Scottish Open Scores A 1.3 Final Round Overnight Rating

/

Nice numbers from the experimental (not anymore!) 2013 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, which aired on Golf Channel and for the first time, NBC (see Mike McCarley Q&A here).

A few of the "overnight" numbers are below, with one rating point generally equating to 1.14 million viewers. The final numbers won’t be available until Wednesday for Golf Channel but it appears the Scottish easily outdrew the U.S. Senior Open. Phil Mickelson obviously gets a huge "assist" in this. But still, mighty impressive:

· Golf Channel’s coverage of the final round of the European Tour’s Scottish Open (9:30A-12P), leading into NBC’s coverage, delivered a 0.28 in the overnights, up 27% vs. Golf Channel’s Final Round coverage last year (8A-12:45P, 0.22). NBC’s continuing coverage of the Scottish Open final round (12-2:45P) received a 1.3 (first time for event on NBC, no comparison available).
 
Also note that US Senior Open was up YOY – which can be attributed in part to lead-in of Scottish Open.
 
· NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Senior Open final round (2:45-6P) posted a 0.99, up 29% YOY (3-6P, 0.77).

Trump International Unlikely To Join Scottish Open Rota

/

At the end of Tom English's piece talking to First Minister Alex Salmond about attending an Open at male-only membership Royal St. George's, there is this...

The First Minister also said that it was unlikely that Donald Trump’s golf course in Aberdeen will be chosen to host the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open when it begins a new rota system starting next year at Royal Aberdeen. “In fairness to all areas of Scotland, the likelihood is that the other two course [in a three-year rota] will be in east central and west central Scotland on some of the great links courses there.”

Busy Day In Golf Final Round Open Comment Thread

/

Mickelson tries to catch Stenson in the Scottish Open.

Geezer Michael Allen tries to hold off Perry and Funk the U.S. Senior Open.

Daniel Summerhays leads the John Deere Classic.

Hee Young Park leads the LPGA Manulife Financial Classic with Inbee trailing by 7.

I'll be stopping in at Muirfield for a look around and then making sure that North Berwick is as good as I remember it. Ta-ta!

Els Grateful For Castle Stuart's Width

/

Nice little zinger from Ernie Els to Graeme McDowell about the supposed ease of Scottish Open host Castle Stuart, as reported by Alex Miceli.

“Been to Muirfield a couple of times now so I kind of know what I need to do,” Els said Wednesday in a press conference before the pro-am. “I’m trying out two new drivers from Callaway and thank goodness, according to Graeme (McDowell), we have a lot of width in the fairways.”

Phil Wants To Know More About The Hanoverians And Jacobites

/

From a Herald story on Phil Mickelson's pre-Scottish Open press conference:

Mickelson, who posted a record sixth runners-up finish in the US Open last month, is finalising his preparations for the third major championship of the year by playing in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Castle Stuart is just five miles away from Culloden, which in April 1746 saw the final confrontation of the Jacobite Rebellion where English troops defeated those of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

"There are some plans to check out the battlefields of the war back in 1746 between the Hanoverians and the Jacobites," said Mickelson, whose wife and children are with him in Scotland. "I'm not sure, I've got to read up on it."

Videos: Above Castle Stuart

/

John Huggan in Golf World Monday defended Castle Stuart links, host of this week of the Scottish Open and criticized recently by Graeme McDowell (but defended ably by Paul Lawrie.)

Anyway, I stumbled on these overhead videos posted on YouTube that brought back some fine memories of one of the coolest tournament venues and settings on the planet and made me downright jealous I won't be there this week.

The first, set to Coldplay:



And a different but equally compelling view:

Paul Lawrie On Graeme McDowell Dissing Scottish Open: "He should know better."

/

Nick Rodger talks to Paul Lawrie about this week's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, which Graeme McDowell recently said was an event that had "lost its prestige" on a course he called too easy and too one-dimensional.

Lawrie's response:

"My answer to what he said would simply be that the Scottish Open has a title sponsor, it's got more money than Graeme's national open and it's played on a links course," said Lawrie in defence of the Scottish event which has a purse almost double that of the Irish Open and still holds that much sought after slot in the schedule the week before The Open itself. "Everyone is entitled to their opinions but they were poor comments. He should know better."

He left out that the Scottish now also has American network television coverage!

Ewan Murray has a nice Observer summation of the whole bizarre situation with top players, Castle Stuart and schedules prior to the Open.

McDowell has a share of the French Open lead with Richard Sterne heading into final round play

Punters Beware: Casey Wins Irish Open

/

Paul Casey's conveniently now at 40-1 and the former strong contender at the 2010 Open Championship ended a two-year drought in winning the Irish Open convincingly over Robert Rock.

Alistair Tait reports on Casey's mental and physical leap that has come after two years of struggle:

“Psychologically this is huge,” Casey said. “It feels like a first win again. I have struggled with the confidence and this is a huge relief knowing I am moving in the right direction.

“I have great golf in me for 10 years plus. This is a massive confidence boost.”