British Open -- Day Four Wrap-Up

I'm sorry it took so long to post this entry, but really there wasn't much of interest on the last day at Royal Portrush unless you were a huge fan of Shane Lowry.  The Big Man ran off and left the rest of the field, and had about as easy a final Sunday as you could ever hope to see at a major.  For those of us from Western Kentucky, it was depressing to watch J.B. Holmes fade to an eye-popping 87 on the last day.  I've never heard of anyone shooting in the 60's on the first three days of a tournament, only to shoot 87 on the last day.  I can only imagine how he has suffered, and we can only hope that it won't hurt his game too much in the long run.

On the whole, I think the 2019 season in golf will be remembered for Tiger's victory in the Masters, and Koepka's victory in the PGA, and not much else.  Neither the National Open nor the British Open left much of an impression on me, and I imagine that most golf fans will feel the same.  We still have the playoffs coming up in August, but to be honest I wish they had kept the PGA there.  One option for me is to treat the BMW International (which used to be one of my favorite tournaments when it was the Western Open) as a major, and really go all in on watching it.  I still haven't decided what to do.

1.  S. Lowry (IRL):  -15 (67+67+63+72=269)

2.  T. Fleetwood (ENG):  -9 (68+67+66+74=275)

3.  T. Finau:  -7 (68+70+68+71=277)

T4.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -6 (68+67+70+73=278)
T4.  B. Koepka:  -6 (68+69+67+74=278)

T6.  R. MacIntrye (SCO):  -5 (68+72+71+68=279)
T6.  T. Hatton (ENG):  -5 (68+71+71+69=279)
T6.  D. Willett (ENG):  -5 (74+67+65+73=279)
T6.  R. Fowler:  -5 (70+69+66+74=279)

T10.  P. Reed:  -4 (71+67+71+71=280)

British Open -- Day Three Wrap-Up

Let's be clear:  J.B. Holmes, playing in front of a tumultuous crowd in Northern Ireland in the last group of the day, did not choke.  Holmes actually played quite well, birdieing the last hole for a 2-under par 69 -- his third straight round in the 60's.  He is now 10-under par for the tournament.  Other Americans also played well.  Brooks Koepka shot a 4-under par 67 to move to 9-under.  Rickie Fowler shot a 66 to move to 8-under.  Jordan Spieth shot a 69 to move to 7-under.  All of these men are bunched behind Tommy Fleetwood, trying to become the first Englishman to win the British Open since Nick Faldo did it back in 1992.  Fleetwood had a glorious round, posting a 66 that left him at 12-under par.

But Shane Lowry, who grew up in Ireland, and who still lives there, was on a different plane altogether.  All the hopes for any Irish person who was excited about seeing the British Open in Ulster -- after a 68-year absence -- were fulfilled today.  Lowry was very good each of the first two days -- posting back-to-back 67's to tie Holmes for the lead at the halfway point.  Today, however, on a cloudy day where a lack of wind left Royal Portrush relatively defenseless, played the round of his dreams.  He made three birdies on the front nine, to take the turn in only 33 shots.  But on the back nine he was even better, birdieing 10, 12, 15, 16, and 17.  When it was all over, he had an almost perfect round:  8 birdies, no bogeys, and a course-record 63.  It was a spectacular performance that had the huge Irish crowds roaring with joy.  And it blew open what had been a very close golf tournment before Lowry reached the back nine.

Of course now he has one more day to go.  And tomorrow is supposed to feature some "weather" as the British Open commentators put it.  In fact, the R & A is so concerned about weather conditions that they are sending everyone out earlier than usual -- much as the Masters did earlier this year.  Today Lowry teed off at 3:50 PM British Summer Time -- or 9:50 AM Central Daylight Time.  Tomorrow he and Tommy Fleetwood are scheduled to hit their first officials shots at 1:47 PM BST, or 7:47 AM CDT.  It's a shame for any American fans who will be in church when the final shots are made.  But on the other hand, if Lowry plays like he did today, there won't be that much drama.

One more point.  As far as I can tell, Royal Portrush is an excellent golf course.  There are very few lightweights at the top of the leaderboard, and the crowds have been spectacular.  I really hope that it will remain in the Open rotation.

1.  S. Lowry (IRL):  -16 (67+67+63=197)

2.  T. Fleetwood (ENG):  -12 (68+67+66=201)

3.  J.B. Holmes:  -10 (66+68+69=203)

T4.  B. Koepka:  -9 (68+69+67=204)
T4.  J. Rose (ENG):  -9 (69+67+68=204)

T6.  R. Fowler:  -8 (70+69+66=205)
T6.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -8 (68+67+70=205)

T8.  D. Willett (ENG):  -7 (74+67+65=206)
T8.  J. Rahm (ESP):  -7 (68+70+68=206)
T8.  T. Finau:  -7 (68+70+68=206)
T8.  J. Spieth:  -7 (70+67+69=206)

British Open -- Day Two Wrap-Up

The biggest news from Day Two of the British Open is that we said good-bye to some old favorites.  Tiger Woods shot a valiant 1-under par 70, but missed the cut due to his 7-over par 78 on Thursday.  Rory McIlroy, in his Ulster homeland, shot an even more valiant 65 -- but missed the cut (by one painful shot) because of his 79 on Thursday.  Phil Mickelson is gone after a middling 76 was followed by a middling 74.  And Adam Scott is gone after a 78 and a 73.  Of course, none of these folks did as poorly as our old friend David Duval, the 2001 British Open Champion.  Duval shot a 91 on the first day, followed that with a 78, and leaves the premises with a 27-over-par total of 169.

So who's left?  Lots of interesting folks, actually, including Campbellsville's own J.B. Holmes, who is tied for the lead with Irish fan-fave Shane Lowry at 8 under par.  other big names are circling the top, including Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Jordan Spieth, and Brooks Koepka.  Here is the current top 10:

T1.  J.B. Holmes:  -8 (66+68=134)
T1.  S. Lowry (IRL):  -8 (67+67=134)

T3.  T. Fleetwood (ENG):  -7 (68+67=135)
T3.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -7 (68+67=135)

T5.  C. Smith (AUS):  -6 (70+66=136)
T5.  J. Harding (RSA):  -6 (71+65=136)
T5.  J. Rose (ENG):  -6 (69+67=136)

T8.  B. Koepka:  -5 (68+69=137)
T8.  J. Spieth:  -5 (70+67=137)
T8.  A. Putnam:  -5 (70+67=137)
T8.  D. Frittelli (RSA):  -5 (68+69=137)

British Open: Round One Wrap-Up

So they played the first round of the British Open Thursday -- but they weren't in Great Britain.  For the first time since 1951, the British Open is actually being played in Northern Ireland, at a course called Royal Portrush.  This change represents a major source of joy for the golf cognoscenti, who are always excited to see an old and famous course brought back into the rotation.  Sometimes it can be a huge success, as when Merion hosted the 2013 U.S. Open.  Sometimes it's a big disappointment, as when Olympia Fields hosted the 2003 U.S. Open.

So far, Royal Portrush looks like it will be a success.  Some of the great heroes crashed and burned, which is always a disappointment to the Middle-Aged Men Who Watch Golf.  Tiger shot a 78 and will probably miss the cut.  Ditto for Adam Scott (78), Phil Mickelson (76), and hometown fave Rory McIlroy (79).  (Once again, Rory will complete a calendar year without a major title.  He hasn't won one since 2014, and I am staggered by that fact).  On the other hand, the top of the leader board is full of interesting names, including J.B. Holmes, who would be a strong candidate for Kentuckian of the Year with a victory.  Sergio, Lee Westwood, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka are all near the top, which indicates serious drama ahead.  Also, it should be noted that the top 15 players are all within two shots of the lead.

The rest of the world is trying to prevent the Americans from sweeping all four majors for the first time since 1982.  And they have a very good chance, as few Americans are currently in the top 10.  Here is the leaderboard after Day One:

1.  J.B. Holmes:  -5 (66)

2.  S. Lowry (IRL):  -4 (67)

T3.  A. Noren (SWE):  -3 (68)
T3.  W. Simpson:  -3 (68)
T3.  S. Garcia (ESP):  -3 (68)
T3.  D. Frittelli (RSA):  -3 (68)
T3.  R. MacIntyre (SCO):  -3 (68)
T3.  K. Aphibarnrat (THA):  -3 (68)
T3.  R. Fox (AUS):  -3 (68)
T3.  T. Hatton (ENG):  -3 (68)
T3.  T. Fleetwood (ENG):  -3 (68)
T3.  B. Koepka:  -3 (68)
T3.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -3 (68)
T3.  T. Finau:  -3 (68)
T3.  J. Rahm (ESP):  -3 (68)

HP Special Report: J.B. Holmes Leads!

This is an HP Special report: The whole first round of the British Open is nearly complete, and Campbellsville's J.B. Holmes is alone in the lead! I'm so glad he didn't stay home and play the Barbasol Championship in Nicholasville instead.