2015 British Open at St. Andrews Discussion Thread

[Gunther]

Watch out for Shane Lowry next week. You heard it here first.

Agree, I think he's going to be serious player, not only next week but in years to come. I'm starting to like Phil more for next week. He's rounding into form it seems.

[ChrisP]

Agree, I think he's going to be serious player, not only next week but in years to come. I'm starting to like Phil more for next week. He's rounding into form it seems.

I thought that at the U.S. open when I bet him along with Spieth and he disappointed. You never know what Phils gonna do next.

[Gunther]

I think we'll have a new World Number One after next week's event. Rory will lose quite a few points and Jordan is hot on his heels. I'm thinking a Spieth top 10 at The Open should be enough to unseat Rors.

[Wally Fairway]

I think we'll have a new World Number One after next week's event. Rory will lose quite a few points and Jordan is hot on his heels. I'm thinking a Spieth top 10 at The Open should be enough to unseat Rors.

Why is Rory going to lose quite a few points?

You do realize that the OWGR are based on a rolling 2 year period, and point values are weighted so that after about 3 months the value of the points diminishes weekly. Rory will lose about 2.17 points off last years Open Championship, and about 12.5 points in total from not playing (divided by his 48 events or 47 after next week it is fractions of his leading 12.697 points avg)

I think Jordan has to win to take over #1 this week, as he has played 52 events that count - so getting a 2nd and 50 points will not be quite enough to catch Rory at this time (as he sits at 10.849 points avg). If Jordan continues to play well and Rory sits out 4-6 weeks or more then it can happen.

[ChrisP]

There's a scenario where he can take over next week, according to Bob Harig, but it's a tall task. Basically needs to win this week then finish in top-6 next week or something along those lines. He still has a lot of ground to make up. Once you get up to where Rory is in WGR points, you don't shoot up as fast. And Rory still has a lot of wins that still carry over from the past year so it'll be until at least the PGA until those start to lose some weight.

[Gunther]

There's a scenario where he can take over next week, according to Bob Harig, but it's a tall task. Basically needs to win this week then finish in top-6 next week or something along those lines. He still has a lot of ground to make up. Once you get up to where Rory is in WGR points, you don't shoot up as fast. And Rory still has a lot of wins that still carry over from the past year so it'll be until at least the PGA until those start to lose some weight.

[quote name="Wally Fairway" url="/t/83040/2015-british-open-at-st-andrews-discussion-thread/40_40#post_1167036"]Why is Rory going to lose quite a few points? You do realize that the OWGR are based on a rolling 2 year period, and point values are weighted so that after about 3 months the value of the points diminishes weekly. Rory will lose about 2.17 points off last years Open Championship, and about 12.5 points in total from not playing (divided by his 48 events or 47 after next week it is fractions of his leading 12.697 points avg) I think Jordan has to win to take over #1 this week, as he has played 52 events that count - so getting a 2nd and 50 points will not be quite enough to catch Rory at this time (as he sits at 10.849 points avg). If Jordan continues to play well and Rory sits out 4-6 weeks or more then it can happen. [/quote]OK, makes sense. Figured Rory would lose more since he had a win last year but you're right, it's the Open from the previous year that falls off. Fun watching them battle but would be more fun if both were playing. Years of the rivalry to look forward to I suppose...

[ChrisP]

Weather forecast has changed (and will continue to change) as far as wind direction and rain, but one thing continues to remain pretty steady....the fact it's going to be pretty cool next week and the wind is going to be blowing at a decent level. Not gale force but enough to make an impact. The 15-20mph variety. Also Tiger Woods is saying the course is "VERY SOFT." If that's the case and wind doesn't get out of control, players will tear this place apart. 20-under anyone?

[billchao]

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/woods-plays-practice-round-st-andrews/?cid=rr_trending_p3

Quote:

Tiger Woods certainly knows his way around the Old Course , but that didn't stop him from getting in some early practice in advance of next week's Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Woods arrived Saturday to St. Andrews, where he won the claret jug in 2000 and 2005, and played holes 16, 17 and 18 with five lucky junior golfers for a Nike training camp, according to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis .

Even though he only played three holes, Woods learned a lot about the conditions.

"I was shocked," Woods told to ESPN.com . "I had seen photos of it a month ago. It was bone dry. It looked like it was going to be one of those dust bowls again; hard, fast, like the years I've played St. Andrews. It's changed. They got big rain and a lot of sun. It's totally changed.

"I'm going to have to do a little bit of feel around the greens, my putting. I wasn't expecting the firmness to be that soft. We made ball marks on the greens. I don't ever remember making ball marks around this place."

First we had a links-style U.S. Open, now the Old Course is going to play soft? Weird year.

[ChrisP]

[URL=http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/woods-plays-practice-round-st-andrews/?cid=rr_trending_p3]http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/woods-plays-practice-round-st-andrews/?cid=rr_trending_p3[/URL] First we had a links-style U.S. Open, now the Old Course is going to play soft? Weird year.

Of all years for Rory to miss. Can you imagine what he'd do to a soft St.Andrews? Probably something worse than he did to a soft Hoylake. If the wind doesn't blow next week, you'll see guys shooting 63s and 64s at that place.

[Vinsk]

Of all years for Rory to miss. Can you imagine what he'd do to a soft St.Andrews? Probably something worse than he did to a soft Hoylake. If the wind doesn't blow next week, you'll see guys shooting 63s and 64s at that place.

Pretty good call....sounds like a good thread to squeeze in before next week.....lowest opening round score? And who'll do it ?

[ChrisP]

Pretty good call....sounds like a good thread to squeeze in before next week.....lowest opening round score? And who'll do it ?

Depends on the wind. Right now they're calling for pretty windy conditions. If that's the case, scores won't be 'as' low.

[Vinsk]

Depends on the wind. Right now they're calling for pretty windy conditions. If that's the case, scores won't be 'as' low.

Agree. If it does play soft in the morning rounds...if DJ plays early....I bet he'll go low...windy or not.

[Silent]

If the wind blows hard, and/or the weather is bad I'm going for Luiten with a really low round. I know I'm probably biased, but he won the KLM Open in hard wind (also links), he played very good in the first two round of US Open (links), last year he played amazing at Doral when the weather got really, really bad with lots of rain and hard wind, and yesterday at the Scottish Open (links) the wind starting to blew much harder and he went low while players like Lowry, Rose, McDowell shot above par. Also his win at Celtic Manor / Wales Open last year was in windy conditions. So you can imagine I'm hopng for wind and rain ;-)

[ChrisP]

If the wind blows hard (and they're still calling for some pretty high winds Friday and Saturday), I always like Rickie Fowler. I still flash back to that third round at Royal St. George's in 2011 where he played with McIlroy and he shot under par playing in a hurricane. He hits a great low ball. I think he was the only one to go under par that day. I don't know much about Spieth in the wind, but I would imagine being from Texas and the way he can shape his shots and putt, he would be suited for tough conditions.

[billchao]

Of all years for Rory to miss. Can you imagine what he'd do to a soft St.Andrews? Probably something worse than he did to a soft Hoylake. If the wind doesn't blow next week, you'll see guys shooting 63s and 64s at that place.

The Old Course played easy in 2010, too, and if Rory didn't shoot an 80 on the second day, he probably would have given Louis Oosthuizen a run. As it is, it's already the easiest course on the British Open rota.

[atb5079]

I just have this feeling Adam Scott is gonna "come from nowhere" and win this. Hard thinking Scott as an underdog but really hasn't played the best this year. I just have a feeling softer conditions will help alleviate his putting woes. St Andrews is gonna make for a longer stretched out course with the softer conditions. It also usually seems to have pretty darn good champions winning it. I won't rule out Spieth, but just have a hunch Scott is gonna get the Claret Jug finally.

[RJH999]

Danny Lee is my darkhorse pick, he's on fire.

[J Cream]

I just have this feeling Adam Scott is gonna "come from nowhere" and win this. Hard thinking Scott as an underdog but really hasn't played the best this year. I just have a feeling softer conditions will help alleviate his putting woes. St Andrews is gonna make for a longer stretched out course with the softer conditions. It also usually seems to have pretty darn good champions winning it. I won't rule out Spieth, but just have a hunch Scott is gonna get the Claret Jug finally.

He's one of my top picks as well.