a venerable Seattle club the racial references were worse than I'd ever hear in Florida in '72. This is the same group of guys that would die to be in the presence of certain Seattle Seahawks after the Superbowl win. All frat boys and discussed other subjects with the same dim perspective.
LIV and PGA are the heartbeat of that attitude.
Nothing wrong with the game. Plenty wrong with The Game. Buncha' poseur jock wannabes revelling in clubs the unwashed can't get into.

By the way: Dirt and I get along pretty well and I doubt the current events would sit well there, either.

Wow, that's pretty eye-opening.

Like I said I've never played golf myself but I've known people who did (on public golf courses, not the fancy country clubs), and they made it sound like a lot of fun. Alas, even if I did get ahold of some golf clubs I wouldn't be able to play because of the type of chronic injuries I have, so I just have to make do with watching the pros on TV.

 

[Unchained]

Golf is similar to cycling were if you get sound fundamentals and continue to practice and develop your game can improve and using the handicap system your game is recognized and rewarded by consistency once you establish a level of play.. Shooting in the60,70s is a thing of dreams for most participants.. and if you do any research about the game at the highest levels.. the players who have a pro card are simply the best of the best.. Almost God like.. And if you go to see a professional match.. the players can hit hundreds and hundreds of balls flawlessly on the practice range and practice greens.. Super special and the game and training is in constant development and evolution..

 

[jmdirt]

Wow, that's pretty eye-opening.

Like I said I've never played golf myself but I've known people who did (on public golf courses, not the fancy country clubs), and they made it sound like a lot of fun. Alas, even if I did get ahold of some golf clubs I wouldn't be able to play because of the type of chronic injuries I have, so I just have to make do with watching the pros on TV.

I'd be happy to give you a set!

EDIT: or just a ball!

 

[jmdirt]

Golf is similar to cycling were if you get sound fundamentals and continue to practice and develop your game can improve and using the handicap system your game is recognized and rewarded by consistency once you establish a level of play.. Shooting in the60,70s is a thing of dreams for most participants.. and if you do any research about the game at the highest levels.. the players who have a pro card are simply the best of the best.. Almost God like.. And if you go to see a professional match.. the players can hit hundreds and hundreds of balls flawlessly on the practice range and practice greens.. Super special and the game and training is in constant development and evolution..

In my early teens I golfed once or twice per year, but then I broke my jaw and couldn't play football one fall so I got on the golf team. Prior to this I got my money's worth hitting the ball at least 90 times (18 full course), 40 (9 hole links), but after doing it every day for a while I got into the high 70s. Then my jaw was cleared to play basketball... I golfed a few times in the Army, and several times in college, but never saw the 70s again.

 

[Oldermanish]

In my early teens I golfed once or twice per year, but then I broke my jaw and couldn't play football one fall so I got on the golf team. Prior to this I got my money's worth hitting the ball at least 90 times (18 full course), 40 (9 hole links), but after doing it every day for a while I got into the high 70s. Then my jaw was cleared to play basketball... I golfed a few times in the Army, and several times in college, but never saw the 70s again.

Pretty d*mn good. The family member and his friends I referenced would have revered your skills right up to the point you explained your liked cycling. The they'd make a reference about sexual preference and recluster into their circle jerk.
I would hope there are actual golf clubs that do more than window dress equal access aside from public courses.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I'd be happy to give you a set!

EDIT: or just a ball!

I'll take a putter and a couple of golf balls, think I should at least be able to putt a bit in the backyard. But any sort of hard swinging is out due to nagging hip bursitis...

If nothing else I can always toss the ball at Toby the Dog. Although, he's getting to be too old too to be chasing much of anything, including squirrels!