The 2015 Open Championship Is Here: Mini-Preview

The major we've all been waiting for, The Open at St. Andrews kicks off after the inspiring Champions Challenge saw legendary former winners play four holes. Headlined by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Peter Thomson, the sun popped out to give us the added colors and that cinematic vibe to the 18th hole setting.

The golf course took an unexpected rain this morning, softening things up a bit. Watch for a low round early Thursday. As I noted in Golf World, the course isn't as lush green as stated, but in contrast to Chambers Bay it practically looks overseeded in ryegrass.

Regarding the changes, they probably won't make any difference, though the new ampitheater outgrowth of mounding added to the Road hole bunker could impact the championship. And looks worse and worse every time I walk by at that magnificent hole. Todd Lewis and I discussed the changes for Live From.

Soak up your Ivor Robson this week because this is the legendary first tee announcer's final Open Championship, writes Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com.  EuropeanTour.com also has a nice long story on Robson.

The tee times are here...

A few images from the last few days before the camera must be retired per the media regulations:

Update on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 03:28 PM by Geoff

**Jim McCabe on Arnold Palmer's appearance at the Champion Golfer's Challenge.

At 85, Palmer is clearly having trouble walking, bothered by a painful  hip, and when he hit the ceremonial opening tee shot at the Masters in April, he conceded that it was the first golf ball he had hit in months.

But this was to be his farewell to St. Andrews, a place that in many ways is as crucial to his legend as is Augusta National. In 1960, Palmer had won the Masters and U.S. Open and deemed it important to go to St. Andrews and win the British Open. He created talk of a “Grand Slam” for the first time and oh, how he came agonizingly close to a third straight major. He lost by one to Kel Nagle, but remained smitten with the challenge. When he won the Claret Jug in 1961 and 1962, he brought this championship back into prominence and never has the British golf citizenry forgotten.

Comments

[dbh]

Great lead in to the event Geoff, thanks for all the effort over the week.
Looking forward to the weather giving the Old Course some teeth and hoping it shakes out evenly for both sides of the draw.
This should be good!

[jah]

Great reporting , Geoff. Thanks for keeping us posted.

[Center Cut]

Hope it blows 25mph from s different direction all day every day.

The bunker on 17 is the least of that holes concerns - it stopped being world class when that architectural monstrosity of a hotel was built to cater for the rich tourist.

[Greg V]

I frequent a wind surfing site for accurate wind predictions - which are usually quite good.

Their prediction for Leuchars:

Thursday - light southeast during the morning building to around 20, gusting high 20's late in the afternoon.

Friday - wind from the southeast just shy of 20, gusting 30, and clocking around to the southwest by afternoon, strengthening to mid-20's gusting mid-30's by late afternoon.

Saturday - wind blowing 30 gusting into the 40's from the southwest all day, until lessening a bit late afternoon.

Sunday - a delightful day for scoring.

I don't think that the forecast gives one half of the draw an advantage, as Thursday morning's easier conditions are paired with Friday afternoon's stronger winds. But, it appears that there will be an advantage on Saturday playing late in the day for the leaders - if there isn't a stoppage of play earlier.

[gov. leptomane]

Thanks for the photos you show from various competitions - in particular, this one, since the over and under on my ever travelling to it is ~ 50%. Your pics provide a glimpse not always seen in the television coverage.

[Chico]

Unless the greens are really quite slow 40mph will be enough to have them sitting in the clubhouse. Had that in the Dunhill a few years back and balls were blowing off greens all over the place. Greens were barely running at 10.

[Laurel creek]

You might see a round near 90 if it blows 40 on Saturday.....

[BDF]

Thanks for the update on AP. I thought he looked a bit more frail than TGC would have us believe. Unfortunately time marches on for us all.

[GinGHIN]

I absolutely love watching the Open. But after last week's Scottish Open broadcast, I don't know how much more background bagpipe music I can stomach.

[Tiger]

*British Open

[bobbyj]

In the UK, I don't trust forecasters to get the midday forecast right at 8am.

[PA PLAYA]

One of the assistants at my club here in the Northeast goes down to Bay Hill in the winter months to stay gainfully employed. He just returned in May, I played with him last week and he said that Arnie wasn't doing too well while he was down there, said he was struggling quite a bit to get around. It's gotta be killing him that he can't get out and be more active than he is.

Long live the King.

[John Matthew IV]

GinGHIN:

You don't love God's Music?

If there is not a bagpiper at my wake, I will come back to haunt my friends and family.

Go Rickie!