The Open, 2021

[tower912]

At least they are playing.   A shame about those who cannot make it.   Would love to see Brooks and Bryson with a weekend pairing in some weather.

Rahm or Koepka, until someone else takes it.

[MuggsyB]

At least they are playing.   A shame about those who cannot make it.   Would love to see Brooks and Bryson with a weekend pairing in some weather.

Rahm or Koepka, until someone else takes it.

I'm gonna go with a first time winner Tower.  Maybe Tyrrell Hatton or Schauffele.

[Uncle Rico]

Royal St. George's in the "modern era":

1981: Bill Rogers -4
1985: Sandy Lyle +2
1993: Greg Norman -13
2003: Ben Curtis -1
2011: Darren Clarke -5

Rogers won 4 times in 1981 and was the PGA Tour player of the year.

Lyle would win the Masters in 1988 along with 3 European Tour Order of Merit titles, in an era that meant something, including 1985.

Norman was brilliant in '93 outdueling 10 players who had won majors that finished in the top-10 including ties at that Open.

Curtis and Clarke were very fluky.  Clarke never won again while Curtis would have one more real solid season in 2008 before fading into oblivion.

Recent past champs are a mixed group with the last two being definitive surprises. 

The weather looks benign, so scoring should be closer to '93 scoring.  Seems to me if that's the case, one of the alphas should win this.  Quite bullish on Rahm

[JWags85]

Curtis and Clarke were very fluky.  Clarke never won again while Curtis would have one more real solid season in 2008 before fading into oblivion.

Curtis and Clarke aren't comparable for me. Clarke was a consistent player who won a ton in Europe, had won on the PGA tour, won a couple WGC's including beating a prime Tiger in a match play final, and I'm pretty sure he was a top 10 guy for awhile.  He had top 10s at all 4 majors before finally breaking through. 

Curtis meanwhile was an unremarkable college golfer, was on the Hooters tour, and then didn't even have a top 25 as a rookie. He won the Open and then did nothing. I think he had 2 top 10s the next 3 years.

The Open is great cause of the random people that appear atop the leaderboard for sure. Surprised Herman hasn't appeared to present the case for an easy Tiger victory

[MU82]

Not sure why, but I keep thinking this could be a spot for Spieth to re-emerge as a major champ.

[Uncle Rico]

Curtis and Clarke aren't comparable for me. Clarke was a consistent player who won a ton in Europe, had won on the PGA tour, won a couple WGC's including beating a prime Tiger in a match play final, and I'm pretty sure he was a top 10 guy for awhile.  He had top 10s at all 4 majors before finally breaking through. 

Curtis meanwhile was an unremarkable college golfer, was on the Hooters tour, and then didn't even have a top 25 as a rookie. He won the Open and then did nothing. I think he had 2 top 10s the next 3 years.

The Open is great cause of the random people that appear atop the leaderboard for sure. Surprised Herman hasn't appeared to present the case for an easy Tiger victory

2011 Darren Clarke was a surprise winner.  Had Clarke won earlier in his career, it wouldn't have been that big a surprise.  Couple that with the fact he hadn't had a top-10 in a major in decade at that point and was 42, he was an unlikely winner in the sense that he won when he won.  He definitely had a better career than Curtis but his win in '11 was unexpected.  That is probably better than calling it fluky.

[Herman Cain]

Curtis and Clarke aren't comparable for me. Clarke was a consistent player who won a ton in Europe, had won on the PGA tour, won a couple WGC's including beating a prime Tiger in a match play final, and I'm pretty sure he was a top 10 guy for awhile.  He had top 10s at all 4 majors before finally breaking through. 

Curtis meanwhile was an unremarkable college golfer, was on the Hooters tour, and then didn't even have a top 25 as a rookie. He won the Open and then did nothing. I think he had 2 top 10s the next 3 years.

The Open is great cause of the random people that appear atop the leaderboard for sure. Surprised Herman hasn't appeared to present the case for an easy Tiger victory

Tiger is on the bench recovering from his car accident so he is out. However, if he wasn't I would say this course gives him his best chance at another Open at his current stage .

That said , I think the leaderboard will be full of top 30-50 type players if the wind isn't blowing. A guy like Spieth might make a run at it.

[Uncle Rico]

Not sure why, but I keep thinking this could be a spot for Spieth to re-emerge as a major champ.

Not far fetched but I wonder if it becomes a shootout if he has enough ammo to match the Koepkas and Rahms

[MuggsyB]

Tiger is on the bench recovering from his car accident so he is out. However, if he wasn't I would say this course gives him his best chance at another Open at his current stage .

That said , I think the leaderboard will be full of top 30-50 type players if the wind isn't blowing. A guy like Spieth might make a run at it.

Are we underestimating the Euros in the field? 

[JWags85]

2011 Darren Clarke was a surprise winner.  Had Clarke won earlier in his career, it wouldn't have been that big a surprise.  Couple that with the fact he hadn't had a top-10 in a major in decade at that point and was 42, he was an unlikely winner in the sense that he won when he won.  He definitely had a better career than Curtis but his win in '11 was unexpected.  That is probably better than calling it fluky.

That's fair. I agree it was a surprise and he wasn't on the radar coming in. Just saying he was a very accomplished golfer who had been in the realm before.

Tiger is on the bench recovering from his car accident so he is out. However, if he wasn't I would say this course gives him his best chance at another Open at his current stage .

It was a joke my man. Tiger isn't winning another, time to let it go

[Herman Cain]

Are we underestimating the Euros in the field?

Including those Euros in my top 30-50

[MuggsyB]

Including those Euros in my top 30-50

My bad Herman.  I wasn't thinking about Euros when you mentioned the top 30-50.

[tower912]

Rahm? 

[MuggsyB]

Rahm?

Oh...right.  But I was thinking of non-favorites.  Is Lowry on his game?

[tower912]

I think if Bryson were to get caught in weather, it would look like the back nine at Torrey Pines.   I just don't think his current game translates to gusty winds and sideways rain.   

[Uncle Rico]

I think if Bryson were to get caught in weather, it would look like the back nine at Torrey Pines.   I just don't think his current game translates to gusty winds and sideways rain.

Forecast looks sunny but windy.  St. George's has a lot of "bad luck" bounces.  I think Bryson will have as much trouble with that as the weather

Edit: Winds forecast up to 25MPH all 4 days now.  Giddy up

[pbiflyer]

At least they are playing.   A shame about those who cannot make it.   Would love to see Brooks and Bryson with a weekend pairing in some weather.

Rahm or Koepka, until someone else takes it.

Would love to see Koepka win it. We went to the same high school, both played on the golf team, though decades apart. One of us played far better than the other. 

I can also brag about beating a two time Open champion during a tournament at PGA National. Granted, it was one hole, at 1 in the morning at a party on a house on the course. He hit a 7 iron that went into the trees and I hit a putter that went 50 yards at a time down the fairway. But hey, still, winning!   

[MU82]

Would love to see Koepka win it. We went to the same high school, both played on the golf team, though decades apart. One of us played far better than the other.

You really were that much better than Koepka in high school? Wow!

[rocket surgeon]

spieth and reed in a dog fight with kooch leishman lowry and ancer applying some pressure

[MU82]

spieth and reed in a dog fight with kooch leishman lowry and ancer applying some pressure

kooch ... haven't heard his name in awhile. He and Fowler seemed on the precipice of greatness forever, and they obviously were very very good (and still are), but never broke through. It would be interesting to have him in the mix on Sunday.

[Uncle Rico]

kooch ... haven't heard his name in awhile. He and Fowler seemed on the precipice of greatness forever, and they obviously were very very good (and still are), but never broke through. It would be interesting to have him in the mix on Sunday.

I'm surprised Kuchar drops the cash to fly over

[tower912]

He would.  But don't be his bellhop.

[rocket surgeon]

He would.  But don't be his bellhop.

or caddy

remember 2017 open, spieth and kuchar going at it until jordan got stupid starting at hole #14

  "go get that"

[MuggsyB]

Not a good start for Rahm..  Speith -3 through 13.

[Herman Cain]

Not a good start of Rahm..  Speith -3 through 13.

Oosthizen with a nice start -4 through 13. Always seems to be around the top of these major leaderboards.