Jordan Spieth's logic seems perfectly reasonable: he gets negative questions about his 2016 game given that it's no where near his 2015 game. But given that he hasn't posted an under par score since the first round of the Masters and is skipping the Olympics for undisclosed health reasons, I'm not entirely sure the positive questions would be flowing, either.
The full clip after Spieth's 72 at Royal Troon leaving him at +5 for The Open.
The 36 holes he has played at Troon, completed in a mere 132 shots, is just the latest. Like Fred Couples before him, he will be a factor at Augusta, at least now and again, for the next 10 years or more. Why? Because he is what he has always been, a golfer with a unique skill set and outsized desire. The thrill of competition just means too much too him. Tiger Woods burned out. Surely, his fade is rooted in an uncooperative body.
After the setup staff reviewed the course and forecast early Saturday morning, certain hole locations and tees were also moved before the 81 players began their day at Royal Troon.
The greens were rolling at about 9 1/2 on the Stimpmeter.
Here was the weather update greeting us at our work stations today, suggesting the R&A has no desire for a play stoppage should the wind kick up.
Lavner also explains what Mickelson did with Dave Pelz to make himself a better links player.
Jim McCabeponders the luck of the draw and Steve Stricker says players have to resist the urge to throw themselves a pity party.
There were 52 games sent out Friday, and of the 26 players in red numbers heading to the weekend, 22 of them had earlier tee times on Friday. The only players who played late and finished under par were Patrick Reed (74), Byeong Hun An (70) and Rory McIlroy (71), all at 2 under, and Rickie Fowler (72) at 1 under.
Rory McIlroy also got the wrong side of the draw but he’s not getting down about his luck. Paul Weaver reports for The Guardian.
Jason Day played a miraculous round in the afternoon wave to get to +1 and hopes there is more of it Saturday, if he can dry his stuff out. Mark Tallentire reports.
Billy Horschel found a way to move the needle for the first time in ages. Alex Myers reports.
I wrote for GolfDigest.com about how the double-breasted's from theR&A (of all groups) are doing quality grow-the-game work by presenting a fun, relaxed Spectator Village which also accomplishes the goal of giving some exposure to their corporate partners.
The rain has come and the players going out early in round two finally experienced inclement conditions (as expected). Phil Mickelson managed his way around until a bogey at 12, but he nearly aced the Postage Stamp.
A few notes as you watch the Golf Channel telecast in the States.
Players are wearing ribbons in honor of the victims from the Nice tragedy, Ryan Herringtonreports. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson are sharing a house and having a jolly time at The Open. Steve Hennessyexplains. For a UK take, Jonathan Liew of the Telegraph reports.
Alex Myers walks out to thePostage Stamp to take in the wee hole. You forget how far out this course goes before turning back to the clubhouse.
Which reminds me, The Open's app is a must download for featured 6-7-8th hole coverage. If you're on site or coming this weekend, it will even map you through the course to get to a preferred spot or group.
Tiger still thinks about his putt at Southern Hills in 2008 and Phil will remember this one for the rest of his life. And 62 remains safe, as does the legacy of the Golf Gods.
That said, it's still a 63 in The Open, the last tournament Phil has won since 2013.
The big prize, of course, is the tournament, not the scoring record. A 62 might have been huge, but it would not have mattered nearly as much without going on to win.
And imagine how historic that would be? He would be the fourth-oldest winner, ever, in any of the major championships.
Could male golfers get themselves DQ'd from future Olympics while the women show off in Tokyo?
The chances are slim, but after reading Steven Wilson's AP story, all of the players who mentioned looking forward to future Olympic opportunities may look silly.
Wilson spoke to top IOC man Thomas Bach, and under Wilson's scenario, option is on the table to drop the men but not the women, though Bach did not say that.
The IOC will meet after the Rio Games to evaluate golf and all other sports and events on the program.
"One of the main categories of the evaluation is, of course, the question of participation of the best players," Bach said. "Let us wait then for this evaluation. Then, of course, we will also speak with the International Golf Federation once this is available."
By evaluating events within each sport, the IOC could look separately at the men's and women's tournaments. As it has been almost exclusively male players who have been withdrawing from Rio, the IOC could potentially consider whether to drop the men's event and keep the women's tournament for Tokyo.
Brian Keoghof the Irish Golf Desk quotes Rory McIlroy at length, who says he feels even more peace of mind than ever not going.
Explaing his Olympics decision in detail, he said: “Zika is a risk but there are other risks attached to going to Rio from political unrest to security issues. So there is more to it that that.
“There were enough people around me, members of my team and my family who weren’t comfortable and I wasn’t comfortable going down there so I felt that the best decision for me was to pull the plug."
And he presumes Tokyo will be there for him in four years.
“We have golf in the Olympics in Tokyo in four years’ time and if I really feel the need to get that Olympic experience hopefully, I can go there and do that.
“I have no regrets. I have made my stance pretty clear and golf in the Olympics. I play for other things.
“Golf in the Olympics is great for golf and to grow the game. There is no question about that. But with the number of top professionals have decided not to go, that shows where it stands in our minds."
"I'm bitterly disappointed," said Player, the team captain for South Africa. "In America today, their plus-minus combined with car accidents and guns, 100,000 people killed a year, and you're going to go and play in a golf tournament where Zika is the great word. I think there's a greater chance of that happening to you in America than getting Zika. I was just in Zambia, where you have Malaria, and it didn't concern me at all.
"I'm really amazed," he added. "I just hope that it doesn't hurt golf. I hope we stay in the Olympics. I do believe we should have it for amateurs and not for professionals."
And Coca-Cola has coverted planned packaging featuring Jordan Spieth to a silhouette of a golfer, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer (H/T John Strege who has other details on the change in marketing approach).
Looking at Troon after spending time at far more beautiful links like Cruden Bay, Royal Dornoch, Brora, Prestwick and Turnberry is, admittedly, a let down. But within the corridors there are some sensational par-4s and par-5s, but beyond of the Postage Stamp, forgettable one-shotters.
Having not been here in over two decades, I forgot just how difficult the 10th and 11th holes look from the tee. While the Postage Stamp looms with its difficult (flat floored) bunkers, the gorse at Sandhills and The Railway must keep a few players up at night, particularly if the rain and cold come as forecast for Friday through Sunday.
Below are some embedded scenes from the course that hopefully give a little perspective what players face on those key holes. And here we talk on Morning Drive about the ebb and flow of the course.
As for picks, Jason Day is my choice over Dustin Johnson despite Day having something "pop" yesterday, but they are both so good right now that it will certainly come down to luck of the draw. Day goes late Friday, which has the potential to be an issue according to forecasters.
My current wagering centers around value plays with top 7 finishes in mind, and will likely be rounded out by a few prop bets and perhaps some each way money on Mickelson and Knox (as long as I can get Phil at 45-1) and paying out the top seven spots. My current wagers include Ernie Els each way at 125-1, Graeme McDowell at 80-1, Padraig Harrington at 100-1, Danny Lee at 125-1 and Jim Furyk at 80-1.
**Late add: Greg Chalmers at 500-1! Winner of the recent Barracuda Championship. Go Aussie!
The course is soft and green, as we explained on Morning Drive, but the forecast has me liking "mudders" who know how to handle such conditions, which accounts for my interest in three former major champions who have been showing signs of
For this week's Forward Press, I preview some of the things you can expect with NBC/Golf Channel's first Open Championship, plus offer some information on the long programming windows.
Their neatest sounding new production element to show off bump-and-run approach shots may not get much use if Troon remains soft.
I do not, however, have the bootleg yet of Yanni's re-imagined theme, with bagpipes. Something tells me you can wait.
It's a day that won't be looked on with much affection by those who admire the skill, passion and leadership roles Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy have been carrying for golf.
Inheriting and running with the torch handed to them in recent years--and enjoying the perks that come with the gig--these popular and impressive athletes have inspired young people. They've reminded the world that golf is a sport played by passionate figures. And they have done their part when called upon to spread the gospel of golf to new lands. But after passing on the 2016 Rio games for reasons that seem less than their normally honest feelings, they've fumbled the torch each seemed so proud to have taken from golf's revered champions of the past.
Golf in the Olympics, while flawed due to the format and crowded schedule, is still one week out of their lives that could have cemented them as ambassadors, world-class sportsman willing to eat Olympic Village food for a week, and all around gents who love golf so much they'll show up in Rio for four whole days of potentially exciting golf.
However, the lads have stumbled in passing on Rio for an undisclosed health reason (Spieth), and altogether dismissing Olympic golf in a petty manner (McIlroy).
Spieth, who had called this a fifth major, signed with Olympic presenting sponsor Coca Cola to be part of its campaign, and who genuinely seems determined to become a sporting legend, could never quite disclose the reason he waffled right up to the inopportune moment of announcing his decision at a major championship (Alex Myerswith Spieth's comments here.)
More disconcerting was the assertion that this was the hardest decision of his life, paramount to a college choice. While many around the world would envy someone who has never faced a decision more difficult than deciding to play in the first Olympic golf competition in 104 years or whether to go to UT or USC, the gravity suggests Spieth isn't quite prepared for the modern limelight that is so harsh. Trying to crack a joke about carrying the torch didn't help.
But at least Spieth seems to have genuinely agonized over this. McIlroy, however, went a disappointing path in belittling the competition by suggesting it is not one that matters. While John Hugganrightly notes the brutal honesty of McIlroy is, in part, why he is beloved and paid handsomely to be a global brand ambassador, McIlroy didn't have to put Olympic golf down because he's decided not to go.
“But, look, I get where different people come from and different people have different opinions. But I'm very happy with the decision that I've made and I have no regrets about it. I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I watch.”
When pressed which events these would be, he replied: “Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters.”
Unlike Spieth's delicate attempt to convey golf's relevance in the Olympics without his participation, McIlroy stuck a knife in the back of the event and twisted it. Hard.
Ultimately golf is an individual sport played successfully by those who think very hard about themselves, their goals and their needs. Spieth and McIlroy confirmed they are no different than many past champions in putting their needs first. The difference, however, is that while past champions were often selfish and inconsistent at times, they were never handed a torch resembling this Olympic opportunity.
Update on 2016-07-13 09:53 by Geoff
**The Live From team kicked around Rory's comments and, kicked Rory around.
The brother of Masters Champion Danny Willett, who rose to fame thanks to his Masters final round Tweets, has finally got answers to the questions he's gotten on nearly every interview given.
The firm of Mackenzie & Ebert, founded in 2005, has been entrusted with some of the world's most important links. The former staff members of Donald Steel's firm have proven up to the task of addressing difficult issues while leaving behind architectural touches that restore and embellish.
I was fearful that any Cruden Bay tinkering could be problematic, but Tom Mackenzie made the 9th hole significantly better, injecting several new elements to form a more dramatic hole befitting the epic location of that short par-5. A new tee angle at the 10th improved the look and feel of the tee shot, while addressing a safety matter brought on by modern technology.
Mackenzie's design partner, Martin Ebert, kindly took time to give us insights into three links he has worked at and which are very much on the minds of golfers: Turnberry, Royal Portrush and Royal Troon.
As The Open gets underway at Troon, Ebert fills us in on the work done at these three landmark courses. I'll be posting a ful Turnberry review after an evening round in the rain. In short, the transformation is magnificent. But in the meantime, please enjoy his thoughts as well as links to Mackenzie and Ebert's groundbreaking use of presentation graphics.
GS: What would be the best description for the work at Turnberry: redesign, modernization, restoration, renovation or some combination of all?
ME: That is an excellent question as there is a combination of all of the descriptions which could apply.
'Redesign' can definitely be applied as we have, I would say, 5 completely new holes within the layout. The 6th is really a new par 3, having new tees and a new green in different locations and the hole is a much shorter par 3 than it was before. The 9th is a new par 3, albeit played from the same general teeing area as the old, hog's back par 4. The 10th has been extended to a par 5 with new back tees and a new green so I would claim that this is really a new hole. The 11th is a new par 3 occupying a different piece of ground than the old hole. Finally the 14th is routed into completely new land from tees in a similar location to the old hole and the hole is now a par 5 rather than a par 4. A case could even be made for the 1st being a new hole as well as the tees and green have both been extended backwards and the landing area bunkering has been reconfigured. So I think that the changes would constitute redesign.
'Modernization' also applies as I believe that we have made the course fit to test the greatest players in the world and the way that they play the game from a range of new tees and green locations. Some of the changes would not have been possible in years gone by. The players would not have carried the ball far enough to take on the new tee shots at the 9th and 10th holes for instance. However, the course needs to meet the modern demands of average club member and visitor play as this will be the use of The Ailsa for 99% of its time.
In pursuit of that, I believe that we have made the course more 'fit for purpose' as it should now be more enjoyable for the vast majority of golfers. They now have five par 3s to play and almost all golfers love playing par 3s, and we have added two par 5s to the front nine, leading to four in total, which makes the 5th and the 7th holes, previously par 4s, much more playable. In another way we have modernized the course by providing more flag positions on many of the greens. Higher green speeds have meant, as with all courses, that some areas of greens which used to be suitable for flag positions no longer are. That was especially the case at Turnberry where many of the greens had a 'bowl' like shape with the edges of the greens just too sloping to be useable. We have softened some of these areas to provide some exciting new flag locations which will use the edge features of bunkers, links banks and swales much more than before. An example is the par 3 15th hole where the flag can now be located much closer to the dangerous bank to the right of the green.
As far as 'Restoration' is concerned, my advice to Mr Trump when we embarked upon the project was that we should conduct as thorough a study as possible of the evolution of the course and especially following its reincarnation immediately after the Second World War. This proved to be a fascinating exercise when we compared the aerial photographs from just before Philip Mackenzie Ross carried out his work to just after it was completed. The photographs showed completely different bunker shapes and it was also clear that the bunkers had rough edges rather than revetted edges. In fact, the rough edges survived until the 1980s. Hence our recommendation was to restore the shapes of the bunkers where appropriate and to restore the rough edged character to the fairway bunkers. The greenside bunkers have new plan shapes to reflect the old forms but are revetted which was preferred by The R&A. Now that the project is completed I think that the two styles sit well with one another.
Finally, 'Renovation' also applies as every tee, green and bunker has been reconstructed. The greens have been built with a much sandier root zone created by mixing the old green root zone with dune sand to provide much more free draining surfaces which will be easier to manage in the long term to produce firmer and finer greens. The tees have been formed using the old green root zone and the bunker drainage as well as general fairway drainage has been improved.
GS: Turnberry has produced some of golf's most thrilling finishes, did this put any added pressure on you in approaching how to re-imagine the links?
ME: I am not sure this added any pressure but we did want to respect those wonderful Open finishes as far as possible. For instance, we chose to retain the 18th green surface exactly as it was before the work started given the historic moments of the Duel in the Sun in 1977 and the sad events of 2009 although the green surrounds have had a little more feature added.
There were some misgivings about changing the 17th green. I imagine that Nick Price will be a little disappointed that the scene of his great eagle putt is no longer. However, hopefully he will understand that the greater cause of the major layout change to produce a straightened 18th hole for championship play justifies this.
One of the key changes to the course has been that straightening of the 18th hole for championship play. Previously the hole was a sharp and rather unnatural dogleg. The spectators in the 18th green grandstands would only get a view of the players at the corner of the dogleg. Now they will see the players silhouetted on the tee located on the dune bank with the ocean as the backdrop. The golfers will be taking aim on some part of the iconic hotel. So hopefully we will have set an even better scene for more thrilling finishes. However, that did mean shortening the 17th hole to a par 4 but it also had the knock on effect of requiring a new par 5 at the 14th hole and the new, shortened par 3 6th hole.
GS: Tell us about what has happened with the pitch-and-putt course, The Wee Links?
ME: The pitch and putt course has been completely rebuilt and now provides the hotel with a real links like setting immediately below it. The pitch and putt course used to have more of a garden feel to it and the greens were tiny. You had to be a good player to have any chance of hitting the greens. There was also a tennis court within the area which detracted from the view from the hotel. We imported a lot of on site fill material and shaped this up into what could be described as a large scale Himalayas (St Andrews) landscape with some bunkers included. Apart from recovery from the bunkers, a complete non golfer can now play the course with a putter. There are no set tee positions so the tee markers can be placed wherever suits. There are 18 greens (two are double greens) but the course could be played as 18 holes, 12 holes, 9 holes or even 6 holes by simply removing some of the flags and hence creating longer or shorter holes.
GS: The Arran Course is also slated for a redesign, what can you tell us about the plans?
ME: I assume that you mean the Kintyre Course although the second course used to be called the Arran. There is a lot of change here too to the extent that the course will be renamed. We are currently working on the changes. Mr Trump is currently considering some alternatives for this. The jewel in the crown of the landform is Bains Hill at the furthest point from the hotel and clubhouse. This coastal hillside will have its three holes reversed in direction to make maximum use of the views to the ocean and the existing 11th will be extended to a par 5 with an aiming point directly upon the Lighthouse. The direct coastal stretch will be the home of an incredible new hole with one of the most stunning greensites perched high above the waves as one could imagine.
Along with the changes at Bains Hill, there are new back tees for the 1st, 7th, 17th and 18th holes and a redesigned green for the 18th which sits just below the clubhouse. The 1st hole has had the artificial burn which used to cross it replaced with central bunkers giving more options to play the hole and the gorse lined nature of the course will be lessened with the creation of a large wetland feature between the 5th and 13th holes. The fairway bunkers are being converted into marram grass fringed hazards much like some of the bunkers at Royal County Down. All in all a considerable makeover.
GS: How are things going at Royal Portrush?
ME: The changes at Portrush are coming along very well. The new Valley Course came into play in May and have been well received. There are also a couple of new holes for the par 3 Skerries Course which have stunning views. These changes were necessary to give enough ground for the two new holes of the Dunluce Course.
The changes within the existing Dunluce Course have all opened for play in May. This includes the new 2nd green (adding length to the par 5), the new 3rd green (rebuilt to improve its condition) and the new 10th green (existing 8th green which was not an original Harry Colt green so it has been reshaped to give it more of a 'Colt' character) and various fairway bunkers and new tees.
The two new holes have been completed. The tees, greens and surrounds were turfed (sodded) and could be played already. The fairway areas are being established by spreading hollow cores and overseeding. They are coming on well. The plan is to open them in the early summer of next year but they may be ready by the end of this year.
GS: How will the new holes fit in with the original course?
ME: I think they will fit in really well to the rest of the course both in terms of location and their character. There was a possibility of the Club playing them on the back nine but The R&A were adamant that they be part of the front nine for spectator movement reasons principally and the Club are likely to adopt the same routing. This sees the holes slot in between the 6th and 7th holes. The landscape for both holes is stunning with the 7th running down into and gently up a valley in the dunes and the 8th demanding a spectacular tee shot with a carry over a steep dune bank which will require a real decision about how much to bite off from the tee.
A permanent players' tunnel is being constructed to provide access for players during The Open between the 8th and 9th holes and between the 10th and 11th holes with the spectators able to move freely above.
GS: You've also consulted at Royal Troon, what has happened in advance of this Open?
ME: A long time has passed since the last Open at Royal Troon in 2004. There have been two tranches of changes carried out in that time although a number of the changes might be described more as restoration of old features than changes.
We removed trees and created new dunes behind the 9th green, really to help improve the light and airflow to the green and we added new back tees and the restored a huge bunker in the carry of the 10th hole originally designed by Willie Fernie and which Dr. Alister MacKenzie provided input upon in the 1920s.

The other major change was to the position of the tees and the first half of the 15th fairway well to the left of the previous line. Again this is a restoration of the hole alignment which was played during The Open in 1923. This became clear following the discovery of a wonderful illustration of the course for the event which was published prior to that Open in the Illustrated London News. Plans were already afoot to take the hole away from the Old Course's boundary road to the right of the hole for this year's Open. Any unease felt by the members about such a change was dispelled by the discovery of the illustration. Quite incredibly, it showed that the chosen alignment was exactly the same as that played in 1923.
In the intervening years the tees and fairway had been moved to the right, possibly due to low areas of the old fairway lying wet during the winter months. In order to ensure dry conditions for the restored fairway, levels have been raised considerably. Hence the new fairway has been shaped from where it starts to where it joins up with the wonderful undulations of the second part of the hole.
The other changes included some fairway bunker adjustments and the addition of an approach bunker at the par-5 4th, plus we reconfigured the tees on 5, reshaped green surrounds at 6, restored an old bunker at 7, softened the green contours at 8 which had become more severe from bunker sand splash and constructed dunes along the fairway by the burn at 16. Many of the greens have been mown out larger including the front of the Postage Stamp to bring the front bunker into play more. We also enlarged many of the championship tees and removed scrub and gorse vegetation in various places. We took those areas down to bare sand as recommended by The R&A's ecologist which has helped return the course to more of its look from years gone by.
GS: Besides the Postage Stamp, what holes would you say are most worth of study at Royal Troon?
ME: I believe that the Old Course at Troon is generally underrated. I believe it to be one of the best of The Open venues. It has some superb views, has tees which could not be closer to the coastline on the front nine, some great individual holes including the incomparable Postage Stamp and one of the toughest back nines in championship golf. In terms of other notable holes, the 5th is a wonderful par 3 on its elevated ridge by the sea, the dogleg 7th asks questions from the tee if conditions are favourable, the 11th must have the most intimidating tee shot on The Open rota being played over a sea of gorse with no view of the fairway, the 13th has the most magical undulations and shows that bunkerless holes can be the very best, the 15th, in its new guise has great shape to its fairway line and, of course, the 18th is the ultimate test with the clubhouse and out of bounds so close behind the green.
GS: You will be working as a referee at The Open, correct? What do you enjoy about that role, since it's so different than the work of a golf architect?
ME: I will be refereeing at The Open this year. I am possibly one of the most nervous referees! However, we are well briefed and have great back up for any awkward situations. It is a real privilege to walk inside the ropes and be so close to the players and it does help give me an insight into how the modern elite golfers play the game which is very useful when it comes to making changes to Open venues.
Overall though, the sheer experience of being part of the greatest championship of them all is incredible and, last year, I had the opportunity to walk up the 18th at St Andrews as referee with my son carrying the scoreboard. A truly special occasion.
We'll hear about Gene Sarazen's Postage Stamp ace in 1971 no doubt, but thanks to British Pathe we get to see the legend at Troon in 1923 when he failed to qualify for the first Open played at the course.
It's that time to start soaking up just enough history to be excited about a return to Troon and the times we live, which include multiple replays, Yanni theme music (with bagpipes!), Protracers and Johnny.
Speaking of Johnny, check out his hat early on in this 33 minute highlights package from the 1973 Open Championship at Royal Troon. While deep diving YouTube for some pre-tournament appetizers, this was the keeper of all films. We're all in on the 70s, from the attire to the music to the graphics. I kept expecting Ron Burgundy to pop in at some point.
Hope you didn't have much to do at the office Monday! Here goes:
Geoff Shackelford
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning Drive, is co-host of The Ringer's ShackHouse is the author of eleven books.
