The 150th Open

[Mel Smooth]

Classic Mel, getting golf wrong again.

Possibly witnessed one of the best open championships in decades and this is what you want to discuss??
Rory or Viktor needed to post that score, shame neither did but I’m delighted for Cam Smith- a worthy winner.

 

[BrianM]

Rory was about half an inch combined from shooting 5 or 6 under. He just had one of those days where the putts miss by a few mm.

Pretty much James, that’s golf for you ?
Cameron Smith is a deserving champion, that back 9 was nothing short of phenomenal ??????

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Rory was about half an inch combined from shooting 5 or 6 under. He just had one of those days where the putts miss by a few mm.

Just like Cam Smith did yesterday.

Cam definitely had some friendly bounces today, but he very much made the most of them. His putting was like prime Tiger when it mattered today.

 

[IanM]

We've all known days where inexplicably, the putter is red-hot, or stone cold!

Rory suffered from the latter today.

 

[Orikoru]

Bottle job is harsh but everyone else around him was shooting in the 60s , it was there for the taking and he couldn't do it, TOC won't play much easier than it did today .

Exactly this. It's incredible how he's always there or thereabouts in majors but hasn't got it done for so long. I've even taken to betting on him because there's no way anyway can play so consistently well without winning one. But do people think Rory himself would be happy with himself only making two birdies on Sunday with the course playing as easy as it was?? Of course he won't be.

Of course 'bottlejob' is harsh but I love how much that word triggers people on here for some reason, even though it's basically meaningless. ? Either way Rory will chalk it up as another failure to convert.

 

[RRidges]

I’m not a Rory lover but he can certainly hold his head up high during these championships.
Obviously immense pressure on him to win a major,both media and self inflicted.
You could see how much he wanted it,maybe too much.
The pressure is building and will keep building.
Unfortunately he has underachieved especially in majors,let’s hope he gets that monkey off his back soon.

I agree. Somehow he needs to find a way to play with the same freedom that gets him the position to win in the first place.
Still, great scoring by Cameron who attacked in the right places. And an Aussie to boot!

 

[Backache]

Bottle job is harsh but everyone else around him was shooting in the 60s , it was there for the taking and he couldn't do it, TOC won't play much easier than it did today .

Apart from the two Cameron's, the closest to him were Sheffler and Hovland, one of whom is the world's number one and current Masters champion, both shot higher than McIlroy.
There have been recent times when he appears to have 'bottled' it. Today didn't appear to be one of those times but the Putts weren't falling for him.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Fact is 70 was going backwards today.

Rory had one hand on the Trophy midway through the front 9, he knows better than anyone it was his to lose at that stage and you have to find a way to get the ball in the hole and he couldn't.

As well as Cam Smith played Rory let that one get away.

 

[Billysboots]

Apart from the two Cameron's, the closest to him were Sheffler and Hovland, one of whom is the world's number one and current Masters champion, both shot higher than McIlroy.
There have been recent times when he appears to have 'bottled' it. Today didn't appear to be one of those times but the Putts weren't falling for him.

I agree that saying he bottled it is harsh. He didn’t get into trouble from the tee, didn’t find a single bunker if I recall correctly, and didn’t miss any 3-footers. He simply didn’t get in tight to the pins often enough and, when he did, the 15-20 foot putts weren’t dropping. That’s not a bottle issue in my view.

I’ve long been a critic of McIlroy’s mental frailty. I didn’t see any of that today. What I saw was a golfer with a stone cold putter.

 

[Jimaroid]

4 under par rounds from Rory.
3 under par rounds from Smith but with one poor day.

Smith did a Rory but won it anyway. 6 birdies on the back 9 of any major is going to bring out the winner.

Rory simply got the rub of the green today. So it goes.

The drama of it all was incredible. Best finish to watch since Stenson.

 

[timd77]

Completely gutted for Rory, really thought his name was on the trophy this year. But when someone scores 8 under, whatyergonnado?

 

[PJ87]

4 under par rounds from Rory.
3 under par rounds from Smith but with one poor day.

Smith did a Rory but won it anyway. 6 birdies on the back 9 of any major is going to bring out the winner.

Rory simply got the rub of the green today. So it goes.

The drama of it all was incredible. Best finish to watch since Stenson.

I can imagine the atmosphere was incredible

 

[Billysboots]

I agree that saying he bottled it is harsh. He didn’t get into trouble from the tee, didn’t find a single bunker if I recall correctly, and didn’t miss any 3-footers. He simply didn’t get in tight to the pins often enough and, when he did, the 15-20 foot putts weren’t dropping. That’s not a bottle issue in my view.

I’ve long been a critic of McIlroy’s mental frailty. I didn’t see any of that today. What I saw was a golfer with a stone cold putter.

To underline my point, above, McIlroy’s approach to 17 was not the shot of a man bottling anything - it was a stunning approach to a notoriously difficult pin. Bottling it would have been slapping it in the front bunker or, dare I say it, hitting the sort of shot the new Open champion did.

 

[Jimaroid]

I can imagine the atmosphere was incredible

It was but it’s also difficult to put into words as I’m shattered. Will try and recall some of it tomorrow.

 

[PJ87]

It was but it’s also difficult to put into words as I’m shattered. Will try and recall some of it tomorrow.

Looked amazing on TV. Got me more excited to plan my trip in few years

Enjoy a well earned rest

 

[Wilson]

I’m not sure how to describe McIlroy’s performance, bar Augusta that one has to hurt the most, only two birdies will haunt him. I felt he wasn’t aggressive enough at points, his birdie putts weren’t from close enough, and he made a poor club selection on 14, coming up short and leaving a difficult putt up the hill, rather than going long like Smith did.

Top 10 in every major, I suspect in the future he’ll look back at 2022 and wonder how he didn’t win two majors, I think he needs to get over the line soon, or he might get stuck on four majors…. I really hope he can get one next year, as I think one might bring three or four.

 

[theoneandonly]

To underline my point, above, McIlroy’s approach to 17 was not the shot of a man bottling anything - it was a stunning approach to a notoriously difficult pin. Bottling it would have been slapping it in the front bunker or, dare I say it, hitting the sort of shot the new Open champion did.

It was to little too late. There is no doubt he was protecting his score , hence he finsihed 3rd. Of those you could consider to be in contention, only him and hovland failed to break 70. With TOC playing so easy it was ways a danger that this would happen.

 

[Slime]

The guy has won 4 majors, 2 of them are the uspga which nobody really cares about. Not saying he's not a great player but he's no where near to being an all time great. People get carried away because he's Irish.
If he was American he would be seen as the same level as Thomas or reed.

Who have only won three majors BETWEEN them .................................... and two of them are the USPGA which, apparently, don't count.

Some people, , you just couldn't make it up.

 

[Imurg]

The beauty of the way TOC played this week enabled the finish we need to a Major
Played on a US Open style course and that 2 under from Rory would have seen him home because the set-up wouldn't have allowed Smith to make that many birdies on the back 9
Yesterday it was possible to make lots of birdies and make a charge from way back and that's what makes golf exciting.
It can happen at Augusta, not as frequently these days,
If the set-up is too tricked up then the final round becomes more of a procession
To have to shoot 8 under to win is immense work..

 

[BubbaP]

From Friday I think, I didn't have a link at the time, worth a revisit

https://twitter.com/x/status/1547848534963023872