Connect with us

Tour News

5 Things We Learned on Day 3 of The Open

Published

on

5. Bones Can See The Future

At the beginning of the NBC Coverage, Dan Hicks asked Jim “Bones” MacKay what he expected to see out on the course today. After a few quick explanations of the conditions and the setup, Bones quickly said, “Don’t tell Johnny, but I could see a 62 today.” Sure enough, Branden Grace went on a few hours later to post the lowest round ever in a Major Championship (unless you’re Dan Jenkins and can’t let go of the past).

Grace played spectacular golf, which is not uncharacteristic of the young South African. He had a chance to win the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay until he was derailed on the par-3 16th that year. Not everyone gets another chance to win a major, but Grace put himself right in the mix with a 62 that’s sure to break Johnny Miller’s heart. He also happened to pick Spieth as the winner this year, or at least the guy he was keeping his eye on. Not exactly a dark-horse pick, but that doesn’t take away from the apparent success of his pick thus far.

4. Lack Of Poor Weather Is An Equalizer

The Open Championship boasted an average age of 39 for the winner over the last couple of decades, but with a lack of wind and rain on Saturday experience is less of a factor. Soft and slow greens allowed for players to take aim at pins and sink downhill putts you’re not supposed to make. The best round in major history was shot today by a 29-year-old South African without a major victory and the leaderboard has as many 20-somethings as it does wily veterans. Richie Ramsay and 20-year-old Austin Connelly posted a pair of 66s today, which puts Connelly in the second to last group. Even though Spieth and Kuchar are three shots clear of the field, anyone could shoot another 62 tomorrow and put the pressure on if the weather holds.

3. Stenson’s Open Championship Hangover Is Long Gone

We’ll always remember the duel from last year at Royal Troon when Phil Mickelson lost by three shots after shooting a final-round 65. Stenson’s form since last year’s win hasn’t been great, but after posting his own 65 today he’s in the mix. If the “Ice Man” hits his signature frozen rope 3-woods and iron shots, then it could be a final round to remember. Stenson’s rental house was broken into earlier in the week, and while this could cause undue stress on a typical player, it could also provide just enough distraction from the golf at hand to prevent nerves from setting in. Golf is a funny game, and you never know what outside factors could hurt or help a player’s game. He proved to us last year that he can sink putts when he needs to, and without the added pressure of being the final group, Stenson could go out early and post a number that rattles the field.

2. Kuchar Has Staying Power

Matt Kuchar has long been a beloved pro by golf fans, but to this point, he’s been unable to take his game to the next level and break through in a major. The adage used to be in golf, “put yourself in contention enough times, you’ll eventually come out on top.” The young guns on tour have thrown that path to victory out the window, but that hasn’t stopped Kuchar from hanging around leaderboards for the past decade. Nobody would have faulted him if he’d shot even par and dropped a few spots today, but he didn’t. Despite making a horrific double bogey on No. 16, he rallied with an impressive bunker shot to set up a tap-in birdie on No. 17. He followed that with an incredible shot from the left rough on No. 18 to set up one of only nine birdies on the final hole in Round 3. Kuchar missed the putt, but who can blame him after Spieth sank an uppercut of a putt just before. With eight top-10s and 19 top-25s in majors, Kuchar is due to hold a trophy, but it’s going to take something magical to oust the young gentleman.

1. Spieth Could Be Wire-To-Wire King

Taking a three-shot lead into Sunday, having held at least a share of the lead for three rounds, Jordan Spieth could be only the second player in history to win two majors in wire-to-wire fashion. The other player? Rory McIlroy. Spieth made it around Royal Birkdale with a bogey-free 65 today capped off by an incredibly clutch birdie on No. 18. A win tomorrow makes him the second-youngest player to ever win three legs of the career grand slam, behind only Jack Nicklaus. It also means he’ll have a winning percentage of 15.7 percent in major championships at the age of 23, finishing inside the top-25 in 53 percent of major appearances. Spieth simply needs to repeat what he did in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February to hoist the Claret Jug. If today was any indication, and with no Rae’s creek at Royal Birkdale, he’ll have no problem doing so.

Your Reaction?
  • 36
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW0
  • LOL1
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Adam Crawford is a writer of many topics but golf has always been at the forefront. An avid player and student of the game, Adam seeks to understand both the analytical side of the game as well as the human aspect - which he finds the most important. You can find his books at his website, chandlercrawford.com, or on Amazon.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Published

on

GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.

Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our photos from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the forums.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 5
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

Published

on

GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.

We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.

We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.

Check out links to all our photos, below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

Your Reaction?
  • 10
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL2
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open

Published

on

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.

The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.

GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums

Your Reaction?
  • 16
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW6
  • LOL2
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending