Open Golf Championship at Royal Troon

bennythedip2 · #1 July 13th, 2016, 14:11

I know nothing about golf unlike all you pro's on here, however; i know a man who does, so when i asked him for his opinion this is what John-boy said,

"Right my Open picks - course is soft but still requires straight not necessarily long hitters ... Forecast looks similar for both halves of the draw good Thursday miserable Friday but similar all day each day.

So of the top 4 I think Day is the one but not great value at 9-1 Speith maybe at 12-1

So value 5 e/w

Kaymer at 50s
Stenson at 30s
Sergio at 28s
Lee W at 50s
Walker at 240s straight and streaky" -

Sounds to me like he knows what he's he's talking about, mind you he plays off a 4 hcp (whatever that is)

good luck peoples

Tony2005 · #2 July 14th, 2016, 05:29

Well i quite like the chances of the following at big prices..

JIMMY WALKER.......275/1

G MAC @ 105/1

VICTOR DUBUISSON @ 425/1

G MOLINARI @ 110/1

P HARRINGTON @ 125/1

MONTY TOP 10 FINISH @ 40/1

All prices from Betdaq

bennythedip2 · #3 July 14th, 2016, 10:24

Good with with those Tony - As i know nothing we'll have a couple of shillings on your as well

We're waiting to see the runners for a puppy in the coming days, i'll post when i know the plot

bennythedip2 · #4 July 14th, 2016, 22:29

Former champion Phil Mickelson admitted he felt like crying after going agonisingly close to recording the lowest score in major history in the Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Mickelson, who has not won a tournament since lifting the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013, needed to hole from 15 feet on the 18th to card a nine-under-par 62, only to see his birdie attempt catch the edge of the hole and stay out.

The 46-year-old could barely believe it as he had to settle for a 63 - the 28th such score in majors - and a three-shot lead over American compatriot Patrick Reed and Germany's Martin Kaymer, with defending champion Zach Johnson a shot further back in an eight-strong group which also included England's Andy Sullivan.

Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson finished three under par and a shot ahead of Rory McIlroy, while Masters and US Open champions Danny Willett and Dustin Johnson - as well as Jordan Spieth - were level par.

Mickelson, who finished a shot outside the play-off the last time the Open was staged at Troon in 2004, had never shot lower than 66 in the Open before, with his last such score sealing victory three years ago.

But the left-hander took advantage of the wind dropping in the afternoon to card four birdies on the front nine and four more coming home as he looks to become the seventh consecutive American winner at Troon after Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton.

That would make him the fourth oldest major champion ever and the oldest at the Open since Old Tom Morris, who was just two months older than Mickelson when winning in 1867.

"This was pretty heartbreaking," said Mickelson.

"Nothing will match that final round at Muirfield, but it was one of the best rounds I've ever played and yet I want to shed a tear right now. That putt on 18 was an opportunity to do something historical. I knew it and with a foot to go I thought I had done it.

"I saw that ball rolling right in the centre. I went to go get it, I had that surge of adrenaline that I had just shot 62, and then I had the heartbreak that I didn't and watched that ball lip out. It was, 'Wow, that stings'. To have played this round and walk away feeling like I want to cry is a very awkward feeling."

Asked if he believed in the golfing gods, Mickelson said jokingly: "I didn't, but I do now. If there wasn't a curse, that ball would have been in and I would have had that 62."

Mickelson could find an advantage in an 8.25am tee time on Friday before the weather is forecast to deteriorate, but added: "One of the biggest challenges is when you shoot a round like this, you start expectations running through your head and so forth, and that's the one thing that I'll have to try to suppress.

"We'll have varying conditions tomorrow. It's going to be very difficult. Hopefully I've prepared myself well enough to tackle this golf course under those conditions and shoot a good number. A good number might be over par."

Kaymer has not won since claiming his second major title in the 2014 US Open and lost his full playing rights on the PGA Tour at the end of last season, but is enjoying playing more in Europe.

"When you're an American you feel more comfortable in America," the former world number one said. "As a European, I love playing in Europe because every week is very different and every course that we play I enjoy the different cultures.

"For me, that is just the way I have to schedule my next few years. It took me 10 years to understand where is the best place for me to play my best golf."

Royal Troon member Colin Montgomerie hit the opening tee shot at 6:35am and bounced back from a double bogey on the first to finish level, but world number one Jason Day struggled to a 73 and 1985 champion Sandy Lyle slumped to an 85 to prop up the field.

England's Chris Wood was forced to withdraw after 12 holes with an ongoing neck injury.

bennythedip2 · #5 July 16th, 2016, 12:16

Less than 24 hours after being cruelly denied a place in the record books, former champion Phil Mickelson made history to claim the halfway lead in the 145th Open Championship.

Mickelson added a second round of 69 to his opening 63 at Royal Troon for a 10-under-par total of 132, one shot lower than the previous best at the Ayrshire venue set by American Bobby Clampett in 1982 and equalled by Darren Clarke in 1997.

And although that was only good enough for a one-shot lead over Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Mickelson could count his blessings at being firmly on the right side of a draw which left Rory McIlroy eight adrift, Jason Day 11 behind and Danny Willett and Jordan Spieth battling to make the cut on the mark of four over.

The top 14 players on the leaderboard had all played late on Thursday and teed off by 10:09am on Friday, while driving wind and rain in late afternoon sent scores soaring.

That was of little concern to Mickelson, who was left hoping for a repeat of the result at Muirfield in 2013, when he claimed his fifth major title as Stenson finished runner-up.

"We're only halfway done with the tournament so it's too far off to start thinking like that, but certainly there is nothing more than I would love to add another Claret Jug," said the 46-year-old, who would become the fourth oldest winner of any major and the oldest in the Open since 1867.

"I think there is a lot of pressure off me given the fact that I've already got one.

"The other thing is that from 10 years ago, when I was playing my best golf, I'm 25 pounds lighter, I'm in better shape, I'm physically stronger than I was. I feel better and now that my swing is back on plane, I'm starting to hit some shots like I did 10 years ago and starting to play some of my best golf again.

"So I don't see why there's any reason why I can't continue that, not just this week, but for years. That's kind of what the game plan is."

Mickelson had come agonisingly close to making history on day one, his birdie putt on the 18th to record the first 62 in any major championship catching the edge of the cup and staying out.

The resulting 63 was the 28th such score in majors and the first in the Open since Rory McIlroy's opening round at St Andrews in 2010, which the Northern Irishman famously followed with an 80 in winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour which forced play to be suspended.

However, Mickelson was never in danger of suffering such a fate as a testing early breeze swiftly died and allowed him to extend his overnight lead to five shots with birdies on the fourth, seventh and eighth, the latter coming after his tee shot on the 'Postage Stamp' span back to within inches of the hole.

"That was really a salty little shot," explained Mickelson, who wore a black all-weather glove on each hand to combat the intermittent downpours.

"I had a sand wedge and drove it back there to try and skid it back to the hole and you can see the delayed juice kick in."

Wayward drives on the 12th and 15th led to Mickelson's first bogeys of the championship and meant Stenson closed the gap to a single stroke thanks to a superb 65, his lowest score in the Open by two shots.

"I haven't been in contention for the last six majors and it was a big, big goal of mine to try and be up there and give myself a chance. So far, so good," the 40-year-old said.

"I'm not going to play these tournaments forever and ever. I don't have another 50 goes at them. It might be a dozen or 15 in total so I better start putting myself in position and giving myself chances if I want to make it happen."

Keegan Bradley famously won the 2011 US PGA Championship on his first appearance in a major and partnered Mickelson to four wins from five Ryder Cup matches in 2012 and 2014.

But after arriving in Scotland ranked 120th in the world, the 30-year-old decided the best way to get his name on the leaderboard was to put it there himself on Monday evening.

"I actually snuck up on the leaderboard on 18 with a couple of guys and we put our names up," Bradley revealed after a 68 left him three off the lead alongside Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen.

"I'm probably going to get in trouble for that and probably shouldn't have said it. But it is fun to see my name up there next to Phil's now. It's just awesome."

Defending champion Zach Johnson dropped two shots in the last four holes to finish five off the lead, a shot ahead of a five-strong group containing England's Andrew Johnston and Spain's Sergio Garcia.

McIlroy was pleased to add a 71 to his opening 69 to remain two under alongside US Open champion Dustin Johnson, who returned a 69.

bennythedip2 · #6 July 16th, 2016, 22:01

Our man Stenson who we tipped at 30/1 is looking good for the final day

Open leader Henrik Stenson is fully prepared for the head-to-head battle with familiar foe Phil Mickelson as he goes looking for revenge after being pipped to the Claret Jug in 2013.

Three years ago the American carded four birdies in his last six holes to win by three from the Swede, having beaten him into third place seven days previously in the Scottish Open.

Stenson has been paired with the left-hander numerous times since but having played with him at this year's Masters, the US Open, again at the Scottish last week and in the third round he is more than ready to take back something from the five-time major winner.

"There's always revenge," said the 40-year-old, who holds the 54-hole lead in a major for the first time after a 68 at Royal Troon lifted him to 12 under and one ahead of his rival.

"I was one of the guys who was up there at Muirfield and Phil won it very deservingly and made a great finish; four birdies on the last six holes.

"Yeah, it would be great to hand one back to him tomorrow, absolutely but as we know it's going to take some good golfing to do that but I'm certainly willing to give it a try.

"I've played a lot with Phil, especially this year. I don't know why we ended up every second week together.

"We played at Augusta, we played at US Open, we ended up playing together last week in the third round and there's been another couple at The Players so I feel like he's my playing partner.

"Obviously he's an opponent in the Ryder Cup and I've played a lot of golf with him so I know I'll have to bring my best.

"I would have had to bring my best no matter who I was out with tomorrow but certainly when you're playing someone like Phil.

"I know he's not going to back down and I'm certainly going to try to not back down either so it should be an exciting afternoon."

Only five years ago Stenson was in the second of two career slumps which saw him drop to 230th in the world but he has rebounded brilliantly.

Lifting the Claret Jug would cap a real roller-coaster ride for the likeable Swede.

"It would be massive. This is the one thing I'm looking for. It would be the icing on the cake," he added.

"It would mean that just little bit extra to win it in Scotland,

"But if I give myself a 50-50, it might happen, it might not happen.

"The sun will come up on Monday any way, hopefully - maybe not in Scotland but in other parts of the world and I will be back at the USPGA to try [again].

"I know I've got the game to win one of these championships or a few, hopefully by the end of my career, and I will just try my hardest."

bennythedip2 · #7 July 17th, 2016, 19:19

Sweden's Henrik Stenson created history as he claimed his first major title

after coming out on top in a sensational shootout with former champion Phil Mickelson to win the 145th Open Championship.

Stenson carded a closing 63 at Royal Troon to become only the second player ever to finish a major on 20 under par, equalling the record set by Jason Day in last year's US PGA Championship.

The 40-year-old produced a staggering display to record 10 birdies and two bogeys to beat the Open record of 19 under set by Tiger Woods in 2000, as well as firing only the second 63 in the final round of a major by the eventual winner after Johnny Miller in the 1973 US Open at Oakmont.

Stenson's 72-hole total of 264 also beat the best in any major set by David Toms in the 2001 US PGA and was three lower than the previous Open record set by Greg Norman at Sandwich in 1993.

Mickelson, who had beaten Stenson into second place to lift the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013, had to settle for second place on 17 under despite a flawless final round of 65, with American JB Holmes an amazing 11 shots further adrift in third.

Although the weather could not match the heatwave for the epic contest between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus at nearby Turnberry in 1977, the golf certainly revived memories of the 'Duel in the Sun' as the final pair combined for 13 birdies and an eagle.

Stenson had started the day with a one-shot lead, only to three-putt the opening hole from just short of the green after Mickelson had already fired his approach to within two feet.

The resulting birdie took Mickelson to the top of the leaderboard and he almost chipped in for another on the second, but it was Stenson who found the bottom of the cup from 15 feet to draw level.

Another birdie from similar distance on the next restored Stenson's overnight advantage, only for Mickelson to hole from eight feet for an eagle on the fourth.

Stenson two-putted from long range there for his third straight birdie and the pair traded birdies on the par-five sixth to remain tied for the lead, before world number six Stenson edged in front again with a birdie on the eighth.

Looking to become Sweden's first male major champion after seven top-four finishes, Stenson rolled in his sixth birdie in the space of nine holes on the 10th, but Mickelson crucially followed him in from eight feet.

The pair were tied for the lead again when Stenson three-putted the 11th and Mickelson ensured he stayed on level terms by holing from 18 feet for par on the next after twice tangling with the thick rough.

For the second day running and for the third time this week, Stenson birdied the par-three 14th to edge ahead once more, Mickelson having missed his long-range attempt.

Stenson's approach to the 15th only just found the right-hand edge of the green, but from around 50 feet he holed the birdie putt to claim a two-shot lead for the first time.

Mickelson was not about to throw in the towel and hit a superb approach to the par-five 16th, but after his eagle putt agonisingly slipped across the front of the hole, Stenson holed from four feet for birdie - having missed the green with his second - to remain two ahead with two to play.

An historic 62 was even on the cards after a superb tee shot on the 17th, but after missing the birdie attempt there, Stenson made no such mistake on the 18th to bring a fitting end to an astonishing day.