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2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

Seeing what I think are highlights of the Open on ABC. Yeah, ok, those winds are insane.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

You know it's serious if they're suspending play in the Open for wind.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

Seeing what I think are highlights of the Open on ABC. Yeah, ok, those winds are insane.

They've been live for a couple hours now. It's almost sundown over there on Saturday and they're still trying to get through the 2nd round.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

They've been live for a couple hours now. It's almost sundown over there on Saturday and they're still trying to get through the 2nd round.

Ok, they weren't exactly clear on that at the beginning. The time difference and suspended play are messing with this so much.

Edit: gotta love it when the announcers basically say: hit something that's not the rough, and it's a GREAT shot.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

ABC is showing that it's suspended again? Or about to be? Are you sure this is live?

Edit: just saw Hammer's post. NM.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

They JUST blew the horn. Like, a minute ago. Players have the option to finish the hole, and that's it.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

And I think they're showing replays again. They just talked about a 10+ hour delay, and it's sunny again.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

They're showing Koepka on the 11th hole. According to the leaderboard, he's already finished his round. So, yes, this is a replay. They're doing a poor job letting us know that this is a replay of earlier action today.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

And I think they're showing replays again. They just talked about a 10+ hour delay, and it's sunny again.

This is what I mean by them not being very specific if it's live or not. ESPN (earlier, when I was at a local eatery) had a prominent "Weather Delay" note on the screen, so it was obvious they were showing earlier highlights.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

Yup.

The only clues out there are talks about players who we know are already off the course, such as Tiger Woods. They just showed him putting. He's been done for over an hour.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

(Preface- not watching live, however have been reading articles)

Dottie Pepper made some remarks that, while the wind IS severe, it's only been in the last decade or so that we've been seeing this in professional tournaments. Reasoning? Courses/Tournament directors are cutting the greens super short in an effort to speed up the greens, it's almost their last option to challenge the players, since they can hit the ball so far tee to green. Article I read noted that true links golf should be played at a 6-8 on the stimp, St. Andrews is about a 10. So, they cut things so short, the ball simply can't hold its position when replacing from a marked spot.

Not sure how I would feel about the players being subjected to very slow green speeds, On one hand, in conditions such as these, even with soft/slow greens, they won't get the ball terribly close to the hole very often on approaches. On the other, in fair conditions, it's a shooting gallery and guys could go VERY low. I guess it's a case of ****ed if you do, ****ed if you don't.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

Players, from what I've seen, want perfect conditions. That last major...all the complaining about the course....oh, so the winner might be +1? Hey, you won. It's ego-stroking ("I shot 22 under!"). Deal with it.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

(Preface- not watching live, however have been reading articles)

Dottie Pepper made some remarks that, while the wind IS severe, it's only been in the last decade or so that we've been seeing this in professional tournaments. Reasoning? Courses/Tournament directors are cutting the greens super short in an effort to speed up the greens, it's almost their last option to challenge the players, since they can hit the ball so far tee to green. Article I read noted that true links golf should be played at a 6-8 on the stimp, St. Andrews is about a 10. So, they cut things so short, the ball simply can't hold its position when replacing from a marked spot.

Not sure how I would feel about the players being subjected to very slow green speeds, On one hand, in conditions such as these, even with soft/slow greens, they won't get the ball terribly close to the hole very often on approaches. On the other, in fair conditions, it's a shooting gallery and guys could go VERY low. I guess it's a case of ****ed if you do, ****ed if you don't.

With slow greens, you might have seen a 58 on Thursday, before the weather came in. Without weather, this course has no defense anymore.

The only other thing you could do is to actually shorten the holes, but then bunker the hell out of the surrounding area. Make the green as big or small as you wish, but put multiple slopes on them and shave them so that they're lightning quick. A guy who hits it 350+ has no advantage on a 325 yard tight par 4, especially if it lands in a greenside pot bunker. Tighten the fairways as well, and make it more punitive to miss on your drive. Accuracy is then the name of the game.

We're not too far from making it look like they're playing in a funhouse. But it's either than or start watching them win majors with scores like -25.
 
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Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

With slow greens, you might have seen a 58 on Thursday, before the weather came in.

Like I said, there really isn't a great scenario. But Dottie did bring up some valid points. Just a question of whether or not sub-60 rounds on Thursday is preferred over sending guys out earlier in horrible, virtually unplayable conditions off and on.

Just up the road from St. Andrews at another course, they are open for play. Why? The greens aren't shaved down to nothing.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

Like I said, there really isn't a great scenario. But Dottie did bring up some valid points. Just a question of whether or not sub-60 rounds on Thursday is preferred over sending guys out earlier in horrible, virtually unplayable conditions off and on.

Just up the road from St. Andrews at another course, they are open for play. Why? The greens aren't shaved down to nothing.

No, you're right, there is no good scenario. But St. Andrews doesn't have much of a defense anymore without the weather. The talent and the technology will soon obliterate every scoring record on this course under ideal conditions.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

This is what bugs me about golf. "Play it as it lies," all that gentlemanly stuff, but the course has to be PERFECT for them to play. No. Deal with it. You're that good? Prove it.

If it's a "bad" score, but it wins the tourney? So what? You won. Tornado winds? Crappy grass? Whatever. Shoot the ball better. You're a pro.

Imagine football players "Oh, it's too muddy" (which HAS happened....PIT vs MIA IIRC). They played on.
 
Re: 2013 Golf Season - Does it leave you scratching?

No, you're right, there is no good scenario. But St. Andrews doesn't have much of a defense anymore without the weather. The talent and the technology will soon obliterate every scoring record on this course under ideal conditions.

As Jack has said for years, you have to dial back the ball.

I still have a set of Walter Hagen woods (1, 3, 5). The head on the Driver would be today's 3 wood; the 3 wood, a 5 wood; and the 5 wood, a hybrid. Wonder what would happen if I tried to play with them (it's been 40 years since I did)??
 
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