My brain has been taken over by martians: I have new interest in golf.

So, at this end of the second day, Rory is doing well at the British Open. We'll see how it goes. Meantime, here's a gif of him waiting to make a putt while a pheasant sped around the green..

Well, it's in the link, just click on the photo - I don't know how to add it by itself here.
http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/rory-mcilroys-birdie-try-8th-hole-royal-liverpool-was-interrupted-pheasant?sct=hp6

Rory v Ricky. A marketeer's dream. Good for golf and the British Open to have young guns slugging it out.

They're at the 18th, Rory has won, Rickie and Sergio in 2nd. I was hoping Rickie would do it, but am pleased enough for Rory - what a good four days for all three.
Even one of the Molinari brothers got closer than usual, smiles.


Now to look at some photos to see if Rickie was wearing orange.

Rory's dad placed a bet with a bookie more than 10 years ago that his son would win the British Open by the age of twenty-five. He's apparently £50,000 richer today.

Just read that about the dad, Belfast barman (I gather, Gd'ian said so).

Yes, Rickie wore orange on Sunday again, having to do with his going to Oklahoma State University. He's only 25 too (as is Rory).

What I like about Rory winning is that he did rather poorly at his first British Open - something about his golf balls flying too high for links type courses, and he has definitely learned since then. Fowler likes links courses too.

Can you tell I'm sick of hearing about Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods? Always the big noises in the golf news, at least here in the U.S. I still like Darren Clarke though, speaking of older, and he did ok in this one, for a while.

Here's a guardian commenter's take that I agree with -


nigelbryan
20 July 2014 6:45pm

Who would have thought that with McIlroy going into the day six ahead we would have got such an epic day of golf ?
Fowler, with all his potential, could never quite take advantage of Rory’s thaw (not quite a meltdown) and was probably at a slight disadvantage with that extra pressure of being his playing partner.
The thrill of Garcia coming back was tempered by the fact that even if you may have been rooting for him to win, you didn’t want it to be because Rory had thrown it away. But in the end it was a great shame that Sergio’s disaster in the bunker on 15 pretty much killed that contest off.
There were even elements of Seve in Rory’s play, with some really wayward stuff being rescued by some great saves.
All in all, four days of great golf and a very worthy winner.

Anyone watching the PGA? golf as comedy that involves prizes..
I'm a Fowler fan, fun, not loud, not prepossessing, interesting, but phalanxes of people are doing well.

2.30am over here as Rory proves his mettle. I'm starting to view the Tiger-years as a (sort of) John the Baptist-preparation-for-the-Coming-of-The-Messiah thing (hyperbole aside, naturally).

I followed the PGA my usual way, reading the Guardian live blog on it. It was a very odd tournament..

How so?

The massive number of birdies over most of the days, the changing lists of who was in contention when, the escapes of guys taking off their socks to find and or hit the ball, the many successful long putts, Els ranting about the powers not stopping the day because of the rain and then coming back after it and getting birdie after birdie - the fast coming of the night and Michelson and Fowler stepping aside to let McIlroy play up, re the rules re tee off or having to play the next day (today). Also some oldies doing very well, a pleasure to see. Odd, I say.

It was all of that and more. Kudos to Fowler and Mickelson for stepping aside thus allowing Rory and Bernd to finish before it bacame impossible. I wasn't aware of Ernie's rant - personal circumstances led to my joining tv coverage about 6 holes into Rory's round (but for the rain delay, I'd have missed practically all of it - every cloud etc). I consider this to have been the most exciting final round I've seen with half a dozen players playing at their very best. Rory's back nine was special.

Well, hey, Jack has done it again -

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/jack-nicklaus-cards-an-ace-in-the-par-3-contest-195234647.html

Super thing for Jack.

I am sure this made his day!

What a man. Arnold was there but didn't take part.

My story telling soul is pushing me to think Rory won't win this one and neither will Tiger. Not to be a spoiler.

On Arnold and Jack, I followed them both in my youth, the first years of my martian brain takeover. At the time, I liked Arnie better.

Anyone following the US Open at a golf course that is more like a links course than the usual u.s. courses? It's near hilarious so far.

Good play by play as usual on the Guardian sports page:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/jun/20/us-open-2015-third-round-live

The only un-hilarious thing is that Jason Day, a player I tend to root for, has been dealing with bouts of vertigo, but hanging in there.

golf? I cut out all the middlemen and watch my pasture grass grow directly.
Twice as interesting as golf

Plus you probably have dandelions, which I pretty much like.

Dandelions... for the greens, you know.