The Open Championship - Day 1

Just a quick update on the tips I gave you yesterday. Here's how my selections have gotten on after the first round at Turnberry.

Hunter Mahan @ 34
Mahan had a nightmare start today, playing the first 12 holes in +3. Despite a double bogey on the 15th, he fought back well near the end of his round. I can see him moving up the leaderboard tomorrow - but he has to.

Now available @ 170.


Graeme McDowell @ 85

McDowell shot an impressive 68 today, leaving him on -2. A victim of the tricky 16th, he could be even higher up the leaderboard but the Northerner knows this. Out at a tricky time weather-wise tomorrow though. Needs to be sharp.

Now available @ a very tasty 60.



Soren Hansen @ 140

Statistically my best tip interms of odds improvement, Hansen also shot a 68. It was a round that could have been better - he played the last six holes in three over par. Nonetheless, the Swede is a contender heading into the weekend.

Now available @ 80


David Duval @ 150

David Duval only hit 6/14 fairways, but he drove the ball long and his putting was fine. His +1 today shouldn't rule him out of contention at all, but like many others he needs a better Friday.

Now available @ 300.


Padraig Harrington @46

A 69 for the two-time defending champion, hence a shortening of his odds. But I didn't like what I saw from the Dubliner today. He seemed timid and lacking confidence. I shall be laying him immeadiately.

Now available @ 27.



A couple of other comments. I was very impressed with Ryo Ishikawa. The 17-year-old didn't flinch under the spotlight of being with Woods. He won't win this weekend, but he did well>

Woods didn't. He was shaky throughout and punters who backed him at such low odds must be regretting that now. He's now available at 6.6 on Betfair. I wouldn't, but there's a little bit of value there if he handles tomorrow's high winds.

Does anyone care about the Lyle/Monty spat? Didn't think so.

And I know I didn't tip them, but I'd just like to point out that the other golfers I named yesterday (O'Hair, Villegas and McIlroy) all had decent outings today. Let's hope they don't fall into the 'ones that got away' pile.

Open Tips

After picking Lucal Glover for the US Open, I thought it only fair that this time I put my neck on the line and publish my picks for this week's Open Championship.

The winner should be Tiger. Sorry. But he's unbackable at 12/5. On Paddy Power the second favourite is 22-1 so if you can pick a winner that's not named Eldrick than you're on to a good one.

As I always do, I'll go with five. If one of them comes in, mine’s a Guinness.

First up at Turnberry, the weather is King. This is a micro-climate given it’s proximity to the sea so there’s little point in checking area forecasts. For the record, local folklore is that the wind is at it’s highest when the tide is too so for calm conditions (I’ve looked this up) you want to be on course from apx. 9:30-2:30 each day. The wind should be more calm on Thursday, so I’m focussing on players who will get the best of things on the Friday, which will be key this week.

Padraig Harrington, David Duval, Kenny Perry, Soren Hansen, Paul McGinley, Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan are all among the players who fall into this category. On the Thursday, there’s Tiger Woods, Robert Rock, Camilo Villegas, McDowell, Sean O’Hair.

These players have a huge advantage – in the recent US Open, 12 of the top 13 finishers were lucky enough to be given a nice draw and were out on the calmest day, Friday.

You can make cases for so many of these...

Hunter Mahan: hasn’t missed a cut all year, is striking the ball well.

Padraig Harrington: two-time defending champion is quietly confident having returned to form in recent weeks.

Sean O’Hair: 6 top tens in 15 starts.

Greame McDowell: Grew up on a links course.

Camilo Villegas: one day he will win a major. I’m not sure that’s this weekend.

David Duval: He can putt, he’s won this before, and Bethpage gave him confidence.

Soren Hansen: 3 top 10’s in his last four outings.

Rory McIlroy: a future star.





I’m going to go with the following (quoting Betfair prices)

Hunter Mahan @ 34

Graeme McDowell @ 85

Soren Hansen @ 140

David Duval @ 150

Padraig Harrington @46



I’ll also pick one more, extra long-shot special (now known as the Lucas Glover award)

Paul McGinley @ 510



Best of luck. Tips are given for free, but taken at your own risk.

Open For Business

As I write this, the opening groups at the US Open have begun their rounds. The year’s second Major has always been a favourite of mine. The courses used in the US Open don’t have the beauty of Augusta, and there’s a lot more history in the Open but regardless of this, there’s something special about the US Open. To see golfers tested on an exceedingly difficult course, and to see them fail like us mere mortals is oddly satisfying, in a slightly sadistic way.

Perhaps because of this, the US Open has the feel of a people’s Major. The pomposity of the Masters is not present, nor the formality of the Open, and in a way this is most evident at this year’s venue, Bethpage Black. Seven years ago the 2002 US Open at the same venue was one of the first major international events to be help in New York State since 9/11. Tiger won, naturally, and he’ll be the favourite to do so again this weekend in a tournament that will be held in the background of a massive global recession.

Again this can be tied into Bethpage. It is a course that was built as a public project during the Great Depression of the 1930s and it’s also one of the most accessible Major venues. Over 30,000 rounds are played on the Black course annually and weekday green fees are a modest $50 for the local residents who’ll be out in force this weekend, over 250,000 of them.



Last year’s US Open was a memorable affair. A virtually one-legged Tiger won in the Monday playoff, beating off the genial Rocco Mediate while Lee Westwood was a nearly man who had a putt on the 72nd green to join the Americans on the Monday. Only in the aftermath of the tournament did we learn how hurt Woods actually was (he wouldn’t play again for over eight months due to the extent of the ligament damage to his left knee) and he himself has called it his favourite ever Major win. Along with the 1997 Masters, it was certainly his most impressive.

Phil Mickelson will be the darling of the crowds. His wife Amy is continuing her battle with breast cancer so while it would be unreasonable to expect too much from Lefty, it would be lovely to see him do well. Padraig Harrington may have won two Majors in the last twelve months but his recent slump in form shows no sign of abating – it would be rough weekend for Paddy. Rory McIlroy is being touted as the best Irish hope but in only his third Major it’s probably too soon. If there is to be a European winner, Paul Casey is probably most likely but anyone will do well to beat Tiger. No matter though, we’ll enjoy the next few days. After all, it is our Major.

Shut Your (Get In The) Holes!

Today's a great day for Irish sport. Padraig Harrington has, for the second successive year, collected the Claret Jug as the winner of the British Open. His last nine holes took just 32 shots and his approach to the 17th green was, in a nutshell, remarkable. (bit early to provide a youtube link but if you find one then leave a comment)

Golf's a great spectator sport, even on TV. I enjoyed this afternoon, even if it did not have the drama of last year's playoff win over Garcia. To be fair, it never could. The problem with golf though, is the peons who go to tournaments and, cleverly, shout 'get in the hole' at every shot.

I'm not the first to give out about this problem. I won't be the last either. But when drives from over 400 yards are sent off to the mantra of the morons, you have to wonder how can we fix this problem?

Personally, I advocate a shoot on sight policy. Seriously. It's not like these guys are suggesting something that the golfers haven't already thought off. These people are useless cretins and are destroying the sport from within. At the very least they should be kicked off the course by some burly bodyguards, never to return. Ever. I have never heard a logical argument that explains the enslaught of this stupidity. I hate them. Even one of the greatest shots of all time is forever ruined by them. Happy Gilmore has a lot to answer for...