busybeeburns Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIAAVpUg88k]YouTube - No Tiger, No Favorite at the U.S. Open[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc2YyNdCFk4]YouTube - U.S. Open Contenders[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tnspieler1012 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Good to see McIlroy start off in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tnspieler1012 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 this is pure gold. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhNea19Aa4A]YouTube - Ben Crane music video: Golf Boys - "Oh Oh Oh" 2011[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 nutters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 McIlroy roars clear in US Open McIlroy roars clear in US Open Rory McIlroy fired a stunning six-under 65 to lead the US Open by three shots after the first round at Congressional. McIlroy, 22, bounced back from his Augusta aberration to head Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and 2009 USPGA champion YE Yang. Sergio Garcia and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen were two under, while Graeme McDowell began his defence with a 70. The world's top three players Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer carded 74, 74, 75. Also at two under were American Ryan Palmer, Korea's Kyung-tae Kim, Australian Scott Hend and Brazil's Alexandre Rocha. Phil Mickelson, a five-time US Open runner-up, was regularly in trouble and had to use all his powers of recovery on his 41st birthday to card 74. But it was McIlroy's Maryland masterclass that dominated a sultry day near the US capital. The Northern Irishman is still trying to shake off the tag as the man who blew the Masters after squandering a four-shot lead going into the final day with a closing 80. He also led the 2010 Open after a first-round 63 before amassing an 80. Showing the sort of control that suggests his game is in the shape required to emulate countryman McDowell and land a maiden major title, McIlroy picked up shots on the 12th, 17th and 18th to reach the turn in a three-under-par 32. Further birdies at the first and fourth took him into a two-shot lead at five under and he missed another very makeable birdie chance on the fourth, his 14th. Another laser-guided iron from about 250 yards to 15ft set up an eagle chance on the sixth, and though he missed he settled for a tap-in birdie. McIlroy missed his birdie putt from 30ft on the short seventh but parred his way home to lay down the gauntlet with the only bogey-free round of the day. "I took the experience from Augusta, and I learned a lot from it," said McIlroy. "I just need to keep it going. I played really good out there, didn't make any mistakes, which in a US Open is huge." South African Schwartzel, who birdied the last four holes to win the Masters, went on another surge and picked up four shots in his last seven holes at Congressional. Yang, who became the first Asian man to win a major when he beat Tiger Woods in the 2009 USPGA, birdied all four par threes in his 68. "I've been playing more conservatively, less bonehead plays," said the 39-year-old Yang. Spain's Garcia, who is still fighting his way back from a prolonged slump, bogeyed the last to join South African Oosthuizen. "It was a nice start but there's still a long way to go. We haven't done anything yet," said Garcia. Donald, 33, began brightly with birdies at the first two holes after starting from the short 10th in company with Westwood and USPGA champion Kaymer But he leaked four bogeys in five holes and then double-bogeyed the 18th to turn in 39 before coming home in one under. "We all struggled a bit and we couldn't get much momentum going," said Donald, who has won twice this season and finished in the top 10 in 15 of his last 16 tournaments. "Three-over is not great but I know if I shoot something in the red I'll make good headway." Westwood, who like Donald is seeking his first major title, made six bogeys and two birdies in his 75. "I didn't swing it very well and you just don't get away with it at a US Open," said the Englishman. "If we had played like the top three in the world it would have been more enjoyable for the people to watch, but none of us played well and we all just about got what we deserved." McDowell began with a bogey at the first but redeemed himself immediately at the short second and picked up another shot on the sixth before parring his way home. "It's a dream start and I'm very happy with it," said the Northern Irishman, who has admitted to feeling the burden of being the defending US Open champion over the past few months. "I felt great. It felt like a regular major championship. It didn't feel like I was defending anything. "I set myself some challenges this morning to go out and try to think well, try to go through my processes correctly, through my routines, and just be patient and enjoy the round. And I really accomplished those things." England's Robert Rock did not have time for a practice round after he was delayed in the UK trying to get a US visa but went round in 70 for one under. Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland carded a level-par 71, while American world number six Matt Kuchar and Ireland's Shane Lowry took 72. Ernie Els, who triumphed the last time the US Open was played at Congressional in 1997, carded 73 alongside England's Paul Casey and Scotland's Martin Laird and Stephen Gallacher. Dustin Johnson, who blew a three-shot lead in the final round of last year's US Open, ended with a 75 playing alongside Mickelson and McIlroy. Frenchman Gregory Havret, who finished runner-up last year, amassed a six-over 77 in his first start since the death of his father. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/13800310.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 McIlroy is now at -10 7 shots clear of the field already! :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 US Open: Rory McIlroy breaks records at Congressional US Open: Rory McIlroy breaks records at Congressional Rory McIlroy broke a host of records to take a six-shot lead into round three of the US Open at Congressional. McIlroy, 22, matched the biggest halfway lead in US Open history and posted the lowest 36-hole total with 66, 65 for 131 and 11 under. He also became the first US Open player ever to reach 13 under but double-bogeyed the last via the water. YE Yang was his only real rival but could get no closer than six strokes and carded 69 to end five under. Sergio Garcia (71), Robert Garrigus (70), Brandt Snedeker (70), Zach Johnson (69) and Matt Kuchar (68) all finished two under. Phil Mickelson bounced back with a 69 to climb to one over alongside Lee Westwood (68), while defending champion Graeme McDowell (74) ended two over and world number one Luke Donald (72) made the cut with no room to spare at four over. The year's second major is traditionally set up to discourage low scoring and only 14 of the 156-man field finished under par on the second longest course in US Open history. But Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who led by three shots after an opening 65, produced another Maryland masterclass and was back in the clubhouse with an eight-shot advantage before second-placed man Yang had started his second round. McIlroy birdied the fourth and sixth and then saw his 113-yard pitch to the eighth spin back from the rear of the green and drop for an eagle as playing partner Mickelson applauded. The shot gave McIlroy a seven-stroke lead and made him the first player in the 111-year history of the US Open to reach 10 under during the second round. Another birdie followed at the 467-yard 14th and he watched in agony as his eagle putt on 16 stayed out by a hair's breadth. The ensuing birdie took him alongside Woods (2000) and Gil Morgan (1992) as the only man ever to reach 12 under in a US Open, but he took the record on his own at the 17th with another birdie. But McIlroy caught the left rough with his drive on 18 and his second found the water short of the green en route to a double-bogey six. A par would have broken Nick Faldo's record for the lowest halfway total in major history (130 in the 1992 Open at Muirfield). He did, though, break the US Open record for lowest 36-hole total of 132 set in 2009 by American Ricky Barnes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/13815890.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Magic McIlroy nears maiden major US Open: Rory McIlroy eyes first major at Congressional Rory McIlroy is closing in on a maiden major title after after extending his lead to eight shots over YE Yang going into the final round at Congressional. McIlroy, 22, shot 68 to post the US Open's best ever 54-hole total of 199 and become the first man to reach 14 under in its 111-year history. Yang (70) remained second at six under as Lee Westwood and Jason Day hit 65s for five under with Robert Garrigus. World number one Luke Donald (74) and Phil Mickelson (77) ended seven over. Sergio Garcia (69), American Matt Kuchar (69) and Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson (66) all climbed into a contention of sorts at four under. The record comeback for a last round at the US Open is nine holes, achieved by Jack Fleck at the Olympic Club in 1955, but the way McIlroy is playing there seems little chance of a repeat of the Masters when he blew a four-shot lead going into the last day. The Northern Irishman may not have been as accurate off the tee as the first two days but he resumed his exhibition of power and control, following each devastating iron shot with the now-familiar twirl of the club, to continue his imperious march to victory. McIlroy's masterclass was reminiscent of his boyhood idol Tiger Woods's domination of the 2000 US Open when he won by a record 15 shots at Pebble Beach. Woods's record 54-hole lead of 10 shots from that year still stands, while Henry Cotton was also 10 in front with one round left in the 1934 Open. Should McIlroy go on to win, he would become the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923 and it would mark the first time a nation other than the United States has won back-to-back US Opens following Graeme McDowell's victory 12 months ago. McIlroy, who was third at the Open last year and third in the last two USPGA Championships, has now held the lead in six of his last seven rounds in majors. "I know now how to approach tomorrow. At Augusta it was all a bit new to me," said McIlroy, who led this year's Masters for three rounds before collapsing on the final nine and carding an 80. "I didn't know whether to be defensive or aggressive. I have a clear mind now and just need to stick to my game plan. "It would mean a lot to me. Even though it's been a short career I feel I've had enough experiences and feel the time is right to go ahead and win my first major." On a soft Congressional course betraying the US Open's usual treacherous set-up, McIlroy reached the turn in two-under 34 after birdies on the fifth and ninth and good par saves after hacking out of rough on the third and via the sand on the short fifth. The tap-in birdie on the long ninth, after narrowly missing with his eagle attempt, took him back to 13 under, the former US Open scoring record he set on Friday before double-bogeying the last. McIlroy made his first bogey of the week at the short 10th after tangling with a bunker and he rolled in a 14ft putt for a birdie on 11 after catching more rough off the tee. He picked up another shot with another sumptuous approach on 14 but could only make par on the long 16th after finding more sand. On the 17th he held his nerve to avoid his first three-putt of the week after racing a monster birdie putt 10ft past. And he put Friday's second-round dunking behind him with a safe par on 18 to beat Jim Furyk's 2003 record US Open 54-hole total of 200. Playing partner Yang, who overhauled Woods to win the 2009 USPGA, showed impressive determination to hang onto second, albeit a further two shots adrift, as he followed 11 straight pars with two birdies in three holes from the 14th. World number two Westwood, who was 84th on Thursday night after an opening 75, surged through the field with a devastating finish of three birdies in a row from the 13th followed by an eagle on the long 16th. "My mission was to get myself somewhere into the tournament," said the 38-year-old Englishman, who is also chasing his first major title after two seconds and three thirds. "Rory's had a big lead in a major and didn't deal with it well before. There's pressure on him with regards to that, so we'll see. "They don't give trophies away on Fridays and Saturdays. All I can do is control my game and try and shoot as low a score as possible for me." Australia's Day, 23, who finished tied second at the Masters in April, had six birdies in a bogey-free round, while unheralded American Garrigus edged quietly into the frame with four birdies and a bogey. McDowell's 69 put him joint 21st on level par, while England's Robert Rock - who only arrived at 3.30am on Thursday following visa problems - carded 76 for four over. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/13826455.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD8I0wZutWE]YouTube - US Open 2011: I know what I need to do, says Rory McIlroy[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnBeuFtqoog]YouTube - U.S. Open: Third Round Wrapup[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tnspieler1012 Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 haha, and the closing montage is overdubbed with wa-wa-wa-wa-waaaterfall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumbersGirl Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 haha, and the closing montage is overdubbed with wa-wa-wa-wa-waaaterfall!:sick: Where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Majestic McIlroy secures US Open Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy completed a remarkable four days to clinch his first major title with an eight-shot victory in the US Open. McIlroy became the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923 and the youngest major winner since Tiger Woods triumphed at the Masters in 1997. The 22-year-old broke a host of scoring records and shot a final-round 69 to end 16 under par at Congressional. Australian Jason Day (68) was second, with Lee Westwood (70) tied in third. Alongside Westwood were Yang Yong-Eun (71) of South Korea and Americans Kevin Chappell (66) and Robert Garrigus (70). McIlroy banished memories of his Masters meltdown, when he blew a four-shot lead going into the final day, and marched to a first major title at his 10th attempt as a professional. He led from start to finish, carding 65, 66, 68, 69 to post a tournament record total of 16-under 268, four better than the previous mark. Leaving his rivals in his wake, he became the quickest player in the 111-year history of the US Open to reach 10 under par (after 26 holes), the first player to go beyond 12 under, reaching as much as 17 under on Sunday, and also recorded the best 36 and 54-hole totals. He becomes the second successive Northern Irishman to win the US Open after Graeme McDowell triumphed at Pebble Beach last year and the third major champion after Fred Daly won the Open in 1947. He is also the 11th different major winner in a row and the eighth of those 11 to be clinching their first major title. For the first time in history there have been no American winners in five successive majors. "The whole week has been incredible - I could not have asked for any more and I am so happy to hold this trophy," said McIlroy, who rises to number four in the world rankings thanks to his win. "For such a small nation to win two US Opens in a row is pretty special. As Graeme [McDowell] said last year, there will be a lot of pints of Guinness going down. "I know a few of my friends will be partying and I can't wait to get home and join them." During the presentation ceremony McIlroy shouted across to his father Gerry: "Happy Father's Day - this one's for you. "I have to mention my mum too. Everything they have done for me I can't thank them enough." McIlroy's humbling of the field - and the supposedly tough 7,574-yard Blue Course, albeit softened by recent rain - evoked memories of Woods, who was 21 when he won the 1997 Masters by 12 shots to capture the first of his 14 major titles. He did, however, fall short of Woods's record 15-stroke victory when winning the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000. "I know how good Tiger was in 2000 to win by 15 in Pebble. I was trying to go out there and emulate him in some way," McIlroy added. With an eight-shot lead going into the final round, McIlroy showed few signs of nerves and opened with a birdie, stretching his lead to 10 shots, with another at the fourth to get to 17 under. He birdied the short 10th after hitting his tee shot to six inches and made only his second bogey of the week after driving into sand on the 12th. Like Woods at his best, McIlroy made a number of crucial putts for par to keep up the momentum but he was really competing in his own tournament. He got back to 17 under with another birdie at the long 16th but, with the title in his pocket, he leaked his first three-putt of the week on the 17th to drop a shot. A safe par at the last gave him the fourth highest winning margin in US Open history. "Unbelievable," said Gerry McIlroy. "With what's happened over the last couple of months, and to come back and do this, it's fantastic. After the Masters, he worked so hard. It's fantastic. You couldn't beat it." Behind, a fierce battle was raging for the minor places. Westwood, who began the day nine shots back in third, had the wind knocked out of his sails when he found the water on the sixth, while Frederik Jacobson was flying until he four-putted the 12th green. Chappell and Garrigus launched late surges, while Yang, playing with McIlroy in the final group, slipped back with two bogeys in his last four holes. Day had a bogey-free round to secure his second successive runner-up spot in majors, while Sergio Garcia (70) and Peter Hanson (67) both dropped back to five under late on. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (66) and fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen (67), the Open champion, were tied ninth at five under. McDowell (69) ended in a tie for 14th at two under, with England's world number one Luke Donald (69) five over and five-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson (71) seven over. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/13834032.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinFan Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Rory is amazing.... I loved watching him keep his wits about him, and learning from his mistakes in the last major he faltered in:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Injured Woods ruled out of Open Injured Woods ruled out of Open Former world number one Tiger Woods has confirmed he will miss this month's Open Championship at Sandwich because of his troublesome left leg injury. The 35-year-old has not played competitively since suffering a recurrence of the injury at the Players Championship in mid-May. "Unfortunately, I've been advised that I should not play in the British Open," Woods said on his official website. Woods has 14 major titles, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus. Despite slipping to 17th in the current world rankings, Woods insisted: "I think my best years are still ahead of me and I'm very confident and optimistic about the future. Woods won the Open Championship in 2000, 2005 and 2006 Former world number one Tiger Woods has confirmed he will miss this month's Open Championship at Sandwich because of his troublesome left leg injury. The 35-year-old has not played competitively since suffering a recurrence of the injury at the Players Championship in mid-May. "Unfortunately, I've been advised that I should not play in the British Open," Woods said on his official website. Woods has 14 major titles, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus. Despite slipping to 17th in the current world rankings, Woods insisted: "I think my best years are still ahead of me and I'm very confident and optimistic about the future. Woods is still the biggest name in golf and draws fans wherever he plays, but the Open is perfectly capable of prospering without him. "I am only going to come back when I'm 100% ready. I do not want to risk further injury. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have competed at the Players, but it's a big event and I wanted to be there to support the tour. I've got to learn from what I did there and do it right this time and not come back until I'm ready." Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club which organises the Open Championship, said: "I know how disappointed Tiger is not to be able to play in the Open this year. Naturally, we are sorry that a player of his calibre isn't able to join us at Royal St George's, but we wish him well in his recovery and hope to see him back soon, competing in front of the fans that love to see him play the game." Woods, who was also recently forced to miss his first US Open since 1994, has been plagued by injury problems for much of the last three years. Following his memorable US Open win in 2008, his most recent major title, Woods revealed he had a double stress fracture in his left tibia and also added that he had been playing for almost a year with a torn ligament in his left knee. He subsequently had surgery and missed the next eight months, including that year's Open and PGA Championships. Woods took five months away from golf in 2009-10 after his much-publicised marital problems but returned for the 2010 Masters. He had Achilles trouble in late 2010 before suffering a sprained left knee and a mild strain to his left Achilles tendon after hitting out of the pine straw at this year's Masters at Augusta. Although he returned for the Players Championship at Sawgrass, Woods - who has not won a tournament since the Australian Masters in November 2009 - played only nine holes and dropped six strokes in the process before he withdrew from the event. Former European Tour player Jay Townsend is concerned about Woods's future. Townsend told BBC Radio 5 live: "I think Woods is living in denial. At 35-years-old he has had four surgeries on his left knee and he has a chronic Achilles problem. How can his best days be ahead of him?" Irishman Padraig Harrington, who won the last two majors of 2008 while the former world number one was sidelined, described the news of the American's latest absence as "unfortunate for the game of golf and more unfortunate for him." "He still is the name we would look out for the most. It's not that we want him to turn up and win, but it would be nice to have him there and bring the buzz he does," Harrington continued. "It's a good feeling when you go down the stretch with Tiger and it's a great feeling when you beat him. He certainly pushed everybody else along. I'm looking forward to him getting back and disappointed he's not there." Australian Brendan Jones was first on the reserve list to replace Woods but he declined the invitation so American Jason Dufner will fill the vacancy at Sandwich. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/14035932.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlBNd0Ucr8g]YouTube - Barclay's Scottish Open[/ame] Scottish Open: Rain causes chaos Torrential rain, floods and landslides caused chaos at the Scottish Open with no play taking place on day three. The tournament at the Castle Stuart course near Inverness has been reduced to 54 holes, with 78 players yet to complete their second rounds. After several delays, officials decided to start play at 1930 BST on Saturday. Players took their places out on the course but the officials decided the conditions were still not good enough and abandoned play for the day. Second-round play was suspended on Friday evening with Graeme McDowell, Scott Jamieson and Peter Whiteford tied for the lead at 11 under par. Half the 156-strong field had still to complete their second rounds and the pre-Open warm-up event has been cut from 72 holes. The course suffered severe flooding, plus landslides on holes one and 12. It is hoped that the second round will be able to get under way at 0700 BST on Sunday, with the third and final round taking place after that. European Tour official Mike Stewart said: "We have decided that, in the best interests of everyone, it will be reduced to a 54-hole tournament." However, more showers are forecast for Sunday, with an isolated thunderstorm possible overnight. There is an option to continue the event on Monday, but that all depends on the conditions, the forecast and how much golf is left to be played. Many of the players are involved in The Open in Kent next week and a charter plane for around 30 of them has been arranged, but when it leaves now has yet to be determined. Joint leader McDowell said on Twitter: "Golf course a mess here in Scotland. There has been a landslide on one of the holes and all sorts." Scotland's Colin Montgomerie needs a top-five finish in the competition in order to qualify for The Open, something he has managed every year since 1989. "This is extreme, incredible, just freak conditions, end of the world stuff," he said. "I've been 21 years without a break at The Open. It's a proud record and I don't want that record to break, but I'm running out of time now, especially with only a three-round event." The 48-year-old currrently lies in joint 25th place at six under par, five strokes adrift of the leaders. "They are having a big, big laugh - I would be if I was one of them," he added. It is the first time the tournament has been played at Castle Stuart after it was moved from Loch Lomond. Tournament director Peter Adams told BBC Scotland on Saturday morning: "We've had an enormous amount of rain overnight. It seems to be very isolated. Unfortunately, Castle Stuart seems to have had the worst of it. The forecast for this afternoon is for more rain and unfortunately for more thunderstorms, so it's a difficult period we are going through. We would've thought we would never be suspended due to rain here - it's just an uncharacteristically large amount. We do have the option to continue into Monday - we certainly have the golf course available to use. At the moment, it's too early to say what we would do. We are just assessing, as time goes on, our options. One of the great advantages we've got is that you could almost play here from five or six in the morning right through until 10 o'clock at night - that's a big advantage to us." A bumper crowd had been expected over the weekend to see not only five of the world's top nine but also two home players at the top of the leaderboard and Colin Montgomerie - like Jamieson and many others - trying to earn a last-gasp spot in The Open. That was going to the leading non-exempt player providing he finished in the top five. Northern Ireland's McDowell, who won the event in 2008 at Loch Lomond, and Scottish pair Whiteford and Jamieson are unlikely to see play on Saturday, with organisers concentrating on completing the second rounds of 78 golfers. Among those are the world's top two, Englishmen Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, who were both lying at seven under when play was called off for the day on Friday, having nine and seven holes respectively to complete. Eight players who have little chance of surviving the cut withdrew from the tournament. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/14092137.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Countdown to Royal St. George's - The Open [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nur1ERrxbBg]YouTube - Countdown to Royal St. George's - The Open[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Preview to the 2011 Open Championship [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfuXZPY1ez8]YouTube - Preview to the 2011 Open Championship[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Amateur Lewis joins Bjorn in Open lead English amateur Tom Lewis and Danish veteran Thomas Bjorn lead the 140th Open Championship after the first round at Royal St George's. Bjorn, 40, fired a five-under 65 on Thursday morning and was joined late in the day by the 20-year-old Lewis. The pair lead by one from 47-year-old Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover and American debutant Webb Simpson. Northern Ireland's 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell and countryman Darren Clarke, England's Simon Dyson and Germany's world number three Martin Kaymer were in a large group on two under. World number one Luke Donald struggled on the greens as he carded a one-over 71, the same score as second-ranked Lee Westwood and US Open champion Rory McIlroy. The 22-year-old Northern Irishman, carrying a huge weight of expectation following that stunning eight-shot victory at Congressional, got off to a nervous start and dropped two shots in his first three holes but fought back to play the last 15 in one under. Bjorn, who blew a three-shot lead with four left to play when the Open was last played at the same venue in 2003, went out in 33 in a gentle morning breeze, which had dropped by the time Lewis came into the closing stretch, and picked up four birdies in five holes from the 12th before bogeying the last. Lewis, who was named after Thursday's playing partner Tom Watson, hails from the same Hertfordshire town - Welwyn Garden City - as six-time major winner Nick Faldo. And he showed similar qualities over the first round, which included four straight birdies from the 14th. Lewis won the British Boys' Championship at Royal St George's in 2009 and shot rounds of 63 and 65 to finish three shots clear of the field in Local Final Qualifying at Rye. A birdie two at the 240-yard par-three third was followed by further birdies at the long seventh and then the eighth as he steamed to the turn in three-under 32. Dropped shots followed at 11 and 13 as at last it seemed the course was about to bite him back. But Lewis still had something left in the tank with that sensational run of birdies which turned day one of the 140th Open Championship on its head. "I don't even know what's happened out there," he told BBC Sport. "I didn't realise I'd made birdies from 14-17, when you're in the zone I guess you don't really notice but I'm thrilled to bits with the first round." Lewis and Watson received a standing ovation walking up the 18th and the younger man said: "I didn't know if it was for me or the other Tom, all I needed to do was make sure I got up and down from the right side of the green and it was excellent, we don't get that for amateur golf or anywhere in the world for golf so I'm thrilled the fans are there." Asked about his lack of preparation time for the event, Bjorn, only in the tournament as a replacement for injured Vijay Singh, said: "I decided to come down here and take it as a bit of a joyride really, if I did get in. "You want to play in these championships and when I got in on Monday it gave me a bit of a boost. "It might have done me a little bit of good just to get that kind of distance to it - and maybe enjoy it a little bit more." Jimenez, meanwhile, was a model of consistency as he rolled in four birdies and went round the par-70 course without a single bogey on his card. The Spaniard led the 2009 Open at Turnberry after a 64 on the opening day and although he could not quite match that effort, his performance was certainly good enough to give him hopes of bettering his best finish of third place a decade ago. Afterwards, Jimenez spared a thought for former Open champion Seve Ballesteros, who died in May, but insisted it was now time for the game of golf to move on. Images of Ballesteros are on display all around Royal St George's and he said: "The tribute to Seve here is very nice because we miss him, and he did so much for golf all through his life, and we have to thank him for what he did for golf. "It's nice to make that tribute for him, but now I think is a moment also to start to concentrate on the golf tournament and keep moving on, because if not, you cannot play." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/14149976.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5WcqCNrUUU]Dustin Johnson Hole in one at 2011 British Open - YouTube[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 The Open 2011: Darren Clarke & Lucas Glover share halfway lead The Open 2011: Darren Clarke & Lucas Glover share halfway lead Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and American Lucas Glover head into the weekend with a one-shot lead at the 140th Open Championship. Clarke shot a two-under 68 and 2009 US Open champion Glover carded 70 to set the pace at four under on a glorious summer's day at Royal St George's. They head joint overnight leader Thomas Bjorn (72), Chad Campbell, Martin Kaymer and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, the world number one and two, missed the cut. Former major champions Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera were other big names to make an early exit. Ian Poulter (+7), Ernie Els (+8), world number eight Matt Kuchar and 2003 winner Ben Curtis (both +11) were also eliminated. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, 1996 Open winner Tom Lehman, US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love, American Dustin Johnson, Spain's Pablo Larrazabal, Dane Anders Hansen and South African George Coetzee all ended two under. US Open champion Rory McIlroy had four birdies and three bogeys in a 69 to finish level par. Clarke was one of the early starters on day two and admitted the weather conditions helped his cause as an eagle, five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey left him at four-under-par. "It had a bit of everything. Good shots, good putts, poor shots and poor decisions," Clarke told BBC Sport. "Overall I am very pleased with a 68. "We had the good side of the draw, there was no breeze this morning. "To have all the support is great. It is nice to play well again and hopefully contend over the weekend at the biggest tournament in the world." Having finished second in 1997 and third four years later, Clarke would love to become the third major champion from Northern Ireland, following on from the success of McDowell and Rory McIlroy at the last two US Opens. "To have back-to-back US Open champions from a little country like Northern Ireland, that's a massive achievement," he said. "It hasn't really affected me apart from being proud that I'm from the same place as they are and I may have given them a little bit of a helping hand here and there on the way up." He added: "I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor. I quite look forward to that, but the course is going to play very, very tough. "If that's the case, then the tournament is still wide open for an awful lot of players." Amateur Tom Lewis, the joint first-round leader, is still the leading Englishman but he endured a tougher time as he added a 74 to his opening 65 for a halfway total of one under. The 20-year-old still has a fight on his hands with American Peter Uihlien - two over after a pair of 71s - for the leading amateur's Silver Medal. Lewis was playing with five-time champion Tom Watson, 61, who fired a hole-in-one with a four iron on the short sixth en route to a round of 70 for two over. American Phil Mickelson, the former world number two, kept himself in the hunt for a first Open title with a 69 to end one under. His young countryman Rickie Fowler, playing with McIlroy, added a second 70 for level par alongside Spain's Sergio Garcia (70). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/14168297.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Tom Watson at the Open again! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hA5-ejAc3s]Dustin Johnson and Tom Watson hole in one - British Open 2011 - YouTube[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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