2018 Open Championship Ratings: Round 1 Up 27%, Round 2 Up 4%

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Tiger played Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, likely explaining round one's big increase on Golf Channel.

For Immediate Release:

MOST-WATCHED ROUND 1 OF THE OPEN ON GOLF CHANNEL EVER:

Golf Channel’s Round 1 coverage of The Open posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD: Live Linear + Streaming) of 1.024 average viewers, up 27% vs. 2017 and the most-watched Round 1 at The Open in its three years on Golf Channel (8:01 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET).

It also became Golf Channel’s most-watched Thursday ever, and the fifth-best Total Day on record (2006-2018). Golf Channel was the No. 1 cable sports network for Total Day by 9%. And from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Golf Channel was No. 1 cable sports network by 314%, and third for all 114 Nielsen measured cable networks.

And Friday:

MOST-WATCHED EARLY ROUND TELECAST OF THE OPEN EVER ON GOLF CHANNEL:

Golf Channel’s Round 2 coverage of The Open (8 a.m. – 3:58 p.m. ET) posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD: Live Linear + Streaming) of 1.141 million average viewers, up 4% vs. 2017 and the most-watched Early Round telecast at The Open in its three years on Golf Channel. Friday’s Round 2 TAD was up 11% vs. Thursday’s Round 1 (1.024 million average viewers) and became Golf Channel’s most-watched weekday telecast since the 2016 Ryder Cup Friday coverage (1.3 million).

Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 Open Championship?

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It's a simple question! Here is the leaderboard in case you have questions. Spieth, Schauffele, Kisner lead at -9, while Chappell is two back, Molinari three back and Woods and friends four back. Winds are forecasted to be up and from the west. Cheers!

Who will win the 2018 Open Championship?
 
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ShackHouse 71: 2018 Open Championship First Round Pop-Up

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About what we hoped for on day one, though the R&A's decision to go all final round on us with the hole locations probably prevented even better scoring. However, with the weather forecast turning a bit nastier for Sunday, they may have been saving a few more reasonable locations should the wind really blow. 

House and I kick around a lively day one at Carnoustie!

Tiger At Carnoustie: "This is how the game should be played."

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Tiger's opening 71 at Carnoustie would have looked at lot better had he taken advantage of 8-irons into both par-5s, but with afternoon conditions turning fierce and fast, Woods displayed many positive signs. 

And while he's not the first player to say this in the history of golf, it's still great to read:

I haven't played this championship for a few years now, and I've always loved playing over here. This is -- to me, this is where I got introduced to links golf. I played here in '95, and then follow that up with St. Andrews. That was my introduction to links golf. It doesn't get much better than that.

And I've always loved playing this championship. I've been able to win it a few times. I've just always enjoyed -- this is how the game should be played. It should be creative. It should be played on the ground. You can utilize the ground as an ally. When we play home in the States, that's not the case. Everything is going straight up in the air, but this is very different. It's amazing the shot -- the creativity. I mean, you can roll the ball 100 yards if you wanted to, or you can throw it straight up in the air. I like having those shot options.

Brandon Stone Takes His Hickories To The Old Course

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The perks of being the Scottish Open winner and kicking off the 2018 Open at Carnoustie with a 68: Brandon Stone breaking in his hickories at the Home Of Golf:

USGA, R&A To Take The Teeth Out Of Green Reading Books Starting In 2019

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While the exact wording as to how green reading books will be defanged is set to come in the coming weeks, I report for Golfweek on the USGA and R&A having agreed to new language that will take the teeth out of green reading books starting January 1, 2019.

As noted in the Golfweek exclusive, the restrictions on presentation and information allowed will be made to protect the art of green reading. But there are also slow play considerations as players have begun to study the books on all parts of the course. Hole locations are calculated for players the night prior, which has never exactly exuded a sense that golfers are playing the course as they find it. 

The move is fascinating in the context of other issues facing the governing bodies on distance and de-skilling. By going after a technological advance that they view as de-skilling the game, the stage is set to consider an array of factors that have led to major distance increases. Could this lead to considering a reduction of driver head size or some other restriction to restore skill?

While I've never been offended by players using the books from a play perspective, the books become are offensive when players are not penalized for taking longer than 40 seconds.  

For the sport, defanging green reading books will impact only elite players and college golfers, but will certainly lay the groundwork for future discussions on the de-skilling topic.

R&A Chief Slumbers Says They're In Listening Mode On Distance And Touts "Collaborative" Relationship With Players

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Alistair Tait of Golfweek sums up R&A Chief Martin Slumbers' explanation of driver testing conducted at Carnoustie and notes that the random effort looks like it's part of a more proactive approach.

The R&A has had capabilities at previous Opens to test drivers for COR (coefficient of restitution) and CT “characteristic time.” In laymen’s terms, the spring-like effect of driver faces. But the governing body is becoming more proactive this year.

“We’ve always had an equipment test capability down on the range, certainly since I’ve been involved in the Open,” Slumbers said. “It’s been an option for players or the manufacturers to take their equipment in and have it tested. We felt it was an appropriate next step to more actively seek to test players’ drivers straight out of the bag.”

And from the transcript, it's worth noting that Slumbers sees the players as having a positive impression of the R&A. Whether that means in contrast to the USGA or in general, I'm not sure.

It was a request to players, and I think many of you underestimate, we have a very good relationship with our players, and it's a very collaborative relationship, and we had absolutely no problems with the players coming and were interested in what we're doing. A lot of them actually wanted to know how does the test work, and what is it really testing for?

I'm sure they loved giving up their drivers and their caddies to go find out if their club is conforming! 

Roundup: What To Make Of Carnoustie, Who To Pick

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It's yellow, then it's green.

The fairways run, the putting surfaces hold. 

The forecast is fairly benign, with spells of wind. 

What does it all mean fellow prognosticating degenerates? 

The Forecaddie says expect some good scoring thanks to benign rough and holding greens. Think under on the over/under. Or is it under? Take the lower scoring barrier.

As for picks, Alistair Tait says look for longshots and consider other factors in an interesting deep dive on how Carnoustie is playing.

Golfweek's fantasy experts, including yours truly, chime in with picks, sleepers, Draft Kings bargains, etc...

My ten to watch filed for Golfweek's print issue. 

Ryan Herrington takes on the sleeper angle, with names like Casey, Dufner, etc... out there with good games right now and not much attention.

ESPN.com's team makes their predictions. 

G.C. Digital with the latest weather reports for GolfChannel.com.

For those tracking at home, Ladbrokes will be getting my each-way win bets on Fowler and Noren, some missed cut bets on...oh let's not go there...and a winning score bet, several small shots at first round leaders favoring early players Thursday (Willett, Pieters, Hatton, Fowler, Stone, Pepperell). Oh and a Bernhard Langer top 20 at 14-1 too. Just trying to help the local economy!

Tiger Admits His Open Prospects Are Best Over The Long Term

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Reading between the lines, I was not surprised to hear Tiger suggest The Open is his best major opportunity over the next few years. I was, however, surprised to hear that a player averaging 304 off the tee this year can see the day coming where Augusta is too long for him. 

My Golfweek item on Tiger's pre-2018 Open Championship press conference.

Hmmmm: R&A Conducts Surprise, Random(?) Driver Test

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Thirty players were greeted with letters from the R&A ordering them to offer up their drivers for a COR test. It's not clear if the tests were random or if the players were specially chosen by their manufacturer affiliation or driving distance average.

Welcome to Scotland!

Tim Rosaforte reports for Golf Channel on what appears to be a step-up in the effort to ensure there are conforming drivers in this week's Open Championship. 

Keegan Bradley, Brendan Steele and Brooks Koepka all confirmed that their drivers all passed the COR test (coefficient of restitution, or spring-like effect) administered by the R&A.

This was the first time the R&A took measures that were not part of the distance insight project being done in conjunction with the USGA.

 

There are two ways of looking at this. 

The sunny side up take would believe this is just part of normal monitoring and amidst some rumblings that this year's distance increase could be fueled by hot drivers.

The cynical take says this is the act of a desperate governing body looking for something to blame this year's increases on, instead of simply anticipating that a combination of technology, athleticism, fitting and a generation of players reared on modern clubs have passed the testing procedures by. AKA, anything not to do something about the Joint Statement of Principles.

ShackHouse 70: 2018 Open Championship Preview

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Auction items benefitting Bunkers In Baghdad

Auction items benefitting Bunkers In Baghdad

We break down all things Open Championship, including some picks for who will win, comparisons between this year and Hoylake in '06, my insights from Gullane and players to keep an eye on throughout the tournament.

As always we're brought to you by Callaway, who have a couple of swell offerings mentioned in the show.

There is the auction from Callaway Create for special Seamus-made headcovers benefitting the incredible work of Bunkers In Baghdad.

And this Callaway Community member quiz with the winner getting the 3-wood Henrik just can't use because it goes...too far!