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The Open 2023

I’m surprised there’s not a thread yet…

Hoylake is one of the less dramatic but most charming (and friendly) of The Open’s venues. Most of it is very flat but has really bold, direct mowing lines and doglegs, and its often blank canvas might just help identify the best player.

Most of the dunes and excitement are on the back 9 and much of the talk will be about the new 17th… Having visited both of its green side bunkers I can confirm they are horrific. They are deep enough that you can’t play a splash/explosion shot, I skimmed mine from the right (pictured) and ended up in the deep one on the left. Harrington in an Open Twitter vid showed that the best play should be to land it on the up-slope and skip the ball on to the green.


I’m putting my money on Scheffler. He just looks like an Open champion and is playing with Tiger like consistency up until the greens. So when his putter works he’s going to win, either here or in the playoffs.

 Harrington looks good value for an each way bet.


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Comments

  • Given how well Rory did in the Scottish Open last w/e - in very difficult conditions - I fancy him to win The Open
  • Given how well Rory did in the Scottish Open last w/e - in very difficult conditions - I fancy him to win The Open
    Has any golfer previously won both in the same year? 
  • Given how well Rory did in the Scottish Open last w/e - in very difficult conditions - I fancy him to win The Open
    Has any golfer previously won both in the same year? 
    Mickelson in 2013
  • Scheffler rightfully the favourite - almost a guarantee he will be in the mix on Sunday. Almost a case of, if you beat Scottie, you win the tournament.

    His results over the last 12 months are staggering.


  • Weather not looking the best for the weekend. Thursday & part of Friday should be ok though. 

    I've played the real Hoylake.....over the road from "Royal Liverpool" and is a municipal course. Or should I say WAS as I believe it is no longer in use & this week is being used as a practice area. 
  • I nearly set up a thread earlier, I have been listening to a podcast (The Golf Betting Podcast) which is quite interesting and would recommend if you have an hour to listen. 

    I have a list of about 8 so far but not placed any yet and still refining.

    I'll swerve Rory and Scottie even though most likely, they are way too short with question marks over both. Rory in a major, always has a bad round in him (usually the first). Scottie has the game to wipe the floor with anyone but currently his putting has let him down, if he turns up and putts better than average he will be the one to beat.

  • I'm fancying Lowry if the conditions are shoddy.

    If Rory plays like last week and gets the putter going though, he'll walk it. Greens aren't as up n down as The Renaissance so he has every chance.
  • Still weighing up my bets, but leaning towards, Rory, Scottie, Fleetwood, Lowry and Hatton. Also Fitzpatrick and Speith.
    However gonna wait until tomorrow evening and see the weather compared to t-off times.
  • First two on my list are:
    Rickie Fowler
    Morikawa

    Both EW, 10 places and a little boost on RF. Both feel a bit of value, as i stated before the 2 faves are probably the ones to beat, but no value and too short for my liking.

    Will likely add another 6-8 by tomorrow morning, a couple of good long shots too
  • Had a minimal wager on Bobby Mac. Should have won two weeks ago and bogged it up. Had it ripped from him by a glorious McIlroy last weekend. Third time lucky?
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  • have had Fowler, Oosthuizen, Spieth all e/w
  • Lowry e/w
  • Right added a few more, again i have researched but these are my own and i expect to lose so follow at your own peril. 
    Koepka
    Scott
    Conners
    Mccarty

    possibly 2-3 longer shots still looking at. 
  • Looking forward to it. I've done done Hovland to win and Lowry, Scott, Finau & Conners e/w. Good luck to all.
  • In the end I have done the following e/w yesterday-:
    Rose, Scottie, Fitzpatrick, Lowry, Fleetwood, Rory, Speith and Rahm.
    Virgin are paying to 8th place, so have done those 8 above. 
  • In the end I have done the following e/w yesterday-:
    Rose, Scottie, Fitzpatrick, Lowry, Fleetwood, Rory, Speith and Rahm.
    Virgin are paying to 8th place, so have done those 8 above. 
    More about the odds, sky are paying 12. 365 can do 10 but 1/7 odds, i've stuck most on bobs lot mainly as i had a couple of wins so funds my golf for this week.

    I've got about 11 in the end but also a few first round leaders, gone hard but quietly confident i should get a decent return. 

    on sky 90/1 Scottie wire to wire, if he gets his putting going feels far too big. Good start -2 from 4, but a long way to go. 
  • Bob's lot offering 60 -1 on Justin Rose or were earlier today.
  • Tommy gets in -5 and join leader early doors, good start. Would be nice to see him get his first major and no i haven't bet on him :smile:
  • edited July 2023
    I think the coverage has been bad. There's no point watching it before 9am because there's no live golf.

    Rozner and Siem have been given Tiger and Phil level coverage. The R&A or Sky probably want other nationalities shown but we've not seen anything of Conners, Im, Straka (besides 18), Meronk plus Americans like DJ, Young, Woodland etc.

    Fowler put 2 balls OB on 18 and unless I was on a coffee break Sky didn't show it.

    The stats have really improved on The Open leaderboard and site, mind.

  • LenGlover said:
    Bob's lot offering 60 -1 on Justin Rose or were earlier today.
    Could be like 150/1 sitting at +3 after 6 holes now, bit of a surprise as he's normally up there in the mix. The bookie always knows. 
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  • LenGlover said:
    Bob's lot offering 60 -1 on Justin Rose or were earlier today.
    Could be like 150/1 sitting at +3 after 6 holes now, bit of a surprise as he's normally up there in the mix. The bookie always knows. 
    My fault for going for it!
  • Had a minimal wager on Bobby Mac. Should have won two weeks ago and bogged it up. Had it ripped from him by a glorious McIlroy last weekend. Third time lucky?
    Fuckity fuckity foo………
  • I have to say I’m normally glued to day 1 at the Open. The cricket has been a distraction but I’m not completely feeling it yet.  
  • Bunkers on the 18th proven brutal.
    Rahm, Rory and JT all forced to play away from the green in the past 20 minutes.
  • The bottoms of the bunkers are flat rather than gathering balls in the middle. So we're seeing a lot more near faces.

    Which I'm not sure I'm a fan of, feels a little too penal. I've never seen so many backwards shots in one day. 
  • I have to say I’m normally glued to day 1 at the Open. The cricket has been a distraction but I’m not completely feeling it yet.  
    Same here.

    I think because todays play of the Ashes is more important & that its only the 1st day of the Open meant that I mainly watched the cricket (especially before Rory tee'd off). I also agree with @RedPanda that the coverage was nowhere near as good as usual. Glad I didn't get up too early & turned on at 9am to watch Spieth tee off, only to find Dame Laura & Andrew Coltart having a chinwag by the side of the course. 

    If I hadn't of known the groupings I would have assumed Rose wasn't playing - once he was +3 they never showed his shots or putts. 
  • Bunkers on the 18th proven brutal.
    Rahm, Rory and JT all forced to play away from the green in the past 20 minutes.
    No need to go for the pin though. No danger long & if tooooo long then you get a drop away from the stands. 
  • edited July 2023
    I was the opposite to everyone else, i was watching Golf over cricket, but more out of preference i get. 

    It is bizarre some of the coverage and a few players going under the radar/ not being shown. However i do still like it and i am watching again from now, interesting leaderboard with a few of the big names not too far away and then another well fancied really struggled. I enjoyed the bit at the end with Rahm/Thomas and Rory having to play out backwards, it made it interesting and also makes it harder, although as Golfie suggests they should be going past the pin really as there isn't much danger so maybe change of tactic from those today. 

    Still far too early to call but normally shapes up the end of 2nd round.

    They just mentioned how they are raking the bunkers hopefully to give a bit more give so it comes back a bit more and not straight under the lip (whatever its called) should come back a few inches to allow for someone to get out easier. 
  • I have to say I’m normally glued to day 1 at the Open. The cricket has been a distraction but I’m not completely feeling it yet.  
    Same here.

    I think because todays play of the Ashes is more important & that its only the 1st day of the Open meant that I mainly watched the cricket (especially before Rory tee'd off). I also agree with @RedPanda that the coverage was nowhere near as good as usual. Glad I didn't get up too early & turned on at 9am to watch Spieth tee off, only to find Dame Laura & Andrew Coltart having a chinwag by the side of the course. 

    If I hadn't of known the groupings I would have assumed Rose wasn't playing - once he was +3 they never showed his shots or putts. 
    Agreed.  I watched more golf than cricket. In fact I had golf on the laptop and cricket on my iPhone for much of the day. I was watching Bob Macintyre avidly as was the coverage until he went one over and we never saw him again all day. Way too much chatter and analysis. Some of it is insightful but things like that shot meter thingy are just plain daft. Rory hits it 375 down the middle and the shot meter says 80%?   The “open mic” attached to Paddy H and his caddy might have been interesting had they said anything of note other than “it’s over there, yes mate, ok, you happy? Yes mate”.  The lack of big names other than Rock-on Tommy near the top didn’t help I suppose.  The course is interesting but the bunkers have been tricked up too much. Same for them all and they are supposed to not go into them but there is a balance and although I do want to see drama, I’m not sure I want the whole thing to be decided by someone having an eight on the 17th or 18th (however amusing it would be if it was Hatton!!). There was a you tube video the other week where Iona played a round with James Bledge the Course Manager who explained it all. Note to DaveMehment that’s “played a round with” not “played around with” although they did seem to get in very well). There is a suggestion this morning that they are putting the bunkers back towards the “members’ rake”. 

    Sky by and large do a good job. It is easy to lament the ad-free days of good old Peter Alliss being inappropriate and getting away with it. Those days have gone and we have what we have. Some of the commentators/pundits are really great - Radar is a laugh, Dougherty a tip top host and Sarah Stirk is a consummate pro. Rich Beem is good albeit just on the right side of annoying. but others are somnolent (Laura D, past there sell-by (Coltart of the mispronounced “t”s) or generally irritating (the incredibly nasal Henni and the over enthusiastic but promising Inci) and we haven’t even heard from McGinley yet.  Not enough made of the lovely Iona who knows what she’s taking about. 

    As to what we actually see, McIlroy is clearly the new Woods. If he is twelve over after three we’ll still see every shot he plays. Given that what we are isn’t always completely “live” but selected by a producer watching multiple screens, the element of surprise isn’t there - if they cut to Joe Nobody suddenly on the 17th with a 45 footer you just kind know it’s gonna go in. As I type this I’ve just watched fifteen full minutes of woffle or camera shots or  flags flying against a leaden sky with absolutely no golf.  Now Dame Somnolent and Rich are standing by a green talking the same guff they talked all day yesterday and I’m now watching highlights of Tommy’s first 18.  I f*****g saw it yesterday!!!!!  All of this while there is golf going on that I’m supposed to be watching as it’s “live coverage”. Why can’t they start the cricket at 0900 given the weekend weather forecast????  F**k me they are now showing Nick Faldo from 1987……Jeez!!
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