When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
At least, I learned and think might be food for thought as we head to Bellerive.
Check it out here at Golfweek. I'm particularly interested in hearing your thoughts on the point regarding the new schedule and how at this time, next year, the major season will be complete.
Even with the obvious Tiger bounce, a pretty incredible rating given the time slot and the strong numbers from last year at Birkdale. That The Open could be the second highest rated of the majors is also amazing.
For Immediate Release:
NBC SPORTS’ FINAL ROUND COVERAGE OF THE 147TH OPEN:
TIES BEST OVERNIGHT RATING AT THE OPEN IN 18 YEARS, SINCE TIGER WOODS’ CAREER GRAND SLAM CLINCHING WIN
Sunday’s Final Round on NBC (9a-2p ET) from Carnoustie Golf Links earned a 5.0 Overnight Rating. This ties it for the highest-rated Final Round Overnight at The Open since Tiger Woods completed the Career Grand Slam with his win in 2000 at the Old Course in St Andrews (7.4, ABC); and tying Tiger Woods’ win in 2006 at Royal Liverpool (5.0, ABC).
NBC Sports’ coverage in 2018 was up 38% vs. 2017, Jordan Spieth’s win at Royal Birkdale.
The Open becomes the highest-rated Final Round for any major championship since 2015(excluding The Masters) with Jason Day’s win at Whistling Straits at the PGA Championship (5.1).
Coverage peaked from 1-1:30p (6.74), which is the second-highest peak half-hour in golf this year, behind the Masters (10.69).
Sunday’s Final Round saw 33.9 million minutes streamed, +67% vs. 2017. Across four days of coverage, 125 million total minutes streamed (+24% vs. 2017); making The 147TH Open the most-streamed golf event ever for NBC Sports Digital platforms.
· Final Viewership and Digital Metrics will be distributed in next 24 hours. Current Sources: Overnights: Nielsen Metered-Market HH Rtgs. Details available. Digital: Adobe Analytics.
The Forecaddie weighed in on the proceedings from Scotland where many Americans made the voyage.
Well done to all of the geezers who crossed the Atlantic in an effort to play this week's Senior Open at The Old Course.
For Immediate release:
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee will make his first professional appearance in more than ten years after successfully qualifying for The Senior Open Presented by Rolex.
The American, who made his last appearance on the PGA Tour in 2008, was one of 27 golfers who came through qualifying to book their place on the Old Course at St Andrews from July 26-29.
A record 591 qualifiers took part in the traditional Monday Qualifying at Fairmont St Andrews, Ladybank, Lundin Links and Scotscraig, with participants from all four corners of the globe descending on the county of Fife.
The 56 year old, who shared first place at Scotscraig Golf Club, said: “St Andrews means a lot to everybody in the golf world, but it holds a special place in my heart because I spent the summer of 1982 in Scotland. One of the highlights of my career was playing in The Open in 1995.
“So to bring my career in the game full circle, from the amateur game, to the PGA Tour, to the Senior Open, I couldn’t be happier to have made the field and to play amongst some of the best players to have every played the game.
“It’s a real treat for me to see a side of the game I haven’t known for 15 years.”
Joining Chamblee from Scotscraig were compatriot John Inman and English amateur Robert Maxfield – CEO of the Professional Golfers’ Association. Also earning their spots were Victor Casado, Vicente Fernandez, Darrell Kestner and amateur G.S. Lacy.
The first results of qualifying came from Ladybank as Fran Quinn finished first on three under par. He was joined automatically by Tommy Tolles and David Shacklady, who successfully earned his Staysure Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year.
A five-way play-off was required for the final four spots, with Bob Ford, amateur Ryan Howison, Mark Ridley and former Walker Cup player Gary Wolstenholme securing their places on the first extra hole.
At Fairmont St Andrews, the closest Qualifying venue to the Old Course, Spain’s Andres Rosa was the only golfer to finish under par – one stroke ahead of David Mills and Henrik Simonsen who finished level par with rounds of 72.
An eight-man play-off decided the final four spots with Sweden’s Mats Dornell joined by fellow amateur Gene Elliott, Bill Breen and Pedro Linhart taking the spoils.
Six spots were available at Lundin Links, with Gary Koch – a colleague of Chamblee’s - and Jonathan Cheetham sharing first place on three under par. Angel Franco, amateur Michael McCoy and San Filippo qualified automatically on two under par.
A six-man play-off determined the final place on offer for this year’s Senior Open, and play was suspended on Monday evening due to darkness with three players still in the hunt. After play resumed at 8am on Tuesday morning, Australia’s Paul Archbold became the last man in after negotiating nine extra holes.
The successful qualifiers will join a host of golfing greats at St Andrews including Ryder Cup Captains Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam, and defending Senior Open champion Bernhard Langer.
Tickets starting at £15 can be purchased at st.golf/SeniorOpen18Tickets, while under-16s and parking are free.
Results
Fairmont St Andrews
Andres Rosa
David Mills
Henrik Simonsen
Mats Dornell (AM)
Gene Elliott (AM)
Bill Breen
Pedro Linhart
Ladybank
Fran Quinn
David Shacklady
Tommy Tolles
Bob Ford
Gary Wolstenholme
Mark Ridley
Ryan Howison (AM)
Lundin Links
Gary Koch
Jonathan Cheetham
Mike San Filippo
Michael McCoy (AM)
Angel Franco
Paul Archbold
Scotscraig
Brandel Chamblee
John Inman
Robert Maxfield (AM)
Vicente Fernandez
Victor Casado
Darrell Kestner
G.S. Lacy (AM)
It's been a while since I've read a total misfire of a column. Even more surprising, it came from one of the best in the business in AP's Tim Dahlberg.
But after watching most of Tiger's golf over the weekend at Carnoustie, I disagree with Dahlberg's assessment that Woods is the player he describes. No, Tiger is not back to 2000 or 2005 standards nor will he ever be that unbelievably dominant again, but some of Dahlberg's statements are ludicrous given that Woods had a one-stroke lead with nine holes to go on a golf course where the slightest miscalculations by many of the world's best were magnified.
A few of the more excessive lines:
But what felt like old times for a brief moment ended up as just another collapse story, like the ones Woods' fans have seen more recently.
Collapse? Jean van de Velde collapsed. Tiger merely didn't get the job done after putting himself in position to win.
Woods flinched when it mattered most, the nerves of a 42-year-old on display for all to see. Just when he took the lead and everyone's imagination began to swirl about what might be, he kicked away his best chance of breaking a decade-long drought in major championships.
Let's assess where the nerves got to Woods. He stepped on the 11th tee facing a stiff wind, where both he and Molinari missed the fairway. Woods drew a difficult lie, the club face turned and he luckily hit a spectator. On the wedge recovery, Woods definitely got too cute instead of just wedging to 15-or-so-feet past the hole and making bogey at the worst.
A strategic mistake in hindsight when he walked away with double bogey, yes. Nerves getting to him? We'll never know.
Woods had the tournament in his hands after hitting a brilliant fairway bunker shot to make par on No. 10. He walked to the next tee with a one-shot lead.
Brilliant shot it was, but the tournament in his hand with a one-stroke lead, 20-25 m.p.h. winds and so many incredible players right behind him on a firey links? Wow.
Then his tee shot went right, and his second shot veered way left. Woods got a break by hitting someone in the gallery, but then left his pitch hanging precariously on the side of a pot bunker.
When he missed an 8-footer to make double bogey he was out of the lead. Another bogey on the next hole, and he was basically out of the tournament.
It used to be that Woods was steely and superhuman, and no one dared get in his way. Now he's more of a nostalgia act teasing fans with sparks of his past greatness.
Nostalgia act seems like a wildly short-sighted thing to say given how far Woods has come since January. Remember when folks used to debate his swing mechanics, his short game or whether he'd finish a round. Or if we'd ever see him play again? Now he's written off after taking a small lead with nine to go!
It wasn't like the course wasn't gettable.
Wasn't gettable? Did I miss the part where all of the leaders shot 65 and declared Carnoustie vulnerable?
Final round scores of the top 11: 69, 69, 70, 74, 74, 67, 71, 73, 71, 72, 76.
Also, the 67 by Eddie Pepperell was low round of the day and posted well before the leaders.
And finally...
Another major would have validated years of struggles. A tie for sixth means nothing.
Three strokes is the difference between validation and a meaningless week?
Golf at this level, played with the intensity, difficulty, consistency and precision that was on display at Carnoustie is so much more complicated than the sport Dahlberg describes.
Yes, Woods did not finish off this major the way he or many hoped. I'd argue that the quality of his play under major pressure and after everything else that's happened was not only his greatest career performance without registering a win, but suggests incredible things are to come if he can remain healthy.
A nostalgia act, Tiger Woods most certainly is not.
After playing his first Open, Luke List is wishing the USGA mimic the R&A in setup philosophy, reports Tony Jimenez for Reuters.
A similar refrain was repeated many times by players, observers and fans who enjoyed the tough-but-fair and noticeably faster golf, though as I note in this assessment of Carnoustie for Golfweek, the issue is layered but also incredibly simple: green speeds made the difference between complimenting Carnoustie's architecture, and ruining it.
Pace of play was noticeably better and as a "product," The Open proved infinitely more pleasurable to watching without having to spend so much time watching players grind over short putts for four days.
While professional golfers are praising the R&A coming off the U.S. Open setup issues, there were more than a handful of silly hole locations saved only by green speeds in the high 9s when leaders reached them. Had the USGA slowed greens at Shinnecock down to the high 9's, there would have been softer and bumpier conditions that today's spoiled-by-bent-grass players would loathe. But on a seaside links with a blend of poa, fescue and bent, with a links mindset, the players are more accepting of a bumpiness.
And really, the ball goes too far.
On another day we can continue to lament how much course setup manipulation must take place to mask regulatory mistakes and debate how vital it is for golf to slow greens down.
In the meantime, I'd prefer to celebrate a magnificent week at Carnoustie made special by Mother Nature baking out an outstanding course. As I note in the Golfweek piece, Carnoustie has had a troubled relationship with the rota at times, but brilliant maintenance management by Craig Boath's team, mostly great work by the R&A and a hot, dry summer allowed the links to remind people of its great strategic character.
It was a thriller at Carnoustie! Maybe not quite one that will be mentioned with Hogan in '53 and Van de Velde in '99, but the 2018 Open Championship was a good, solid test of skill with brilliant performances from a wide array of players. I hope the theater at home was as splendid as the in-person viewing.
House and I discuss it all, plus a shocking fashion rant from my co-host!
I present five scenarios for today's potentially epic final day at Carnoustie. Keep an Open mind.
Not surprisingly Jordan gets nearly half your votes, but interesting to see how much respect the voters have for Xander Schauffele and Tiger Woods.
In The Telegraph, James Corrigan's game story leads with Woods over the three co-leaders. Same with Ewan Murray at The Guardian, noting that Saturday will be a moving day we never forget.
Speaking of Tiger, he captivated Carnoustie Saturday and no matter what happens, many fans here went home very happy getting to enjoy some Tiger roars as he topped a major leaderboard for the first time in years. Dan Kilbridge on Tiger's strong 66 that leaves him four back of Jordan Spieth.
Ian O'Connor gives us all permission to root for Tiger, even sportswriters who are not supposed to. I certainly didn't fight the goosebumps yesterday seeing the reaction and thrills he provided in playing like the 14-time major winner most remember.
Jordan's haircut is all the buzz.
A win by Spieth would quickly erase what has been a frustrating year, Brian Wacker writes in setting up the final round.
Rory McIlroy, four back, intends to attack Sunday, writes Eamon Lynch.
Kevin Chappell's resurgence can be attributed to a change in teachers, now with Sean Foley who is helping him take pressure off his back, writes The Forecaddie.
Final round tee times and hole locations from Golfweek.
Most spectators will arrive here by train and leave, after a long line, by train. Christopher Clarey for the New York Times on the history of Open Championships and trains (thanks reader John).
Enjoy the final round! Full coverage and analysis to follow at Golfweek.com and ShackHouse.
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).
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!
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'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.
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:
AM: Shoots 68 in The Open at Carnoustie
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 19, 2018
PM: Plays Old Course, St Andrews with his new hickory clubs @BrandonMStone is the envy of golfers everywhere. #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/omWgOh33yt
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.
Great work by the Live From crew, Nobilo and the local maintenance team to do a Stimpmeter reading of the Carnoustie fairways:
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!
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
