What to Expect at The Open this week

[Pete_Pittock]

Lee Trevino's take
https://golf.com/news/lee-trevino-open-championship-must-see-tv/
In short, playing extremely firm, thinks there are five driveable par 4s.  No safe lead.
A look at the forecast shows no rain likely. Winds maybe 25 kph (15 mph)

Could be Watson/Nicklaus or Stenson/Mickelson scorefest.

[Brian_Ewen]

Didna expect this ...

[Niall C]

I watched the champions game on Monday afternoon and it was great to see Trevino again having seen very little of him over the last few decades, at least on this side of the pond. His approach shot on the second considering he was miles back was brilliant. He had Tiger in genuine fits of laughter while Rory and Georgia Hall were mainly nonplussed.


His thoughts here are also more insightful than some of the comment from other talking heads on TV. I wish we could see more of him.


Niall

[Kalen Braley]

I watched the champions game on Monday afternoon and it was great to see Trevino again having seen very little of him over the last few decades, at least on this side of the pond. His approach shot on the second considering he was miles back was brilliant. He had Tiger in genuine fits of laughter while Rory and Georgia Hall were mainly nonplussed.

His thoughts here are also more insightful than some of the comment from other talking heads on TV. I wish we could see more of him.

Niall

Niall,

Couldn't agree more, I'd love to hear him explain stuff and if he rambles a few times, that's just a bonus.

And it would certainly help the Tour's image in the diversity department....

[Steve Lang]

I watched the champions game on Monday afternoon and it was great to see Trevino again having seen very little of him over the last few decades, at least on this side of the pond. His approach shot on the second considering he was miles back was brilliant. He had Tiger in genuine fits of laughter while Rory and Georgia Hall were mainly nonplussed.

His thoughts here are also more insightful than some of the comment from other talking heads on TV. I wish we could see more of him.

Niall

Niall,

Couldn't agree more, I'd love to hear him explain stuff and if he rambles a few times, that's just a bonus.

And it would certainly help the Tour's image in the diversity department....

Seriously,... didn't know the PGA had a diversity requirement for their independent contractor's PR profile...


but I do also love Lee Trevino, have followed him at a handful of tournaments close enough to hear him talk, which is like 30 yards  [size=78%] [/size]

[BHoover]

It really was awesome to see and hear Lee Trevino back at The Open. I love Trevino and can’t get enough of anything and everything Trevino. He is the person I would pay to just listen to him talk about golf. He is an international treasure. Long live Lee Buck Trevino!

[Peter Pallotta]

I wrote here a couple of years ago about my man Lee explaining why he thought Greg Norman did well in firm and fast Open conditions. (If I remember correctly, there were more 'doubters of Lee' among us back then than 'true believers of Lee'.). He suggested that, with the club skidding-bouncing at impact off the hard turf, it was very difficult to trap/pinch the ball properly and impart enough spin -- and so it was difficult to get the ball to stop on the greens. He said that Norman was the only player he'd seen in practice imparting enough spin on the ball on approach shots.

So, re the OP (and with Lee's wisdom in mind): given the firm and hard and fast conditions, which of the pros is a particularly good ball striker, and most adept at trapping and imparting spin on his approach shots?

[Dan_Callahan]

He suggested that, with the club skidding-bouncing at impact off the hard turf, it was very difficult to trap/pinch the ball properly and impart enough spin -- and so it was difficult to get the ball to stop on the greens.

It's interesting ... this was the same observation Paul McGinley made at this year's US Open. That the fairways were cut so tight that it favored players who were comfortable on links, and who had swings where they really covered the ball, rather than the modern hang back and bomb it swing. It's why he though Matt Fitzpatrick was doing so well.

[Ira Fishman]

If my memory serves, Trevino hosted a made for TV show whose purpose was to promote Faultless golf balls. It was a great show because he understands golf as an athletic endeavor and business. Plus he truly is funny.

[Pete_Pittock]

He suggested that, with the club skidding-bouncing at impact off the hard turf, it was very difficult to trap/pinch the ball properly and impart enough spin -- and so it was difficult to get the ball to stop on the greens.

It's interesting ... this was the same observation Paul McGinley made at this year's US Open. That the fairways were cut so tight that it favored players who were comfortable on links, and who had swings where they really covered the ball, rather than the modern hang back and bomb it swing. It's why he though Matt Fitzpatrick was doing so well.

isn't that what Collin Morikawa did?

[Thomas Dai]

With 2022 clubs and balls and player physique it’s likely especially with the dry conditions that more of the par-4’s will be driveable so I’m expecting plenty of waiting-to-tee-off and pace of play to generally be extremely slow. And TOC has traditionally never been a get-round-fast course during The Open.
Atb

[Pete_Pittock]

prediction for the field eclectic?  Mine is 39.

[Thomas Dai]

Just heard a commentator on Sky say that in a practice Aldrich Potgieter of South African, who won the British Amateur a few weeks ago, hit a tee shot to within 27 yds of the 17th green.
Probably wind assisted and with a big bounce but even so, yikes!
And he’s only 17 yrs old!

Atb

[Pete_Pittock]

Sighted at St. Andrews. Old John Daly.

[Peter Flory]

With 2022 clubs and balls and player physique it’s likely especially with the dry conditions that more of the par-4’s will be driveable so I’m expecting plenty of waiting-to-tee-off and pace of play to generally be extremely slow. And TOC has traditionally never been a get-round-fast course during The Open.
Atb

Looks like it's taking 5:30 at least for the last third of the field.  That's a long round when you don't have to look for any balls and you're mostly chipping and putting. 

[Jeff Schley]

Just heard a commentator on Sky say that in a practice Aldrich Potgieter of South African, who won the British Amateur a few weeks ago, hit a tee shot to within 27 yds of the 17th green.
Probably wind assisted and with a big bounce but even so, yikes!
And he’s only 17 yrs old!

Atb

Wow, wonder what that shot tracer line looked at?  Either he had a huge slice, or was aiming over a chimney at the hotel.

[James Reader]

Just heard a commentator on Sky say that in a practice Aldrich Potgieter of South African, who won the British Amateur a few weeks ago, hit a tee shot to within 27 yds of the 17th green.
Probably wind assisted and with a big bounce but even so, yikes!
And he’s only 17 yrs old!

Atb

Wow, wonder what that shot tracer line looked at?  Either he had a huge slice, or was aiming over a chimney at the hotel.

I’ve spent most of the week in the stand by the 17th tee and watched him hit it, but didn’t know where it had ended up until reading this.  I’m not surprised though.  At the time it was clearly the biggest drive we’d seen off that tee.  No slice and the wind was more across than helping. He just absolutely launched it on a line close to the “L” in “Hotel”.  Very, very impressive for anyone, let alone a 17 year old!