2022 British Open Championship Thread

[NolongerWarriors]

  cameron smith, henrik stenson, tommy fleetwood, hedeki matsuyama, marc leishman, bubba watson

gowne

who's next?

David Feherty

[Herman Cain]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/2022/07/18/liv-golf-cameron-smith-rickie-fowler-caught-swirling-speculation/10087168002/

[Uncle Rico]

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/2022/07/18/liv-golf-cameron-smith-rickie-fowler-caught-swirling-speculation/10087168002/

The Ryder Cup just means more to the Europeans

[Herman Cain]

Excellent interview/article with Ernie Els. He has a very reasonable approach to the whole LIV/PGA tour /DP World Tour imbroglio and advice to Cam Smith

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/world-according-to-ernie-els-talks-liv-golf-presidents-cup-cam-smith?utm_medium=email&utm_source=071922&utm_campaign=hitlist&utm_content=DM29784&uuid=85f898e378d547f4aa114b5572e1ddc5

[MuggsyB]

Trump is apparently "warning" PGA players to join LIV or eise.  #Clown

[Uncle Rico]

Trump is apparently "warning" PGA players to join LIV or eise.  #Clown

I expect the "keep politics out of sports" crowd will be aghast

[RJax55]

Excellent interview/article with Ernie Els. He has a very reasonable approach to the whole LIV/PGA tour /DP World Tour imbroglio and advice to Cam Smith

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/world-according-to-ernie-els-talks-liv-golf-presidents-cup-cam-smith?utm_medium=email&utm_source=071922&utm_campaign=hitlist&utm_content=DM29784&uuid=85f898e378d547f4aa114b5572e1ddc5

Els is not realistic.

How much money have the Saudis already committed to LIV? With the guarantee deals they have given to a number of players, it has to be well over a billion dollars. And, it continues to grow. They are not shelling out that kind of cash in order to cut some deal with The Tour to run silly season events in the fall.

[MuggsyB]

Wow.  I didn't realize Mardy Fish was that awesome at golf.  He's in the 3m tournament.  And he plays lefty but was a right-handed tennis player?  Cool.  I believe Nadal golf's right-handed.

[The Sultan]

Els is not realistic.

How much money have the Saudis already committed to LIV? With the guarantee deals they have given to a number of players, it has to be well over a billion dollars. And, it continues to grow. They are not shelling out that kind of cash in order to cut some deal with The Tour to run silly season events in the fall.

When one of the first statements he says is that LIV isn't "real golf," I'm sure he'll be taken seriously.

[MU82]

Trump is apparently "warning" PGA players to join LIV or eise.  #Clown

Maybe he wants to eventually sue the PGA Tour and win $3 in damages, as he did in causing the USFL's immediate demise.

[Goose]

I always thought LIV should be played in the off-season. Pay these guys a ton of money for exhibitions and it would've been hard for PGA to argue against it. Problem is Norman is hell bent on destroying the PGA. I was a big fan of Norman at one point but he is a bad apple. Between the Saturday night before Masters blowup and his night on board the boat with Clinton I am not sure which is worse. He is a bad guy.

[Uncle Rico]

I always thought LIV should be played in the off-season. Pay these guys a ton of money for exhibitions and it would've been hard for PGA to argue against it. Problem is Norman is hell bent on destroying the PGA. I was a big fan of Norman at one point but he is a bad apple. Between the Saturday night before Masters blowup and his night on board the boat with Clinton I am not sure which is worse. He is a bad guy.

He's why these events are 54 holes.  He couldn't finish 72

[Goose]

Norman could finish the deal, just not on the course in the big ones. Far more after hour success in his career.

[Uncle Rico]

Norman could finish the deal, just not on the course in the big ones. Far more after hour success in his career.

Ask Chris Evert

Seriously though, he thinks his legacy is Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus-like.  He's not even Faldo

[MU82]

He's not even Faldo

That's for sure, and it's not even particularly close. Of course, he had a big hand in helping Faldo's legacy.

[JWags85]

Ask Chris Evert

Seriously though, he thinks his legacy is Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus-like.  He's not even Faldo

That's for sure, and it's not even particularly close. Of course, he had a big hand in helping Faldo's legacy.

Its such a weird legacy when you think of it.  He won 20 times on the PGA tour and probably would have won 6-8 more if he spent all his time more time in the US like Aussies now instead of the old Aussie tour.  He was #1 for nearly 4 times as long as Faldo.  He won more PGA tournies than Faldo. He has almost 10 more major top 10s than Faldo, 6 more top 5s...

But Faldo was a finisher and has 6 majors while Norman has so many of those top 5s cause he imploded late.  Nobody is trading Faldo's career for Norman's, even though the latter was consistently "better" for longer overall.  Maybe he would be in the Hogan/Bobby Jones convo if he wasn't a mush brain on Sundays....and not a completely douche

[MU82]

Its such a weird legacy when you think of it.  He won 20 times on the PGA tour and probably would have won 6-8 more if he spent all his time more time in the US like Aussies now instead of the old Aussie tour.  He was #1 for nearly 4 times as long as Faldo.  He won more PGA tournies than Faldo. He has almost 10 more major top 10s than Faldo, 6 more top 5s...

But Faldo was a finisher and has 6 majors while Norman has so many of those top 5s cause he imploded late.  Nobody is trading Faldo's career for Norman's, even though the latter was consistently "better" for longer overall.  Maybe he would be in the Hogan/Bobby Jones convo if he wasn't a mush brain on Sundays....and not a completely douche

Yep, he wrote his own "legacy" ... and wrote a big chunk of Faldo's too!

He almost came across as a sympathetic figure in the recent documentary that mostly centered on his Masters collapse. I was impressed that he was willing to be so open about being his starring role in one of the most epic failures in the history of professional sports. But I also know he's a Class A jerk, so there's that.

[MuggsyB]

Yep, he wrote his own "legacy" ... and wrote a big chunk of Faldo's too!

He almost came across as a sympathetic figure in the recent documentary that mostly centered on his Masters collapse. I was impressed that he was willing to be so open about being his starring role in one of the most epic failures in the history of professional sports. But I also know he's a Class A jerk, so there's that.

That '96 Masters collapse was insane and beyond human comprehension.  In an individual sport I'm not sure anything is comparable.  Obviously Van de Velde on 18 at the British was crazy but wasn't Norman #1 in the world?  Maybe there is something in the Olympics but I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

[tower912]

Lexi Thompson losing a 5 shot lead on the back nine of a US Open ranks up there.   

[MuggsyB]

Lexi Thompson losing a 5 shot lead on the back nine of a US Open ranks up there.

Good point Tower.  Especially whiffing the entire hole on like a 3 foot putt. 

The Buster Douglas/Tyson upset comes to mind but I'm not sure that would be described as a choke job.

The commentary during the Van de Velde meltdown was absolutely brilliant.

[JWags85]

That '96 Masters collapse was insane and beyond human comprehension.  In an individual sport I'm not sure anything is comparable.  Obviously Van de Velde on 18 at the British was crazy but wasn't Norman #1 in the world?  Maybe there is something in the Olympics but I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

I think Norman had recently lost #1 by that point.  But he was still POY the year before.  Van de Velde was more historic and catestrophic in the short period, but he was a nobody ranked outside the top 150 who had played a really good 3 days of golf.  Not a superstar who won 2 majors and was dominating the field all week like Norman in 96.

[MuggsyB]

I think I'll hit Portrush for the '25 Open.