The Open Championship

[nevets88]

M Jiminez plays a bounce of the stone wall - Tin Cup.

Oost... is in same exact position as DJ in US Open.

Sunday will reveal all. Who knows how he'll hold up?

[KingCobra]

i dont see oost losing this. hes got that swagger and hes on fire. i say he wins by 7

[Shorty]

If he does there will be a lot of "yeah buts" to go along with it. As in "he won, yeah, but if he hadn't lucked out with the early tee time he wouldn't have," etc.

What complete and utter nonsense.

[nevets88]

i dont see oost losing this. hes got that swagger and hes on fire. i say he wins by 7

Dustin J looked good too Saturday night @ the US Open. The similarities are there. Both juicy leads, both young, both with not many wins, both looking calm.

I don't think it's a slam dunk. I'll be rooting for the Americans but they are a super long shot.

[Comeback City]

What complete and utter nonsense.

I think the tee times he drew, basically for all 3 of his rounds - good fortune. If he does win, I think we'll all feel cheated a bit - he went through an 'easier' test of golf. I don't think he'd be leading if he had different tee times...certainly not at -15..

But I guess that's the way it is, not only in life but in golf. He still has to step up and capitalize on this opportunity, though. I thought he'd fade today, and he did get off to a slightly poor start...I'd be surpised if he lost it. I think if he was going to choke he'd already choked by now...Starting and closing the 3rd round atop the leaderboard is going to give him some confidence.

[brgolf]

What complete and utter nonsense.

I agree that it is nonsense to guess what he would or wouldn't have done. But it is not nonsense to say that if he wins- he will have won in the most favorable conditions. That's just a fact and it was a particular shame of the championship so far that Tiger and McIllroy + others suffered so much when they could have been plotting lower scores.

[Acropo]

I'll be rooting for the Americans but they are a super long shot.

Yeah - as in: nowhere. Closest US player is Dustin Johnson, 8 shots back. Let us assume Luis blows up. You have to then assume Paul Casey, Lee Westwood Martin Kaymer and Henrik Stensn all blow up. And people like Goosen, McIlroy and Garcia all decide to go sandyachting on the beach. (Would like to point out: I have nothing against sandyachters. They are all fine people and look great in rubber. Especially the girl sandyachters. They look really good in rubber. Wet rubber especially. Unzipped a bit. Yum.) (Have I covered that PC angle? I do hope so.)

[PEZGolf]

I agree that it is nonsense to guess what he would or wouldn't have done. But it is not nonsense to say that if he wins- he will have won in the most favorable conditions. That's just a fact and it was a particular shame of the championship so far that Tiger and McIllroy + others suffered so much when they could have been plotting lower scores.

The weather is always a huge factor at The Open, and it is usually variable---mornings and afternoons are very different. It makes the tournament unique, and those who receive bad times have to simply accept it. There is always next year. Oosie did benefit from his tee times, but that is the "luck of the draw" and----the weather. Others were fortunate and could not capitalize on it, but he did. He seems calm and confident, but tomorrow will put him to the real test. 4 shots is a nice cushion to start with.

Casey needs to get off to a good start to put some pressure on Oosie, and then it can become a tight contest. It should be interesting.

[zeg]

I agree that it is nonsense to guess what he would or wouldn't have done. But it is not nonsense to say that if he wins- he will have won in the most favorable conditions. That's just a fact and it was a particular shame of the championship so far that Tiger and McIllroy + others suffered so much when they could have been plotting lower scores.

It's part of the nature of the game. Sometimes the weather, rubs of the green, etc, work in your favor. However, didn't he have the same playing partners the first two rounds, and on the third round everything looks a bit more even for the various groups (though I didn't watch as much). Seems to me that there would be two other guys at -15 if it was just a matter of great conditions. Part of being a winner is being prepared to seize the opportunities that you're given.

Personally, I'd prefer to see more of the usual suspects in the running, if only because I think it'd be more fun to win a tournament where you felt like you really beat the greats at their best. Thus, I would rather see someone narrowly edge out Tiger. But there are some of the well-known guys up there in the running, and other than the top couple guys, there's a big clump of guys who have a shot if they can put together a great round tomorrow (and if Oost falls back to earth). It could be an awesome final round (or it could be a race for second, depending).

[Acropo]

I just think we have a fabulous Sunday ahead of us.

Oh, btw - did I mention I have a pair of Ryder Cup tickets? Available to auction? And I live in commutable distance of Celtic Manor?

[Acropo]

.

[Valleygolfer]

Yeah - as in: nowhere. Closest US player is Dustin Johnson, 8 shots back.

Honestly any or all of thse guys could blow up. I would say McIlroy would be the least likely. Westwood is playing well but has a history of not finishing off the big ones. Goosen's putting fails him frequently and Garcia....well is obvious. Kaymer and Stenson have done nothing to impress me nor Casey not that they aren't good players and someone has to win their first major sometime. If Paddy or Els was there then it might be clinched but I say anyone has a chance if the weather (doesn't?) cooperates so we shall see.

[mcfc_nick]

today was fun, we followed Camilo & Rory around today before watching the end of Johnson & Yang, Rory & Camilo hit some serious shots, if Rory holes some putts tomorrow and Oosthuizen blows up i think he has a real chance of getting close, cant see Oosthuizen blowing up though, its between him and Casey now for me.

[prezbucky]

Is it just me as an American, or are the Brits a tad pretentious in calling the British Open "The Open"?

I get that the game started in Scotland (Scottish Open... to make William Wallace happy...?)... but:

1) Most of the best players in the world are Americans.
2) The best to ever play are Nicklaus, Jones, Woods, Hogan, Nelson, Watson, Palmer... all Americans.
3) Three of the four majors ate contested in the States.
4) The US Open is annually the toughest tournament, with the highest winning score. If any can claim to be THE Open, it's the US Open.

I know fully that our power has made others jealous of us... and that the Brits calling the British Open "The Open" is the small man acting big... but please.

This is the hierarchy of majors:

1) Masters
2a) US Open
2b) British Open
4) PGA

I'm not saying the US Open is THE Open either... I just think it's BS for the Brits to tip up their noses and call theirs THE Open. ..,

[prezbucky]

And while I'm here (hehe):

It's oost-HIGH-zen

From his mouth to my ears. It isn't f@&$&ng; "oost-hay-zen".

Can the commentators hear? Sheesus H!

So probably the 2010 British Open champion will be a lad named Lodevicus (low-duh-vick-us) Oostheizen (oost-HIGH-zen).

Take this pronunciation lesson from a native Eisconsinite who knows his Germanic/Scandinavian phonemes. (ooh, ehhh, yah... rounded vowels are for pu$$ies. hehe)

[prezbucky]

Eisconsinite = Wisconsinite

Damn the cell keyboard!

[Chilli Dipper]

My understanding is that the sound is like saying "oy," but with a U sound, as in "boot." It's a sound that doesn't exist in the English language.

[sonnydamico pdx]

It's weird listening to Nance on ESPN3, name dropping and saying his hellos and happy birthdays as always.

Azinger is bad, Lerner is worse. The worst of all? Nance. (except when the ultra-sanctimonious & highly over-exposed Tom Watson is foisted upon us as a guest commentator after he missed the cut).