"That's a hard green to hit with any club in your hand, much less a 3‑wood."

So many highlights from Tom Watson's press conference today (covered by Tony Jimenez here, Bill Fields here, Gary Van Sickle here and Jeff Rude here). It's so fun to hear Watson diplomatically explain why the new tee on 14 just doesn't work if there is any kind of hurting wind.

14 is the hole that's going to create some problems from the standpoint that when they move the tee back into an east wind, it's going to be very difficult for most of the field to carry Hell's Bunker.  Now we'll be going into the 4th fairway over there causing all kinds of delays coming in off the tee, like this, and from that standpoint it's going to make it play probably not the way they should play it.  I just don't like the idea of trying to be able to hit a 3‑wood over there and trying to get up around the 14th green.  That's a hard green to hit with any club in your hand, much less a 3‑wood.

That's the one change that I think that they'll probably ‑‑ they'll consider pretty strongly.  Maybe they won't use the back tee there.  

"I'm going to have to get a pilot's license for this thing, because it's always flying."

Fun read from Bill Fields on Johnny Bulla, two-time runner up at the Old Course and great American character.

Bulla tried several putters on the Old Course's vast greens in 1939 after the putter he took overseas was ruled nonconforming by the Royal and Ancient Golf Association, but there wasn't much magic in any of them, particularly inside 10 feet. As the United Press reported of his final-round 73, "All through the round he alternately kissed the club when he holed out the long ones and threw it off the green in disgust when he missed the short ones, including a four-inch job on the morning round. Once, after missing a putt, he shouted: 'I'm going to have to get a pilot's license for this thing, because it's always flying.'"

Yes, K.J. Is Really Putting This Way...

...I had to see it to believe that K.J. Choi had gone all Sam Snead on us. For some reason I don't think I'm going to run up to Ladbrookes to place a bet after seeing this:

Click on image to enlarge

Arnold Palmer Has Left The Media Center

The King came by for a chat after the Champions Challenge was cancelled. And of course, stopped to sign for the kids outside.

Champions Challenge Cancelled

The exhibition of past champions has been cancelled due to inclement weather. That should give you some idea how lousy it is here today. A shame, we were all eager to see Lee Trevino and many other past greats.

Tiger Press Conference Gets Mildly Tense; Tabs To Rejoice

There were a couple of uncomfortable moments in the Tiger Woods press conference today as the standing room only assemblage of inkslingers served and volleyed at St. Andrews. Interestingly, all personal life questions were posed with a wee bit of how shall I say it? No accent...if you live in these parts.

Q.  Tom Watson has said you need to clean up your act on the golf course.  He's gone on record.  Many of us over the years have heard you use the F word, we've seen you spit on the course, and we've seen you throw tantrums like chucking your clubs around.  Are you willing to cut out all those tantrums this week and respect the home of golf?

TIGER WOODS:  I'm trying to become a better player and a better person, yes.

Q.  Your public image has been transformed in the last year or two.  Does it bother you what the public at large thinks of you?

TIGER WOODS:  Well, most of the people have been fantastic.  The places that I've played and the people that have come up to me have been great.  As I said, most of the people have been so respectful over the years here, and I wouldn't see anything different.

Q.  Would it bother you if there was a perception of you as a different sort of person now?

TIGER WOODS:  Hey, it's their opinion.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

And this pointed question on Dr. Spaceman Galea.

Q.  I understand that you had a two‑hour interview with the FBI a couple weeks ago.  Can you confirm that was the case?

TIGER WOODS:  That was the case, yes.

Q.  And are you able to go into any details as to why they specifically wished to speak to you?  And also why you felt it necessary to use a doctor from out of the United States, who apparently is not registered to ‑‑

TIGER WOODS:  Well, I can't go into any of that because of the fact that it's an open case so far.  So that's an ongoing case, so I can't comment.

The real news out of the session, besides six holes now being grassed at his Dubai project (what a relief!), was the revelation that Tiger may abandon the same putter he's used for all major wins this week due to greens he said are Stimping under 9.

TIGER WOODS:  Yeah, I've always been tempted to change my putter on slower greens, and as I said earlier to Steve, I've always struggled when greens are really slow.  My stroke has always been, even from when I was a junior golfer, was built in ‑‑ I always feel more comfortable when the greens get quick.  Some of my best putting rounds were when the greens were running at 14 or something like that on the stimp like at Memorial.  I feel so comfortable on those type of greens.

But on slower greens, I've always had a hard time.  I've always experimented with other putters throughout the years, but I've never put one in play until now.

Update on 2010-07-14 15:47 by Geoff

****Mark Reason's analysis is captivating though he may be reading a bit more into this than necessary!

The opening two questions were asked by Americans and they were softballs. A relieved Woods welcomed them on first-name terms.

BBC 5 Live's Iain Carter then brought up Woods's reduced public image and wondered if St Andrews offered a Road Hole to redemption. Woods gave that the full headlights on beam. The smile was flicked on. He said: "I would like to win no matter what."

A couple of questions later came the first fastball. London press agency man Dick Turner asked: "Tom Watson has said you need to clean up your image on the golf course. Many of us have heard you use the 'F' word, we've seen you spit, we've seen you throw tantrums like chucking your clubs. Are you willing to cut out all those tantrums and respect the home of golf?"

Woods said: "I'm trying to become a better player and a better person."

Then he said his prayers and went to bed. Baby Buddha did not have a lot to say to us, but the media pressed on regardless. How much work did he have to do to rebuild his reputation? Rewind, press play: "Just trying to become a better person."

Day One At The 2010 Open Championship

The required shot of 1 and 18, click image to enlargeIt's a sad state of affairs when the WiFi is better on the train than it is in the dorms of one of the world's great universities. So only now as the clock is past midnight am I even able to log on at dial-up speeds! Therefore the nightly comments will be brief and unfortunately, I won't be able to surf around and link to some of the better reporting as in the past. Plus, I just can't wait to hop into this top-sheet lacking bunk of a bed (because there was that unidentifiable object strongly resembling a mouse turd or a piece of dried ear wax from the ghost of Tom Morris resting on the sheet...what a nice welcoming gift).

Speaking of Old Tom, his ghost must be using my bathroom because the energy efficient light that only comes on by identifying a human presence will not go off. Sweet dreams!

Oh you want to hear about the golf?

- If you ever have the chance to take the train from London to St. Andrews, do it. What a joy. The scenery is magnificent (see my Tweets). Oh, and the trains run on time, they are immaculate, the service is friendly and did I mention, the WiFi was stellar too?

- The Old Course looks as splendid as you might imagine, though I was shocked by how lush it is. In the areas I walked, it is not particularly firm (especially compared to the courses I saw last week). If the weather is benign, the combination of today's equipment and modern agronomics will render the place vulnerable to super low scores. Not that we care about low scores, but it would be nice if some of the strategy is allowed to be presented.The 16th's fence and contours (click to enlarge image)

- Did you know they added a new tee on the Road hole? It's as if nothing else exists on the golf course based on today's media center chatter. Of course, the tee is absurd not in the added yardage it brings, which is appropriate given the regulatory malfeasance of the governing bodies. Furthermore, the tee has been melded discreetly into the path between the tee and 16th. But there is the absurdity once again of teeing off over boundary stakes. No matter how much you prepare for it after the last Open, the sight remains bizarre.

- The other real crime of the Road continues to be all of the rough, which not only is in places where there should be fairway, and includes an unnatural narrowing down to 13 paces about 75 yards from the green, but it's also rough that appears to have been unnaturally prepared compared to other native grasses on the property. And with a green complex to approach to like that, it's unnecessary to be irrigating hay off to the side of a 495-yard beast.

- Tuesday marks honorary degree day for Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington. The University of St. Andrews has been called out for Tiger's omission, but the real surprise is that they are giving Harrington a degree when he hasn't won at the Old Course and he's still a long way from completing his career. I will be attending and I believe you can watch online. My slow connection precludes me from pinpointing the web address of the event, which comes from the site of Bobby Jones's epic final appearance in St. Andrews. Perhaps someone can post a link below?

- Playing golf with hickories is just the best. But I'll bore you with that next week. The focus remains on the Home of Golf. At least, as long as I can get online.

The new 17th tee (click to enlarge) 

The 17th from behind. See if you can spot the fairway! (Click to enlarge image)