And they're off!!

[IrishGolfer]

Early predictions:

• Conditions will get progressively better as the day goes on.
• Padraig will withdraw!
• Best score of the day will be -3 by a player teeing off after noon.
• Kenny Perry will roll over and fart in his bed!

So glad I'm not a professional gambler!!

[Dave Ireland]

Summertime is here .... driving rain and 30mph winds. It's carnage this morning, commentators saying that if the weather improves later theses early guys are out of the tournament. Home fav Westwood +3 after 2, Podger +1 with a great bird on #5. Phil has holed a nasty 8 footer on #1 for bogey. jeez I'm not enjoying this...

*update* ... Sandy Lyle one of the best links players in his day.... has just said phaque it and walked off .....

[IrishGolfer]

What a poof!! This is what golf is all about. Feel a bit sorry for the earlier starts right enough as those out after lunch will get a better run at it. That's golf I guess. Andy_79 is making his way over there. No doubt we will get it from the horse mouth.

Charnock, Dave, MancG, any of you guys heading over today?

[Irish]

following the bbc text commentary at the moment, any links to live feeds: bbc one won't work for me...

the text commentary is quite funny though:
The hunt is on for Phil Mickelson, the American desperately trying to find his ball at the sixth - looks like he's going to have to drop a shot there, especially with one spectator walking away whistling with what looks remarkably like a golf-ball shape bump in his pocket. The cunning swine.

[Dave Ireland]

#6 par4 440ish yards straight into the wind players can't get up. Craig Parry interviewed after his round says he was hitting 3 wood 180 yards into the wind.......

Choi & Goosen playing brilliant links golf ... Duval (yup) is also very steady .. wearing sunglasses to the utter astonishment of the Beeb...

Podger has missed to 10 footers on 10&11 for par and birdie +2

[Eracer]

Blow, north wind! Blow, south wind! Get out the buggy whip and beat those horsies!

Proper golf, where you can't reach par-4 holes in regulation, balls roll uphill in the wicked gusts, and spectators flog the Yanks!

[Dave Ireland]

LOL.... yeah it's not all bad news Eracer ... latest eye openers Choi hits 3iron 167 yards, Ben Curtis a 5iron 125 Yards .... eh both came up short

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Dave Ireland

LOL.... yeah it's not all bad news Eracer ... latest eye openers Choi hits 3iron 167 yards, Ben Curtis a 5iron 125 Yards .... eh both came up short

I bet the tour van boys were busy delofting irons this morning.

[IrishGolfer]

Now when I speak to all of links golf, do you all believe me??!!!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by IrishGolfer

Now when I speak to all of links golf, do you all believe me??!!!

I know it. Believe me, my day at Cruden Bay was twice as bad as what these guys are facing today. It was horrible. When we played St. Andrews later in the week, it was sunny, 70 degrees F, and the wind gauge said 20 knots. I smiled and gave thanks for the balmy weather.

Now, whenever I hear "it's windy" here in the states, I just laugh...

[IrishGolfer]

If you could wheel an Iron Byron out round the course and set shot shape and trajectory for each shot, it would still be bloody hard. The wind tends to gust here a lot. And what a lot of folk don't realise is that wind like this also affects the short game just as much. You have to allow for the wind on chips and putts.

On a calm overcast day, these guys would be kicking it round in 65-66. The course is quite soft, the fairways generous and the greens like carpets. But this is what links golf is all about. You get such a kick out of manufacturing a shot, such as a bump and run, or a low punched 7 iron 115 yards!

My only beef with any of this is the fact that a player can get lucky with his draw time. The guys in the afternoon probably will get a 3-4 shot advantage over those in the morning. So a lot of the potential challengers who teed off this morning will see their Open hopes go down the toilet! Still Goosen is showing everyone how to play golf! Only magnificent!

[dave.]

HA! this will sort them out, proper Lancashire weather, lets see which fags can't handle it

Great to see Poulter shanking again, always a pleasure

[eclark53520]

Two words for wind like that: Feck That!

I want to have fun while playing golf...and THAT is NOT fun...more like work if you ask me.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by eclark53520

Two words for wind like that: Feck That!

I want to have fun while playing golf...and THAT is NOT fun...more like work if you ask me.

You're absolutely right. Which is why we lose the Ryder Cup.

[SiberianDVM]

So..........have you Brits ever considered having your national golf championship during the summer?