Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

I don't know if a women's major exactly warrants a thread all its own, but I did find some rather interesting news leading up to it.

Woods' Old Course yardage book in Sorenstam's pocket

That's pretty interesting, as nobody takes as thorough of notes as tiger does, at least since jack. I wonder how much that book would fetch on ebay.

Oh and I wanted an excuse to share this pic. Somebody plz plz plz hook me up with Miss Paula Creamer, she looks fun. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

http://golfwomen.typepad.com/magazin...mer080107b.jpg

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Well Creamer and Gulbis and, as I have quite a soft spot for Annika, Sörenstam each deserves threads for themselves.

Nice picture btw. Don't women realise what they do to us poor blokes when they do things like that? Or are they as I suspect very much aware of it? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Interesting that they are playing the course at Par 73 because they are playing the 17th from the back tees and it's a par 5. Kinda makes sense though. Hitting a long iron into that hole it would be pretty impossible for the women to hold the green.

Don't know why they wouldn't move the tees up though and play it as a par 4 from 410 or so. It kinda seems like a boring hole now with the layup option.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

I'm with you esad. One of the all time great holes shouldn't be an easy par five. It may be a pretty cool risk/reward hole for the ladies that try to get home in two but I still don't like seeing play as a par five.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

So glad I don't have to still hear the media talk about who is more dominant, Tiger or Annika. ugh

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Remember the Road Hole was traditionally a par 5. I sort of agree they should have left it as a par 4, but it really should not matter or make a difference in the excitement factor. The hole is a half par hole either way. Many players through the years played it safely figuring an up and down gave them a better chance at a 4. I have not seen the coverage, but it sounded like the women were getting there and making a lot of 4's. If it gets windy it will be harder I guess. The hole is a tremendous match play hole of course, and that is more important than what they label par for a championship at stroke play. Play 72 and add it up, the player with the fewest wins. Scoring in relation to par is just done for the artificial drama. Which I suppose I like because it is better to watch on TV.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Scoring in relation to par is just done for the artificial drama.

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I don't really agree with this at least for the men. Look at Paddy at Carnastie. Pros almost never play a par four to lay up ever. Reargdless of par a player should play a hole that gives them the best chance to make a certain score but it doesn't happen that way. Imagine if your in the hunt, tied or in the lead on the 71st tee box of the open. If its a par five and you choose to hit hybrid off the tee and intentionally play it as a three shot hole its no big deal but if its a par four and you do that your gonna get grilled if you don't pull it off.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Scoring in relation to par is just done for the artificial drama.

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I don't really agree with this at least for the men. Look at Paddy at Carnastie. Pros almost never play a par four to lay up ever. Reargdless of par a player should play a hole that gives them the best chance to make a certain score but it doesn't happen that way. Imagine if your in the hunt, tied or in the lead on the 71st tee box of the open. If its a par five and you choose to hit hybrid off the tee and intentionally play it as a three shot hole its no big deal but if its a par four and you do that your gonna get grilled if you don't pull it off.

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This is a good point. The scorecard can be a hazard, but only if you let it. A smart player knows par is artificial and meaningless really. When a player does something like Toms laying up on the par 4 at the end of the PGA people think about it more. It really is kind of silly though. From a given position, the player should simply think of how to play to have the best chance at a given score. Certainly if the player knows he needs a birdie a more aggressive play may be in order, although not necessarily off the tee. Anyway, I think in general people get way too hung up on par, including people who should know better, like those at the USGA.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Well watching the coverage Judy Rankin said that the reason 17 is setup that way is because they wanted to use the same back tees that they use for the men's championships, so the ladies would have the same blind tee shot.

At 455 yards though, it's a bit much to ask some of the women to have to hit a 200+ yard shot into that green. They were probably afraid if they left it a par 4 it would be a nightmare.

Oddly enough it's playing at about 4.5 - 4.6 which is what is generally plays for the men.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

The only way 455 is a huge deal for the women is if there is wind. In that case move the tee up for that day. 17 should scare the piss out of you not be a 455 yrd par five.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Should be great to watch this weekend. Ochoa off to a fast start, tho still early of course. There's at least one poster here who I know hopes she forgets her sweater on Sunday... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Srsly, would be kind of fitting for her to win this one. I'll root for her as Pressel & Inkster are out of it, and unless Creamer, Gulbis & Kerr make a big move. Plus, I'll shot something if the LPGA starts dragging out a BPW/OAM story.

Wiesy will prolly do "ok" here as it's a bombers course with little rough, and everyone will be "zomg she's back". Doesn't really sound like she played that great today, though.

Wonderful pic of Creamer, BTW, and it would also work great as a response pic. Maybe add a "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

It's sad how most women do not realize at all how much more attractive most men think something like this is than the pancake makeup, Pam wannabe, trying to vamp too hard, "glamour pic" look.

Save themselves a lot of time, money & heartache, IMO, although I know jack [censored] about women, so maybe it's just me. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

One thing about Ochoa - her choke shot is usually left. Left at St. Andrews is OK. No lakes on the left down the stretch. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Wiesy 80 = MC today. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Wiesy 80 = MC today. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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3 shots better then Pressel

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Wiesy 80 = MC today. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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3 shots better then Pressel

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LOL, true indeed. But, StA would appear to favor Wie much more than Pressel, in theory at least. Still, poor show by Morgan, no question.

Hope it comes down to a playoff between Ochoa & Inkster; historic win either way.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Wow, looking at the leaderboard for this, the weather must have been terrible, but I can't find an AP article to describe what happened. Inkster +9 today, Wendy Ward +7, Annika something like +4 or +5, and Ochoa six clear.

There are definite parallels between her and the other noted major choke artist, Sergio. Both will have leads going into the final day and have led wire-to-wire. But six shots is a lot to gag.

Also, no clue where the coverage is for this. Tried to find it on ABC, ESPN, and TNT. I guess nobody cares...

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Wow, looking at the leaderboard for this, the weather must have been terrible, but I can't find an AP article to describe what happened. Inkster +9 today, Wendy Ward +7, Annika something like +4 or +5, and Ochoa six clear.

There are definite parallels between her and the other noted major choke artist, Sergio. Both will have leads going into the final day and have led wire-to-wire. But six shots is a lot to gag.

Also, no clue where the coverage is for this. Tried to find it on ABC, ESPN, and TNT. I guess nobody cares...

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The 90 minutes worth of coverage just went off the air on ABC here in Atlanta. Ochoa is the only player handling the course and the elements. As an aside, Creamer turns 21 tomorrow.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Comes on 1pm Eastern for two hours Sunday. Hard to see Lorena blowing it, but if the winds are 35mph again tomorrow ya never know.

If Annika shoots a 70, and Ochoa decides to play in the Road Hole bunker.... Not likely, but not impossible.

LOL at Inkster's 79-68-82.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Also, no clue where the coverage is for this. Tried to find it on ABC, ESPN, and TNT. I guess nobody cares...

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I wish they had more coverage of this. Watching the men's Open weekend mornings is my favorite golf viewing of the year. Heck, I'd watch coverage of podiatrists from Pasadena playing St. Andrews.

Okay, maybe not. An hour and a half or two hours of tape delay kinda sucks though.

Ochoa is really head and shoulders above everyone else this season, which is funny because she looks like she's about 4'8" on TV. (Just looked it up, says she's 5'6").

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

yeah, the tape delay sucks as we are also discussing in the Buick thread. Also, when I tried to watch a bit yesterday the coverage drove me nuts. They were showing hardly any shots, and it seemed like the ones they were showing were 5' putts. It is one thing to show par putts live, but in a tape delay highlight package I want to see the course and interesting shots. I thought the coverage sucked. 8 minutes of talking, a par putt, an iron shot and a break. Slight exaggeration, but I didn't watch much.

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Good thing, as you just missed an interview w/an apparently 75 year old Beth Daniel. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

Creamer's 21st birthday party tonight > Ochoa's victory party?

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Creamer's 21st birthday party tonight > Ochoa's victory party?

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Si

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Good thing, as you just missed an interview w/an apparently 75 year old Beth Daniel. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

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Proving you know nothing about LPGA history, it was a good interview. Tom Kite ain't nothing to look at either.

BO

Re: Women\'s British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)
 

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Creamer's 21st birthday party tonight > Ochoa's victory party?

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Si

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Unfortunately I wasn't invited [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]