2014 Scottish Open Discussion

[FarawayFairways]

American's aren't allowed to use Betfair (Federal government has to protect them from these evil British inventions!!!)

20's biggest price American showing in oddschecker (Tiger) urm...... Don't really get this though, as last time I checked they were laying something like 11/8 on an American win on a 10% over round book. If they believe that an American win is really 11/8, and the biggest priced horse is 20/1, then there has to be some terrific value buried out the back.

I'd have said that Dufner must be half decent value at 80's for 6 places

[BENtSwing]

Man, I hope nobody bet on Rory after one good round yesterday. Funny how people like to jump on a bandwagon after one good round...makes no sense.

Same thing with Paul Casey...dude hasn't even had a top 25 (on the PGA) this year has he? He's had some decent rounds and some great stretches of 4-5 holes, but no real results. Yet, I've seen a few different people saying things like "how about that Paul Casey!" Maybe he is just a likable player?

Fun to watch the Euro guys play this course...looks pretty tuff to me. I don't know much about links golf, but it seems exciting because scoring is so volatile. Anything can happen!

HOW ABOUT THAT RORY MCILROY??!!

[ChrisP]

I have a feeling that Justin Rose is going to be a very common pick for next week.....and deservedly so. No one playing better this past month.

[regns08]

American's aren't allowed to use Betfair (Federal government has to protect them from these evil British inventions!!!)

20's biggest price American showing in oddschecker (Tiger) urm...... Don't really get this though, as last time I checked they were laying something like 11/8 on an American win on a 10% over round book. If they believe that an American win is really 11/8, and the biggest priced horse is 20/1, then there has to be some terrific value buried out the back.

I'd have said that Dufner must be half decent value at 80's for 6 places

What does this mean 80's for 6 places? I know that Dufner is 80/1 to win on some sites.

[FarawayFairways]

80 to win (as you say) with each way terms down to sixth place

In this case it is a quarter of the odds (20/1) to finish in the top six, albeit placed as a conventional each way bet rather than place only it would be 10/1 your moiney with 50% of your stake having to go on the win component

I'm not so sure this isn't going to turn into a putt out myself. Much is made of the par 5's but if the course is playing more or less the same length as it was when the Open last went there we might be going to see one of those renewals where every one can hit the green in regulation and the best putter on the day wins aka Ben Curtis or Todd Hamilton

[David in FL]

Out in 31 for Rose. No one catches him and he's not going to back up the way he's playing. You can start engraving the trophy now!

[ChrisP]

80 to win (as you say) with each way terms down to sixth place

In this case it is a quarter of the odds (20/1) to finish in the top six, albeit placed as a conventional each way bet rather than place only it would be 10/1 your moiney with 50% of your stake having to go on the win component

I'm not so sure this isn't going to turn into a putt out myself. Much is made of the par 5's but if the course is playing more or less the same length as it was when the Open last went there we might be going to see one of those renewals where every one can hit the green in regulation and the best putter on the day wins aka Ben Curtis or Todd Hamilton

Well, last time the Open was held at Liverpool, the front page of the leaderboard for a large part of the weekend was Woods, DiMarco, Els, Cabrera, Furyk, Goosen, Garcia and Scott. In other words, good conditions at Liverpool means the stars come to the top. And I kinda think soft conditions with light winds benefit guys like McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Stenson, Scott, Cabrera and some of the favorites next week, especially Justin Rose who is red hot. If conditions get difficult, you get some of the underdogs that slip through the cracks.

I'll wait to hedge my bets until closer to the Championship when I see what the weather is like, but if the forecast stays the same, I"ll be looking at the favorites with maybe a few bucks on an underdog (like Cabrera or Casey). I'll also be looking at the under big-time on the final score. I think with good conditions, -15 or better could easily be the winning number.

[Crim]

Once again, and this is just my personal opinion, but I enjoyed the European Tour wayyyyyyy more than the PGA Tour this weekend.

Congrats to Justin Rose for consecutive tournament wins.

[Gunther]

Once again, and this is just my personal opinion, but I enjoyed the European Tour wayyyyyyy more than the PGA Tour this weekend.  Congrats to Justin Rose for consecutive tournament wins.  [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/101899/] [/URL]

Right there with you, barely watched 10 min of the John Deere this weekend. Love links golf!

[3putter]

Once again, and this is just my personal opinion, but I enjoyed the European Tour wayyyyyyy more than the PGA Tour this weekend.

Yep

Right there with you, barely watched 10 min of the John Deere this weekend. Love links golf!

Didn't watch a single minute of the John Deere this weekend.

[David in FL]

Didn't watch a single minute of the John Deere this weekend.

You missed some great golf!

Unfortunately, I didn't see much of the Scottish Open......it was on too early, and I was golfing.

[Crim]

You missed some great golf!

Unfortunately, I didn't see much of the Scottish Open......it was on too early, and I was golfing.

I watched equal amounts of both (even a bit of the Senior major), the golf being played on both tours was awesome, the other stuff (camera views, commentators, general production) was far better @ the Scottish O pen.

[3putter]

You missed some great golf!

Unfortunately, I didn't see much of the Scottish Open......it was on too early, and I was golfing.

So I heard, happy for Brian Harman though

[FarawayFairways]

Just picking up on this one again as it was something I hadn't fully appreciated until reading the paper this morning

Obviously the Scottish Open went through a spell of being hosted inland at Gleneagles and Loch Lomond, but was switched to a links course about 5 years ago (Castle Stuart). OK bear with me a bit, as I realise the purist needn't regard Castle Stuart as a true piece of links land, even if the course has links charateristics. Phil was unequivocal last year that playing a links course was instrumental in him winning a week later at Muirfield. Reading what Rory said yesterday also confirms he's of the same view, playing Aberdeen helped him tame Hoylake, and he's already said he intends playing Gullane next year as prep for St Andrews.

This years field was stronger than last years, and it transpires that the last 5 winners of the Open now, all prepped at the Scottish. Is this likely to be a developing trend? Well golfers talk and with Mickelson and McIlroy both invoking the practise they had a week earlier it seems likely that others will follow suit, especially with the prize being St Andrews in 2015. I'd be a little bit twitchy if I were John Deere about my scheduling in 2015

Might actually be worth clearing a diary date for Gullane actually as it fits rather nicely with Edinburgh and will be nothing like the cost of St Andrews (think of it as a backdoor Open) that's given me an idea ....

[Crim]

Just picking up on this one again as it was something I hadn't fully appreciated until reading the paper this morning

Obviously the Scottish Open went through a spell of being hosted inland at Gleneagles and Loch Lomond, but was switched to a links course about 5 years ago (Castle Stuart). OK bear with me a bit, as I realise the purist needn't regard Castle Stuart as a true piece of links land, even if the course has links charateristics. Phil was unequivocal last year that playing a links course was instrumental in him winning a week later at Muirfield. Reading what Rory said yesterday also confirms he's of the same view, playing Aberdeen helped him tame Hoylake, and he's already said he intends playing Gullane next year as prep for St Andrews.

This years field was stronger than last years, and it transpires that the last 5 winners of the Open now, all prepped at the Scottish. Is this likely to be a developing trend? Well golfers talk and with Mickelson and McIlroy both invoking the practise they had a week earlier it seems likely that others will follow suit, especially with the prize being St Andrews in 2015. I'd be a little bit twitchy if I were John Deere about my scheduling in 2015

Might actually be worth clearing a diary date for Gullane actually as it fits rather nicely with Edinburgh and will be nothing like the cost of St Andrews (think of it as a backdoor Open) that's given me an idea ....

Great post.

Definitely something for the pros to think about....

[chasm]

Just picking up on this one again as it was something I hadn't fully appreciated until reading the paper this morning Obviously the Scottish Open went through a spell of being hosted inland at Gleneagles and Loch Lomond, but was switched to a links course about 5 years ago (Castle Stuart). OK bear with me a bit, as I realise the purist needn't regard Castle Stuart as a true piece of links land, even if the course has links charateristics. Phil was unequivocal last year that playing a links course was instrumental in him winning a week later at Muirfield. Reading what Rory said yesterday also confirms he's of the same view, playing Aberdeen helped him tame Hoylake, and he's already said he intends playing Gullane next year as prep for St Andrews. This years field was stronger than last years, and it transpires that the last 5 winners of the Open now, all prepped at the Scottish. Is this likely to be a developing trend? Well golfers talk and with Mickelson and McIlroy both invoking the practise they had a week earlier it seems likely that others will follow suit, especially with the prize being St Andrews in 2015. I'd be a little bit twitchy if I were John Deere about my scheduling in 2015 Might actually be worth clearing a diary date for Gullane actually as it fits rather nicely with Edinburgh and will be nothing like the cost of St Andrews (think of it as a backdoor Open) that's given me an idea ....

I played Gullane #1 and #2 last week. Gullane #1 is a great golf course, and they're toughening it up for the Scottish Open by eliminating a couple of the weaker holes and includinga couple of harder ones from #2 instead. However, I wouldn't regard it as hugely relevant to preparing for St Andrews. It's slightly untypical for a links course in that it is surprisingly hilly - some fairways slope very steeply either up or down. So while it is undeniably a links course, and a bit of a monster in the wind, it's very different in character from the Old Course.

[FarawayFairways]

A lot of it is in the mind. Castle Stuart doesn't look much like Muirfield either, but Phil posted his best ever first round score at Muirfield off the back of of his win the hIghlands, and this set him up (historically he's taken time to get going on the links courses). He thought he'd benefited and played like someone who believed he held an edge etc the old self-fulfiling prophecy to some extent. Sportsmen are much more analytical today than they've ever been, and if they're persuaded that they're X% better prepared for St Andrews as a result of playing the Scottish open the week before, that's what more of them will do. That itself of course increases the likelihood of the winner emerging from the group that choose to, and in turn further reinforces the trend to the point where players start to believe its a prerequisite to success that leaves them with next to no chance if they don't observe it

The tournament returns to Castle Stuart in 2016, and if the whispers I'm hearing are right, Dundonald is being lined up for 2017 (mildly ironic given that its owned by Loch Lomond golf club). The Scottish government are involved with the decision of course. I tend to think this is a good thing as it makes it increasingly unlikely that courses which aren't accessible to the public (like Loch Lomond) will get the nod, and therefore it all helps promote the game. I personally suspect this could have been decisive in the decision to award Gullane instead of the Renaissance Club?