ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The Grand Old Lady is taking a beating.
With little wind offering little to no resistance in the opening stages of the 150th Open Championship, and with the rumpled ground mimicking concrete to produce a layout playing much shorter than the 7,313 yards on the scorecard, the Old Course at St. Andrews was defenseless against the best players from around the world in Thursday’s first round.
Red numbers dominated the famous yellow leaderboards as 40 of the first 100 players to take to the ancient links were under par.
Leading the birdie barrage was Cameron Young, who is looking for his first PGA Tour title. Young contended in the PGA Championship (he tied for third) and is in contention for a major title again following an 8-under-par 64 that gave him the clubhouse lead. He is three shots clear of Cameron Smith, the Players champ.
Ernie Els with his caddie before teeing off on the third hole during the first round of the 150th Open Championship golf tournament at St. Andrews Old Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
A blast from the past – Ernie Els, 52, who won the Open in 2002 and 2012 – was 5 under through 13 holes. Four-time major winner and 2014 Open champion Rory McIlroy was 4 under through 12. Fourteen players were in the 60s, including Bryson DeChambeau, who was at 69.
About 45 players still have to tee off, including Tiger Woods.
“It’s nice to get off to a hot start any week, really,” Smith said. “But these majors, I think the tougher the course gets, especially around here, how it’s going to get really firm and really fast, it’s almost going to be like holding on I think on the weekend. Nice to get out there and shoot a number and get myself well under par.”
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Phil Mickelson said he was contacted by the R&A a few weeks back and basically was asked not to attend the Celebration of Champions on Monday and the Champions’ Dinner on Tuesday.
The 2013 Open champion decided to pass on both.
And he was less than heartbroken.
“(The R&A) said, ‘Look, we don’t think it’s a great idea you go, but if you want to, you can,’” Mickelson said following Thursday’s first round of the 150th Open Championship. “I just didn’t want to make a big deal about it, so I said fine.
“We both kind of agreed that it would be best if I didn’t.”
Mickelson has still had a great week. He first took to the Old Course last Friday and has played every day since. And the Auld Grey Toun has not disappointed.
“I love being here. Everybody here loves golf, and we find this place to be very spiritual,” he said. “As great as this game has been to me, to be able to come here to the (Home of Golf) and compete again, I think this is my sixth one here.
“I just see the greatness in the course when you get different winds because you see bunkers you don’t even know are there. Just the greatness of it kind of shines. I love playing and competing here. It’s just a special place.”
Mickelson seems to be coming out of a vortex of strife in his life since he made derogatory and inflammatory remarks about the PGA Tour and its commissioner, Jay Monahan, as well as the oppressive Saudi Arabia regie that is bankrolling LIV Golf. He went on a four-month sabbatical. He’s been indefinitely suspended from the PGA Tour. And he’s making just his seventh start this year – two on the LIV Golf circuit.
But he has no regrets about joining the rival league that has disrupted the ecosystem of men’s pro golf. Mickelson reportedly got $200 million to join. The member of the World Golf Hall of Fame was heckled a bit in his first-round 72 but wasn’t bothered in the least.
“I think that I couldn’t be more excited and ecstatic with where I’m at,” he said. “I love the events. I get to have golf in my life and competitive golf in my life on a scale that is fun, exciting, different, and lets me play and compete but still do the things outside that I want to do. I’ve got a nice trip lined up after this and things that I haven’t been able to do in the past. So, no, I couldn’t be happier.
“I made the right decision for me. I couldn’t be happier. I think it’s been really good. I can’t wait to get to New Jersey and play another event there.”
Mickelson also can’t wait to put his game back together.
“So I had four months off. Obviously, when I came back, I wasn’t really sharp. I thought I was playing a little bit better than I was,” he said. “My game doesn’t feel far off at all. It just doesn’t.
“I let a few strokes slide today, but for the most part, I actually feel pretty good with, like, the parts, but I’ve just got to bring them together to make the whole. I actually think I have some good rounds in me. I think I’m going to play really well the next few days.”
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — How will Tiger Woods fare at the 150th Open Championship?
It’s the $64-million dollar question heading into the final men’s major of the year at The Old Course at St. Andrews.
Given that the last time Woods played in May at the PGA Championship, his body couldn’t handle the wear and tear of walking Southern Hills and he bowed out early (WD after the third round), there have been concerns whether he’d be able to play this week. But Woods played 58 holes in the lead up to the Open Championship, not to mention several rounds in Ireland as part of his tournament preparation.
Few have a better sense of how Tiger is doing than Fred Couples, a longtime friend who used to have Tiger’s caddie Joey LaCava as his own sidekick.
Speaking during his Fred Couples Radio Show on Sirius XM on Wednesday, Couples gave a window into the state of Tiger’s game and this ringing endorsement: “I talk to him every night and when he tells me things, you know, some are top secret. But when he talks about his game, he says, ‘I am driving it really, really well. I’m putting well.’ And again, at St. Andrews, if he does his deal, he’s one of the best iron players to ever play, if not the best. And if he’s not striping four irons into par fours, but he’s got nines and wedges, I honestly think he knows that he can win this thing.”
Don’t be surprised to see plenty of three-putts and worse on the giant greens of the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Jordan Spieth was one shot back of the lead on No. 8 tee in the final round of the 2015 British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews, and he knocked his tee shot at the 174-yard par 3 onto the green. Normally that would be cause for at least a little satisfaction, but not necessarily on the Old Course.
That’s because most of the putting surfaces on the Old Course – which this week hosts its 30th British Open – are gigantic double greens that serve two holes with flagsticks planted on opposite sides. As can so easily happen after an approach shot finds the wrong portion of one of these greens, Spieth faced a putt of some 100 feet. His ensuing four-putt – his first attempt sailed off the green – and the double-bogey 5 left him playing catchup the rest of the day, and he eventually fell one shot short of a playoff won by Zach Johnson.
None of this is a knock on Spieth’s putting – he was a top-10 putter on the PGA Tour that year, and that double bogey clearly was caused by an errant iron shot. On a normal course, Spieth would have missed the green, likely by a wide margin, and he probably would have pitched a wedge shot of some kind onto the putting surface without ever leaving such a dent in his putting stats.
Jordan Spieth throws his ball into the crowd after four-putting for double-bogey on No. 8 in the final round of the British Open on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland on July 20, 2015. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)
The Old Course is different, and errant iron shots don’t always lead to pitches or chips. Instead, players often face massive putts for which they must judge distance, extreme mounding and even the wind if they are to have any hope of getting their first putt close.
The Old Course has only four greens that serve just one hole, at Nos. 1, 9, 17 and 18. The rest of the holes play to one side of seven giant double greens. An interesting note for the hardcore golf nerds: If the two hole numbers served by a double green are added together, they always equal 18. For example, No. 2 and No. 16 share a green, so they equal 18. Other shared greens are Nos. 3 and 15, Nos. 4 and 14, Nos. 5 and 13, Nos. 6 and 12, Nos. 7 and 11, and Nos. 8 and 10.
And they are huge.
The average size of the putting surfaces at the Old Course is 22,267 square feet, more than half an acre, and the double green for Nos. 5 and 13 is over 37,000 square feet. By comparison, the average green size at Pebble Beach Golf Links, another seaside course famed for hosting major championships, is about 3,500 feet. Augusta National, another major staple, has greens that average just over 6,400 square feet.
Even if you halve the size of the double greens at the Old Course to make an apples-to-apples comparison equaling 18 greens, the putting surfaces at the Old average more than 13,600 feet per hole, nearly four times the size of the greens at Pebble Beach.
Perhaps most telling, several of the double greens are more than 100 yards across. Play to the wrong flag – it happens, even for the pros – and you will face one of the longest putts of your life.
The out-and-back layout of the Old Course makes such greens possible, as most of the holes are situated in a long, somewhat narrow stretch of land between other courses as they play away from the massive R&A clubhouse toward an estuary before turning back toward the clubhouse. Parallel holes play in opposite directions through the corridor, making it possible to approach the shared double greens from opposite directions.
And their size isn’t their only feature. The greens of the Old Course are packed with humps and hollows that following the natural contours of the lumpy ground. Some of the slopes wouldn’t work on smaller putting surfaces, but because the greens of the Old Course are so big, the extreme contours fit. If a modern designer tried to squeeze such slopes into a normal-sized green, there would be almost no puttable areas were a ball would stop rolling, and the usable portion of the green would be too small.
Tiger Woods practices on the 18th green Tuesday on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. No. 18 features one of only four single greens serving just one hole on the course. (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
The size, the slopes – they all factors into strategy and thinking. The Old Course requires precision, often along the ground, to small targets within giant greens. Even with big overall targets, big misses still lead to big numbers.
Two of the best American public-access examples of such huge greens would be Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon and Streamsong’s Black Course in Florida, both of them modern courses where three-putts, four-putts and worse happen every day. Like the Old Course, the greens at Old Mac and the Black feature tremendous contours that force players to concentrate on hitting small targets within all that square-footage.
The perfect example as we head into this week’s British Open was Spieth’s four-putt in 2015, when he proved that a green hit in regulation doesn’t always mean much at St. Andrews.
To celebrate the 150 British Open, Nike has created a special version of its Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour NEXT% NRG that pays tribute to Scotland.
The British Open is a tough event for apparel and footwear makers to plan for because traditionally the swirling winds, fluctuating temperatures and suspect conditions have players adding and removing layers all day. At the same time, this week’s 150th playing of the Open is the season’s final major in men’s golf and is being held at St. Andrews, the home of the game.
To celebrate, Nike has created a special version of its Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour NEXT% NRG that pays tribute to Scotland. The shoe is functional, featuring two Zoom Air units in the forefoot for extra cushioning and a textile upper that enhances breathability. There are also two spikes on the forefoot and two more designed into the heel to compliment the sole’s traction elements, but the shoes are also loaded with symbols of the game’s homeland.
The Nike Air Zoom Infinity Tour NEXT% NRG is available now for $180 at nike.com. Here’s a look at it.
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Tiger Woods will take it easy before the start of the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews.
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – And now he will rest.
Until Thursday.
Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion and three-time Champion Golfer of the Year, has played 58 holes in practice rounds and an exhibition ahead of Thursday’s start of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. In his only other two starts this year – the Masters and PGA Championship – Woods played 27 practice holes at each event.
But seeing as the Old Course is his favorite track in the world, Woods emptied his tank despite favoring his surgically repaired right leg, ankle and foot, with all three not close to being 100 percent and needing constant attention.
Woods chipped, putted and hit a few wedges over 18 holes on Saturday evening with Justin Thomas. He played 18 on Sunday with Justin Thomas, 9 holes more on Monday and 9 more on Tuesday. He also played in the four-hole Celebration of Champions exhibition on Monday.
“So that was going to be it for me,” Woods said Tuesday after his practice round. “I’ll take tomorrow off. I’ll practice, keep my feels. But I wanted to get a good sense of how the golf course is going to be playing but also conserve my energy, so that’s why I’m taking tomorrow off.”
Woods’ first encounter with the Old Course came in the 1995 Open Championship, when he tied for 68th as an amateur. He won his first Claret Jug in 2000 on the Old Course, completing the career Grand Slam, added another in 2005 at the Home of Golf and his third at Hoylake the following year.
“This is where it all began for me as an amateur. My first chance to play in the Open Championship was here. I’ll never forget I played with Ernie Els and Peter Jacobsen the first two days,” he said. “We had a chance to play with some greats in practice rounds – Freddie (Couples), Raymond (Floyd), (Jose Maria Olazabal), Bernhard (Langer). I had a great time as a young little kid, and they showed me the ropes of how to play this golf course and how many different options there were. It was eye opening how this golf course can play as easily as it can be played and also as difficult it can play just by the wind changing.
“This is my sixth Open Championship here. Just to have that experience and have the ability to play here at the Home of Golf is always quite special.”
So he had a little extra adrenaline pushing him through.
“I’m just trying to get used to the speed of the fairways and getting used to hitting the ball down and also giving more wide berth on shots, allowing for more drift on the wind,” Woods said. “The ball just gets eaten up here when you play on links courses and seaside courses. The air is heavier, and you’ve just got to give it more room. And sometimes it’s just hard to see that and hard to understand. You’ve got to give it a little more 30 yards because obviously it’s going to bounce, it’s going to roll and then it’s going to roll out another 40 yards once it lands. And that’s just with a 7-iron in your hand.
“So trying to get my mind right for that, I’ve been trying to do that, but the only way you can truly do it actually is to get out here and experience it.”
As for his body, it’s good enough to give it a go.
“Well, my body certainly can get better, but realistically, not a whole lot,” he said. “It’s been through a lot, and at 46 you don’t quite heal as well as you do at 26. So it is what it is. Just lucky enough to, in our sport, to be able to play as long as we are able to play late into the 40s, especially on links golf courses like this, you can continue into your 50s.
“It just takes a lot of knowledge and understanding of how to play this type of golf. And with the fairways being fast and firm, it allows players who are older to run the ball out there and have a chance.”
Everything you need to know for the first round of the 150th British Open, including Tiger Woods’ tee times.
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Tiger Woods will begin his pursuit of a third Open Championship title at St. Andrews at 2:59 p.m. (local time) Thursday when the oldest championship in golf begins on the Old Course.
Woods, who won on the Old Course in 2000 and 2005, has played 58 practice rounds holes on his favorite golf course in the world – he played just 27 before the Masters, 27 before the PGA Championship. He made the cut in both, his only two starts of the year.
Woods is out with Max Homa and reigning U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open Championship winner, will hit the first shot of the tournament at 6:35 a.m. The final tee time is 4 p.m.
Following the Woods group at 3:10 p.m. is the threesome of 2017 Open champion Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Harold Varner III.
(Streaming will include featured groups, featured holes and full coverage. Featured groups and featured holes will also be available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.)
Friday, July 15th
TV
USA: 4 a.m.-3 p.m.
STREAM
Peacock: 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. Peacock: 3 p.m.-4 p.m.
(Streaming will include featured groups, featured holes and full coverage. Featured groups and featured holes will also be available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.)
Saturday, July 16th
TV
USA: 5 a.m.-7 a.m. NBC: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
STREAM
Peacock: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
(Featured groups and featured holes will be available all day and will be available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.)
Sunday, July 17th
TV
USA: 4 a.m.-7 a.m. NBC: 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
STREAM
Peacock: 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
(Featured groups and featured holes will be available all day and will be available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.)
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Here are several photos of the best merchandise at the 2022 British Open.
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — It’s time for the final men’s major championship of the year.
The best golfers in the world have ascended upon the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, for the 150th edition of the British Open. It’s the 30th time the Old Course has hosted the championship, the latest coming in 2015, when Zach Johnson won in a playoff.
