The Open Championship

[hawgon]

I like him because instead of saying  things like, "I won with my C game today" he lets us know just how much doubt and fear he actually had.  In his press conference yesterday he told us that he was petrified and was already seeing and hearing all the talk that would take place if he lost.  He didn't know if he had it in him.

I have to think that is amuch healthier way of dealing with all that than building the persona of invincibility that Tiger had.  Once that was broken by a red hot Korean and a wife with a 9 iron, Tiger has never recovered mentally. 

Spieth in his short career, has already had in the space of one round, the lowest low you could have and come back with the highest highs.  He flat out gave away one major, then in the next one he contended in, looked those demons in the eye and sent them packing.  For the rest of his career and his life, he doesn't have to wonder if he has it in himself to bounce back from adversity.

[hoglady]

I was for Kushar.
But man you've got to give it to Speith for turning it on a dime and playing spectacular golf  - after an atrocious start and one of the worst shots in the history of Championship golf.
It sure made for great sports TV.

[ricepig]

Sounds to me like they need lessons.

I'm a fixin to give them one in about an hour.

[East TN HAWG]

Spieth is widely liked by players on tour, young and old and has been nothing but respectful and gracious while winning and losing.
Am I a fan of his...you bet. I could not care less that he went to UT for one year. His talent and character are undeniable. He makes golf fun to watch and that is all that matters to me.

From what I've been told, you are correct about Spieth.  His caddie, Michael, is as well.

[Dr. Starcs]

You guys obviously weren't raised properly.

Never cheer for a whorn.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

You guys obviously weren't raised properly.

Never cheer for a whorn.

Spieth's the exception, Doc, not the rule.  A tool like Justin Leonard is the rule.

I think it's kinda like how I feel about somebody like Earl Campbell.  Hated the guy when he was playing for Texas, but nonetheless had tremendous respect for him.  He may be the only Texas football player I could ever say that about (well, somebody like Freddie Steinmark for obvious reasons too).

[EastexHawg]

I'm sure Spieth means well, but he needs to have the slow play thing penalized out of him.  Give him a stroke or two a few times and he will become more decisive and realize he doesn't really have to walk all the way up onto the green from the fairway or all over the driving range looking for a spot to drop his ball.  I know he is playing for a major championship, but so is everyone else.  Matt Kuchar shouldn't have to take a knee on a towel for 20 minutes because Spieth hit his ball off the planet and finds that none of the options are really excellent.

[Hogfan46]

I'm sure Spieth means well, but he needs to have the slow play thing penalized out of him.  Give him a stroke or two a few times and he will become more decisive and realize he doesn't really have to walk all the way up onto the green from the fairway or all over the driving range looking for a spot to drop his ball.  I know he is playing for a major championship, but so is everyone else.  Matt Kuchar shouldn't have to take a knee on a towel for 20 minutes because Spieth hit his ball off the planet and finds that none of the options are really excellent.

I know you don't care for Spieth. You've stated as much. We get it.

As far as the 13th hole goes, I'll defer to the chief referee and the numerous experienced commentators that have said he did nothing wrong. His tee ball was in play and he was entitled to the benefit of relief rules. Unfortunately, two different scenarios, an unplayable lie and a temporary immovable object, had to be interpreted. This took time due to the complexity of it. It was unfortunate for sure for Kuchar. Spieth knew it and immediately apologized to him.
Any player in Spieth's position of fighting for an Open Championship would do whatever
they could to get the best possible relief within the rules.

[EastexHawg]

I know you don't care for Spieth. You've stated as much. We get it.

As far as the 13th hole goes, I'll defer to the chief referee and the numerous experienced commentators that have said he did nothing wrong. His tee ball was in play and he was entitled to the benefit of relief rules. Unfortunately, two different scenarios, an unplayable lie and a temporary immovable object, had to be interpreted. This took time due to the complexity of it. It was unfortunate for sure for Kuchar. Spieth knew it and immediately apologized to him.
Any player in Spieth's position of fighting for an Open Championship would do whatever
they could to get the best possible relief within the rules.

That wasn't the first time he has played slowly.  In fact, it wasn't even the first time yesterday "they" had been told to pick up the pace.  The fact that I don't fawn over Spieth has nothing to do with the fact that he is a slow player.  Everyone who knows anything about golf knows it.  He may be a good kid and may have a refreshing personality, but he is a slow player who compounds his slowness with idiosyncrasies that make him even slower. 

Everyone else is playing in the same important tournament.  Not all of them walk 120 yards from their ball all the way up onto the green at St. Andrews before hitting their approach shots.  Does he need more information and preparation than Palmer, Player, or Trevino did?

[hawgon]

Like I said, 4:08 is not slow for the last group in a major.

[Hogfan46]

Like I said, 4:08 is not slow for the last group in a major.

[EastexHawg]

If yesterday was the first time that would be one thing, but it wasn't.  It's the rule, not the exception.  He's slow.  Period.

But there's another, less thrilling part about Jordan Spieth's game: Dude's slow.

There are glaciers that move with more pace. People who were stuck behind student drivers earlier in the day think Spieth is too deliberate. He's like Joey from Friends and his game is like ketchup in a glass Heinz bottle teetering on the fifth floor of a building.

Spieth never has a shot that can't be discussed three more times with his caddie. He goes back-and-forth off shots like a nervous bungee jumper. Every chip is an exercise in topography, as he walks the 80-or-so yards from his ball to the pin to evaluate every undulation. When he stands over a putt, he's as indecisive as me at Popeye's when I'm deciding between a three-piece and a five-piece.

http://www.foxsports.com/golf/story/jordan-spieth-playing-slow-masters-practice-shots-time-between-major-titles-penalties-041016

Spieth on the clock since the pretty much the whole course is empty in front of him

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/04/jordan-spieth-angry-after-being-told-to-play-faster-at-the-masters

Spieth, who shot rounds of 68, 71 and 71 at Firestone Country Club, says he's going to cut down the chatter with caddie Michael Greller after each shot, which, though largely present during his rise to the top of the game, has added to his slow play and put him on the clock repeatedly over the past year. The 22-year-old was flagged for slow play at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, and twice at the 2016 Masters. He was warned at the U.S. Open, and has drawn criticism a handful of other times for slowing down the pace of tournament play.

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/jordan-spieth-vows-play-faster-talk-less

[Jackrabbit Hog]

My dream threesome would be Jordan Spieth, Kevin Na and Ben Crane.

Eastex's head would explode on about the 4th hole.

[majestic]

Once Eastex decides he doesn't like someone, forget injecting any logic into the conversation. It wouldn't matter if Spieth saved a kid who was drowning in a hazard at this point. He would have taken too long to do so.

[cosmodrum]

Lol Eastex hates Spieth for all the reasons I like him.

[ricepig]

I really hope Spieth can somehow get Tiger back to playing major championship form and they get paired together in the final twosome of every tournament.

[Dillar Dog]

I agree with eastex.  Jason day is as bad or worse.

They really need to start penalizing people.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Spieth should just be thankful that Garrigus decided to play the Barbasol last week instead of the British. 

[ricepig]

I agree with eastex.  Jason day is as bad or worse.

They really need to start penalizing people.

Put a clock on them and penalize them, I've got no problem with that.

[EastexHawg]

Put a clock on them and penalize them, I've got no problem with that.

That's all I'm saying.  The guy is notoriously slow.  I'm not sure why anyone is arguing that point.  He needs to be penalized to speed him up.  The fact that he's not my favorite is irrelevant.

[EastexHawg]

Spieth is okay, he just has a couple of traits that are irritating.  Tiger, on the other hand, is the absolute prick I have always known he was.  I'm a member of the Jordan Spieth Fan Club when the way I feel about him is compared to Eldrick.

[Boarcephus]

Spieth is okay, he just has a couple of traits that are irritating.  Tiger, on the other hand, is the absolute prick I have always known he was.  I'm a member of the Jordan Spieth Fan Club when the way I feel about him is compared to Eldrick.

The one thing I heard about Woods was he was never nice to someone he didn't have to be.  Jordan, along with Els, Rory, Fowler and the rest of that bunch is they're just basically nice guys and polite to most everyone. 

[Jackrabbit Hog]

The one thing I heard about Woods was he was never nice to someone he didn't have to be.  Jordan, along with Els, Rory, Fowler and the rest of that bunch is they're just basically nice guys and polite to most everyone.

I've heard Tiger hates old people, he hates children, and he hates dogs.

[East TN HAWG]

My dream threesome would be Jordan Spieth, Kevin Na and Ben Crane.

Eastex's head would explode on about the 4th hole.

That's really funny. 

[hawgon]

I've heard Tiger hates old people, he hates children, and he hates dogs.

He killed five prostitutes while he was at Stanford.

[Iwastherein1969]

I'm sure Spieth means well, but he needs to have the slow play thing penalized out of him.  Give him a stroke or two a few times and he will become more decisive and realize he doesn't really have to walk all the way up onto the green from the fairway or all over the driving range looking for a spot to drop his ball.  I know he is playing for a major championship, but so is everyone else.  Matt Kuchar shouldn't have to take a knee on a towel for 20 minutes because Spieth hit his ball off the planet and finds that none of the options are really excellent.

Man, you and I usually agree but you are "off the back forty" on this one. Golf's rules, 99 times out of 100 penalize the player. Some rules in strange ways. But when you are the last group in a Slam on Sunday, you have to figure out what is best for your score while working with the officials on the scene. If you want to blame someone, blame the Royal & Ancient officials who took so long in figuring out and presenting Jordan with his options. Besides, Kuchar went ahead and hit his shot out of turn, which was perfectly okay. The only thing Kuchar had to wait on was putting his ball and if anything, Kooch should have been studying his putt inside and out while Spieth's travails were occurring.

[hawgon]

Yeah, most of that delay was moving the crowd and the officials telling him where he could drop.

[cc]

Put a clock on them and penalize them, I've got no problem with that.

They do and the rule is there. 

[Boarcephus]

I've heard Tiger hates old people, he hates children, and he hates dogs.

Only the ones that can't help him out!   

[ricepig]

They do and the rule is there. 

I fully understand that, but enforce it if it's being violated.

[EastexHawg]

Again, Sunday wasn't the first time Spieth has been slow, and the drop on 13 wasn't even the first time that day he had been told by the officials on course to speed things up.  I linked articles to numerous occasions last year when he was either penalized or warned for slow play.  He needs to learn to pick up the pace.  If he won't do it on his own the governing bodies need to give him incentive by penalizing him.  Tom Watson won five British Opens so it is safe to assume he had plenty of important decisions to make and shots to take, yet he wasn't like watching a sun dial.

[Ex-Trumpet]

Pfftt.....Langer won that many alone anchoring his putter, piece a cake.

...and that's just after the ban on anchored putters!

[Roctavious]

Again, Sunday wasn't the first time Spieth has been slow, and the drop on 13 wasn't even the first time that day he had been told by the officials on course to speed things up.  I linked articles to numerous occasions last year when he was either penalized or warned for slow play.  He needs to learn to pick up the pace.  If he won't do it on his own the governing bodies need to give him incentive by penalizing him.  Tom Watson won five British Opens so it is safe to assume he had plenty of important decisions to make and shots to take, yet he wasn't like watching a sun dial.

The GROUP was warned one time. They weren't put on a clock, just told to quicken up. Other than hitting the bad shot, the delay on hole was not his fault. Even if it bothered Kuchar, he's not going to admit it. He's too good of a guy. Had he been in the same situation as Spieth, he'd done the same.

[EastexHawg]

The GROUP was warned one time. They weren't put on a clock, just told to quicken up. Other than hitting the bad shot, the delay on hole was not his fault. Even if it bothered Kuchar, he's not going to admit it. He's too good of a guy. Had he been in the same situation as Spieth, he'd done the same.

They always tell the group as far as I know.  Spieth has been penalized and put on the clock numerous times.  How many times has it happened to Kuchar?

This is from 2012, so he's not talking about Spieth, but it gives a little insight into what Kuchar thinks about slow play:

http://www.espn.com/dallas/golf/story/_/id/7934136/matt-kuchar-suggests-shot-clock-curb-slow-play-pga-tour

[Dillar Dog]

They always tell the group as far as I know.  Spieth has been penalized and put on the clock numerous times.  How many times has it happened to Kuchar?

This is from 2012, so he's not talking about Spieth, but it gives a little insight into what Kuchar thinks about slow play:

http://www.espn.com/dallas/golf/story/_/id/7934136/matt-kuchar-suggests-shot-clock-curb-slow-play-pga-tour

It doesn't matter.  There are actually people here defending a twosome of professionals playing a round in the same amount of time as it takes a foursome of 15 handicappers.

This is where we are.  It's real.

[Wildhog]

I detest slow play.  Drives me up the friggin' wall. 

[majestic]

It doesn't matter.  There are actually people here defending a twosome of professionals playing a round in the same amount of time as it takes a foursome of 15 handicappers.

This is where we are.  It's real.

My shots don't matter that much.

[Dillar Dog]

Maybe you should take some lessons.

[ricepig]

Maybe you should take some lessons.

It takes a lot of time to take a lesson.......

[Dillar Dog]

As little as you want or as much as you want I suppose.

[majestic]

Maybe you should take some lessons.

I only play a couple of times a year now. I should probably just quit altogether. I would probably be happy if there was a driving range close by.

[ricepig]

As little as you want or as much as you want I suppose.

Yep, either 30 minutes or an hour at my club, that's one or two holes for Jordan, depending on which lesson you take.

[Iwastherein1969]

My shots don't matter that much.

Bingo !  When you are playing a 5$ nassau, two down automatic press, well, you can afford to play fast. When you are playing for a place in history, well, the stakes should dictate how you play. If you are striping the ball down the middle on every drive and still take substantially too long, get warned, then get penalized (BUT NOT IN A MAJOR). But Majestic, you nailed it.

[Dillar Dog]

Bingo !  When you are playing a 5$ nassau, two down automatic press, well, you can afford to play fast. When you are playing for a place in history, well, the stakes should dictate how you play. If you are striping the ball down the middle on every drive and still take substantially too long, get warned, then get penalized (BUT NOT IN A MAJOR). But Majestic, you nailed it.

Not everyone playing for a place in history has the same problem.

He is slow.  It's not a secret.  If you say he isn't then you and reality are in different places.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I've heard Tiger hates old people, he hates children, and he hates dogs.

C'mon guys!  David Sims (Don Johnson) from Tin Cup. 

[Iwastherein1969]

Not everyone playing for a place in history has the same problem.

He is slow.  It's not a secret.  If you say he isn't then you and reality are in different places.

He is slow. This not an emergency 9 in late September at the DeQueen Golf and Country Boys Country Club starting at 7 pm that Jordan is playing for. Look, yeah, he's slow compared to most others but if that's the only drawback you can find with his game, you are nit picking. Seems that people used to say the same thing about Jack in his younger years.

[Dillar Dog]

He is slow.

Thank you.  At least you have some integrity.