2012 British Open Championship Update

~~ through 3 rounds ~~

This is pretty much what it comes down to early tomorrow morning for the final round of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes:


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Click HERE, or on the leaderboard above to go to the full leaderboard..

No way was it as such going into the tournament, but my money's now on Adam Scott to wrap it up.. I know, I know.. Going out on a limb. He's just playing too well to do something as horrific as it would take to lose this thing. I expect several of the guys to go low and put some pressure on him. McDowell, Tiger, Zach, and even Bubba & Dustin should be able to put a scare into these guys by posting a -7 or -8 early. Of course if the wind blows (and we all know the wind can really blow over there), that's even more of an advantage for Adam Scott.

Should be interesting!!

2012 British Open Championship Update

~~ through round-1 ~~



Click the abbreviated leaderboard above to go to the official British Open site for the full leaderboard.

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The Mini-Golf Open

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Clever Kitty

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Can I Get A Ruling, Please?

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World's Longest Sea Bridge Opened In China

The world's longest bridge over sea water has opened in opened to general traffic on in China's eastern coastal city of Qingdao. Jiaozhou Bay is located on the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula in East China. It separates Huangdao District from Qingdao City and borders on two other cities, Jiaozhou and Jiaonan. The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, with a total length of 42.4 kilometres would easily cross the English Channel and is almost three miles longer than the previous record-holder, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in the American state of Louisiana. Built in just four years at a cost of 55.5 billion pounds, the sheer scale of the bridge reveals the advances made by Chinese engineers in recent years.

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In-N-Out Burger Opens First Texas Restaurants

There is new information on a Southern California hot spot now coming to Texas. Of course, we are talking about In-N-Out Burger.

On Monday, we broke the news about the grand opening date for the first of the new restaurants. Of the eight confirmed North Texas locations, the first two stores will open on Wednesday morning.

The initial In-N-Out locations are in Allen on Stacy Road, east of US 75; and in Frisco on Preston Road, just north of the Sam Rayburn Tollway (Highway 121), across from Stonebriar Centre.

The company chose North Texas because it's centrally located and there is opportunity for growth.

"We want to put it where we can serve the most restaurants, and Dallas fits that bill — not just because of the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, but how far we can reach beyond there to other cities in Texas," said Carl Van Fleet, In-N-Out vice president of planning. "But that's going to be way in the future,"

California customers are passionate about In-N-Out, and they are already predicting success in Texas.

"They'll do great. Once someone tries them, they'll love them. Plus, the price is good," said Bette Rogers, a long-time California customer.

In-N-Out has been in business for 63 years, a family-owned company that until now has had operations only in four states: California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.



In-N-Out Burger's website

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Those Crazy Cats

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The Texas Open Courses

By Art Stricklin at Links Magazine with my own additional comments.



The Valero Texas Open is the third oldest stop on the PGA Tour behind only the Western and Canadian Opens, and it's the oldest stop to have been played in the same city every year. All 82 tournaments, going back to 1922, have been played in San Antonio.

Winners of the Texas Open could open their own wing at the World Golf Hall of Fame, starting with Walter Hagen, who captured the 1923 Texas Open with a total purse of $5,000, bigger than the U.S. Open at the time. Arnold Palmer had a three-peat–on three different courses no less–in the early '60s. In 1940, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan staged one of their two PGA Tour playoffs with Nelson coming out the winnner, just like he did at the Masters two years later. Native son Ben Crenshaw won in his first-ever start as a member of the tour in 1973, and Tommy Armour III set the tour's scoring record of 254 (26 under) during the 2003 tournament.

Golf's legendary past, present and future have all come together for a Texas-sized golfing good time on some legendary Lone Star layouts at the Texas Open. Let's take a tour of the courses in chronological order:

Brackenridge
HOST YEARS (21): 1922–26, 1929–40, 1950–55, 1957–59
PAR: 71
YARDAGE: 6,263
ARCHITECT: A.W. Tillinghast, John Colligan (2008 restoration)
FACT: First public course in Texas, first public course with grass greens.
A very short course that I've played a half-dozen times, but not since the epic redesign in 2008. Several holes were completely changed, including a re-routing of holes 15-17. As most older courses in this area, elevation change is non-existant, but the premium is placed on accuracy, as tight, tree-lined fairways are what gives Brackenridge its teeth.


Willow Springs
HOST YEARS (10): 1927–28, 1941–49
PAR: 72
YARDAGE: 6,930
ARCHITECTS: Emil Loeffler, John Bredemus,
Vern Schmidt (renovation)
FACT: Longest hole in San Antonio is the 663-yard 2nd.
One of my favorite courses in the area! I've loved every one of my 25+ visits, and am always reminded why I want to go back again. The famous 2nd hole is almost 700 yards long, and seems as if it just keeps curving to the right. Most holes here are relatively wide-open, so it's as good a course as any for those who struggle keeping their driver straight. It's the site of my career-longest drive of 345 yards. Hole #12, par-5, 544.. lotta wind that day! Certainly have played Willow Springs more than any other course in San Antonio.


Fort Sam Houston (La Loma)
HOST YEARS (4): 1950–51, 1956, 1960
PAR: 72
YARDAGE: 6,566
ARCHITECT: A.W. Tillinghast
FACT: Last active-duty military base to host a PGA Tour event.
The company I used to work for had one of our yearly tournaments there one year, and I wasn't really impressed. Sure there are worse courses for your money, as it did have quite a bit of character, but just not the quality conditioning nor design. That was late '90's, though, so by now, it may be better.


Oak Hills CC
HOST YEARS (23): 1961–66, 1977–94
PAR: 70
YARDAGE: 7,183
ARCHITECT: A.W. Tillinghast
FACT: Originally founded as Alamo CC in 1922 but ceased operations during WWII and reopened as Oak Hills in 1946.
The only course on this list, other than the new venue, that I've never played. It's a private club, so I can't exactly expect to have played it, but I have been to a tourney with my father when it was hosted there (probably late 80's). The par-3 18th at Oak Hills is a truly incredible golf hole!


Pecan Valley
HOST YEARS (3): 1967, 1969–70
PAR: 71
YARDAGE: 7,183
ARCHITECT: Press Maxwell
FACT: Also hosted 1968 PGA Championship won by Julius Boros with Arnold Palmer second.
No doubt about it - Pecan Valley is one of the toughest golf courses in existence. I've played it about 10 times and have never scored anywhere near my handicap. Super-tight fairways, several creeks crossing fairways, subtly slippery and undulating greens, and one of the toughest par-4's I've never made par on (#2). Pecan Valley is simply a must-play if you go to San Antonio! It's no wonder at all that a PGA Championship was hosted here. They need to come back!


Woodlake
HOST YEARS (5): 1972–76
PAR: 72
YARDAGE: 7,143
ARCHITECT: Desmond Muirhead
FACT: Ben Crenshaw won his PGA Tour debut here in 1973.
Might just be my favorite course in San Antonio. Definitely top-4. When I wasn't at Willow Springs, I was here. It's always a really fun round of golf at Woodlake CC, simply because you're trying to putt some of the fastest, slick greens around. No wonder Crenshaw won here. The design is amazing, and the price is always just right too. As are most of these. I hadn't really touched on that yet, but along with Willow Springs, they won't break your bank, and you'll enjoy your round. Some of my best rounds have come here, but only because my putter was on that particular day.


La Cantera (Resort Course)
HOST YEARS (15): 1995–2009
PAR: 70
YARDAGE: 6,881
ARCHITECTS: Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf
FACT: Named best new course in America when it opened in 1994; last Morrish-Weiskopf collaboration.
If it weren't for the price, there is no other place within an hour of me that I'd go play. Without a doubt La Cantera is my dream course. I've been here countless times for the Texas Open (including 1996 when Tiger and I had a 2-second pro-spectator encounter). I've only played the resort course about 6-7 times, and proudly hold onto the memory of a 27-hole extravaganza with Rick in which I shot 40-42-40. The course has more character than any course I've ever been to. Serious elevation changes to the point where countless PGA pros have complained (they won, sigh), but some of the best greens I've ever putted. The definition of a subtle break.. very fast.. very true. Shame on the PGA tour for taking the Open elsewhere!


TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course)
HOST YEARS (2): 2010–2011
PAR: 72
YARDAGE: 7,435
ARCHITECTS: Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia
FACT: The second TPC course here will host a Champions Tour event this year.
No I haven't been there yet. The pictures and videos and reviews I've seen are incredible. We shall see if it's better than La Cantera.I guess I have my work cut out for me.

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Oops

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Not the greatest of days to have left that open. Hope they don't have leather seats.

Wine Etiquette

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Handy American Drinking Laws

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I Might Have A Chance

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Go Outside And Get Some Exercise!

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I wonder if that thing is cordless/wireless? Now that's funny. Imagine all the exercise the guy(s) got carrying it to that precise spot..

It's Open Air

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I'd paint a HUGE "No" on that if I could. Hilarity would ensue..

The Annual July Birth Of Golf

The British Open is underway. It is always a birthday thing for me. I love golf, and I love watching the best in world. I love the Masters and the U.S. Open, but the British Open will always correspond with my own birthday, and I love it.






















Image Source

My fourball challenge pick this year is as follows:

Justin Rose
Steve Stricker
Geoff Ogilvy
Tom Watson

Gonna get a nap and then go get some beer and enjoy the day!

The 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

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Hey, it's pretty simple. The golf course won. Guys had their chances early during the back-9. As soon as 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson tripled the 2nd hole, doubled the 3rd, and bogeyed the 4th, his score of 6-under for the tourney was suddenly EVEN. Guys like Tiger, Phil, and Ernie Els were all breathing down his neck, but he obviously felt some pressure that didn't exist during his last two back-to-back victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach tourneys the last two Februaries.

2010 US Open Champ, Graeme
McDowell with his father - Source

Graeme McDowell stayed solid, and the "big guns" only shot blanks for the most part. McDowell was able to win the tournament with a final-round 3-over par 74. How can this be?

Well like I said, the golf course won. I enjoyed the tournament, and the final round could've been better had some of these guys made a serious run. However, no one in the last half-dozen pairings shot anything lower than 71. Sure Matt Kuchar and Ben Curtis shot final-round 68's, but they were well behind beforehand.

After all was said and done, Phil and Ernie carded 73's, and Tiger shot 75, but apparently the viewers didn't like this. I don't really understand why, but I did happen to run across this poll at ESPN dot com. So I voted, and then took a screenshot of the results -- in preparation for this post.

Take a look at the poll:

















Click to enlarge..

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

...and all the dad's out there.

Here's a pic of my Dad and I today after a nice dinner at my sister's. My wife and I gave him a huge bag of all kinds of different chocolates, and we were also able to watch the U.S. Open finish up together. Fun day!