Uspga

[fatshaft]

Well I made a right arse of my Open predictions, but anyway, here goes....

 

 

 

Oosthuizen @ 35/1 - good links player, good finish last week, been solid all year

 

Rose @ 33/1 - good links player, good finish last week, been solid all year

 

Snedeker @ 70/1 - been on form all year, good finish last week and in the Open

 

Wagner @ 300/1 - Two wins in last year, had gone off the boil, but finished last week's WGC with two rounds in the 60s. PGA always good for lower name Yanks to come through, ridiculous price.

[Bluto10]

sandy lyle. can never write rheboy off

[fatshaft]

sandy lyle. can never write rheboy off

who's rheboy? :confused:

[Dynamo]

Ronny Johnson 1000/1

[tightbreeks]

my boss played it a few years ago, he was told before the start that when you hit it in the scrub/rough just leave it, or you might get attacked by a nasty beastie.

[thedandydon]

Often a bit of a lottery the USPGA, so going for value rather than form.

 

Phil Mickelson - hard to ignore at 50-1, although form not great

Bo Van Pelt - 50-1

Marc Leishman - 250-1

Johnson Wagner - 400-1, strange price for a guy 19th in the Fed-ex

Sang Moon Bae - 350-1, god knows why, Koreans have done well in the past, who knows!

[tup]

Fucking bizarre pop-up on the live scoring just now: -

 

 

You been using my laptop when I went for a pish, tup?

 

I canna see the picture, pass.

[diamondsr4ever]

Rory for me, but no value.

[diamondsr4ever]

Off to a flier, out in 3 under. Agree with no value but would be great if he could do it. I would love his major tally to get into double figures.

 

he has the ability for sure, this course will suit him, just needs to keep it together and nae get carried awa with himself, would love to see PL make the cut and push for a top 15-20 place as I think it would cement the ryder cup for him.

[tightbreeks]

with the upside down saucer greens, i just saw look donald hit a beauty into the green, it's hard to stop. so that'll be him fucked then.

 

wind looks the main factor, but rory could be the winner, he hits it high and long, plus he grew up at the seaside.

[tightbreeks]

they might be at the mercy of tnt? but you're right they should show a major winner well before the farmers tractor insurance? champion. lawrie'll take them to the fuckin cleaners at the ryder cup, paul lawrie, not peter!

[tightbreeks]

phil wading through the jungle there, it's harvest time in the old days, hay flying about.

[tightbreeks]

they're having a look in ernie's bag, always interesting. he's got a quality personal "EE" callaway wedge.

[Sandafc]

You got to hate Sky sometimes. They show a bit of Rose on the first 4 holes, totally ignoring Paul's birdie at 3 (yet showing Justin's missed putt before), then the first shot they show of Paul was his bad tee shot at 5.

 

 

Isnt it American coverage with a bit of European Cameras?

[sooth_stander]

Is this the same course that the "War on the shore" Ryder Cup was played 21 years ago? Hardly recognose it it, was just a piece of waste links in them days.

 

Can mine it like it was yesterday though - Seve and Zinger almost squaring up etc etc

[Tommy]

Is this the same course that the "War on the shore" Ryder Cup was played 21 years ago? Hardly recognose it it, was just a piece of waste links in them days.

 

Can mine it like it was yesterday though - Seve and Zinger almost squaring up etc etc

 

 

Aye, hard to believe it's 21 years ago.

 

The yanks with their Desert Storm baseba caps on.

 

Total yankers.

[Sandafc]

Thorbj

[Tommy]

 

Come on the Dandies tomorrow (and Ferryhill).

 

 

My old school.

 

I take it there aint an Eric Cameron involved Robo ?

[double-claw]

Anyone else see the marcel siem interview earlier?

Tim - brutal yesterday, some players saying as tough as it gets? Marcel- na, just the Americans moaning. In Europe we play in that wind all the time and sometimes in 10 degrees heat. It was warm and enjoyable

[tightbreeks]

it's almost too easy for mcilroy, i hope tiger gets back so they can both battle it out over the next few years.

[diamondsr4ever]

Terribleness from Tiger. Inspired from Poulter. But can't see Rory losing it from here. The man is awesome. Major 2 of an ongoing quest. He'll be in double figures well before he's 30 I reckon.

 

agree re Rory, has the ability for one of these a year....

[sooth_stander]

Terribleness from Tiger. Inspired from Poulter. But can't see Rory losing it from here. The man is awesome. Major 2 of an ongoing quest. He'll be in double figures well before he's 30 I reckon.

 

 

Regarding Tiger, Rocket, do you think that:

 

A) He'll beat Jack's majors record.

B) He'll win a few more majors but not 18,

C) He's washed up and won't win another, and thus we'll see him still playing in 2035 still trying to catch Jack?

[Sandafc]

Regarding Tiger, Rocket, do you think that:

 

A) He'll beat Jack's majors record.

B) He'll win a few more majors but not 18,

C) He's washed up and won't win another, and thus we'll see him still playing in 2035 still trying to catch Jack?

 

 

Your not asking me but here is my opinion anyway.

 

Id say B but I do think there is a good chance he wont win another one. Last few weekend rounds in majors somethings not there.

[sooth_stander]

Your not asking me but here is my opinion anyway.

 

Id say B but I do think there is a good chance he wont win another one. Last few weekend rounds in majors somethings not there.

 

Yeah make that every major this year, particularly the last 3. Putting has gone too.

 

Tend to agree though, I think he will win another maybe 2, probably Augusta and St Andrews.

[DePragueBeirut]

No idea what will happen. Based on the sourness of his demeanour, I don't want him to exceed Jack. I think he's definitely good enough to win more.

 

Popularity and respect in individual sport is garnered not just by ability but persona. This is why Rory is such a popular winner. They underestimate the power of the smile. It appeals to the instinct, just as much as unpleasantness within the individual offends.

 

I have always admired the intensity in Tiger Woods' approach. McIlroy's demeanour may be more appealing to the crowds/general public and that's fine, each to his own. To what degree popularity is important is an issue for debate. For me, Woods' supposed poor attitude is exaggerated by the enormous focus on him. What bothers me more about TW is his dull press conferences, general refusal to say anything mildly interesting or muse beyond the classic 'it is what it is.' Simply because I personally feel that there is a lot more behind that, that there is a lot more he could say, but that since his emergence the strategy that has been employed by (or upon) him he has obviously been encouraged to steer clear of this - which may have potentially (partly) lead to the double-life that ended up dragging him down so much.

 

On his performance this year in the majors, I think he could have picked up a couple had his swing been technically stronger. He's far too reliant on a safe left-to-right shot. It used to be only from the tee but it seems like he can't rely on himself to shape a mid-iron right-to-left now - at Kiawah he was even aiming left of the greens and cutting in to tight left pins. You can't win majors playing like this, particularly if there's any wind.

 

Finally, I also think he has become too conservative - Lytham was evidence of that. It may be connected with a lack of trust in his swing, but I also think it has been evident over a longer period of time. One that stands out for me is Cabrera's US Open win in 2007, but there have been many more. He always speaks of keeping himself in the tournament, that it worked for Nicklaus, that Nicklaus finished 2nd 19 (?) times. I do think this has done him a disservice at times, and he has held back at the wrong times.

 

Still think he can do it, but really depends on him being able to shape the ball both ways again. If he can't fix that, he doesn't deserve one more major, let alone five.

[fatshaft]

On his performance this year in the majors, I think he could have picked up a couple had his swing been technically stronger. He's far too reliant on a safe left-to-right shot. It used to be only from the tee but it seems like he can't rely on himself to shape a mid-iron right-to-left now - at Kiawah he was even aiming left of the greens and cutting in to tight left pins. You can't win majors playing like this, particularly if there's any wind.

Don't agree at all, the fact he's back ocntending again is becasue he has finally realised off the tee he's a catastrophe, so needs a go to shot, and the fade is that safe go to shot. It's certainly ony recently that he's gone back to doing that.

 

 

 

Finally, I also think he has become too conservative - Lytham was evidence of that. It may be connected with a lack of trust in his swing, but I also think it has been evident over a longer period of time. One that stands out for me is Cabrera's US Open win in 2007, but there have been many more. He always speaks of keeping himself in the tournament, that it worked for Nicklaus, that Nicklaus finished 2nd 19 (?) times. I do think this has done him a disservice at times, and he has held back at the wrong times.

 

Lytham was evidence of how he's conned himself once again that how he played at Hoylake is how to win The Open. I said pre-Open he wouldn't win, because he would hit irons all the way like at Hoylake, and what did he do? He cannot play links golf except at a rock hard, sunny, windless Hoylake, and on the wide open double fairways of St Andrews.

 

Yes he hits a lot of stinger 3 woods elsewhere, and 2 irons off tees, but not to the extent he does when playing here, which is why he'll never win another Open except at St Andrews.

[fatshaft]

GMac today was quoted saying re Rors that "he's going to be the player that kids look up to, that kids measure their own games by".

 

"With a great attitude and great charisma and great character he's great for the game - an absolute breath of fresh air".

 

Padraig and Poulter were also quoted waxing with lyrics but I reckon McDowell has made an important distinction.

 

Role models are essential for a sport that is suffering an ageing population in the UK. Soor-faced Tiger isn't attractive for the game.

And yet funnily the Yanks lap him up?

[DePragueBeirut]

Don't agree at all, the fact he's back ocntending again is becasue he has finally realised off the tee he's a catastrophe, so needs a go to shot, and the fade is that safe go to shot. It's certainly ony recently that he's gone back to doing that.

 

 

 

 

Lytham was evidence of how he's conned himself once again that how he played at Hoylake is how to win The Open. I said pre-Open he wouldn't win, because he would hit irons all the way like at Hoylake, and what did he do? He cannot play links golf except at a rock hard, sunny, windless Hoylake, and on the wide open double fairways of St Andrews.

 

Yes he hits a lot of stinger 3 woods elsewhere, and 2 irons off tees, but not to the extent he does when playing here, which is why he'll never win another Open except at St Andrews.

 

 

I have to disagree with you there. He made a conscious decision years ago to take the left side out of the course and has been over-reliant on a cut shot from the tee for years. This isn't something new. My point is that under Foley's swing changes, this problem has exacerbated and that at Kiawah he was even cutting irons into tight-left pins, which you would never have seen TW do in the past.

 

I'm not sure I agree that he thinks he can win every Open (non-St Andrews) based on his Hoylake strategy. The rough at Lytham was high and he doesn't trust his driver off the tee. Therefore, surely he is making the correct decision. He wasn't that far off winning at Lytham. For me the issue is the mindset. He thinks about keeping himself in the game and doesn't unleash shots that he probably does have in reserve. It is the moment when he chooses to aim pin-high at the middle of the green instead of going for a flag, when 6/7 years ago he would have gone at that flag, particularly in the early rounds of majors. In the past he built leads and maintained them. Now his strategy is too conservative from the start, particularly with mid-irons in his hand from the fairway.

 

And on the last point, what if Birkdale plays hard and fast in 2013...or Hoylake in 2014?

[fatshaft]

I'm not sure I agree that he thinks he can win every Open (non-St Andrews) based on his Hoylake strategy.

SO why has he employed that strategy ever since?

 

 

The rough at Lytham was high and he doesn't trust his driver off the tee. Therefore, surely he is making the correct decision. He wasn't that far off winning at Lytham.

Didn't win, can't win with that strategy.

 

 

 

 

And on the last point, what if Birkdale plays hard and fast in 2013...or Hoylake in 2014?

He can't win an Open playing that strategy, not even sure he can win at Hoylake playing that strategy, there was no wind all week, and 35