The third major in professional golf’s calendar starts today: The Open Championship at venerable St. Andrews in Scotland, recognized as the birthplace of golf. The tournament has the most history in the sport and many pundits believe that you can’t be considered one of the game’s all time greats without raising the Claret Jug over your head.
Now, with all that being said, I find the Open to be the worst major to watch on TV, especially compared to the Masters. I’m sure CSzem will accuse me of blasphemy at some point today. Why don't I like it?
The time difference. I’m used to golf tournaments ending just before dinner time and ensuring that I have the opportunity to watch some coverage at some point during the afternoon. The Open screws that up. Players are teeing off at 3am Eastern Time, and the television coverage ends just after lunch. If I go out drinking on championship weekend, there’s an excellent chance I’ll be stuck in bed nursing a wicked hangover as the champion approaches the green on eighteen.
The courses. While I do appreciate links golf, the courses are ugly. There are weeds growing everywhere, trees nowhere to be seen, and the greens and fairways are a putrid shade of green and brown. I find it difficult to pick up the ball on TV and it just doesn’t look like anyone would want to pay money to be there.
I do, however, enjoy the style of play. It’s an exciting form of golf, which rewards creativity and ingenuity. It’s not 'hit a big drive, short iron in' that has come to typify North American courses.
I think I would play well in links golf, as I could just bump and run my way to a decent score. I don’t hit long enough to compete on courses over here; how else do you think Tommy Watson almost won the whole damn thing last year at age 59?
Plus, the time difference actually played into my hand this year. I woke up this morning to write the column and realized I could make some predictions with the benefit of most of the first round in the books.
Wow.
The first score I saw was Tiger at five under through 13; that got me jacked up, but then I realized that the on-screen graphic didn’t say he was the leader, which I found odd. The announcers started talking about John Daly shooting a 66. John Daly? Is this 1995?
Next, Rory McIlroy took over my screen at eight under par through sixteen holes. The kid had a legitimate chance to shoot the first 62 in major championship history, before finishing with a ho-hum 63. The golf gods will not allow these low scores to continue and I predict wind and rain to be set forth in a horrific storm on the weekend.
How about the parallels between Rory McIlroy and Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner in Tin Cup)? Their names sound eerily similar and they both threatened 62 during a major championship. Now, McAvoy shot his 63 in the second round after an 82 in the first. Can we expect McIlroy to shoot 10 over par tomorrow? Yes, we can.
Tiger is not losing this tournament. His highlights from today’s round read like a ‘putting it together’ montage from a Rocky movie (more on that in tomorrow’s column; I have a special treat for all of you). It's only a matter of time before he raises his arms in victory again.
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2 comments:
A few notes/counterpoints, as expected:
1. Speak for yourself that it’s the “worst major to watch on TV”. If I’m going to be up at 4 am feeding a four-week old O-Szem, being able to watch live coverage of a Major Championship is just fantastic.
2. Also, it’s a bit ironic that one day after your diatribe about the MLB All-Star game ending too late, you spout off about an event ending too early. Which is it, Tewks? And might I remind you that last month’s West-coast US Open was ending at ungodly hours (Saturday’s round ran until almost midnight).
3. Just the classic “non-golfer” complaint about the courses. A golf course doesn’t have to be lush and green to be good. And you have trouble picking up the ball? Perhaps they can bring back the “Fox-Puck” so you can enjoy golf’s oldest Major crown.
4. Topping the ball down the fairway and then getting roll on firm ground does not constitute a “bump and run” strategy, friend. And I’d be fearful for the guests of the Old Course Hotel when you peg it up on the tee at the Road Hole.
Watching golf on TV is about as interesting as watching paint dry or watching Tewks adimire himself in the mirror.
Hell if your suffering from insomnia this weekend at least it is on at a time when you can turn it on and it will put you right to sleep.
AG
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