• Tour Talk

  • Modification to the British Open playoff format this year

A couple of 'leaks' are indicating The Open is reducing the number of playoff holes from 4 to 3 used in the cumulative scoring this year, if needed. That isn't a big change but brought back a flashback for me.

2009 - Tom Watson failed to make par on 18 and win the tournament outright, and thus at age 59 the oldest to ever win a golf major. He then was in the 4 hole playoff with Stewart Cink and obviously gassed, was throttled easily. I remember hurting for Tom but was consoled he lost to another good guy from the USA.

Linky to the leaks: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/did-someone-accidentally-leak-a-rules-change-about-the-2019-open-championship-on-twitter?mbid=nl_070519_daily_hitlist&CNDID=24880055?mbid=nl_070519_daily_hitlist&CNDID=24880055&utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_brand=gd&utm_mailing=glf_tipoftheweek_news_newdb_ACTIVE_190705%20(1)&bxid=Mjc4MTcxMTY2NzgyS0&hasha=aac685e37c707da1badeae8faefab74b&hashb=ea9cd68581288bf3a964756c5ad571d07c1b1c05&spMailingID=15919408&spUserID=Mjc4MTcxMTY2NzgyS0&spJobID=1680339578&spReportId=MTY4MDMzOTU3OAS2

Three-hole playoff would be the same as the PGA, the US Open now uses two holes, and the Masters is still a sudden death playoff. Now, go win a beer at the 19th hole with this bit of trivia.

I wonder if perhaps the amount of time it takes for many of these guys, most notably those from the American PGA Tour where pace enforcement has historically (and continues to be) nonexistent, has influenced the R&A's decision on the matter.

Can you imagine a scenario with Bryson, Spieth, and J.B. Holmes being in a 4-hole playoff? Perhaps the R&A has.


Unrelated-but-related news from the BO.... R&A denies Daly the use of a cart for the Open Championship.

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/27133453/daly-cart-request-denied-play-open

At some point perhaps Big John will come to his senses and recognize that maybe he's simply no longer physically capable of enduring the physical demands that come with professional competition. He wouldn't be the first player to have to give up playing because of deteriorating health reasons.

    PA-PLAYA
    He needs to stick to the Champions Tour where he can ride around until people are sick of him.
    He's not competitive there, so never mind playing with the big boys.

      JD is disabled and has found work to get off of welfare but this ruling body won't accommodate him. Why are you guys shaming him? Where are all the social justice warriors? <sarcasm>