Streb Putts Into Playoff With A Wedge, Then Putter Gets Shut Out

Alex Myers has a nice wrap-up on Robert Streb's amazing Greenbrier Classic run using his 56-degree Vokey to hole huge back nine putts, only to get into the three-man playoff with a replacement putter where he never got the chance to use the backup blade.

The wrap up from The Loop and video of one of Streb's wedge-putts, this one at the 13th hole:

Danny Lee bested David Hearn in the playoff, earning both spots in The Open Championship. James Hahn and Greg Owen also earned spots.

Video: Old Course At St. Andrews First & Second Hole Flyovers

The opener is all on Old Tom Morris, who made the first hole into what we've come to know as one of the game's great starts with its wide fairway and green guarded by the burn. Old Tom widened things out to the right in course modifications that also included some bizarro burying of old ships to shore up the course from flooding (let's agree to not go there).

The flyover:

And the second hole features two new absurd jacuzzi bunkers on the epic green that I am happy to predict will make this hole play easier (scoring average-wise) in The Open (here are the 2010 averages). Give modern players definition where they didn't have it before and you almost guarantee making things easier for them.

The flyover:

Video: Bobby Jones, St. Andrews & The Freedom Of The City

Shifting back to the days of black and white images and people who could deliver the killer of all killer lines, let's move past the Bobby Jones wins at St. Andrews. Let's even zoom by his surprise return in 1936 (Shop signs: Closed because "our Bobby is back").

Because the 1958 World Amateur brought a physically deteriorating Jones and his brilliant mind back for one final visit. By day he was captaining his team, but by night he was at Younger Graduation Hall becoming the second American to receive the Freedom of the City.

Sid Matthew takes it from there in this 2008 Golf Digest story.

Little did Jones know that the only other American to be conferred such an honor was Benjamin Franklin.

As 1,700 people filled the hall, Jones feared he might get up before the throng and draw a blank. Provost Leonard spoke of the town's desire to welcome an "old and dearly beloved friend... not only as a distinguished golfer but as a man of outstanding character, courage and accomplishment well worthy to adorn the roll of our Honorary Burgesses." The provost explained that an Honorary Burgess had the rights "to catch rabbits, to take divots, and to dry one's washing upon the first and last fairways of the Old Course."

It was now Jones' turn to speak. He had previously been lifted to the stage with his heavy metal leg braces rattling like swords in a loose saber. It would not have been impolite for him to speak sitting down. But Jones did the unexpected. He grabbed the table in front of him with gnarled hands and literally pulled his body up until he stood stooped over the table. There were gasps from the spectators. Jones' son, Bob III, was sitting just behind his father. The son coiled in readiness should he need to catch his frail father.

Not only is the speech golf's most cinematic moment, but and the impromptu "Will ye no' come back again?" sung outside the hall ensured there'd be no dry eyes in the house. 

I wish we could watch the entire speech online, but this snippet will have to do. Get your Kleenex on stand by. Here is an ESPN featurette with the best line ever delivered to appease a home crowd, while genuinely meaning what this magical place meant to his rich, full life:

Update on Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 10:58 AM by Geoff

**Thanks to reader Lindsay for this link to the National Library of Scotland's 6 minute version of the Freedom of the City ceremony.

Update On Jordan Spieth's Pre-Open Championship Preparation

The people have spoken, the polls have closed in California and after 656 votes, 64% believe Jordan Spieth is doing the right thing playing the John Deere Classic, while 36% of you agreed with my view that he needs to get to St. Andrews as early as possible. Clearly you were not swayed by my comments or our Morning Drive debate.

The main premise for advocating an early arrival over the Deere is based on the utmost admiration for his ability to process information. The Old Course presents more to process than any other course on the planet, assuming a player can soak it in. Many players are better off not thinking too much, but at the mind-boggling age of 21 Spieth has shown he not only can take in the info, but use it to his advantage. A case could be made that his game has room to improve and that he just won a U.S. Open with a little less than his best. But his drive, intelligence and approach to Chambers Bay (arriving early) paid off.

Put his current game, golf smarts and fine caddie on the Old Course for a couple of extra days, get weather-lucky with the tee time draw, and Spieth has an excellent chance of going to Whistling Straits with a Grand Slam on the line.

Spieth's plans headed to The Open include a Sunday launch to the AJGA event played under his name, a Monday charity event in Iowa for Zach Johnson and then, off to the Deere. Yes, the loyalty is admirable, but at his Hall of Fame induction will he be remembered for his loyalty to the John Deere Classic, or perhaps for having made a run at easily the greatest accomplishment in our sport: winning the modern Grand Slam?

Tim Rosaforte reported the latest on Spieth for Morning Drive:

Besides passing up a chance to study the Old Course (he has played once), there is another more practical reason to arrive early: jet lag.

Sunday night, Spieth will be a red-eye charter flight commissioned by the Deere, arriving at St. Andrews in the afternoon after a less-than-restful night. Reader Tom is a doctor and expressed concern about this approach after seeing our Morning Drive discussion:

The elephant in the room was lack of discussion of the major physiologic effects of jet lag, especially travelling West to East. All best players address this by arriving 1-2 WEEKS prior if they expect to play well and/or WIN. Examples, Tiger fishing trips with O'Meara, Phil playing Scottish and arriving 10 days or more prior, etc. It is impossible to understand why Jordan and his advisers would not be aware of, and address this. Out here we all love Jordan and pray for his success. I think it is tragic for him, with this great chance at history, to not take every precaution in protecting his ability to play his best golf ever.

We tried Tom, we tried!

St. Andrews Videos: Bobby Jones Wins In 1927

The Open's official highlights from Bobby Jones winning in 1927 includes some great shots on the course and era-approprirate music. What a time and place!

The weather wasn't so hot in 1927, so if you're going this year this ought to be a reminder to pack that umbrella:

Check out this Critical Past footage and note the crowd stampeding over the Road green.

Finally, and my favorite of the clips, the footage of the crowd rushing the Home green after Jones clinches. If you watch carefully at the 0:49 mark you can see the epic moment when the crowd lifts Jones and carries him away. That moment produced quite possibly the greatest golf image ever, and it leads off this GolfDigest.com slideshow.

The AP game story from the time (unbylined) makes for fun reading because it describes the reaction to Jones finishing his round and says he was in the ninth of 27 pairs to go out (yikes playing behind that stampede). The story that ran in papers across America includes this epic description of the R&A clubhouse when pointing out how Jones was leaving the Claret Jug behind for safe keeping. Someone had WiFi issues! Excuse me, typewriter ribbon problems...

The announcement was made before a crowd of several thousand persons jamming the spacious St. Andrews eighteenth green and terraces around the drab old stone pile which houses the potentates of the royal and ancient game, awaiting the presentation ceremony.

Jones posted a 285 total to beat Aubrey Boomer and Fred Robson by six strokes.

Punters Beware: Tom Watson Ready For His Final Open

Our friends at Ladbrokes and William Hill tend to not offer the most scintillating odds on low senior, but Tom Watson's effort at the U.S. Senior Open has set him up well for a send off at St. Andrews that should include (at least) a made cut.

Bill Fields on Watson's amazing play at 65 and his need to improve long-iron play heading to the five-time Open Champion's finale at St. Andrews.

“My iron game’s got to be more than decent, it’s got to be in good shape,” he said, anticipating the Old Course at St. Andrews.

“If I get the iron game in good shape and I’m putting well, I give myself a fair chance to at least make the cut and to do well there.”

The five-time British Open winner will certainly be able to use putts like the 33-footer for birdie he holed to loud applause on the 18th on Sunday – the second straight day he sank a long one on the hole.

“You’re going to have a lot of long putts,” Watson said. “It’s imperative that week to have really good speed with your putts, good weight, and keep it out of the bunkers. The bunkers are death. If you add strong wind in there, that’s a tough golf course to handle."

Update on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 08:39 AM by Geoff

**The R&A posted this preview of Watson's farewell and a reminder that the British Golf Museum will be displaying some of his memorabilia during The Open and beyond. There's also some footage shot inside the Royal and Ancient Golf Club's clubhouse, which you don't get to see every day. Watson tells the story of winning at Turnberry in 1977.

Poll: Should Spieth Play The Deere Or Get To St. Andrews ASAP?

This Friday, the John Deere Classic field becomes set in stone at 5 pm. ET.

Jordan Spieth, taking a much-needed Bahamas vacation this week, plans to commit to the Moline, Illinois event and then take the tournament charter to St. Andrews for the Grand Slam's next leg.

This means the reigning Masters and U.S. Open Champion will arrive to the most complicated course on the planet having played it once, with only the opportunity to play two, maybe three practice rounds. Not to mention the whirlwind nonsense that comes with being an in-demand superstar and nice guy.

For someone who has succeeded at a shockingly young age at times with less than his A-game, Spieth has thrived on impeccable decision-making and support from his support team. With the right preparation and the luck of the draw, he has an incredibly strong chance of winning at St. Andrews. Spieth already has the right attitude about the place, which, as we know from history, is half the battle. The other half is knowing how to play the Old Course. And rolling in Monday afternoon with your excellent caddie and hoping to do the necessary preparation in a very short window is a tall ask for anyone, even Spieth.

Sure, Tony Lema rolled into Great Britain for the first time in his life and won at St. Andrews, as Bill Fields wrote for Golf World. Topping that, Jordan Spieth has been there, played a Walker Cup on a links and, according to this excellent Art Stricklin piece for golf.com, took notes on the Old Course with fellow young gun Patrick Rodgers as they stopped in pre-Walker Cup.

That’s exactly the same pattern he followed in 2011 when he was part of the U.S. Walker Cup team, heading directly from the Edinburgh Airport to the Old Course for golf. It was Spieth’s first visit to the Home of Golf and a trip American captain Jim Holtgrieve remembers well.

"The guys were all wide-eyed and fired up about playing a course they had heard about all of their lives," Holtgrieve said.

"What blew me away about Jordan and Patrick Rodgers is they took notes and carried a yardage book. I’m sure he (Spieth) still has that today and has already looked at it."

Spieth certainly learned those lessons well, as he stood 5-under-par on the 12th hole at The Old Course under sunny skies and calm winds, according to Holtgrieve assistant Robbie Zalzneck.

"He played great there," Zalzneck said.

So did Rory McIlroy. He posted a 63 in a T3 finish in the 2010 Open at St. Andrews. That was four rounds, plus multiple practice and competitive Dunhill Cup rounds on the Old Course.

In Spieth's case, for a golfer who thrives on knowledge, preparation and details to come in having to work so hard to prepare in a short window is risky at best. No course on the planet rewards those who learn its intricacies more, which is why I'm perplexed at the decision to play the Deere and risk a late arrival at the Home of Golf with a Grand Slam on the line.

Your thoughts and vote please...

Should Jordan Spieth Play The John Deere Or Go To St. Andrews?

Yes, stick to what's working

No, get to St. Andrews pronto!

 

pollcode.com free polls

Update on Monday, June 29, 2015 at 08:44 AM by Geoff

**We debated on Morning Drive. Parts one and two...

Ian Baker-Finch, Connecticut And The Claret Jug

The Claret Jug made a surprise visit in Cromwell Sunday, where Open Championship spots are on the line in Sunday's Traveler's Championship.

As Brian Wacker notes, some intriguing names are in the mix, as Brian Harman leading. (BTW, nice touch on the PGATour.com leaderboard to note who is already in The Open.)

To promote the The Open, golf's oldest trophy made its way to Connecticut and surprised former Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch as he was beginning a talk to the First Tee gathering.

Brad Klein on the emotional address that followed.

Baker-Finch looked down at that the trophy that May had set down, and just as he talked about the event making him feel like part of a family, he choked up, lost his focus for a second and gave way to the tears welling up in his eyes. It was so touching to watch. The audience suddenly quieted and gave Baker-Finch a few moments to gather himself. And when it became obvious that he needed more time, the crowd stood and applauded in appreciation of how sincere and revealing a gesture they were witness to.

538: Jordan Spieth Has A 1% Chance Of Winning Grand Slam

Neil Paine at fivethirtyeight.com has studied the numbers behind Jordan Spieth becoming just the fourth since 1958 to win the first two majors and only the 13th time to win back-to-back majors.

Using that and some other numbers, Payne concludes Spieth's chances are not great.

No matter how you cut it, the odds of Spieth finishing off the Grand Slam are still fairly low — about 1 percent, if the probabilities above are any kind of guide.

Especially if he insists on rolling in Monday afternoon.

Jordan Spieth, The 18th Hole And His Sense Of History

Jordan Spieth's shot for the ages at Chambers Bay's par-5(!) 18th hole might have been underappreciated a bit in light of Dustin Johnson's three-putt just moments later. Standing behind the shot and not having seen the coverage until this Fox highlight package at the :50 second mark, it's striking (A) how good the shot was, (B) how close it came to being an albatross, (C) how good the sound was in hearing him beg for the right bounce and (C) how mind-numblingly atrocious the announcing was for such a historic moment.  I know Jason Day was (heartbreakingly?) out of it at this point, but sheesh Shark!

Brian Wacker at PGATour.com wrote about Spieth's win and covered many facets, including the 280-yard three-wood:

“I hit it right on the middle of the face and I looked up and it was bleeding right, I just asked for the wind to hold it up just a little bit,” Spieth said. “And it looked like it did, just on the last second it stayed out of going in that bunker and instead found the rebound and stayed up on the top ledge. In midair I was going to be pleased anywhere on the green. And then with the roar I knew it stayed on the top ledge. I'm sitting there thinking, how in the world did it stay up, but I guess it was just my day.”

And his week.

Where the ball landed on the green was the same spot that he’d hit it during a practice round with his coach Cameron McCormick and caddie Michael Greller, who had the experience of about 40 loops around Chambers Bay during summers when he was a sixth grade math and sciende teacher at nearby Narrows View Intermediate School before circuitously landing on Spieth’s bag at the start of his career.

The highlight of his post round press conference, no doubt, was the talk of St. Andrews and the appreciation of history Spieth has on his side.

Doug Ferguson covered this angle.

Spieth was a freshman at Texas when he first went to St. Andrews with the rest of the Walker Cup team. They played the Old Course, soaked up the vibe at the home of golf and then headed north for their matches at Royal Aberdeen.

“It’s one of my favorite places in the world,” Spieth said Sunday evening. “I remember walking around the R&A clubhouse and seeing paintings of royalty playing golf, and it was dated 14-whatever. I’m thinking, our country was discovered in 1492 and they were playing golf here before anyone even knew the Americas existed.”

That was only four years ago, when not many outside golf circles knew Spieth. He’ll get more attention next time he arrives at St. Andrews.

With his appreciation on record or for that matter, the mere image of Spieth looking at R&A clubhouse paintings and appreciating how long the game had been played at St. Andrews, he'll have Fleet Street on his side as the quest for a Grand Slam gets going.

James Corrigan in the Telegraph notes the making of a perfect setup.

The scene is set up perfectly. Spieth and McIlroy hold the four majors between them going into the event and that has not happened since 1972 with Jack ­Nicklaus and Lee Trevino. On that occasion, Trevino denied Nicklaus the treble by a shot. Spieth is determined to avoid the same fate.

Kevin Garside in the Independent:

He could not have imagined then as a 17-year-old boy that he would return as a history-maker at the centre of what might yet be the greatest golfing story ever told. Even Rory McIlroy is starting to look passé at 26. Woods, who’s he?

"All are welcome at the home of golf on Sundays. Except golfers."

I haven't a clue why, on the eve of the U.S. Open with St. Andrews hosting The Open in a month, the New York Times felt compelled to run Sam Borden's piece on Sundays at The Old Course. Even ill-timed, it's an enjoyable read.

Borden writes:

Sunday activities on the Old Course over the years have run the gamut. A local woman named Marie-Noel, who declined to give her surname, said she recalled members of her family laying out their laundry on the course some weeks and added, with a mixture of sheepishness and pride, that she and her friends used to participate in an on-course drinking game known as Port Golf when she was attending a university nearby.
Matheson, one of four guides handling the daily tours, recalled seeing fishermen spread their nets on the fairways so they could mend them. He shook his head when relating a story about a woman in high heels trying to walk across one of the greens.

“That happens more than you would think,” he said. “Then you sometimes see some of the boys out with a football trying to have a proper game before they get chased away.”

Matheson said he had never heard of any serious discussion about changing the Sunday rule. He noted that Old Tom Morris, the legendary player and greenskeeper who revitalized the Old Course in the mid-1800s, was said to have preached, “Even if the golfers don’t need a rest, the course does.”

Watson On His Final Open: "It is like a death, the finality of that."

As quoted by Martin Dempster in The Scotsman, Tom Watson on his final Open Championship this year.

He was speaking of a recent trip to St. Andrews...

“I was here on Monday and I walked by the Swilcan Bridge and I felt a little melancholy, a little sad. But the more I look at it, I’ve had such a wonderful run at the Open Championship that there are too many good memories to be so sad, even though it is over. It is like a death, the finality of that. It’s over, but let the void of that death be filled by those memories and that helps soothe the disappointment of the melancholy.”