Golf 2023

[Martin Alvito]

I'd love Fleetwood to get close, but I can't see a five shot swing at the moment because I feel Harman has enough to be steady and get enough pars.

If someone can get to the clubhouse within two, it makes 17 and 18 real interesting. There's enough trouble off both tees that we could see Harman go the full Van de Velde with one bad swing. Picking those strokes up in these conditions will be tough, though. Low round today is 67. Homa could go one or two better if he absolutely catches fire on the last four holes, but that's a huge ask.

So long as Harman is draining most everything within ten feet and knocking in the odd long ball like he just did, no one has a chance.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Feels very like the St Andrews win for Louis Oosthuizen. Sometimes someone is just miles better than the rest of the field. It doesn't make for a good spectacle at all and won't go down as a classic, but you have to give massive credit where it's due. By far the best player this week and a worthy winner.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Feels very like the St Andrews win for Louis Oosthuizen. Sometimes someone is just miles better than the rest of the field. It doesn't make for a good spectacle at all and won't go down as a classic, but you have to give massive credit where it's due. By far the best player this week and a worthy winner.

Fair play to Matthew Jordan this week for earning his way back to next year. Looks like he'll at least tie Fleetwood, and most likely beat him by a stroke. Dream tournament for him at this stage of his career.

As for Harman, if I'm the R&A, I tell him I will trade him one Claret Jug for one putter, to display in the museum. Best putting performance I have ever seen in an Open.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Real lack of drama throughout the tournament. Probably need to add a little more jeopardy to the course for the next time the open comes to Hoylake. If you avoid the bunkers and the OB on 18, there was really not a lot of problems. If there is no water, you need a course to be very punishing to average shots, and due to the soft conditions, this wasn't.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Feel bad for Tommy. Had a cracking weekend then those couple of holes were a nightmare.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Harman deserves this to be honest. Even when he had the little wobble early on in the front 9 today he recovered superbly. Some great, consistent golf from him this weekend.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Tommy finishes on -4. Shame what happened today but overall had a good weekend.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Real lack of drama throughout the tournament. Probably need to add a little more jeopardy to the course for the next time the open comes to Hoylake. If you avoid the bunkers and the OB on 18, there was really not a lot of problems. If there is no water, you need a course to be very punishing to average shots, and due to the soft conditions, this wasn't.

It played tougher this week than when Tiger and Rory ate it alive. If someone goes out there and runs up a strokes gained of ten or eleven strokes with the putter in an Open, even average tee-to-green play will render the golfer nearly impossible to beat.

Harman won this thing by going 67-65 on the first two days while draining everything inside ten feet, then just grinding the last two days out.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I know the conditions have been terrible by and large.. but some of the putting this weekend has been weirdly poor from some otherwise genuinely good putters. Harman has pretty much walked this mainly because he's been so consistently good with his.

 

[woomy]

It played tougher this week than when Tiger and Rory ate it alive. If someone goes out there and runs up a strokes gained of ten or eleven strokes with the putter in an Open, even average tee-to-green play will render the golfer nearly impossible to beat.

Harman won this thing by going 67-65 on the first two days while draining everything inside ten feet, then just grinding the last two days out.

Agree. We don't have to trick a golf.course up just because the star names didn't win.
If you look below the winner. It's not a bad leaderboard. You just had 1 guy who went and won it. If it wasn't for him, probably would have been a ton if excitement.
Well played to the chap. He went and won the number 1 tournament in golf.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Harman pars the 18th and wins comfortably 6 strokes ahead, finishing on -13 for the weekend. Superb from him.

 

[wm02]

Worthy champion.
Rock solid all week

 

[roydo]

Worthy champion.
Rock solid all week

Yep. Best player in the world doesnt mean you win an Open. Best player for 4 days does though.

 

[ArtetaMoney]

Unbelievable mental strength to get over the line with such a large lead, he looked unfazed as well.

 

[rochdaleblue]

Real lack of drama throughout the tournament. Probably need to add a little more jeopardy to the course for the next time the open comes to Hoylake. If you avoid the bunkers and the OB on 18, there was really not a lot of problems. If there is no water, you need a course to be very punishing to average shots, and due to the soft conditions, this wasn't.

You’re right mate about a soft golf course. ANY golf course in the world, the pros attack in soft conditions. I think the lack of drama came from such a dominant performance from Harman. The only defences an open course has is the deep pot bunkers. It relies on the wind to make it challenging. I differ with your assessment of hoylake. I went there on Friday. Holes 16-18 were brutal. 16 long par 4, back into the wind, infinity green at 17 that was great to watch the pros struggle on and I saw numerous pros struggle down 18 with the OB. The wind died down at the weekend and the rain softened the course.