Now on the tee, from USA: The 2024 Open Championship thread

Its funny, I feel the same way. I can't even pinpoint why.

 

Props to the NBC crew for surviving that afternoon wave that mostly just featured a bunch of people already out of contention making more bogeys.

 

I was on Peacock for a while because I didn't know it was on USA. One of the broadcasters, an English woman, said, "Bryson's mindset has gone from 'I can overpower this course' to 'I can't find my ball.'"

 

Go ahead and book it now.
Someone from one of the middle groups shoots 64/65 to get right back into the tournament.
If the R&A/USGA disagree on 20,000,000 things, they will both agree on one thing…..they want people to go low on Saturday.
Tee boxes up. Easier pins.
Whatever.

 

My buddies just got back from Scotland (50th birthday) and while it sounded kinda cool, not flyover and eat Brit food cool.

On the other hand I almost killed myself in 110 heat today playing 18. Feel kinda stupid but better than work. By 10 I was done.

 

I definitely dig The Open. Such a different feel than what we normally watch. Maybe I should watch more of the euro tour.

I’d love to do one of those Scotland/Ireland packages. Or one in the U.S. like Bandon Dunes.

For giggles I punched in a Scotland package for that outfit Nick Faldo pimps for in the commercials. Think it’s called Hidden Gems. Punched in a trip for four. One major course (like St. Andrew’s) and three “hidden gem” courses. With good hotel and transportation to and from each round.

It wasn’t as expensive as I expected. But I expected it to be laughably expensive.

Got to play a round in Scotland. The weather was apparently the best weather Scotland has ever had. And it was a parkland course. So, while it was great, it wasn’t too different than in the U.S.

Played one round in Ireland. A seaside links course. And got the absolute full effect. Drizzle. Rain. Hard rain. No rain. Sun. Cloudy. Hard rain. And always strong wind with big gusts.

That was hard. And fun. And memorable.

 

Golfing in Ireland/Scotland is on my to do list.
Dad played Ballybunion, Lahinch, and a couple others 30 years ago with a group and had a blast.

 

We've had a member trip to Ireland the last two years and we're running one to Northern Ireland this year. Scotland next year. We also do some domestic ones, and I'm the staff member heading to Kohler in October. Ready to purchase about a million shit golf balls just to get through the round at Whistling Straits.

 

I played those two courses over 40 years ago. They were indeed a blast, but if you're not going well, a top links golf course like that will turn your round into a horror very quickly.

 

Because we have to wake up early to watch this and most writers I know are night owls.