Jul 9, 2021 5 min read Email

THE STARTER SHACK

Remember when you had to take a 3 day boat trip across the Atlantic to play in The Open Championship? No? Well, just because you don't remember doesn't mean it didn't take that long!

⚡️ Golf ball hit by lightning captured on video

🧐 Who is in the Ryder Cup?

🍺 Vijay is a savage!

⛳️ If you need to poop and only see pine cones...Jason Dufner has you covered. Or your butt covered.

PGA TOUR

They use to have to take a boat to The Open

The Open Championship is back. While not morning people, we’ll will be setting our alarms bright and early for Thursday morning.

One guy not setting an alarm for an actual tee time will be Kevin Na.

Na has decided to opt out of this year’s event due to “international travel considerations” (Charles Howell III is also foregoing a trip to Kent).

Huh? “International Travel Considerations”?

The R&A has put in place a number of rules for those playing at Royal St. George’s next week in light of continuing Covid-19 concerns juxtaposed with the R&A allowing up to 32,000 spectators per day on the grounds:

negative tests prior to and upon arrival, masking/distancing in common areas onsite
hotel/off-site housing limited to four people (aka - player’s “support group”)
support groups can’t co-mingle, family members must quarantine prior to joining group
No mixing with the general public (i.e no restaurants, supermarkets, pubs, etc.)

A bit surprising that John Daly is still playing given this pub and grub ban.

Even with all these “difficulties” in attending the Open, it is still a major, the oldest major. Let’s also not forget that players used to literally take a boat to get to the Open. A boat!

Perhaps, as penance for their petulance, Chucky and Kev should have to charter an old, old wooden ship and navigate their way to the Firth of Fife for next year’s contest at St. Andrews.

Fun Fact - a few others are also skipping the Open; the most blatant involves Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim. As South Korean nationals, both gentlemen are subject to mandatory military service at some point in their near futures.

Interestingly, they can avoid this service if they win an Olympic medal.

This makes their decision to skip out on one of golf's four major championships to get prepared for the Olympics a little more understandable.

GIMME

Guy sacrifices Open Championship for wedding: Newly minted PGA Tour winner, Cameron Davis, had to withdraw from The Open because of the travel restrictions following his wedding! We have nothing witty nor cutting to say about this...our mom's and wives are subscribers. Hi honey!
This is why people love to hate Vijay: he blades a pitch shot straight into a guy in the gallery who then spills his beer. This isn't the worst part...it looks as though Vij walks up and doesn't even acknowledge the guy down on the ground or his, now empty, PBR! Why do you hate us so much Veej!
Man arrested: the man authorities believe is responsible for killing a Georgia golf pro has been arrested. It is believed he killed two others and that Gene Swiller (Pro) was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The $500,000 gofundme goal was shattered and now sits at over $650,000.
Charles Barkley!: is mentioned twice in two weeks and this time it's not because he said something stupid...it's because he got his swing back. Kind of. For the last decade Barkley has had a hitch in his giddy up that has been the butt of many jokes...well who's laughing now?
Are Caddies worth it: some players are starting to question if they should be paying out the big bucks to their private flying, first class lodging bag toting compatriots who do nothing more than...tote a bag. Some caddies on the other hand (not mentioning names Tim Tucker) are getting rid of their bosses because of having to calculate heat index and weird stuff like that.
Bulk vs Bunkers: the last time Dechambeau was played in The Open Championship is was a wee little gent. Now he's a "stout" fellow who smashes the ball like we smash Guinness. Will he, can he, navigate the treachery that is Royal St. Georges with is bomb & gouge technique?
Ryder Cup...who's in: here is a list of who is in, who may be in, who's currently not in, who's potentially an in, and any other combination of being in...or out. We checked and then we double checked...you are not on the list of being in or out.
Dufner sporting butt wipes hat: that's right, Jason Dufner is alive and well. Sorry, let's rephrase that...Jason Dufner is alive. He's also sporting a hat for Dude Wipes. Wipes to wipe your butt. I guess toilet paper is so 2019.

PIC OF THE DAY

That is a golf ball being hit by lightning! Read that again...that is a golf ball being hit by lightning. That'll put some spark into your game. Come on, we had to!

W(was)ITB

Seve Ballesteros

Driver: Dunlop persimmon
Irons: Slazenger Supremo sounder (looks like he hit the sweet spot once or twice)

INSIDE THE ROPES

Rory doesn't like to share: okay, so let's get this straight, we can't just walk onto a tour sanctioned tee, grab a club out of Rory's bag, and attempt to hit his head cover? Is that what you're telling us? Because it seems like this guy is doing just that.

Also, I'm not sure about this guys setup. His hands were a little high which makes us think he hits a lot of thinned shots off to the right.

GOLF GEAR

Dude Wipes: we are a lot of things...idiots, terrible spellers, smartasses, but we are not liars.

Dude Wipes is a real thing and they want you to get rid of your toilet paper. Just like Thursdays product...Stadiumpal, someone actually thought/thinks this is a good idea.

You know what, we don't want to rain on anyone's parade. If you dream it, you can do it...clearly. Also, this probably would be pretty handy in the middle of the golf course. Like, not in the "middle" of the golf course but like in the middle of the golf course in a very isolated area.

*not a sponsored post

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