Off Topic The Open, 149th, Royal St Georges

The Open, the Champion golfer, call it as it is the best test for a professional golfer and it starts this week at Royal St Georges, in Sandwich Kent. This historic golf course has had it time in the sun with some memorable wins in its' 13 previous hosting of this great golfing tournament. It was the first course to hold the Open outside of Scotland back in 1894, the course of Darren Clarkes only Major win back in 2011 and also Sandy lyles on Open win in 1985. In 1993 Greg Norman shot 64 in the final round to beat Nick Faldo by two shots a score which until 2016 was the lowest final round score in any Open and if you are a fan of James Bond, it's the course where Bond played Goldfinger for that bar of gold, making a birdie on the last hole to set the meeting up...

Anyway, that's the fun part of the course and it's history, we need to find the winner come Sunday night at around 8:00pm, and that is going to be some challenge...!! The problem with this course is that even the big hitters wont tame it, the underlations of the course tend to throw balls off course in to the rough and that is usually heavy and dense for this challenge. Some of the tees are blind so its got tight landing areas and if the breeze gets up that's going to be an issue for most accurate of golfers. It also has some very well placed bunkers which are of that classic pot hole variety which will almost certainly mean your going to drop a shot if trying too hard to get back in to position.

All in all it's going to be a great test of the future Champion Golfer...

Please post your thoughts and bets as i do know that we have a few on here who like to try and bag a big priced winner, Phil Mickelson the golfer of choice in the last Major earning SaveTheHumans a great 2001/ punt...

Going to do a bit of studying now and will post my selections later...

 

Royal St George's Course Guide

Please do click on the link and see the course in all it's beauty, it just looks a stunning course to look at let alone play on it...!!

 

The Australian boys have been red hot over the last couple of weeks, in the hope it continues i am going with Jason Day. He appears to be on the way back and at 66/1 with PP 1/6th for top 12 gets my cash.

 

Hi red. Just a bit of a query here. I actually believe that Goldfinger was filmed at Stoke Park. Stoke Park is very handily placed within a mile of Pinewood Studios and has been used for a number of films and think that includes Goldfinger, Tomorrow Never Dies and most definitely Layer Cake where Daniel Craig takes a bullet on the very grand clubhouse steps.

 

Ah, Stick, nothing gets past you now dos it my man...!! It seems that when flicking through the web pages on gaining some info on the course i read on an American web site that Goldfinger was indeed filmed there,, but good ole Wikipedia says different...

Author Ian Fleming used the Royal St George's course under the name "Royal St. Marks" in his 1959 novel Goldfinger. When he died, Fleming was the Captain-elect of the Club.

There is a link but not the one i posted, tenuous as it was...?!?!

As ever, i check out your post on Stoke Park and find that to be correct as well...


Edit to self: Get Stick to edit your comments and threads in the near future...

 

I’ve narrowed my picks down to 4.
John Rahm 8/1 win
Jordan Spieth 16/1 ew
Marc Leishman 50/1 ew
Joaquin Niemann 50/1 ew
All with Skybet. Good luck all that have a play.

 

Have went in again on Day at 90s with bet 365 top 8 paying 1/5th E/W. Added Bernd Wiesberger 125/1 and Ryan Palmer at 140/1 Both E/w.
Karlos hope its a drink i owe you as i have followed you with Leishman too at 60s, forgot he was Australian.

 

Good luck Joe

 

Abraham Ancer, for me. He's been knocking on the door recently and he's due a big tournament.

 

You too mate

 

Quite like Rickie Fowler

Has a good Open record and was 5th here in 2011

Each Way @ 80-1 [Mansionbet] 8 places

 

If you really fancy John Rahm for this, Sky have him to win by 2 or more shots at 12’s. I mightn’t just have a little go

 

I can see this Open throwing up a few outsiders, it usually dos, but as is always the case it's finding them...!! So...

Tyrrell Hatton @ 25/1 - Got good form to his name, good scoring stats to match against the field. 1st in Approach to the green, 9th in GIR and has good form on links courses...

Lucas Herbert @ 66/1 - He's a player ive looked at for a while recently but never quite seem to put any money against him. Consistent in the iron GRI's, putting and accuracy, he should give me a good run for his money...

Bernd Wiesberger @ 100/1 - Has great Approach stats, 10th in Approach to the Green, 3rd in Pin Poximity, 8th In GIR. I could do with him raising his putting stats a little but 2x Top 5's and 3x Top 10's this year means he's got a live chance...

Henrick Stenson @ 250/1 - After Big Phil was tipped up at a massive price i wasnt going to have a play on Stenson until i saw his odds. It obviously reflects his current play but an OPen winner is always an Open player so i am hoping he out plays his current form to gain a top 12 finish...

All with PadPow, who are paying out top 12...

Good luck to all who are playing on the golf, it's going to be a good tournament this one me thinks...

 

From what I have read Stensons game is all over the place mate. Doesnt even get the driver out of the bag now. Like you however, I couldnt resist the 250/1 for a fiver EW.
Other bets on Koepka at 18's and another Swede, Alex Noren who is a tasty 100/1 shot.

Good luck guys

 

Bezuidenhout @ 140.

Not, as Frau Rilke thought, Afrikaans for 'bless you' after a sneeze, but a young and v.promising Dutch golfer who should be at home with the windy and sandy North Sea conditions on offer at RSG. And if Oosthuizen's on the first two pages at the end of Friday, I might have a good long look at him,

 

A bad sport to bet on, but I’m having a go this time.
Take out the Irish lads and Britain’s record in the last 50 years is dire- especially English players.
However young Matt Fitzpatrick has steadily improved his game; is in form; and combines driving accuracy with excellent putting (17th and 24th on PGA Tour) - so necessary on the tricky, bouncy links of Sandwich.
I’m confident he will finish ahead of the British contingent (excepting McIlroy hitting peak) and his price of 40/1 is worth a punt.
Good luck to everyone.

 

My serious bet is Xander Schauffele (again) at 18/1. Win only.

My silly but very small stakes bets are:

Martin Kaymer 125/1
Padraig Harrington 110/1
Darren Clarke 500/1
Ernie Els 500/1

All ew 1/6 odds 12 places.

Thanks to William Hill scratch of the day today i also get a £5 free bet if Schauffele or Dustin Johnson are leading after round one.

 

Thank you for the honourable mention redcgull. I doubt I will ever repeat that win, but I will try my best.

Marcus Armitage 350/1 - 8 places
Lucas Glover 250/1 - 10 places
Lee Westwood 60/1 - 8 places
Dustin Johnson 22/1 - win only
Rafa Cabrera Bello 200/1 - 8 places

Good luck to you all, one of the most open golf tournnaments of the year as usual, even more so given the weather is to be nice for the week.

 

+
I like Xander as well. He's a very consistent player a the very top level. In fact he's probably the best place bet in the field. Didn't you fancy a good each way bet?

 

Westwood to exorcise his demons at the same track as his long time pal Darren Clarke? you can sense the poetry in that already. As an aside to that, I think this course is a wet dream for Dustin Johnson (claims its his 2nd fave on rota) and he has good form here from 2011, potentially a big price given he is usually under 10/1 for most of these events. Also, with all the talk of the Aussies, and rightly so, I think Marc Leishman could be the highest rated of them come Sunday. The Sud Africans have been in sweltering form too, some tremendous golfers from there playing this week. A feast.

Also, keep an eye out for Laird Sheppard (A) who was 8 shots down in his match to qualify, then found himself 4 down with 4 to play, only to win them all and then go on to conquer his opponent Monty Scowsill. I don't think he will be leading amateur this week but I'm sure he will get a bit of coverage due to that comeback for the ages. Matthias Schmid could prove good enough to land himself the silver medal, not sure if there is even a market for that, but I am not sure also that I would be betting on it either way.