Finally, a rule change that actually does something worthwhile.  Tom Watson made a valiant effort at this year’s British Open, but eventually ran out of gas, ending up with a second place finish.  Not bad for a 59-year-old when you think about it.  However, despite his great run, Watson would have lost his exemption status at next year’s Open Championship due to his age, had the Royal & Ancient not amended one of it’s rules.
The R&A changed it’s rule to allow former champions who finish in the top 10 in the previous five years to gain a five-year exemption.  The …read more

One of golf’s most famous holes, the 17th on the old course at St. Andrews, is getting a facelift, just in time for the 2010 Open Championship.  No. 17, dubbed the Road Hole, is going to be lengthened from 465 yards to 490 yards, a move that will encourage players to hit driver off the tee.
The Royal and Ancient says this is the only significant change on tap for the grand old course.  The 2010 Open Championship marks the 150th anniversary of the tournament,so it’s only fitting that it be played at one of the game’s greatest courses.
The 2010 Open …read more

One of golf’s all-time good guys is looking at making a return to the British Open in 2010, and I for one am hoping he can do it.  Seve Ballesteros is hoping that he can participate in next year’s British Open being held at famed St. Andrews.  Seve is recovering from brain cancer that has left him partially blinded in his left eye.  Ballesteros has won five major titles, including three British Open events.
Ballesteros made the comments in Madrid as he was on hand for the unveiling of the complete field for the upcoming Volvo Match Play Championship.  The tournament …read more

After missing out on perhaps his last chance at one final major tournament victory, Tom Watson could use a few words of comfort from old friends.  Enter Jack Nicklaus, one-time rival, friend, and, like Watson, a golfing legend.  Nicklaus took the time to call his old pal Watson following his near miss at Turnberry this past weekend, offering words of encouragement and support, a gesture Watson greatly appreciated.  Turnberry was the site of Watson and Nicklaus’ famous 1977 historic Open Championship match, dubbed the “Duel in the Sun.”
Nicklaus reiterated to Watson that his play on the penultimate hole in the …read more

In a way I feel sorry for Stewart Cink.  You might think I’ve gone off the deep end, feeling sorry for a guy who just won his first major tournament, the British Open, the oldest of the majors, but I do.  And I’ll tell you why.  First off, Cink is being unjustly labelled a villain, jerk, party crasher, etc., not so much because he won, but because he beat Tom Watson, the beloved 59-year-old pro trying to make history as the oldest player to win a major.  Through 71 holes it looked like Watson may pull off what could have …read more

It took until the final hole of regulation for Tom Watson’s nerves of steel to finally break, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.  Facing an 8-footer for par on the 18th, and victory, Watson’s putt never had a chance, and his bogey left him tied with Stewart Cink, who minutes earlier had drained a 12-foot birdie putt to put him at 2-under for the tournament.  Watson’s miss on the last hole set up a four hole playoff between the men, but by that time Watson seemed done for the day, and Cink’s six shot advantage in …read more

I’m not sure what I find more remarkable after Day 2 of the Open Championship at Turnberry.  Is it the fact that Tom Watson, the ageless wonder, is tied for the lead at 5-under heading into weekend, or that Tiger Woods, he of the fourteen majors and No. 1 world ranking, is heading stateside after missing the cut by a stroke.  Or maybe it’s the story of Steve Marino, an unknown on tour, who sits atop the leaderboard tied with Watson at 5-under, after getting into the tournament as an alternate.
At the start of the day it looked as if …read more

With the PGA tour descending on Turnberry for the Open Championship, players and fans alike can’t help but reminisce about the first British Open ever held at Turnberry, way back in 1977.  That year two titans of the golf world squared off in a final round for the ages, a classic that would eventually be dubbed the “Duel in the Sun.”  Jack Nicklaus, already with 14 majors under his belt,  and Tom Watson, already a British Open champion, left the field in their wake as they engaged in a slugfest for the Claret Jug.  At the end of the day, …read more

The recent verbal sparring between former British Open champ Sandy Lyle and 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie seems to be over, at least for the time being.  Just days after Lyle revisited a 4-year-old incident at the Indonesian Open, in which Monty was accused of cheating by placing his ball in the wrong position after a rain delay, Lyle backed off and apologized to Monty for bringing the issue up, but still believes Montgomerie cheated.
Monty was eventually cleared by rules officials, but apologized anyway and donated his prize money to charity.  He was somewhat confused about Lyle’s apology, and …read more

The media throng that normally follows Tiger Woods around at any major tournament is expected to grow by mammoth proportions after it was announced that Japanese phenom Ryo Ishikawa will play in Woods’ group for the first two rounds of the British Open.  Britain’s Lee Westwood, one of his homeland’s best players, rounds out the threesome.
Just 17 years old, Ishikawa won last month’s Mizuno Open to secure his spot at Turnberry.  He will have his usual gaggle of Japanese media following him to the Open, and it would not be surprising if the Japanese media turnout is equal to, or even …read more