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Tweets We'd Like To Read In 2012

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

2011 was full of surprises, but we'd welcome these developments in 2012.

British Open: Five questions for Sunday

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 08:50:00 GMT

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- Through three rounds, Royal Lytham & St. Annes has give us a tremendous leader board. How will it all shake out by Sunday evening? We take a look at five burning questions entering the final round.

1. Will we finally see some "British Open weather"? If you believe the weather forecast, then yes. Sunny skies should greet the leaders as they tee off, but the most wind of any of the four rounds is predicted for today. A steady 15-20 mph southwest breeze is expected with isolated gusts up to 35 mph a possibility after 3 p.m. local time. With the final group teeing off at 2:30, we could be in for a wild finish.

2. Can Tiger mount a charge? So far, he's faithfully stuck to his conservative game plan. It will be interesting to see if that changes, though, facing a five-shot deficit to begin the final round. The stronger winds could make things even trickier, possibly forcing the man who has hit driver just five times in three days to go to the big stick more often. Keep in mind, too, that the 14-time major winner didn't collect any of those trophies by coming from behind and at the last major, he entered the final round in similar position before playing the first six holes at six over. On Woods' side? There's only one guy with a substantial lead over him. Which brings us to...

3. Is it finally Adam Scott's time? It's been nearly a decade since a 23-year-old Scott burst onto the scene with his first PGA Tour win and backed that up with a win at the Players in 2004. Multiple major championships seemed inevitable for the man with a seemingly identical swing to Tiger Woods circa 2000. But other than a close call at Augusta in 2011, Scott -- currently ranked No. 13 in the world -- hasn't even contended in one of golf's biggest events. After a 68 in the third round that gave him a four-shot lead, Scott said he'd draw from that experience in which he played well down the stretch, but was caught by Charl Schwartzel. If he plays anything at all like he has the first three days, though, he'll be nearly impossible to catch this time.

4. Can G-Mac get major No. 2? For a second-straight major, McDowell will tee off last thanks to playing his last 11 holes on Saturday in four-under par. He played solidly in the final round of last month's U.S. Open at Olympic Club before coming up one shot short of Webb Simpson. Making up four shots will be difficult, but the man from Northern Ireland has proven he has what it takes. In the 2010 U.S. Open, McDowell played in the final group with Dustin Johnson and wiped away a three-shot lead to claim his first major. Of course, he got a lot of help that day from DJ, but the point is that he relishes these types of pressure-packed opportunities.

5. Will the string of first-time major winners come to an end? It doesn't look like it with Scott holding a four-shot lead, but in a year that has has already seen more than its fair share of comebacks, anything is possible. Should Scott stumble, it's more than likely that this unprecedented run of nine consecutive maiden major winners will come to a halt. Of the next five players on the leader board, only Brandt Snedeker is without a major. And who started this stretch? A certain Northern Irishman playing in the final pairing. . .

-- Alex Myers
Follow @AlexMyers3

British Open: Five questions for Saturday

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 11:02:00 GMT

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- There's been plenty to talk about through two days at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. What are the burning questions entering Day 3? We take a look.

1. What's the weather forecast?

The third round began with sunny skies and virtually no wind giving this Open Saturday the feel of last week's John Deere Classic. Amazingly, this weather is supposed to hold -- at least for today, with isolated gusts of wind up to 15mph possible late in the afternoon. For players able to avoid Royal Lytham's 205 bunkers and thick rough, low scores should be very attainable.

2. What can we expect from Tiger Woods?

Woods was in contention at the last major championship before collapsing over the weekend at Olympic -- the first time he failed to close the deal when holding a lead at the 36-hole mark in a major. He may not lead this week, but with just two major-less names ahead of him, he's the odds-on-favorite to most heading into the final two rounds. Woods, who has three wins on the PGA Tour in his last eight starts, has been very conservative off the tee, ranking 73rd in driving distance (266.5 yards) among the 83 players who made the cut. That has allowed him to miss just two fairways through two days and has left him in a good spot on the leader board, but you have to wonder if he'll stick to that game plan if others around him are capitalizing on the easy scoring conditions.

3. Can Brandt Snedeker keep this up?

"Sneds" entered this event having missed the cut in all three of his previous British Opens and having never even broken par in a single round. However, the three-time PGA Tour winner has been flawless through two days to become the first player since Woods at the 2000 Open Championship to play a bogey-free first 36 holes at a major championship. The biggest reason for this turnaround is probably the lack of usual British Open conditions so far this week. Keeping a blemish off his card for a third-straight round seems unrealistic, but with another day of not having to battle the elements on tap, there's no reason to think Snedeker -- and his hot putter -- can't stay on top.

4. Who is the most dangerous player outside of the top three?

Jason Dufner has quietly been the most consistent player in the past four major championships. He nearly won the PGA Championship, was a co-leader through 36 holes at Augusta National, and played perhaps the best of anyone from tee to green at the U.S. Open. Amid all that, he also picked up his first two PGA Tour wins at the Zurich Classic and the Byron Nelson. Whereas his putter let him down at Olympic Club, it shouldn't be as much of a factor on Royal Lytham's softer, flatter greens.

5. Who the heck is Thorbjorn Olesen?!

For today, he'll simply be known by most as that guy playing with Tiger Woods in the second-to-last group. However, there's a good chance we'll hear more from the Dane, who plays on the European Tour and is currently 112th in the Official World Golf Ranking, in the future. Just 22 and already a winner of the Sicilian Open earlier this year, he fired a second-round 66 to move into solo fourth at five-under par. Perhaps more impressively, Olesen birdied 18 knowing he had to if he wanted to tee it up with his idol on Saturday. Careful what you wish for, young man. . .

-- Alex Myers
Follow @AlexMyers3

Viewer's Guide: July 5-8

Ashley Mayo — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Where to watch this weekend's action.

The 2012 U.S. Open: Sunday's Birdies and Bogeys

Alex Myers and Derek Evers — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Who were the winners and losers on Sunday of the Open Championship? Let's take a closer look with another edition of birdies and bogeys.

The 2012 U.S. Open: Saturday''s Birdies And Bogeys

Alex Myers and Derek Evers — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Who were the winners and losers on Saturday of the Open Championship? Let's take a closer look with another edition of birdies and bogeys.

Michael Thompson's travel gamble pays off

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:08:00 GMT

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- While only in his second year on the PGA Tour, Michael Thompson is familiar with risk-reward shots. Yet there was something different about the one the 27-year-old from Birmingham, Ala., pulled off this week at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

Thompson arrived in England as the second alternate in the British Open field, knowing full well he needed help to actually be competing come Thursday. After claiming a share of second at last month's U.S. Open in his first major as a professional, however, he wasn't about to pass the potential to play in another, even if it was a long shot.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Sure enough, Thompson's bet paid off when a balky back caused Russ Cochran to drop out Thursday morning. Despite only being able to muster a four-over 74, Thompson was all grins about the opportunity to play.

"The putter wasn't working today, unfortunately, not like at the U.S. Open," Thompson said. "But that's the way golf is."

As much as Thompson owes Cochran a thank you, he also needs to send a card to Robert Karlsson and Ben Crane. On Wednesday, Karlsson withdrew from the tournament, reducing the field to 156 and thus allowing the R&A to dip into the alternate list should another player bow out. Meanwhile, Ben Crane, who was first on the alternate list, did not make the trip over to England. Upon learning of Karlsson's WD, Crane looked into flights, but finding anything that could get him from his home in Oregon in time proved too difficult.

Thompson arrived at the course at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, hoping to get the nod from R&A officials. He was in the players dining area at 9 a.m. when they tracked him down to tell him of Cochran's plight, giving him plenty of time before the 11:53 a.m. tee time.

Unlike at the U.S. Open, golfers on the alternate list at the British are allowed to play the course during practice rounds. Thompson said he got in 18 holes Tuesday and nine on Wednesday, so that he felt sufficiently prepared. Knowing he would have the chance to practice and play at Lytham greatly affected Thompson's decision to come over in the first place.

"I just basically said it's an opportunity to come over here and practice, prepare, just like any other tournament," he said. "And for a British Open, that's experience that I need for the future."

Related: Know your British Open courses

Had Thompson not gotten into the field, he and his wife were set to go sightseeing in London, killing time before boarding the charter flight Sunday night that's taking players to next week's RBC Canadian Open.

"No matter what, it was going to be a great experience," Thompson said. "It's just that much better that I got in and got to play in my first British Open. Hopefully it's the first of many."

-- Ryan Herrington
Follow @GWCampusInsider

The 2012 U.S. Open: Friday's Birdies And Bogeys

Alex Myers and Derek Evers — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Who were the winners and losers on Friday of the Open Championship? Let's take a closer look with another edition of birdies and bogeys.

The 2012 U.S. Open: Thursday's Birdies And Bogeys

Sam Weinman and Alex Myers — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Who were the winners and losers on Thursday of the Open Championship? Let's take a closer look with another edition of birdies and bogeys.

Placing a few Pounds on the eve of the Open Championship

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:06:00 GMT

One of the pleasures of British Open week for visiting Americans is to venture into one of the many local betting emporiums to place a modest -- and legal -- wager or two on their favorite players. Nowadays, such bets can all be done online. And with the advent of exchange betting sites like Betfair, as well as backing a player you can "lay" a player or bet against them. This kind of betting is thus more like trading, and you can do it throughout the tournament, right up to the last putt.

So on the eve of the tournament, I fired up my laptop, put £100 -- about $160 -- into the kitty in my Betfair account and went shopping. Here's how I spent it:

£5 on Tiger Woods at 10.5 (to 1) to win £47.50. Not particularly original to bet on the favorite, but these seem like decent odds for a 14-time major winner who has won three times on tour this year and has a good record at Lytham. In the 10 previous Opens at Lytham, the winners have all been thoroughbreds.

- £10 on Westwood at 15 to win £140. English golfers of a certain age get a little misty when they recall Tony Jacklin winning here in 1969. The English who believe in fairytales are naturally hoping for another homegrown champion, and seeing as how the current world nos. 1 (Luke Donald) and 3 (Lee Westwood) are English, their dream may well come true. Of the two I prefer Westwood: he's a long, straight driver, which is going to be essential this week, and he's just been too close too many times not to break through.

- £10 on Justin Rose at 32 for £310. Another Englishman whose won this year and who often gets overlooked in the Donald-Westwood battle for world domination. He's still never bettered his tied-fourth position in his debut Open, in 1988, when as a 17-year-old amateur he holed a pitch at the 72nd hole, but this could be the year.

- £10 on Graeme McDowell at 36 for £350. The 2010 U.S. Open champion is in his prime, and grew up in Portrush, Northern Ireland, so he'll be well prepared for whatever foul weather Lytham throws at him this week.

- £10 on Rickie Fowler at 40 to win £390. I watched Fowler play a few holes at Royal St. George's last year and he was playing all kinds of improvised linksy knockdown shots and delicate bump and runs, just like a Scottish native. In his two Open appearances, he's finished tied 14th and tied 5th, and with his maiden win on tour in May, he destined for great things.

- £10 on Sergio Garcia at 40 to win £390. Here's hoping he can channel the spirit of Seve Ballesteros, who two of his three Opens here, and finally live up to his potential.

- £5 on Jason Dufner at 48 to win £235. OK so he missed the cut in both of his two prior Opens, but he's solid, unflappable, and in form: two wins on tour this year and a tied 4th in the U.S. Open.

- Four other bets on players with long odds who I don't think will win, but I do think that their odds have a good chance of shortening during the week, in which case I can "lay" them, hedging the bets and pocketing the difference. As follows: £5 on Zach Johnson at 75 to win £370--the man in form;
£5 on Bubba Watson at 85 to win £420--the Masters champion's creativity is well suited for links golf;
£10 on Branden Grace at 200 to win £1,990--the South African phenomenon is a three-time winner on the European tour this season and is looking for a big breakthrough;
£5 on Brandt Snedeker at 300 to win £1,495--streaky, unpredictable, and could suddenly find his groove.

- £10 on winning nationality being South Africa at 8.4 for £74. There have only been four South African winners of the claret jug, but the country has 14 players in the field, with many of them realistic contenders.

- £5 on a winning score of 5 strokes or more at 8.8 for £39. A throwaway bet but good odds for a runaway winner.

I'll be trading throughout the championship and will report back on Sunday on how much I won (or lost).

-- John Barton