Sad day for golf.. Henrik Stenson removed as Ryder Cup captain

 Yesterday I was moved to tweet this on hearing that Henrik Stenson chose to turn his back on the ultimate honour of the captaincy of Europe's Ryder Cup team to take the money on offer from LIV. 

" The after glow of a simply enthralling @theOpen is barely gone, being replaced by more talk about heroes like Stenson and even Cam Smith leaving for LIV. All the divisive talk about money and greed attached to the game I love is simply sickening"

This morning after a Tuesday meeting with Henrik and the Ryder Cup committee this statement was issued as a result.

Ryder Cup Europe today confirms that Henrik Stenson’s tenure as Captain of Team Europe for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy from September 25 – October 1, 2023, has been brought to an end with immediate effect.

In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances, it has become clear that he will not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe that he had committed to prior to his announcement as Captain on Tuesday March 15, 2022, and it is therefore not possible for him to continue in the role of Captain.

Confirmation of the new 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain will be made in due course. Ryder Cup Europe will be making no further comment on any aspect of the process until that time. 

I have, nor ever will be offered $1,000,000, or even for that matter $100 and apart from Stenson's published earnings, I have no idea of his financial plight or lack thereof.

However what I do have an idea of is honouring my word and despising greed. 

I also treasure the respect my colleagues, peers and supporters have bestowed upon me. 

All this, his respect, his standing in the community that has provided him with the highest praise, and enormous riches, have just been flushed down the toilet.

He and his family will be no more comfortable 20 years from now than they were yesterday, no happier.

When we get older we enjoy looking back on our life's accomplishments and I dare say everyone of us would hold the honour of being asked to captain our country's Ryder Cup team right near the top.

Henrik has sold that honour for a mess of pottage...

Bryan Angus

Aussie Cameron Smith 64 grabs the 150th Open Championship... Sunday final results

The Open Championship.. Sunday final scoreboard here.

I tweeted earlier the I "dreaded someone was going to shoot 59" on the Old Course in the weekend's benign weather, but as it turned out the fast and firm fairways and the ancient greens stood the test of time.

Even with the latest equipment and talent driving some of the revered par 4's included,   you've never seen so many guys having to make 80 foot lag putts after approaching with short irons in their hands.

Sunday with an overcast start turned out to be a 4 horse race by the final nine

Rory could have won it, but too many pars for -2 70 sees him finish T3. Victor Hovland just couldn't make enough birdies either, finishing T4 after his 74 . American Cameron Young did everything he could and certainly deserved it if he had won, finishing 2nd -19 with a terrific 65

In the end it was the other Cameron, Aussie Cameron Smith who simply went out after beginning the day 4 shots off the lead and made 5 straight birdies on the tough back nine for -6 30 coming home for a record tying Open score of -20 after posting -8 64.

He is the Championship Golfer of the Year"....67 64 73 64 268 -20 the winning score....

"He's is a triple threat, he drives it, he wedges it and he putts it" said Paul Azinger.

"This week my driver felt pretty good, and today all the putts were going in" said the media shy little Aussie, adding " This one's for Oz "(Australia) after being reminded the last Aussie to win was 28 years ago.

For me I didn't want this 150th Open to end, it was compelling theatre, every shot had an uncertain ending, from the pounding drives that ran on and on, many times into the famously named fairway bunkers, or onto the huge double greens with all their humps and hollows.

Throw in the romance of the old grey town, a cast of "villain's" from the LIV ranks, with apparently more to follow, it was a worthy chapter in the vaunted history of the Open..

Bryan Angus

PS. Corey Connors finished T28 -8 after a closing -5 67.

Connors in, Hughes out, Woods finished and the Camerons lead the Open... full scoreboard...

 The Open : Saturday leaderboard here.

Corey Connors shot -1 71 to qualify for the weekend T46 at -2, while Mac Hughes was also in, until he managed to bogey 4 of his last 5 holes for 75 to miss out as the cut fell at E.

Meanwhile as the stars lined up for this historic weekend at St Andrews,  Aussie good guy Cameron Smith made 5 birdies in 9 holes out in 31 for a sparkling -8 64 -13 to take a record low scoring 36 hole lead over American college guy Cameron Young  who has been rock solid with his own -9 63 for a -11 total. 

The two Cameron's are in the last pair at 3.55pm local.

Right behind them Rory was the story -4 68 -10, with Norway's finest, Victor Hovland -6 66 -10 just a shot ahead of Greedy Guts himself, Dustin Johnson -5 67 -9 and somewhere Greg Norman and his LIV cronies are smiling at the thought of their prize turncoat winning golf's most precious trophy.

It was another excruciatingly long 6 hour round in relatively benign conditions on a rock hard Old Course, where the ball was rolling to enormous lengths, 400 yard drives down breeze the norm.

World #1 Scottie Scheffler -4 68 and England's demonstrative Tyrrell Hatton -6 66 are both at -8. More great scoring from Aussie Adam Scott -7 65 who leads a pack at -7, while US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick stayed in contention at -6 with his own -6 66.

On the other hand defending champion Colin Morikawa missed the cut and of course Tiger was near the bottom of the 160 man field at 78 75 +9. He doffed his cap at the Swilikin bridge for a final time at St Andrews as the Scots rose as one to bid him farewell.

83 players will play for the Claret Jug this weekend. 

WEATHER: Saturday looks like a copy of today, no rain to take the fire out of the fairways, the breeze getting up a bit with the tide to 20 kmh for the late pairings, but as predicted another day for low scoring, with the R&A likely to tuck the pins to save the Old Course's blushes. 

Bryan Angus

Cockerill , Gligic in contention at the Barracuda Championship....Friday leaderboard

 PGA/DP World Tour: leaderboard here

While all eyes are on Scotland at the Open the others in the rank and file are away over in California playing in the Barracuda Championship under the Stableford format.

For an albatross you get 8 points, an eagle 5, a birdie 2, par 0, bogey -1, double bogey or worse -3.

Aaron Cockerill is one of 50 players from the DP World Tour who has qualified, and after the 1st round he's made the most of it with 12points T3.

What's more remarkable, starting on #10 he began at -3 after a double bogey. However he bounced right back with 2 birdies at 11,12 and another 2 at 17,18. Making the turn he got 5 more points with a long putt for eagle at the 2nd, and added birdies at 4,6 with just 1 bogey for his total of 12.

He is just a point behind leaders Mark Hubbard and Charlie Hoffman, both with 13 points.

Michael Gligic has continued his good form which has seen him with 2 top 10's. He is T6 with 11 points with an eagle and 4 birdies, 2 bogey's.

Taylor Pendrith T49 +5 points, Roger Sloan and David Hearn are T95 with +1 point.

Bryan Angus

The Cameron Clan join Rory atop the Open leaderboard... Friday scoreboard

 Open Championship: leaderboard here.

The Cameron Clan in Scotland is from the West Highlands in Lochabar, right across the county from the East lowlands and their main city of Edinburgh.

South of Edinburgh in East Lothian is Scotland's "Golf Coast' and across from the Kingdom of Fife you'll find the home of golf at the University town of St Andrews.

After an enthralling Thursday 2 Cameron's join Northern Ireland's superstar Rory McIlroy in the top 2 spots at this 150th Open Championship.

American Cameron Young after 2 wins on the Korn Ferry Tour had the round of his life -8 64 to grab the early lead as the sun set over the old grey town.

Rory had it all going with a sparkling -6 66 while Aussie sensation Cameron Smith -5 67 was joined by little known Englishman Robert Dinwiddie.

With the Old Course starved of rain the greens are hard and the fairways firm, and with a little wind to help she was not embarrassed.

The Canadians are not out of it, but hardly in contention.

Corey Connors T35  34 37 -1 71 and Mac Hughes T77 36 37 +1 73  

The bettors have set the projected cut at 144.4  which is E or +1

Bryan Angus

Jack Nicklaus made an honorary citizen of St Andrews

Jack Nicklaus paid an emotional tribute to the people of St Andrews after being made an honorary citizen in a special ceremony.

Photo: Andy Buchanan/AFP

The three-time Champion Golfer won two of his three Claret Jugs at the Old Course in 1970 and 1978 before playing his final major championship at the venue in 2005.

Now Nicklaus has become only the third American to be awarded the honorary citizenship of St Andrews, following in the footsteps of Bobby Jones in 1958 and Benjamin Franklin in 1759.

The honour for Nicklaus was conferred by the Royal Burgh of St. Andrews Community Council, which is the equivalent of the “Freedom of the City” honour given to Jones.

18-time major winner Nicklaus, who made his first appearance at St Andrews in 1964, received the honour at a public ceremony at the town’s Younger Hall on Tuesday.

Nicklaus said: “Let’s go back to 1959, my first visit to Scotland. I was a 19-year-old, I was an Ohio State University College student and made the US Walker Cup team.

“I came to Muirfield, home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, to play the matches and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit - it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, I loved it and it will stay in my memory forever.

“I then came back in 1962 as the US Open champion for my first Open Championship, not knowing much about seaside golf, to play at Troon and I didn’t fare so well.

“Arnold Palmer shot 276 and only nipped me by 29 shots, a very humbling experience. But I knew I really like seaside golf and I made a good run the next year at Lytham and came back the next year for my first experience at St Andrews.

“I had heard so much about St Andrews and how it had stood the test of time. How Bobby Jones once told me that a golfer’s resume is not complete until he has won at St Andrews.

“That always stuck in my mind. When I got to St Andrews I loved it from the start. How could this old, old course still be a challenge to the golfers of 1964?

“I then came back in 1966 to the first place I’d been in Scotland, Muirfield, a golf course that was theoretically not suited to my game - so I made my game suit the golf course.

“I used my head and I fortunately won. It was now 1970 and I was ready for St Andrews, I played well it looked like I was going to finish a disappointing second to Doug Sanders until he missed a short putt on the 72nd hole and allowed me to get into a play-off which I won.

“My golfing resume was now complete according to Mr Jones, I had won at St Andrews. I came back to St Andrews in 1978, I played well again and I won again.

“The people of St Andrews were unbelievable, they welcomed us with open arms, hanging from the rooftops as we finished. I’ll never forget that reception I received. It was unbelievable.

“I returned in 1984 and I was bestowed an honorary doctor of law degree from the University of St Andrews, a wonderful honour. You humbled me then just as you are humbling me today.

“It remains one of my proudest moments as a golfer and a person. There seemed to be a mutual admiration and love affair between the people of Scotland, St Andrews and me.

“All the experiences I had at St Andrews, and I was here on eight occasions to play The Open, have been something I will love and cherish forever - and so will my family.

“They were all here with me then and they are all here with me now. Thank you so much for this wonderful honour. To quote Bobby Jones, ‘I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St Andrews and I’d still have a rich, full life’. I feel exactly the same.”

Before returning to the home of golf this week to receive the honour, Nicklaus had not been back to St Andrews since making his final competitive appearance at The Open in 2005.

The Golden Bear, who birdied the 18th hole of the Old Course during an emotional swansong to his career 17 years ago, also stopped by for The R&A Celebration of Champions on Monday.

He added: “I’m now 82 years old, 44 years removed from my last win, as Grantland Rice wrote they rarely remember as quickly as they forget so let me say thank you for remembering and not forgetting me and most importantly, thank you for allowing me to be what I always felt I was for so many decades - one of you. Thank you, St Andrews.”

In addition to Nicklaus’ honour, two-time Champion Golfer Lee Trevino, 1985 winner Sandy Lyle and 2009 Women’s Open champion Catriona Matthew also received honorary degrees from the University of St Andrews at the ceremony, recognising their outstanding service to golf.

Weather forecast for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews

 On Sunday, the temperature peaked at 29.3 degrees Celsius (84.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest recorded temperature in St Andrews ever in July, and one of the hottest days on record. The hot weather continued on Monday and Tuesday. As a result, the Old Course links that has had nearly a week with no rain is getting very firm. With very light rain, if any at all, currently predicted for just a few occasions on the week, the course could be set to stay that way.

Thursday 14 July

A dry and bright start. Cloud amounts tending to increase during the day but some sunny spells likely to continue. Much of the day dry though with a chance of showers during the afternoon.

High: 19°C (66°F) Low:12°C (54°F).
Winds: W or SW 7-10mph, picking up during the day to W or NW 10-15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.

 

Friday 15 July

Perhaps bright at first before clouding over. A good deal of dry weather is expected through the day but with an increased chance of some rain at times (0-2 mm). Cloud breaking with a diminishing chance of rain during the evening.

High: 19°C (66°F).
Winds: W-SW 5-10 mph, varying in direction later.

 

Saturday 16 July

Most likely dry with a good deal of sunshine.

High: 21°C (70°F).
Winds: Winds picking up during the day to S-SE 8-12 mph, perhaps some gusts 15-20 mph during the afternoon.

 

Sunday 17 July

Showers possible but much of the day likely dry with warm sunny spells.

High: 24°C (75°F).
Winds: Winds from the S or SW and likely similar in strength to Saturday.

A photo of the a revetted bunker at The Old Course.