Royal Aberdeen hosts British Senior Open

« **on:** July 18, 2005, 02:42:19 PM »

Is anyone going to Royal Aberdeen this week for the British Seniors? How much air time will the Senior Open get on TV in the UK?

I will be interested to see how the course shows on US TV this week. My only concern is that the front-9 is far better/stronger than the back-9, but that the back-9 (and the last 2 or 3 holes at that) will get the vast majority of air time. Royal Aberdeen certainly deserves a higher profile in the golf world.

« **Reply #1 on:** July 18, 2005, 03:19:19 PM »

ABC Sports is picking up the coverage for the weekend. 1:30 - 3:30 on Sat and 2:00 - 4:00 on Sun. I don't know if they are showing live action or not, but we will most likely get the back 9 and hopefully a little bit of the front.

Really like watching this event or should I say the golf course on which the event is played. Love seeing Portrush, RCD,and now Aberdeen.

« **Reply #2 on:** July 18, 2005, 04:37:22 PM »

Don't forget that the back nine has now been toughened up by tom Mackenzie and Co. and it should be good to watch how they play the back nine.

Brian

« **Reply #3 on:** July 18, 2005, 08:52:42 PM »

TNT has Thursday and Friday coverage, both 11-1 EDT.
ABC Sat 2:30-4, Sun 2-3:30 EDTs. I've just driven past enroute to Cruden Bay.

I just did a quick review on Ran's 1999 write-up. Any changes in the last 5-6 years?

« **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2005, 10:07:49 PM »

Peter P. -

There have been a number of changes at Royal Aberdeen over the past 2-3 years: 1) Several of the holes on the back-9 have been redone and 2) a lot of the gorse has been trimmed back and thinned out to make the grounds make spectator accessible.

I played there only once, in May of 2000. For sure, the front-9 got the prime seafront linksland, while the land under the back-9 was far more tame. I hope the front-9 gets some exposure on TV. I am interested to see what the back-9 looks like and how it shows up on TV.

DT

« **Reply #5 on:** July 19, 2005, 06:42:47 AM »

I am anxious to see if one or two of the back nine holes are as bad as I remember them..

The front very good, the back possibly the worst combination of nine holes I played on my trip.

I have just re-read my diary of the trip. The following holes were the highlights

7 shortish par 4
8 short par3 with 10 bunkers and room for some very tough pins
9 A risk/reward longish par 4

The lowlight undoubtedly 15. I could find little of merit in its design. Blind tee shot with no identifiable guide (this from a fan of blind shots), the a green with large bunker middle front and trouble long.

17 is a good par 3 looking straight out to sea, I expect it to look good on TV.

If the wind blows this course will be very tough. I think there were more bunkers here than any other course I played in Scotland and the fairways are not the widest.

Now I better go and check whether they are showing any of it on FoxSports

« **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2005, 07:27:49 AM »

Go Greg!

« **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2005, 02:09:19 PM »

I wanted to bring this back up as the tournament starts tomorrow.
My guess is that the best chance to see some of the holes on the front-9 on TV will be to watch the broadcasts on Thursday & Friday. In the US, it will be shown 11am - 1pm on TNT. The weekend broadcast will be 2:30-4:00pm on ABC, but I am guessing they will only be covering the last 4 or 5 holes.

« **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2005, 06:12:33 PM »

Am I the only person who is not a fan of RA?

The playing corridors on the "links" nine I thought were extremely narrow and penal. Very difficult, beautiful holes, without much interesting going on. They would be brutal in windy conditions.

Other than 16, 17 and 18, I thought the inward nine was non-descript. It's as if RA stopped paying the architect at the turn and the golf committee just sort of made up some holes to get you back to the clubhouse. An odd course.

I understand a number of changes have been made to 11 through 16 since I played them, so I look forward to seeing RA on TV this week.

If I could do it over, I would have spent more time at Cruden up the road and less at RA.

Bob

« **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2005, 06:44:56 PM »

Bob C. -

I don't recall the corridors on the front-9 at RA being that narrow/penal. I know they have taken out a good deal of the gorse recently to open them up a bit. I would compare the front-9 at RA favorably to the front-9 at Royal County Down. As stated above, I thought the front-9 at RA was very, very good.
(Disclaimer: I have played each course only once - RCD in 1984 and RA in 2000).

I think RA does suffer from the same affliction on the back-9 as many links courses: not quite enough linksland for 18 holes. It will be interesting to see how the new holes on the back-9 at RA look onTV.

DT

« **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2005, 04:09:42 AM »

Is the back nine all that bad?

10 is a stirring short-medium par four back into the wind, 11 a good par three, and the last three are also excellent holes.

12 is a nifty approach.

I also think the course is one that is generally thought of as exceptionally penal - that was certainly my impression from what I had read before I played it, but I didn't find it that difficult.

The sum is better than the whole of Birkdale, for mine.

« **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2005, 04:38:16 AM »

Guys
I made a visit for Practise Round yesterday .

Course looked in good condition and not overally green . It was playing very tough due to a crosswind . Left to right on the way out .

Thought the front 9 fairways were as narrow as I have ever seen them , although talking to one of the greenkeepers , he said they were the same as they have been all summer .

From what I could see , the gorse that was taken out was more for spectator veiwing points .

I was diasapointed as Royal Aberdeen isnt the greatest course to watch golf from as quite a few tees are surrounded by gorse but the way they have set up the ropes , its hard to get close to any action .

I have tickets for the week but after yesterday , In think I will see more in the pub with a beer in my hand .

Yesterday at 9.30am , a cold windy Aberdeen morning , Tom Watson walked onto the first tee , looked at us and said "What a perfect day" . It was a pleasure to follow him around Royal Aberdeen . He was playing with Andy North , geez thats a guy that can swear ! .

Brian

« **Reply #12 on:** July 21, 2005, 12:25:00 PM »

Now this looks like Open weather, wobbly cameras, extra-wide stances on putts -- it's really blowing.

Wonder what the scores at TOC would've been like on a day like they're having at Aberdeen.

« **Reply #13 on:** July 21, 2005, 01:35:30 PM »

A few snaps from yesterday .

« **Reply #14 on:** July 21, 2005, 01:35:41 PM »

The wind must really be howling. Neither T. Kite nor P. Jacobsen came close to breaking 80!

« **Reply #15 on:** July 21, 2005, 01:36:51 PM »

Brian -

GREAT pix! Thanks for posting them.

DT

« **Reply #16 on:** July 21, 2005, 02:10:34 PM »

Des Smyth is the only player at even or better. The current wind is 24mph out of the NNW. It was 35 most of the day. Median score 80, average score 80.11. Is this the highest field average in a professional tour event, even with two aces?

« **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2005, 09:52:03 PM »

Boy, did Tom Watson put on a show today. A darned near flawless 64. The breeze died down to 12-15mph but stayed from roughly the same direction as the brisk winds of the first two rounds. So there were several low scores, including another 64, a 65 and a 66. But Watson's 7-under round moved him from +4 and fourth place to -3 and the lead going into the final round tomorrow. The tournament will be won by either Watson or Stadler (playing in the final group) or by Norman or Des Smyth who are three shots back. Noone else is within six strokes of the lead.

This is the first substantial bit of senior golf I've watched in the last couple of years. Tom Watson is a golfer that any player ought to emulate. He plays briskly and efficiently, has a wonderfully fluid golf swing and never seems bothered by the ups and downs of his round of golf. If I could ever pick a professional to play in a pro-am with I'd probably choose Watson over anyone, even the great Tiger Woods.

« **Reply #18 on:** July 23, 2005, 10:10:14 PM »

Watson has a huge advantage - his caddy, Neil Oxman. Probably the best green reader I've ever observed; not to mention his being a brilliant tactition. Having Neil as a caddy is like having Lloyd Bridges to talk you down if you haven't flown a plane since Nam.

« **Reply #19 on:** July 24, 2005, 12:58:59 AM »

Thanks for the wonderful pics!

The thought that comes to mind, however, is this;

Does the R&A have some new mandate that every one of the bunkers for their championships be perfectly trimmed and cleaned?

Have we been exporting too many Masters telecasts to you fellows?

« **Reply #20 on:** July 24, 2005, 11:36:02 AM »

Mike,

I would say that is how they should look.

« **Reply #21 on:** July 24, 2005, 07:02:05 PM »

Bob I am with you. I was really just so so on RA. Now Cruden Bay is another matter. I will fly there in a hearbeat to play those grand golf holes. I was so underwelmed by Royal Aberdeen. the weak holes were very weak and the few good holes were not any better than good holes on any good links courses. It has no hole that stands out in my mind either.

« **Reply #22 on:** July 25, 2005, 04:49:41 AM »

Is it good enough to hold an Open, meaning is it better than any of the current guys?

« **Reply #23 on:** July 25, 2005, 10:27:19 AM »

Sean Your position on Cruden Bay certainly will get you a free copy of Rich's book. However I am one who loves the course with heart and soul. I do agree there are some ok holes but I do not find any of them weak just quirky and not great. It has some great holes and stirs a passion in you that is rarely found. I had the same feeling at Machrihanish, which is a better course in my mind, but brings some of the same emotions to you.

« **Reply #24 on:** July 25, 2005, 10:27:50 AM »

Tiger -

I'm pleased to have an ally. I note that Greg Norman will give us a threesome:

"…it's the total opposite of what St. Andrews is, with eight fairways from Royal Aberdeen to one fairway at St. Andrews. .... they're that narrow [at Royal Aberdeen]."

Bob

News:

David_Tepper

RE Blanks

Brian Phillips

peter_p

David_Tepper

Sean Walsh

tonyt

David_Tepper

BCrosby

David_Tepper

Mark_F

Brian_Ewen

Larry_Keltto

Brian_Ewen

David_Tepper

David_Tepper

peter_p

Brent Hutto

Jim_Coleman

Mike_Cirba

James Edwards

Tiger_Bernhardt

James Edwards

Tiger_Bernhardt

BCrosby