The Open 2023

[Skypilot]

Anyone else think some of the camera work was diabolic. Mainly on putts.
Quite often they'ed go from a perfectly good angle, showing the man taking the putt and the hole, then they'ed switch the camera to a low angle shot where you had no idea where the bloody hole was.
While having a moan - I wish the commentators could shut the f up when someone is on their shot or taking a putt. Bloody Dougherty is the worst. Acts as if he is the entertainer and the golf is just a backdrop to his cliche's and monologues . He bloody never stops babbling on.

 

[Jason.H]

I get some don’t like waterproof clothing but playing in the rain all day
Some just looked so wet and miserable there’s no way you could play well.

 

[Jason.H]

Anyone else think some of the camera work was diabolic. Mainly on putts.
Quite often they'ed go from a perfectly good angle, showing the man taking the putt and the hole, then they'ed switch the camera to a low angle shot where you had no idea where the bloody hole was.
While having a moan - I wish the commentators could shut the f up when someone is on their shot or taking a putt. Bloody Dougherty is the worst. Acts as if he is the entertainer and the golf is just a backdrop to his cliche's and monologues . He bloody never stops babbling on.

I like seeing the putter from behind but then it should go to the high camera so you can see the hole.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

When you consider today’s pros have putting coaches and all the clever training aids and I’ve never seen so many missed putts. Must be so frustrating for the likes of Fleetwood, so many birdie putts over 2 days and they were not even close to going in.

I remember one of the commentators, possibly Faldo, saying that Fleetwood needs to look at his putting. One birdie over the weekend, 18th?, with a load of opportunities missed. It can't be a sound enough stroke under pressure, or he is not good at reading greens. Their words, not mine.

The commentators regularly pointed out how little movement there was for putts and yet few seemed to drop from distance yesterday. It was an odd day for putting

 

[Orikoru]

I remember one of the commentators, possibly Faldo, saying that Fleetwood needs to look at his putting. One birdie over the weekend, 18th?, with a load of opportunities missed. It can't be a sound enough stroke under pressure, or he is not good at reading greens. Their words, not mine.

The commentators regularly pointed out how little movement there was for putts and yet few seemed to drop from distance yesterday. It was an odd day for putting

Fleetwood has also changed his grip I noticed, he used to use the pencil grip where the right hand is underneath, this time he was using the claw where it comes in more at the side. You'd only muck about with your grip like that when you know you're not putting well.

 

[Orikoru]

I still remember the plaudits Tiger got when he won all those years ago when he hit irons off every tee. So some very good points, Phil.

I haven’t seen very much this week as I’m abroad and there’s quite a time difference, so can’t really comment on the quality of the golf. But I do find it a little underwhelming when someone like Harman wins The Open. For me, it’s supposed to be the ultimate tournament, when the cream rises, but we see almost as many one time major winners winning it as we do the US PGA.

I acknowledge I will be in the minority with that view, but I can’t help it. I recall how I felt when Ben Curtis won - it almost felt as though The Open had been reduced to just another event.

Probably been in the sun too long today!

Perhaps too many of the top players that have come through are bombers these days and aren't used to picking their spots on a links course. Obviously Tiger famously won there by hitting 2 iron all week but I didn't see many trying that this week. Harman was notably shorter and thus hitting the fat parts of the fairway that other could have laid up to if they chose to.

 

[Imurg]

When Tiger won the fairways were parched, like last summer.
There was also little breeze.
Softer fairways and stronger winds meant just using a 2 iron was out of the question

Harman played the conditions and he had a smoking hot putter
Kept the ball in play and dint make many mistakes.
Thats how you win Major Championships

The last round was lacklustre because it was obvious, after 7 or 8 holes, that nobody was going to catch Harman and it was his to lose.
And he never looked like losing it.
The conditions didn't help..Rory's drive on the 1st was 66 yards shorter than the day before..to go round under par on that course in those conditions is damn good going.
They'd have needed low-mid 60s scores to even get close.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Beautiful golf played by the winner, great to see skill outplaying the smash and gouge gang.
Not the best Open venue.
Condition of the course was superb.

 

[Orikoru]

When Tiger won the fairways were parched, like last summer.
There was also little breeze.
Softer fairways and stronger winds meant just using a 2 iron was out of the question

Harman played the conditions and he had a smoking hot putter
Kept the ball in play and dint make many mistakes.
Thats how you win Major Championships

The last round was lacklustre because it was obvious, after 7 or 8 holes, that nobody was going to catch Harman and it was his to lose.
And he never looked like losing it.
The conditions didn't help..Rory's drive on the 1st was 66 yards shorter than the day before..to go round under par on that course in those conditions is damn good going.
They'd have needed low-mid 60s scores to even get close.

Fair comment, by the weekend, yes. Saw plenty running into bunkers on the first couple of days though.

 

[mister v]

I went on the Friday when the weather was great, i did feel sorry for the lads who had to hike around in all that rain yesterday.
I was waithing for Harman to have a wobble which he did early on in his round but then he dropped a few putts to get back on track and pulled away from the field, fair play to him he played the course perfectly and deserved his win.
Only dissapointment for me was the constant shouting out of crap like "beans on toast" and "chicken Tikka" after a lot of the drives ........ its not funny , its very annoying and a wedge to the ankle should be the punishment.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Thought I'd wait until the tourney was over. I guess there must be an audience that prefers to not watch the golf.
On Thursday morning (not early), I prepared a large bowl of cereal and put the golf on, but managed to finish my breakfast without seeing any!
On Friday waiting in a station car park as we were giving a ride to someone to the park and ride, I fired up now tv app, and in ten minutes no golf was shown, gave up.
Today, with the open in England, an Englishman shot -3, and finished T17 (was higher earlier). Unless someone spotted something I didn't, no shots or coverage of them.

People will always be highly critical of the BBC and golf but when they did have the Open imo it’s was superb coverage

I can always remember turning on a 7 in the morning and then having it all day long each day - they started the coverage when the players went out

Sky whilst the production is superb just seem to spend a lot of the time showing off new gadgets - there were players out there playing and yet we were being shown people in the sky zone , Celebs hitting shots , rugby players in bunkers etc

Just show the golf and then put all that nonsense on the red button

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Fleetwood has also changed his grip I noticed, he used to use the pencil grip where the right hand is underneath, this time he was using the claw where it comes in more at the side. You'd only muck about with your grip like that when you know you're not putting well.

You'd also only use a pencil or claw grip when you know there are issues with your putting. So Faldo's comment was pretty much redundant.

 

[Orikoru]

You'd also only use a pencil or claw grip when you know there are issues with your putting. So Faldo's comment was pretty much redundant.

I kind of agree, but I don't like to dismiss it either as there are people who putt very well with a funky grip like that. Couldn't get on with it at all myself.

 

[Beezerk]

Fleetwood has also changed his grip I noticed, he used to use the pencil grip where the right hand is underneath, this time he was using the claw where it comes in more at the side. You'd only muck about with your grip like that when you know you're not putting well.

I thought he used the claw grip a few years ago when he was doing well on the PGA Tour? Can’t be good chopping and changing your grip.

 

[Orikoru]

I thought he used the claw grip a few years ago when he was doing well on the PGA Tour? Can’t be good chopping and changing your grip.

I'm not sure of his entire grip history, but I know for the last few years I've seen him using the pencil grip, and this week he went to the claw. It's only a minor change I guess as they're similar, but still a change.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I'm thinking about going next year to follow my "favourite" golfer around the course.
I've thought of a few things to shout out, but I would welcome a few more suggestions, please.

Flick the tee!
Eat the pies!
Phone your dad!
Touch the sand!
Fight like hell!
Improve the lie!

 

[Imurg]

Put a sock in it..

 

[Orikoru]

What's happened to the good old-fashioned 'get in the hole'? All shouts seem to be food-related these days, and I'm not sure why.

 

[PJ87]

What's happened to the good old-fashioned 'get in the hole'? All shouts seem to be food-related these days, and I'm not sure why.

Surely "toad in the hole" is a happy middle ground

 

[Beezerk]

Surely "toad in the hole" is a happy middle ground

The guy who shouted “Beans on toast” was my personal favourite