Morikawa's Virtuoso Performance Seals Deal at Royal St. Georges

It was a final round filled with much drama and action. But at the end of it all, Collin Morikawa has emerged victorious, claiming the Claret Jug at the 149th Open Championship at Royal St. Georges Golf Club. The California-native finished with a final score of 15-under par and a two shot win over Jordan Spieth. This is Morikawa's second major win, his first being the 2020 PGA Championship. He also makes history as the first golfer to win two majors in his first appearances at them and the first golfer since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in eight starts.

 

Morikawa's round began today a single stroke back of Louis Oosthuizen, his final round playing partner. The two exchanged pars until the fourth hole, when Oosthuizen bogeyed to even up them up. However, on the 7th hole, the momentum swung in Morikawa's favour.

 

The par 5 572 yard 7th hole played as the easiest hole on the course in the first three rounds, however Oosthuizen landed his second shot into a greenside bunker, with Morikawa in a safe position near the green. Louis was left with a relatively easy bunker shot and had some green to work with. But, in one of the few errors he made all week, Louis caught the ball thin and sent it flying over the green into the opposite bunker. Some good putting later and Louis escaped with only a bogey, but Morikawa on the other hand, had birdied for a two-shot swing. Two more birdies on the eighth and ninth holes and Collin found himself with a four shot lead at the turn.

 

As impressive as Morikawa's attacking mindset was, his ability to scramble is what ultimately won him the tournament, in my opinion. In our Open Championship preview, we spoke about how the toughness of links golf can overwhelm younger players and that experienced players typically win the Open. Collin Morikawa had never played in an Open Championship before. While indeed a younger player at 24 years old, Collin Morikawa played his final round today with so much poise, calmness and experience that you simply could not tell that this was his first time playing an Open Championship. It was unlike anything I've seen before and such a remarkable feat. His character was especially tested on holes 10 and 15, where he sank two tough putts to save par, after poor iron shots prior. 

In the months since his 2020 PGA Championship win, critiques of Morikawa have cited the lack of crowds at said tournament as the reason why he won (recall that the 2020 PGA Championship was played under COVID-19 protocols). His win this week has proved that he can win under any circumstances. It's no easy feat to play the way Collin played, to have the courage to attack the course with so much on the line or the mindset to make clutch par saves. 

 

And he did this all while having to adapt to a new style of golf course. Morikawa admitted prior that he was unfamiliar with links golf. He ultimately decided to play the Scottish Open one week earlier and said that he would not have been able to win this week if he hadn't done so. Morikawa embraced links golf and respected the style of play that it lends itself to, whether its using the slopes to his advantage or hitting different kinds of shots. And he was aware of that, as he mentioned in his post-round interview:

“To come here on debut and win it… The Open Championship is going to be part of my life for the rest of my life no matter what happens." 

-Colin Morikawa after his 2021 Open Championship win

 

When you look at all these factors at the same time, one can easily see why Colin Morikawa's Open Championship win is one of the most impressive major performances in recent years. 

***

Despite a promising forecast of high winds, we saw a benign version of Royal St. Georges over the weekend. In fact, the final round scoring average was the lowest in Open Championship history. Many players took advantage of these conditions including the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson de Chambeau and Rickie Fowler, who all rallied to shoot 65s, the low round of the day. While the conditions did take away some of the excitement from the tournament, players still had to contend with the difficult bunkers and slopes of Royal St. Georges.

We also saw a good Canadian feature on the weekend between Mackenzie Hughes (T6) and Corey Connors (T15). Both Hughes and Connors played so well that they even featured in the TV coverage; something not seen too often. They showed this week that they can play good golf on some of the toughest courses, in some of the toughest tournaments. It's safe to say that Canadian golf is in a good place!

 

On a final note, let's take a look at how our picks finished the tournament:

 

1) Louis Oosthuizen: T3 at 11-under
2) Paul Casey: T15 at 5-under
3) Ian Poulter: T26 at 3-under

 

You have to feel bad for Louis, who despite a great effort and some genuinely excellent golf at times, could not get it done this week. During his final round, he struggled with his putting and his iron accuracy, which had been spot on all week. His did show signs of life though, nearly carding a hole-in-one on the par 3 11th hole, which played a staggering 256 yards today and was the toughest hole all week. He also has several attempts at birdies throughout. But seeing the kind of player Louis is, and the commitment he shows to his game, he will be back. And on the plus side, it's still a T3 finish at a major!

Casey and Poulter also had respectable finishes, with Casey carding a 70 and Poulter a 68 for their final rounds. These two are really some of my favourite golfers to watch and its great to see their games in such a good place. Who said professional golf is a young person's profession?

And just like that another Open Championship has come to a close. After all the waiting for this tournament, I can safely say with confidence that this was one of the better editions of the tournaments, especially from a spectator's perspective. It was a real treat to watch Morikawa at work and the confidence and clutchness he brought. A well deserved win, without question.

Next year, the Open Championship returns home to St. Andrews for its 150th anniversary. Who knows what drama that will bring!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Collin Morikawa wins the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges (image: Peter Morrison/AP)

 

Oosthuizen Surges Into the Weekend at Royal St. Georges

 

Momentum. Momentum. Momentum.

That's what Louis Oosthuizen has been riding for what seems like the entire year. The South African and 2010 Open Champion currently leads the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges Golf Club with an impressive score of 11-under par (64,65) and a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa. In fact, Oosthuizen's score is more than impressive, it's record-breaking. His total of 129 is the lowest 36-hole score ever recorded at an Open Championship.

 

Going into the tournament, Oosthuizen was a favourite amongst many, including us here at TGR. His string of major performances this year, including top-2 finishes at both the US Open and PGA Championship, led many to think that his time has finally come for another major win.

And he is certainly on his way to doing so. After a bogey-free opening round of 64, Oosthuizen followed up with a 5-under 65 today, in a round that included a bogey at the par 3 16th hole and an eagle at the par 5, 14th hole. His putting was solid and driving was very accurate, particularly during his second round; attributes that will reward you especially on a links course.

Royal St. Georges played uncharacteristically benign during the first two rounds. Today's round in particular featured lower winds speeds and slightly slower greens. Oosthuizen was not the only player taking advantage of these conditions. The low score of the day was a 6-under par, shot by Collin Morikawa, Emiliano Grillo and Jon Rahm. The cut has also been set at 1-over par. Conditions are forecasted to worsen on the weekend however, with wind speeds predicted to be in the 15-30 mph range. This will make for some interesting rounds of golf. 

Finally, we mentioned that Oosthuizen was our top pick this week, but let's see how the rest of our picks are doing so far:

 

1) Louis Oosthuizen: Leader at 11-under
2) Paul Casey: T7 at 5-under
3) Ian Poulter: T31 at 2-under

Not bad at all. Casey is also continuing his streak of great golf and was able to make moves when he needed to, including a nice string of birdies on the 7th, 8th and 9th holes during his second round today. Given the weather forecast and uncertainty over the weekend, he is definitely still in contention. Poulter opened with a 72 on Thursday but followed it up with an aggressive 4-under 66 today. He also had a birdie steak on holes 7-9 and has shown he can score low at Royal St. Georges. He will be looking to make a big move on Saturday to put himself in a good spot for the final round. 

Two rounds down at the 2021 Open Championship, but things are only getting started. The weekend rounds are always filled with tension and excitement. 

Stay tuned for our next post on Sunday/Monday to see who has won,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Louis Oosthuizen leads the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges (Image: Boston Globe)

2021 Open Championship Picks

We are just one day away from the start of the much-awaited 2021 Open Championship. This year, Royal St. Georges Golf Club in Kent, England plays hosts, a tough links course that will no doubt test the skills and limits of players. 

 

As we look over the list of players in the field this week in an attempt to make a few picks, one thing has become apparent. The Open Championship is typically won by experienced players, who have been around for a bit. You would probably have to go back to Louis Oosthuizen's win at St. Andrews back in 2010 for the last "relatively inexperienced" player (at the time) to win in. 

Why does this appear to be the case though? As I eluded to in my Open Championship article, links golf is tough. It requires players to do so much more that just swing the clubs. That, plus all the pressure of being a major tournament, can perhaps overwhelm many rookie players. It's a battle, and from the looks of it, takes a bit of experience and time on tour to overcome.

 

With that said, here are our picks for the 2021 Open Championship:

1) Louis Oosthuizen
2) Paul Casey
3) Ian Poulter

 

I really do think that Louis can get it done this week. The wave of momentum, and second place major finishes, that he's had recently can't be overlooked. It doesn't hurt either that he's won it before. In a similar position is Paul Casey, who is also familiar with links courses and has played well in majors past too. Is this finally the week that Casey gets his first major win? Let's hope so. Finally, rounding out our picks is Ian Poulter. Poults' career has really been trending in the right direction these past few years after being injury-plagued earlier. He finished T4 at the Scottish Open last week, maybe he can go the way of Phil Mickelson back in 2013 and take the Claret Jug this week? What an achievement that would be for him; a jewel on top of an already stellar career.

We'll be checking in midway to see how the tournament is progressing and how out picks are doing. Stay tuned!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

 

Can Louis Oosthuizen reclaim the Claret Jug this week at Royal St. Georges? (Image: Boston Globe)

The Open Championship - A Major Like No Other

After what has seemed like an eternity of time, the Open Championship returns this week. This year, Royal St. Georges Golf Club plays host, the site of much history throughout its life, most recently the scene of Darren Clarke's inspiring win back in 2011.

In the days leading up to the tournament, I am reminded once again why this is such a unique major, perhaps the most out of the bunch. The history, the battle, the rawness of the Open Championship, all played out over four days of unpredictability. 

But, in the age of long-bombing tour pros and AI-designed golf clubs, some struggle to understand this tournament and what it truly has to offer, both player and spectator alike.

The Open Championship is golf in its rawest but purest form, a return to the roots of the game. For one week, players and spectators are reminded of the golf of days past. The history that comes along with this tournament is well documented and vast. Nearly all of golf's giants have won this tournament and those who haven't have yearned to do so. Its as if walking through a living museum; whether it's watching players cross over Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews or walk across the weather-barraged fairways of Carnoustie, we are reminded of those that came before us. If those fairways could talk, imagine the stories they could tell. This brings, I believe, a level of respect to the tournament that is unmatched by others; this is not something that is fabricated for player or spectator enjoyment, rather something much more innate. I like to think of it as how our golfing ancestors would have envisioned golf tournaments looking like in the future.

 

A traditional links course is always the setting for an Open Championship, where players are expected to battle both the course and the elements surrounding it; a stark contrast to the well-manicured, sometimes benign, parkland courses typically seen in a standard PGA Tour rotation. One does not play "at" a links course, but "on" a links course, for many links courses are simply as nature designed them; shaped over thousands of years by sea and wind alike. It is this connection to nature, in both design and influence, that requires a completely different set of golfing skills, which so few players possess. Calculations and metrics fade as feel takes over when playing a links course.

The build-up to an Open Championship is something special. Excitement and apprehensiveness churn even before the players tee off. We ask ourselves, what will the weather bring, how will the players react to it, who will falter first? This uncertainty is what makes the Open Championship so unique and such a test of skill. Players are forced out of their comfort zones, forced to adapt, forced to change their styles, a respectful salute to the origins of the game. It truly is the ultimate test of a player, a battle between golfer and nature, one that is on full display for public eyes. And when things do go wrong, there is no hiding on the tree-stripped, nature-sculpted, undulating mounds of a links course, as many can attest to. There is a sense of vulnerability seen in players, which I believe is something that the average golfer can relate to. From Jean van de Velde in 1999 to Adam Scott in 2012, some of golf's worst collapses have been seen at the Open Championship.

  

On a more personal note, as someone from the opposite side of the Atlantic looking at the tournament, I often get the feeling that the community, the host town as it is in most cases, embrace the Open Championship and are proud of it, proud to be hosting and proud to be displaying it to the world. The sense of community and collectiveness is much stronger at the Open Championship that any other tournament I've seen. Its hard to describe it exactly, but the entire vibe of the tournament just feels different. And given the state of the world over the past year and a half, this is something that feels good, it feels right.

So as we go into this what will be the 149th playing of the Open Championship, I encourage all those who watch golf to study this tournament and allow yourself to become immersed in it. Look at the unique features that Royal St. Georges has to offer, from its deep bunkers to its rolling hills. Pay attention to little things, like how the winds change from hole to hole, hour to hour, how the players adjust their shot style or use the features of the course, or how dependent a players score can be when their tee time is. I can guarantee that you will be rewarded and experience something you have never seen before at a golf tournament.

This is the beauty of the Open Championship.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Royal St. Georges Golf Club plays host to the 149th Open Championship this week (image: RSGGC)

Zach Johnson Wins the 2015 Open Championship

After delays on top of delays and a four hole playoff in what has been the longest Open Championship in history, we finally have a winner of the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews. That's right, Zach Johnson defeated Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four hole playoff to win the second major of his career, his first being the 2007 Masters. This is also the Iowa native's 12th PGA Tour victory and first win since last year's Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Things got a bit hectic towards the end of today's final round. Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman set the playoff bar high, both shooting 66 today to get to 15-under. Johnson birdied the 18th hole to set that score and had a feeling it would be just enough if a playoff was to happen. He was right as shortly after Marc Leishman posted the same score. Johnson played an excellent round today that consisted of eight birdies and two bogeys. He definitely deserved this win.

Chasing them (a few groups back) were Jordan Spieth, who was looking for his third straight major win, Jason Day, who was looking for his first major win, and 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, who was looking for a repeat win at the Old Course. Spieth needed a birdie on the par 4 18th to get into the playoff, but hit his second shot short and off the green. He missed the putt and the playoff chance to make history. Day hit his second shot to the middle of the green and had a long putt to make the playoff. His putt was just a couple of feet short and he too failed to get into the playoff. Day and Spieth were in the second to last group, ahead of Oosthuizen. So it all came down to Louis, who was in the same scenario as Spieth, except he hit an excellent second shot wedge to a couple of feet. He made the birdie putt and off to the playoff he went.

The playoff was a four hole aggregate, where Louis, Marc, and Zach played the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th. Whoever had the best combined score after the four holes won. Oosthuizen and Johnson birdied the first while Leishman bogeyed. Johnson took the lead after another birdie on the second while Oosthuizen and Leishman parred. But on the third hole, Johnson's chances of winning became slim, after hitting his second shot on the 17th way left of the green, just behind a deep greenside bunker. Oosthuizen and Leishman both were short of the green and Johnson bogeyed, as did Leishman. Oosthuizen putted for birdie but came up short, and unfortunately missed his par putt. On the final 18th hole, Oosthuizen needed a birdie to force a sudden death playoff, but missed his putt by inches. Johnson won the playoff and the Open Championship by a single shot.


As I mentioned before, this was the longest Open Championship in it's entire history, taking 5 days to complete. Regulation play ended at about 7pm local time and the playoff finished about an hour and a half later. Of course this felt even longer due to the weather delays. Today's round did have a bit of rain as predicted and it fell pretty hard on a few holes, while others remained dry. We still saw a few low scores but the scoring average was probably around 69 or 70.

The low amateur of the tournament was not Paul Dunne, who led the tournament as of yesterday. Instead, American Jordan Niebrugge (T6) was. Despite great play all weak, Dunne unfortunately shot a 78 today and finished the tournament T30.

Finally, here's how our picks finished up:

1) Dustin Johnson: T49 at 4-under
2) Rickie Fowler: T30 at 6-under

Dustin shot another 75 today and quickly fell out of contention yet again in a major. Fowler shot a 73 today and finished okay.

And just like that, this season's third major has come and gone. This concludes our coverage in Europe for now as this week we'll be covering our national open, the Canadian Open. Stay tuned for our picks on Wednesday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Zach Johnson: The 2015 Open Champion

Day 4 of the 2015 Open Championship

You may be wondering what happened to our Day 3 coverage of the Open Championship and to be honest there wasn't much happening at the Old Course yesterday. Early in the morning, players finished off their second rounds and just barely. Shortly after, third round play was called off due to bad weather and it was decided that the Open would finish on Monday, with the third round being played today.

As it stands now, the leading score is 12-under and is held by 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Day, and amateur Paul Dunne. They hold a one shot lead over Jordan Spieth, who will be looking to make modern history tomorrow by winning three straight majors.

Today's weather conditions were perfect for low scores, seeing as there was barely any wind and only a small amount of rain. We saw players taking advantage of this and going really low with their scores, such as Marc Leishman and Padraig Harrington who shot a 64 and 65 respectively. Due to this, there was a huge log jam of players at the top of the leaderboard. At one point, players like Padraig Harrington, Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth, and many more either co-led or were within a shot of it.

The biggest story of the day was that of amateur Paul Dunne. The Irishman, who plays college golf for UAB (like Graeme McDowell), made history today, becoming the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1927 to lead the Open Championship after 54 holes. His accolades are well deserved; he shot a respectable 66 today and over his three rounds has made almost 90% of the GIRS and hit over 80% of fairways. He's also only dropped two shots (two bogeys) over the tournament. If he wins tomorrow, he's be making even more history. Best of luck to him.

Almost as big a story was Dustin Johnson, who shocked us all with relatively poor play today. He shot a 75 today and carded four bogeys and just a single birdie. As he said in his post-round interview, his putter was cold all day and he couldn't capitalize on many birdie opportunities. This again marks another major where we've seen Dustin fall back after leading. He said he'll need a really low round tomorrow to be in contention and win (he's T18 as of now).


Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Dustin Johnson: T18 at 7-under
2) Rickie Fowler: T18 at 7-under

Rickie played well today, shooting a 66. He carded seven birdies and a bogey and like Dustin, will have to put in a bit of work to be in contention tomorrow.

Tomorrow's weather will be more prominent than what we saw today, but not nearly as bad as the first two rounds. A small wind with a chance of rain mid afternoon is what's being forecasted. We'll have to wait and see how it will affect the leaderboard.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Can Louis Oosthuizen win back to back Open Championships at St. Andrews?

Day 2 of the Open Championship

We're halfway through the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews, but not all players have finished their rounds. In an interesting decision by tournament coordinators, due to the darkness the remaining players were given the option to finish their round in the dark or pick up tomorrow morning. As it stands right now though, the leader is still Dustin Johnson with a score of 10-under par and a one shot lead over Danny Willett. The cut also looks to be set at even par.

The initial delay today was due to the fact that the Old Course received heavy rain early this morning. It lasted just over three hours thanks to the work of the great groundspeople at St. Andrews, who worked hard to remove casual water that had collected on the many low parts of the course. That meant that the early tee times had to be moved back, as did everyone else throughout the day. Players who didn't want to finish today's round will have to wake up early tomorrow to complete it (at about 2AM EST). However it's forecasted to rain again tomorrow.

Wind was the prominent weather condition today. Like yesterday, a stiff wind was still present all day, but some players like Adam Scott (67) and Russell Henley (66) found low scores and again the front nine played easier than the back nine. However during the later rounds, the wind picked up significantly. At one point even the camera towers were shaking. We even saw leader Dustin Johnson back off from a par putt twice on the 11th due to strong gusts. He eventually missed it and bogeyed; his only one of the round. He too will finish off his second round tomorrow morning.

One player who elected to finish his round today was multiple Open Champion and golfing legend Tom Watson. Today was Tom Watson's last professional round at the Open Championship (as he unfortunately missed the cut). Despite the darkness, he received a warm welcome from fans and players as he stood on Swilcan Bridge on the 18th, for the last time as a pro. Watson won the British Open five times over his long successful career.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: CUT
2) Dustin Johnson: 1st at 7-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T49 at 1-under

Fleetwood unfortunately shot a 76 today, which was probably his first +70 round at the Old Course in a long time. Dustin continues to take advantage of an easy front nine and is looking great for the weekend. Fowler, on the other hand, will need to put in a bit of work to be into contention.

Weekends at the Open Championship are always a special thing. Stay tuned for our recap coverage on Saturday and check us out on Sunday to see who's won.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Can Dustin Johnson hold on for his first major win?

Day 1 of the 2015 Open Championship

The last of the opening rounds of the 144th Open Championship are just wrapping up and the leader is none other than our pick Dustin Johnson, with an incredible round of 65 (7-under). He leads with a one shot lead over many players such as 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, Zach Johnson, Jason Day (to no one's surprise), etc..., at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Dustin carded five birdies and an eagle during his morning round to take the lead early.

Today we saw many contrasts all over the course. To start, in typical links fashion, the front nine of the Old Course moves away from the clubhouse, whereas the back nine moves towards it. Add the wind to this scenario and you get two opposite playing nines. In this case, the front nine was playing easier than the back nine. For example, Sweden's David Lingmerth was making headlines early after he shot a 29 on the front nine. However, as with most players, he struggled on the back nine, shooting a 40 there.

The next contrast was the time of play. The morning players saw a more benign Old Course that was vulnerable at times, especially on the front nine. This is where players like Dustin Johnson were able to go low and get ahead early. As the day carried on, weather conditions deteriorated drastically. Stiff winds blew in, the course became firmer, and the temperature dropped, resulting in much more difficult conditions for the afternoon players. To put things in perspective, scoring average in the morning was about 71, while the scoring average in the afternoon was 72.8. The hardest hole of the day was the par 4 nearly 500 yard 17th AKA the "Road Hole". This is the famous hole where players have a blind tee shot and hazards such as deep bunkers and even a tarmac road along the way. It played with a scoring average of 4.83 and year after year has ranked as the toughest hole on Tour (when the Old Course is playing in the rotation).

Conditions are predicted to worsen for Friday, which will wreak havoc on the leaderboard; the Old Course wasn't going to let players get off that easily. As Zach Johnson said, when the conditions are predicted to be that bad, it's best to get rid of all expectations during your round. But for the fans, worsening weather conditions are always a spectacle and great to watch. It's to be expected at the British Open.

In other news, Tiger Woods sits at T140 at 4-over. He struggled all day with his clubs and often strike was to blame; he fatted a few of his shots, most notable his 2nd shot on the 1st, which found water. His putted also wasn't too hot and he made only half the GIR's. Better luck tomorrow.

Another notable round was that of 2010 Open Champion (the last time the Open was played at the Old Course) Louis Oosthuizen, who shot a 67 and sits at T8 on the leaderboard.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: T18 at 3-under
2) Dustin Johnson: 1st at 7-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T64 at even par

Like most players today, Fleetwood had an excellent front nine and a couple of bogeys on the back nine. He continues his streak of excellent rounds at St. Andrews. Dustin said during his post round interview that the front nine played relatively easy for his game, but he was also under par for the back nine (when most players weren't). Fowler's score doesn't accurately reflect his play today. He teed off during the worst of conditions and made pars mostly, except for a couple of bogeys and a rare eagle at the 10th.

It's been a great opening day and there much more exciting golf to come. Check out our Day 2 recap tomorrow!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Dustin Johnson is looking for redemption this week at the Open Championship

2015 Open Championship Preview

Well it's finally here, the tournament we've been waiting for all season, the oldest of the majors, the one, the only, the Open Championship AKA the British Open. This year marks the 144th edition of the British Open and it will be taking place at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

The British Open is by far the most "truest" and oldest of the majors, in that it brings golfers back to the roots of the game. It was first played back in 1860 (for us Canadians out there, that's seven years before Canada was even established as a country) and the field consisted of just eight professionals at the time. They played three rounds in a single day at Prestwick Golf Club (a 12-hole club at the time). The winner would receive not a trophy, but the Challenge Belt, worn around the waist of the champion. By 1873, the famous Claret Jug was presented to the winner instead and it's been that way ever since. The tradition of playing the British Open on a traditional links course has also remained and today several courses make up the yearly rotation.

The Old Course at St. Andrews is the birthplace of golf; it's the place where the first round was ever played back in the early 1400's. To say it's greatly influenced golf as we know it today is an understatement. For example, the current 18-hole layout of golf courses was first seen here. This year will mark the 29th time that the Old Course has hosted the British Open and as of now sits on a 5-year rotation. Golfers will be playing golf in its rawest form this week, just like in 1860. Be sure to look out for the typical links features that all have their roots at the Old Course this week, like deep bunkers, rolling fairways, gorse, etc.

The field this week is one of the most diverse in golf. We have older players who may not necessarily contend this week but will reminisce of their times playing St. Andrews and in the British Open. We have amateurs who will be looking to make a name for themselves. And of course we have the regular Tour players. This is also a special tournament for Tom Watson. The 5-time British Open champion will be making his last British Open appearance this week, at age 65, 32 years after his last British Open win. Just like for the US Open, my picks this week were hard to make, but here they are:

1) Tommy Fleetwood
2) Dustin Johnson
3) Rickie Fowler

Let's start with Tommy. He's a guru when it comes to the Old Course, despite his young age. Between his last eight rounds at St. Andrews (for the Alfred Dunhil Links Championship) he's 37-under par. In his last round there he shot a course record 62. He really knows how to play this course and that's an asset this week. For Dustin, his play at Chambers Bay shows his game is accurate enough to succeed on links course. His length will also give him an advantage this week. Finally, Rickie's coming off a win last week at the Scottish Open. Here's hoping he can pull off a Phil Mickelson and with the British Open as well.

Play kicks off early Thursday morning on this side of the Atlantic. Since it's a major, we'll be having daily coverage of the British Open. Be sure to check it out.

Also, comment below with your picks this week...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Tommy Fleetwood is our top pick this week at St. Andrews

2015 Greenbrier Classic Picks

This week, the PGA Tour stops by the Old White TPC at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia for the Greenbrier Classic. This is a newer tournament compared to other tournaments on tour, having first been played in 2010 when it replaced the Buick Open. It boasts a $6.7 million purse with about $1.2 million going to the winner.

Despite being a new tournament, it is played on the historic Old White TPC, which was built in 1914. Since then, it has hosted the first current format of the Ryder Cup on US soil (1979) and the Solheim Cup (1994); the only course to host both at the time. The course even has ties to modern golf legend Tom Watson, who is it's pro emeritus. Today, it measures at just under 7,300 yards for tournament purposes. 

Due to it's close proximity to the Open Championship, a win or good finish this week could result in eligibility to play in the Open Championship for some golfers. Some will also use the tournament to check if their game is up to par for the upcoming major. That's why we'll be seeing a variety of players in the field this week. Given that, here's our picks for the week:

1) Webb Simpson
2) Graham DeLaet
3) Kevin Na

Play kicks off early tomorrow morning, but be sure to check our Weekend Update post Friday night. On another note, Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian readers! 


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Webb Simpson is our #1 pick this week

2014 Open Championship Preview

The third major of the year, the 143rd Open Championship (or British Open) is set to start in just a few days at the iconic Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. This is without a doubt one of the most, if not the most, historic tournament of professional golf. It's golf's oldest major and played on tough traditional links style golf courses. Given this, it's no surprise that the Open Championship is a favourite amongst many players and that it's here where we see how good players really are.

Situated on the shores of the Irish Sea, Royal Liverpool is a unique course in a few ways and shares a great deal of history with the Open Championship, being played there for the 12th time. The last time the Open Championship was played at Royal Liverpool was in 2006, where it was won by Tiger Woods in unusually windless but fast conditions. Incidentally, Tiger Woods will be in the field this week, despite recently having back surgery and this being his first tournament since missing the cut at the Quicken Loans National earlier this year.

Royal Liverpool is also infamous for it's finishing holes. Two out of its last three holes are par 5's (16th and 18th). This means that players will have scoring abilities much later in their rounds, which should make for an exciting finish come Sunday afternoon.

And of course this being a traditional links course located near the sea, the weather will also be a factor. Rain or winds can easily change the dynamic of the course. Rain is forecasted on Friday and Saturday, but you can never really predict the weather on a links course. Links courses also demand creativity and unconventionality that's not usually see on the typical golf course. Amercian Bubba Watson mentioned in his press interview earlier today that "[links golf requires] stuff you can't do in the States".

By the looks of it, this year's Open Championship is shaping up to be one of the more exciting ones. Stay tuned tomorrow for our picks on who we think is going to win this year,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2014 Scottish Open Predictions - Results

The final round of the 2014 Scottish Open has concluded and the winner of the tournament is Englishman Justin Rose, winning his first European Tour event since 2007. Rose also won the 2014 Quicken Loans National just two weeks ago. Rose finished his final round at 16-under (-16), which was good enough for a two shot victory over Swedish golfer Kristoffer Broberg.

Conditions were decent during today`s round, with wind speeds being lower than what was to be expected. The low round of the day was a 63, shot by Felipe Aguilar and Stephen Gallacher. Rose on the other hand shot a 65. Given his recent success in the last two weeks, he is surely a favourite going into the Open Championship next week. Maybe we`ll see a repeat of Phil Mickelson's feat last year?

As for our picks, here is how they finished up,

1) Matteo Manassero: T4 at 10-under (-10)
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T35 at 2-under (-2)


Good job on Matteo for finishing in the top-5.

Hopefully the players have fine-tuned their links-golf skills. Next week's Open Championship should be very interesting to watch. Stay tuned for our coverage of it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Justin Rose Wins the 2014 Scottish Open (Action Sports)

2014 Scottish Open Predictions

The 2014 Scottish Open (known formally as the 2014 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open) is set to begin early tomorrow morning at Royal Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland. The course, which is said to be the 6th oldest golf course in the world, is a links course and features many typical links course characteristics (i.e. rolling hills, deep bunkers, natural grassy areas along the fairway, unpredictable weather, etc.)

Since the Scottish Open is played on a links course and since it is the week before the Open Championship (which is also played on a links course), the tournament features many players who will be playing in the Open Championship as well. They use the Scottish Open as a week to brush up on and fine tune their game for links golf. Last year's winner, Phil Mickelson, did just this. After winning the Scottish Open, Phil claimed his golf game was the best it's ever been for links golf. He then went on to win the Open Championship the week after.

As mentioned before, weather will play a big part in the Scottish Open, as any change in weather will drastically alter the course. We'll have to wait and see how this will affect the players. However, here are our picks for the winner this year:

1) Matteo Manassero
2) Lee Westwood
3) Louis Oosthuizen

Also, TGR favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez is in the field, so we'll be watching him as well

Stay tuned for our weekend update of the 2014 Scottish Open,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2014 Quicken Loans National Predictions - Results

Well the time has come for another Rose win after all. Sooner or later one of our picks was bound to win a tournament...

That's right. Justin Rose, one of our picks, has won the 2014 Quicken Loans National at Congressional after a playoff match between American Shawn Stefani. The playoff, which was played on the par 4 18th hole, ended with Rose shooting par and Stefani shooting a double-bogey. Their finals scores for the tournament were just 4-under (-4)

This is Justin Rose's first win of 2014, with his last being the US Open last year. He also won this tournament back in 2010, when it was known as the AT&T National. The win also puts him into the Top-15 in FedEx Cup points.

As for our other pick who made the cut Jordan Speith, he also did pretty well, finishing the tournament at even par at tied for 11th place.

Hopefully, this will give Justin Rose some good momentum going into the few weeks before the Open Championship,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Justin Rose Wins the 2014 Quicken Loans National (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)

Phil Mickelson Wins the 2013 Open Championship

In a final round that would go down in Open Championship history as one of the best final rounds played, Phil Mickelson has won the 2013 Open Championship. He shot a 5-under 66, which was the lowest round of the day, to finish at 3-under for the tournament. He was also the only player to finish under par and finished three shots ahead of Henrik Stenson.

This is Phil's first Open Championship win and his 5th major win. For a man who in recent years claimed that links golf was not his strong suit, he sure has come along way; he also won the Scottish Open last week, which is played on a links course too. 

After starting the day five shots off the lead, Lefty began to laid siege on Muirfield, making six birdies and only one bogey, most of which occurred on the back nine, and on a day where the field's scoring average was 2-over.

Mickelson's best shot of the day came on the 17th hole, a 575-yard par 5. After a good tee shot, Phil decided to go for the green in two, hitting a 3-wood. This shot was probably one of the best of the tournament, as Phil managed to land the ball short of the green perfectly, allowing it to roll gently onto the green. He missed the eagle putt, but made the birdie putt. Another birdie on the 18th would end up sealing his victory.

Shortly before Phil's birdie streak though, Englishman and Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter made a short run for the lead, managing to get to within one of the lead at the time after going 4-under for the day. 3rd round leader Lee Westwood had an up-and-down round, at one point having to make 4 bunker shots within 3 holes and finished the day tied for third at 1-over. Even 2012 Open Championship upset, Adam Scott had a brief lead at one point.

Overall, this was one of the best Open Championships I've seen in years. There were many storylines during this final round and up until the last few holes, the Claret Jug was really anyone's to take. Rarely do we see this happen in regular PGA events or the other majors, but that's really what makes the Open Championship such a different and unique tournament.

Phil Mickelson: The 2013 Open Champion

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Day 3: The 2013 Open Championship

There's just one day left of the 2013 Open Championship now, and the leader going into tomorrow's final round is Lee Westwood, who is at 3-under with a two shot lead over Hunter Mahan and Tiger Woods. Again, today's round yielded higher than normal scores, with the highest round of the day going to former co-leader Shiv Kapur, who shot a 12-over 83 and is in last place. The lowest round of the day was 3-under and was shot by Hunter Mahan (T2), Sergio Garcia (T11) and Richard Sterne (T19). Second round leader Miguel Angel Jimenez faltered today, shot a 6-over 77 and is tied for 11th.

Despite the leading score being 3-under, many are saying that players as far down the leaderboard as 5-over could still be in contention for the Claret Jug come Sunday afternoon, it all depends on how the course will play tomorrow. Currently, there are 18 players within 6 shots of the lead.

My picks are doing okay still. Dustin Johnson is at 3-over and tied for 11th. Graeme McDowell is at 6-over and is tied for 25th. Geoff Ogilvy is at 9-over and is tied for 51st.

Englishman Lee Westwood during the 3rd round of the 2013 Open Championship (Matthew Lewis / Getty Images)

No matter who wins tomorrow, I'm sure the final round will be very interesting,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Day 2: The 2013 Open Championship

The second round of the 2013 Open Championship is now complete and the cut has now been set at +9. The solo leader is none other than Miguel Angel Jimenez, who shot par to stay at 3-under. The opening round leader Zach Johnson shot a 4-over 75 and is tied for sixth.

The second day at Muirfield was much tougher, according to golfers and the scores clearly reflect it, with most of the field shooting over-par rounds. The lowest round of the day was a 3-under 68, by Lee Westwood, and surprisingly Charl Schwartzel, who seemed to play much better after throwing his club in his first round. This was mainly due to the wind coming from a different direction this round.

All of my picks made the cut, luckily. Dustin Johnson shot a 1-over 72 and is tied for second. Graeme McDowell shot an even round and is tied for 34th. Geoff Ogilvy shot a 4-over 75 and is tied for 69th.

As of now, there are 10 players within 3 shots of the lead, so it should be very interesting to see how the weekend rounds fare out, and who will be the winner.

Miguel Angel Jimenez hitting out of one of Muirfield's infamous bunkers (Matt Dunham / The Associated Press)

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Day 1: The 2013 Open Championship

The 1st round of the 2013 Open Championship is now complete. Atop the leaderboard is Zach Johnson (USA) who shot a 5-under 66 earlier this morning. Surprisingly not too far behind Johnson are some older players, 56 year-old Mark O'Meara who shot a 4-under 67 and is tied for second, 49 year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez (AKA The Most Interesting Golfer in the World) who shot a 3-under 68 and is tied for fourth with 54 year-old Tom Lehman and others.

The main story of the day though was how different the front nine played from the back nine. The front nine was playing easier and under-par opportunities were possible, however this was not the case on the back nine. A perfect example of this is Indian golfer Shiv Kapur, who shot a 6-under 30 on the front nine, but struggled to a 3-over 38 to finish 3-under.

My picks also faired out okay. G-Mac struggled on a few holes and finished the day at 4-over, as did Geoff Ogilvy, and both are tied for 77th. Dustin Johnson, on the other had, shot a 3-under 68 during his morning round and is tied for fourth.

The conditions were tough for some of the players. After a bad shot out of Muirfield's notorious rough, South African player Charl Schwartzel threw his 5-iron at the ground in anger, snapping it in half. Also, Thomas Bjorn, also in the rough, took a shot that hit one of the broadcasting crew's Tv camera, which reportedly costed around $80,000!

 Zach Johnson during his opening round (Matthew Lewis / Getty Images)

It should be interesting to see what Muirfield will be like if the weather turns,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The 2013 Open Championship is Underway

After much anticipation, The 2013 Open Championship is finally underway. To get live up-to-date info from The Open Championship, have a look at the "Live Tweets" widgets on the right side of our website, which automatically updates to give you the latest tweets from the official Open Championship twitter account.

Also, if you plan on watching The Open Championship coverage on Tv, TSN is airing the coverage for Toronto and the GTA.

Stay tuned for a post later on summing up the 1st round,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2013 Open Championship Preview

The third major of the season, The Open Championship AKA The British Open, starts in just two days at Muirfield Golf Club in Scotland. Personally, this is my favourite major out of the four, mainly because it's played on a links course and because of the history that is behind it.

For those of you who don't know, a links course, unlike a traditional golf course, forces many of its players to take shots or play the golf ball in a way that they normally wouldn't. For example, say you are 100 yards away from the green, on a normal course, you'd play a wedge or high iron of some sort and lob the golf ball high onto the green. However a links course, due to the weather or hole layout, might force you to play the ball low and bounce the ball onto the green. Links golf challenges you in all parts of your golf game. That's why I think the yearly winner of The Open Championship is usually an all-around excellent player in all aspects of their game.

 "I think this golf course is extremely fair. It's got a lot of flat entrances into greens to where good shots are getting rewarded more often that not here. [Muirfield] is all right there in front of you, there's no hidden tricks to it. Like I say, good quality golf gets rewarded." -Graeme McDowell on Muirfield Golf Club during his press conference earlier today. 

As with most Open Championships, the weather plays a big part in the tournament. Rain and wind can easily make the scores at Muirfield to turn for the worst and make for some exciting golf (at least for spectators), which is again unique to links golf.

My picks for winning The Open Championship this year or at least placing in the top 10 are as follows:

1) Graeme McDowell - He's probably one of the best links golfers at the moment (he's won twice already this year on links courses) and stated earlier today in his press conference that Muirfield plays towards his strengths. Plus he's an all-around great guy and my favourite golfer on tour.
2) Geoff Ogilvy - He's been pretty quiet over the course of the golf season, but I think he might just take the claret jug come Sunday afternoon.
3) Dustin Johnson - Another all-around good golfer who's has good finishes at The Open (2 top-10's in the last 2 Open Championships.

G-Mac has already won three times this year. Can he win The Open? (Photo from the Belfast Telegraph)

Stay tuned for more posts about the 2013 Open Championship,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews