The Open 2012 - the excitement is starting to build up!

First topic message reminder :

Tiger is practising at Royal Lytham this morning, so I guess it's time to
start talking about The Open.


For me it's the best week of the golfing calendar, I always take Thursday
and Friday off work so that I don't miss a minute of the TV coverage. I really
envy those who live close enough to Open venues to be able to travel daily from
home. It becomes rather expensive when you have start totting up the costs of a
season ticket, travel, accommodation, food etc, so it's usually a seat on the
sofa for me.


I note that there are only two Amateurs in the field this year, as none got
through from the Qualifying phases. I think that this is probably the
lowest number for some time, so it will just be a duel for the Silver Medal.


Not sure there are any "dead certs" this time around. On a
personal note I will be looking out for Ian Keenan, the pro from Royal
Liverpool who got through the Qualifying Stages. Ian has a young family,
and does a part-time job alongside playing some tournament golf (Challenge +
EuroPro), so am really pleased that he is getting the chance to experience
playing in a Major.


Anybody else getting excited yet?

Phew! Well done Dale - that's brilliant.

Just don't tell Blue that I was peeking while he was away!

Davie - I couldn't have put it better myself. People may gripe about Sky's advert breaks (yes, I do subscribe to Sky Sports but that's my choice and I prefer to do that than pay out for seats at live events so I can watch from the comfort of my own arm chair) but at least their cumulative coverage would be far more than BBC's and their commentators and off-course interviewers are far more knowledgeable (ie former Tour players in the main).

Davie/LP - my thoughts exactly. I am sorry that there is not more golf on "free" TV, so that it's accessible to everybody. But, when the Beeb do have an event I so often end up feeling that they don't deserve it, for precisely the reasons Davie has highlighted.

excuse me... but where is the love for Simon Khan? Apparently a journeyman waste of time sitting pretty at 1 under and in 15th spot!

And a good bloke to boot!

Don't think he was picked in anyone's fantasy team LJ. No one really cares about non selections unless you did consider picking them

fantasy team pah! Support the english! (Is there a mad crazed englishman waving a flag and stamping on a frenchman smiley? If not... please provide one)

2nd group out tomorrow is Tom Watson and Lee Westwood. Teeing off at 8.20 - I guess that if we're lucky we'll be able to pick them up at the turn, via the red button.

Dale Whitnell take a bow, what a fantastic performance, I am so chuffed for him

And well done Simon Khan too...Dale and Simon played together in practice earlier in the week LJ. Great to see two Essex boys flying high at the half-way stage.

Haven't seen any of it so far, for the reasons talked about in the posts earlier this evening Can't wait to get in front of the TV for the weekends play

hint for the years to come.

keep an eye on Bobby Keeble.

LJ I don't think Khan gets a lot of recognition because he calmly goes about his business. Top player though, you don't get to where he is without being one. Can remember some of the threads giving him grief for winning of all things the PGA at Wentworth.

tell me about it. I recall westwood had put money on him to win at tour school.and i'm sure that guy can spot a golfer when he sees one!

Was going to mention Luke as well until that last misstep but Ernie, GMac and Lawrie need to get it going to make things a bit more interesting at the top.

Now that would be lovely theatre for Sunday... Stevie vs. Tiger... er.. I mean Scott vs. Woods.

This Thorbjorn S.O.B. has game. Too bad we rarely get to see a shot by the youngster.

Would be interesting if Tiger wins and Stevie is asked to present the trophy...I wonder where he would put it?

A nice tidy round from Dale again today. It gives you a clue as to his mental strength for him to birdie 18 on the back of a double on 17.

Really hope for another 72 or similar tomorrow which would give him a very decent pay-day. I think there is 8k in the kitty already, which is the minimum amount of winnings once you make the cut?

BlueCoverman wrote:A nice tidy round from Dale again today. It gives you a clue as to his mental strength for him to birdie 18 on the back of a double on 17.

And more importantly if he can move up the board tomorrow he will gain more OWGR points. (He started the tourney at the bare minimum of points given at #1448 on the list.) That was good resolve on the #16 - #18 Holes as it must have been demoralizing to get the double after birdieing the 16th only to comeback as you stated.

His effort so far also reinforces and supports The Open qualifiers being a factor rather than a token spot holder in the field.

And don't forget that also (and much more importantly) he gets to be interviewed by me for the benefit of the members on this forum!

Would be great to have an interview with him even though we are a small membership here - you could always offer his interview to the dark side but the Hobonator would probably want to know what he thought of Caddyshack or Happy Gilmour

Just watching the BBC build up to the final round and I'm asking myself, not for the first time, why Sir Nick Faldo gets such a bum-rap from golfers and golf watchers

I think he's great to watch; he's funny, he's articulate and he's not afraid to speak his mind

Wish we got to see more of him on British TV

Think he's started to relax more now Davie. However one of his big criticisms is that he doesn't seem to share stories about players and is a little out if touch with today's players.

Seems like we have done a swap Faldo for slack Alliss. Fix that please?

Although Alliss did have a saving grace. Some twat yelled out mashed potato as Donald hits his opening tee shot. Alliss just said ah shut up

Well a slightly disappointing 76 today sees Dale finishing at +8 and currently tied 60th.

A mutual golf friend received a text from Dale in the early hours of this morning. Apparently at that time he was enjoying the company of a newly met young female golf fan, who was not only very pretty and gorgeous, but extremely keen to 'get to know him better'

After a busy night with not much sleep, I do hope that she was worth the ensuing slide down the leaderboard and reduction in prize money earned. Not to mention the fact that he would have gained me valuable fantasy league points if he had finished in the top 20! Could she have been sent by Grumps to ensure that I stay firmly towards the bottom of the table?

Who, what, me Blue. Don't know what you mean

Just though Blue, where was Mary. We all know her fixation with golfers

Looks like no one wants to win this. If Scott can hang on it should be a procession for him

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Just though Blue, where was Mary. We all know her fixation with golfers

An interesting thought Grumps. She hasn't been on online today, and I don't recall seeing her on here last night

Mind you Dale's text did say that she was young...

You best hide Blue. Maybe it was to throw you off of the scent

BlueCoverman wrote:A mutual golf friend received a text from Dale in the early hours of this morning. Apparently at that time he was enjoying the company of a newly met young female golf fan, who was not only very pretty and gorgeous, but extremely keen to 'get to know him better'

Oh boy - if you DO manage to get him to contribute something to the forum, we'd better make sure we clean this thread up! I know sportsmen and even if he doesn't want to join the forum, you can bet he'd want to come here as a guest and see what people say about his interview - don't want him reading this!

Can I just have one last rant about the coverage? I've been out all day at the club playing in a "fun" team event (captains team against vice-captain wth a hog roast afterwards) - We got to see the climax of the golf but I wanted to sit down now and see some of the rest of the action tonight - but can't anything ANYWHERE on TV!

BlueCoverman wrote:Mind you Dale's text did say that she was young...

I have been busy visiting my Mother this morning, and then glued to the sofa this afternoon!

Really felt sorry for Adam Scott, and hope that he will come back stronger from this. I just wish he didn't have the obnoxious Steve Williams on the bag. Couldn't help but be pleased for Ernie though, he has fought to get his game on track, and seems a really genuine guy.

Where on earth did the BBC get that female reporter from? "That run of three bogies didn't help you at all, Adam" - surprised he didn't deck her!

Was the female reporter one of the Blue Peter type presenters they wheel in for these events? They do have a habit these days of trying to mix sport with Cee-Beebies

Davie wrote:Was the female reporter one of the Blue Peter type presenters they wheel in for these events? They do have a habit these days of trying to mix sport with Cee-Beebies

It seemed that all the repoorters employed to do interviews knew nothing about golf. Why didn't they ask David Howell to do the interviews - at least he understands the game. That stupid girlie was a joke!

Yet another reason why the BBC should step aside and give the coverage to Sky. What on earth were they doing, firstly on Saturday morning when we had about an hour's chat when there was coverage on the red button (so why not put the chat on the red button and the coverage on the main channel so you can watch coverage in HD?) and then no coverage until 11am yesterday

What I found strange about Nick Faldo was that I felt he was actually quite good and not the foolish idiot he seems to be when he's doing commentary in the USA. Maybe the Yanks tell him to be a "personality" (which he isn't) and then he tried too hard and falls flat on his face.

Delighted for Ernie (a true gent - what other sportsman would start his victory speech with commiserating with the chap he's just beaten?). He was obviously shell-shocked but with one of the few rounds actually under par yesterday, he thoroughly deserved it.

Davie wrote:Was the female reporter one of the Blue Peter type presenters they wheel in for these events? They do have a habit these days of trying to mix sport with Cee-Beebies

BBC are getting really annoying with this. I starting watching a programme the other day: 50 greatest olympic moments, but I had to give up because of the annoying vox pop comments. These clip shows can be good if the rented "celebs" actually have an opinion, but how can a 21 year old girl (presumably another Blue Peter presenter) give an opinion on how it felt when Mark Spitz won all those golds in 1972?

I guess it might have been worse - they could have sent Fearne Cotton!

raycastleunited wrote:

BBC are getting really annoying with this. I starting watching a programme the other day: 50 greatest olympic moments, but I had to give up because of the annoying vox pop comments. These clip shows can be good if the rented "celebs" actually have an opinion, but how can a 21 year old girl (presumably another Blue Peter presenter) give an opinion on how it felt when Mark Spitz won all those golds in 1972?

Lets just hope our security forces can do a better job than those at Munich did 40 years ago...

Mary_S wrote:I guess it might have been worse - they could have sent Fearne Cotton!

What, to Dale?










Sorry Davie, permission granted to delete my post later