Open Golf, Good or Bad?

Having watched some of the world's best golfers struggle around the course, I was wondering if it's good for golf or not.

What would you rather have, only a handful of players breaking par for the four days, or the winner being twenty under par?

It was nice to see the players not having it their own way, but some of them just didn't seem to be with it!

And the world's top two golfer missing the cut, who would have thought that!

Ricky Fowler is looking like a future bet for the Open, as he seems to have the game to play on a links course.

So, go on then, make it hard for the pro's or not?

Russ

I had moments where I got a bit bored, strike me down, which may be down to the tough conditions especially when it rained!

But watching Darren Clarke the last 2 days made it great for me and once again the final day of the Open lived up to expectations with Mickleson almost on fire and Rickie showing what a true star he will be. Who cares about the world number 1 and 2 missing the cut

Any golf tournament that doesnt need to mention Tiger to get people tuning in is good for golf in the long term.

After watching Rory's post round interview earlier it occured to me that this could be bad for the game, when he was talking about not changing his style of golf for 1 tournament a year. It then dawned on me that the main problem with Links golf is that there isn't enough of it. It is, after all, an integral part of the game and there should be more, yearly tour events played on British links.

RSG played as a par 70 this week so level par was 280. Most courses on Pro Tours today are par 72. DC would then have finished -13 and the 'cut' would have been -1.

It wouldn't change anything, just numbers in a book.

BTW, well done DC.

TheLyth

LOVE IT !  The wind, the rain, the humps and bumps the rock hard greens, the luck of the draw the knee high rough. It all part of the open and long may it remain so.

Thought the rough could have been a bit nearer the fairway. Do they always have a 1st cut on links?

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

It was a true test of golf.  Watching the USPGA snooze fest on Sky at the moment, perfect weather, perfect greens, perfect fairways, a lot of players on -15 upwards - just what kind of challenge is that?  They drive the ball 300 yards plus and then wedge it to the green.  Par 5's are shoe-in birdies.  Miss the fairway and it's an inconvenience not a punishment.

Compare that to the open, where even Dustin Johnson (one of the longest pro's out) was forced to attempt to play a three-shot-to-the green par 5 of around 490 yards into the teeth of a gale.  In his attempt to do this he toed his second OB because he knew he had to drill a low lay-up to get a shot to the green.  Don't get me wrong, I thought he played spectacularly well (and was a true gentleman in defeat) but being forced into a shot he would never have to attempt on the US tour was such a refreshing change from the usual target golf we normally get served up.  Dare I say it, but it made him look as human any one of us.

So why should the pro's have it any easier than the rest of us?  I would rather them seem to be as error prone as us hackers, and it's much a more of a test of professionalism to be able to adapt to conditions than having it handed to them on a plate.  DC adapted and won, simple as that.   

Stu Govan complaining about the pace of play, I've heard it all now

32 secs......that's about 10mins quicker then you (so I've heard!) http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/shades_smile.gif" title="cool" />

Mr FAST, is that an anagram for

Fatigue

After

Stuarts

Tee shot

Mr FAST, is that an anagram for

Fatigue

After

Stuarts

Tee shot

For me it was golf how it should be, I also agree with the 'who cares' if the world no. 1 & 2 miss the cut.

When the players are scoring really well you do not get to see any of the shots they play apart from the birie putts on the greens because there are so many of them, who wants to spend hours just watching putts roll in?