We were really late on our preview, so I figured I’d share some quick thoughts on the opening round of The Open Championship.
(1) Rory was surgical in the morning, and helped anyone who backed him at 20/1 to be the first round leader cash their ticket. The conditions were much easier in the morning, but he didn’t have a 5 on his card until he parred the par-5 finishing hole. But hey, have you guys heard about Rory’s Friday struggles? Do yourself a favor and search “Rory Friday” on twitter to read a bunch of HOT takes on his now extremely well documented 2nd round disappointments. It certainly has been a trend, but I don’t think it’s much more than a coincidence. I think he’ll be just fine tomorrow, and shoots something in the 69-70 range. We should also note that it looks like the guys who got the early/late draw look to get the better conditions tomorrow as well, but of course that is subject to change.
(2) Henrik Stenson is a boss. Not only does he snap his wedge over his leg, check out how casual he is as he hands it to is caddie, as if this kind of thing happens all of the time. Is this a new #TourSauce? (Courtesy of Adam Sarson)
(3) I’m guessing Bryden MacPherson wishes the Open Championship website didn’t post pictures with their scorecards. We’ve got an early leader in the clubhouse for Oil Spill of the Week:
(4) Bubba was a child again, complaining about all of the people walking around in the fairway after a bad shot, then imploding on his own. His “All I want to do is play golf” line was comical considering he was, you know, playing the game of golf when he said it. The guy is constant entertainment whether he’s balling out or falling apart, and he acts like he’s the only guy in the 156 man field that has to play in front of a gallery. #PrayForTedScott
(5) That leaderboard! Big Cat surprised me with a 69 (go ahead, make your joke), and it could have been even better if it wasn’t for a slow start. It was interesting to see him hitting a fair amount of draws, and needless to say, we hope he maintains it throughout the weekend. I don’t think there is enough there for him to seriously contend and win this thing, but having him in the hunt will give a serious boost to a season that has been otherwise very easy to forget. Sergio played the par-5’s in even par but still shot a 68 (what do we have to do to get a Tiger/Sergio pairing for this weekend?). NLU homeboy Brooks Koepka follows up his strong US Open finish with a 68 as well. Scotty, Manassero, Matsuyama, and Fowler all in the top-10 as well has me geeking out.
(6) Zach Johnson did this, which I still don’t understand, but can’t stop watching: