THE STARTER SHACK
The Open
👴🏻 Jim Furyk's great great grandpa caddies for him...we think
🧐 Justin Thomas hits the shot we're all really scared of
🍺 Charles Barkley wagers $100k...on himself
⛳️ Royal St. Georges...a brief history
PGA TOUR
More Than Just Humps and Bumps—Facts of Royal St. Georges
Royal St. Georges was the first club to host The Open Championship outside of Scotland in 1894.
That is not a photoshopped picture above. That is a bunker on the 4th hole, aptly named Himalaya. It is 40 feet deep.
Tiger Woods lost his first ball as a professional on the first hole in 2003. Ummm, that's like 7 years! We can't go 7 holes!
Ian Flemming used Royal St. Georges (named "Royal St. Marks") in the movie Goldfinger.
It's been said that Flemming came up with 007 because of the figure on the bus that ran from Dover to Sandwich.
Number 13 has 4 bunkers that run down the left-side of the fairway...one of them created by a jettisoned bomb during WWII.
According to PGATOUR a combined 7 players have finished under par in the past two Opens at St. George’s.
A lot of pros consider it unpredictable, with balls, seeming headed for the middle of the fairway, taking awkward bounces into the rough. The fairways have been described as a lunar landscape because of its many humps and hollows.
Royal St. Georges has produced some talented winners...Harry Vardon (twice), Walter Hagen (twice), Bobby Locke, Sandy Lyle, Greg Norman, Darren Clarke...and the outlier, Ben Curtis.
GIMME
- 10 long years: is how long it's been since Lucas Glover last hoisted a trophy. Glover played is final seven holes in five under. That's a pretty good finish but can he polish off 5 PBR's in the final seven holes? That's something to celebrate
- Top 100 in Open: here is a list of the Top 100 Golfers competing in the British Open. This will likely change hourly as golfers are dropping out like our writers dropped out of English.
- Hole-by-Hole: video tour of Royal St. Georges. This will give you an appreciation of what the boys are up against this week.
- Golf out your back door: this house comes with it's own mini-golf course. The above ground pool is suspect but we'd take the course any day of the week that ends in y.
- Living out of his car: Willie Mack III lived out of his car for a year and a half. Now's be making cuts. Cuts on the PGA Tour not his budget.
- The Open Breakfast: this breakfast at Royal St. George's is magnificent and will definitely force you to use the loo after nine. Also, they call thick cuts of bacon "rashers".
- Barkley bet's $100k on himself: Charles Barkley has made our newsletter a lot lately. No, we don't have a thing for chubby guys with weird swings...he's a news maker. His latest antic is that he wagered $100k on himself to finish in the Top 20 at the American Century Championship. He had to finish in the top 70 and he would've claimed $500k...he finished 76th.
PIC OF THE DAY
Jim Furyk wins the US Senior Open with his great great grandpa on the bag. No, sorry, that's Mike "Fluff" Cowan.
"Mr. Cowan, Mr. Cowan, your bags right over here, sir. No, Mr. Cowan, the green's right over there."
W(was)ITB
What was Sir Nick Faldo playing when we won his 1996 Masters? A bag full of Mizuno. We'd really like to see the Pringle clothing line come back...shipped in a can.
DRIVER: Mizuno T-Zoid (8.5°) with a Dynamic Gold X100 shaft – 43.625" - D4 - 1° Upright
FAIRWAY WOODS: Mizuno T-Zoid(18°) with a Dynamic Gold X100 shaft - D4 - 42.5" - D4 - 1° Upright
IRONS: Mizuno TP-19 (2-PW) with Dynamic Gold X100 shafts – D4 - 1° Upright
WEDGES: Mizuno Tour Proven (54°, 60°) with Dynamic Gold X100 shafts - D5 - 1° Upright
PUTTER: Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II with Lamkin Pistol Grip - 35.5"
BALL: Bridgestone Precept Tour Double Cover (Number 11 and printed FALDO)
BAG: Mizuno Staff
TOWEL: Mizuno Staff
GLOVE: Mizuno Tec Flex
GRIPS: Lamkin Sure Tac Classic Cord 56 (10 layers of tape with no taper)
CLOTHING: Pringle
FOOTWEAR: Mizuno MST
INSIDE THE ROPES
We love it when a PGA Tour pro cold-tops a 3 wood after waiting for the green to clear. Welcome to our humble world, Justin Thomas!
GOLF GEAR
Taylormade's new slogan: it's not how big it is or how far it goes.
This goes against everything we've been told in golf. Excuse us as we rethink life.
The 300 MINI DRIVER is not really a driver yet it's not really a 3 wood. It's like a 2 wood. Possibly a strong 3 wood. Or maybe a weak driver. But it's not a 2 wood.
Whatever that case, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson were testing out prototypes that have now come to market. For a cool $399 you can try and hit a club that is not a driver nor is it not a 3 wood or 2 wood.
*not a sponsored post
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