The Open Championship - Royal Troon, July 14th to 17th

[Gabriel_Hurl]

The first British Open to be shown on Sky after the BBC lost the rights - so no more Peter Alliss

The Course

Troon hosts the Open for the 9th time since the course was founded in 1878. A professional called George Strath redesigned the layout in 1884, much of which remains, although, as with all major championship courses, a lot has changed too. The Open first came visiting in 1923, and Troon effectively pushed Prestwick off the rota as the SW Scotland venue for the Open (Turnberry did not get onto the rota until after WW2).



So, a classic out and back design, which means the wind direction is crucial. The weather is predicted dry, coolish and windy 12-17 mph winds from varying directions. Not enough to ruin it but should make it plenty testing.The course is only 15 yards longer than last time, at 7,190, with a par of 71.

The most famous hole is the 8th, a very short par 3 known as the "Postage Stamp" because the green looks very small and is surrounded by terrors. In the 1973 Open, veteran Gene Sarazen had a hole in one live on the telly. Telly folk love this fact and will mention it every 5 minutes.



Here are some other pics:







The Open website has a good course guide starting here.

Opening round tee-times

Match 1 - 6.35am:
Colin Montgomerie (Sco), Marc Leishman (Aus), Luke Donald (Eng)

Match 2 - 6.46am:
Steven Alker (Nzl), Marcus Fraser (Aus), Sanghee Lee (Kor)

Match 3 - 6.57am:
Jeunghun Wang (Kor), Jon Rahm (Esp), Ryan Palmer (USA)

Match 4 - 7.08am:
Sandy Lyle (Sco), Scott Gregory (a) (Eng), David Duval (USA)

Match 5 - 7.19am:
Richie Ramsay (Sco), Danny Lee (Nzl), Harris English (USA)

Match 6 - 7.30am:
Alex Noren (Swe), Steven Bowditch (Aus), Kevin Chappell (USA)

Match 7 - 7.41am:
Darren Clarke (NIr), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Jim Furyk (USA)

Match 8 - 7.52am:
Justin Thomas (USA), David Lingmerth (Swe), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha)

Match 9 - 8.03am:
Branden Grace (Rsa), Patrick Reed (USA). Byeong Hun An (Kor)

Match 10 - 8.14am:
Paul Lawrie (Sco), Brandt Snedeker (USA), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

Match 11 - 8.25am:
Padraig Harrington (Irl), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Jamie Donaldson (Wal)

Match 12 - 8.36am:
Scott Piercy (USA), Paul Dunne (Irl), Jamie Lovemark (USA)

Match 13 - 8.47am:
Victor Dubuisson (Fra), Jimmy Walker (USA), Scott Hend (Aus)

Match 14 - 9.03am:
Jordan Spieth (USA), Justin Rose (Eng), Shane Lowry (Irl)

Match 15 - 9.,14am:
Ross Fisher (Eng), Steve Stricker (USA), Vijay Singh (Fij)

Match 16 - 9.25am:
Danny Willett (Eng), Rickie Fowler (USA), Jason Day (Aus)

Match 17 - 9.36am:
Rory McIlroy (NIr), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Bubba Watson (USA)

Match 18 - 9.47am:
Gary Woodland (USA), James Morrison (Eng), Soomin Lee (Kor)

Match 19 - 9.58am:
Smylie Kaufman (USA), Chris Kirk (USA), George Coetzee (Rsa)

Match 20 - 10.09am:
Billy Horschel (USA), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Hideto Tanihara (Jpn)

Match 21 - 10.20am:
Matteo Manassero (Ita), Shugo Imahira (Jpn), Russell Henley (USA)

Match 22 - 10.31am:
Kodai Ichihara (Jpn), Robert Rock (Eng), William McGirt (USA)

Match 23 - 10.42am:
Brendan Steele (USA), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Matt Jones (Aus)

Match 24 - 10.53am:
Patton Kizzire (USA), Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel), Rod Pampling (Aus)

Match 25 11.04am:
Dave Coupland (Eng), Nathan Holman (Aus), Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

Match 26 - 11.15am:
Scott Fernandez (Esp), Rikard Karlberg (Swe), Haydn Porteous (Rsa)

Match 27 - 11.36am:
Greg Chalmers (Aus), Kristoffer Broberg (Swe), Clement Sordet (Fra)

Match 28 - 11.47am:
David Howell (Eng), Seung Yul Noh (Kor), Tony Finau (USA)

Match 29 - 11.58am:
Jordan Niebrugge (USA), Nick Cullen (Aus), Robert Streb (USA)

Match 30 - 12.09pm:
Ben Curtis (USA), Stefano Mazzoli (a) (Ita), John Daly (USA)

Match 31 - 12.20pm:
Francesco Molinari (Ita), Kevin Kisner (USA), KT Kim (Kor)

Match 32 - 12.31pm:
Todd Hamilton (USA), Justin Leonard (USA) Mark Calcavecchia (USA)

Match 33 - 1242pm:
Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Lasse Jensen (Den), Bill Haas (USA)

Match 34 - 12.53pm:
Paul Casey (Eng), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Kevin Na (USA)

Match 35 - 1.04pm:
Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Joost Luiten (Ned) Charley Hoffman (USA)

Match 36 - 1.15pm:
Graeme McDowell (NIr), Matt Kuchar (USA), Andrew Johnston (Eng)

Match 37 - 1.26pm:
Phil Mickelson (USA), Lee Westwood (Eng), Ernie Els (Rsa)

Match 38 - 1.37pm:
Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn), James Hahn (USA), Andy Sullivan (Eng)

Match 39 - 1.48pm:
Ryan Moore (USA), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

Match 40 - 2.04pm:
Dustin Johnson (USA), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Russell Knox (Sco)

Match 41 - 2.15pm:
Zach Johnson (USA), Adam Scott (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe)

Match 42 - 2.26pm:
Chris Wood (Eng), Yusaku Miyazato (Jpn), Mark O'Meara (USA)

Match 43 - 2.37pm:
Miguel Angel Jimenez (Esp), Jason Dufner (USA), Marc Warren (Sco)

Match 44 - 2.48pm:
Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Sergio Garcia (Esp), Keegan Bradley (USA)

Match 45 - 2.59pm:
Webb Simpson (USA), Yuta Ikeda (Jpn), Thomas Pieters (Bel)

Match 46 - 3.10pm:
Rafa Cabrera-Bello (Esp), JB Holmes (USA), Brandon Stone (Rsa)

Match 47 - 3.21pm:
Marco Dawson (USA), Matthew Southgate (Eng), Yosuke Tsukada (Jpn)

Match 48 - 3.32pm:
Jack Senior (Eng), James Heath (Eng), Brian Gay (USA)

Match 49 - 3.43pm:
Jim Herman (USA), Fabian Gomez (Arg), Anthony Wall (Eng)

Match 50 - 3.54pm:
Paul Howard (Eng), Daniel Summerhays (USA), Colt Knost (USA)

Match 51 - 4.05pm:
Oskar Arvidsson (Swe), Harold Varner III (USA), Tyrell Hatton (Eng)

Match 52 - 4.16pm:
Ryan Evans (Eng), Callum Shinkwin (Eng), Zander Lombard (Rsa)

[Boycey]

I was at Troon the last twice The Open was played there, its a brilliant place and a proper tough golf course. As ever its tough to pick a winner at it and I'll be chasing the e/w money with small bets on guys at big prices.

[Tony Baloney]

Honestly struggling to even select e/w bets on that lot. Would love to see Sergio put in a shift but don't think I'd put any money on him.

Day 8/1
DJ 9/1
Spieth 9/1
McIlroy 10/1
Grace 20/1
Scott 22/1
Sergio 25/1
Fowler 28/1
Rose 30/1
Stenson 30/1
Lowry 35/1
Lefty 35/1
Oosthuizen 40/1
Westwood 40/1
Willett 40/1
Zach Johnson 45/1
Matsuyama 45/1
Kaymer 50/1
Schwartzel 55/1
Bubba 55/1
Reed 60/1
Casey 66/1
Fitzpatrick 66/1
Kuchar 66/1
GMAC 66/1
Snedeker 66/1

[Milltown Row2]

Honestly struggling to even select e/w bets on that lot. Would love to see Sergio put in a shift but don't think I'd put any money on him.

Day 8/1
DJ 9/1
Spieth 9/1
McIlroy 10/1
Grace 20/1
Scott 22/1
Sergio 25/1
Fowler 28/1
Rose 30/1
Stenson 30/1
Lowry 35/1
Lefty 35/1
Oosthuizen 40/1
Westwood 40/1
Willett 40/1
Zach Johnson 45/1
Matsuyama 45/1
Kaymer 50/1
Schwartzel 55/1
Bubba 55/1
Reed 60/1
Casey 66/1
Fitzpatrick 66/1
Kuchar 66/1
GMAC 66/1
Snedeker 66/1

Going for Willett, £5 on the nose and £5each way... hasn't been on top form recently but worth a punt (kiss of death!!)

[ONeill]

I'm on Speith, Grace, Willett, Westwood and Sullivan.

Considered Lowry, McDowell.

[Capt Pat]

It is only on sky sports this year. The BBC won't be showing it to save money. Next year it will be on sky as well.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Rose 30/1
Grace 22/1
Mickelson 33/1
Sullivan 80/1
G-Mac 90/1

[laoislad]

Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Harrington.

[Estimator]

Els
Lowry
Lawrie
Donaldson
All big prices, all each way, but you never know how the weather will affect the course and the golfers.

[Boycey]

I'm sure there'll be loads of complaints about Skys coverage, especially when people realise its not on the BBC as well this time but I hugely enjoyed that show last night where they spoke to multiple players on the range. The clip of McIlroy taking 5 to get out of the bunker was entertaining as was Montys tale of DJ playing 2 balls off the par 4 3rd yesterday and eagling with both of them. He reckoned there are 3 drivable par 4s on front nine and with 2 par 5s also it gives the big hitters 5 potential eagle chances on the way out.

They're also going live with the practice round at 2pm today...

[Tony Baloney]

Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Harrington.

That's heart over head stuff there LL!

[laoislad]

It is only on sky sports this year. The BBC won't be showing it to save money. Next year it will be on sky as well.

Good, That means we don't have to listen to that arsehole Peter Alliss.

[laoislad]

Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Harrington.

That's heart over head stuff there LL!

Yeah but imagine Westwood or Garcia actually won one and I didn't have them backed!

[screenexile]

Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Harrington.

That's heart over head stuff there LL!

It's like picking Mayo for the football and Galway for the hurling . . . It would be nice but it's just not going to happen!!

[thebigfella]

It is only on sky sports this year. The BBC won't be showing it to save money. Next year it will be on sky as well.

Good, That means we don't have to listen to that arsehole Peter Alliss.

Agreed, he's a pompous cnut.