Wake up, Justin Thomas of Louisville. Phil Mickelson looks like he might try to go ahead and squeeze in 72 today, catch a flight home to San Diego and watch you and everybody else chase him the rest of the weekend in Scotland on TV. Mickelson's put went around and around the cup on No. 7 before falling for birdie, and then he very nearly got a hole-in-one on No. 8. That's three birdies in the last five holes for the British Open leader, and it has pushed him five strokes ahead of the field in the early going of the second round.
1. P. Mickelson: -11 (26 holes) T2. S. Kjeldson: -6 (29 holes) T2. H. Stenson: -6 (23 holes)
Mickelson shoves in a 6- or 7-footer for par on No. 9 and marches off the green under an umbrella to make the turn still at 11-under and still five strokes ahead of everyone else.
The rain is pretty dense at the moment, but the Golf Network dudes are reporting that the forecast calls for it to let up about 1 p.m. local time, which would be good news for St. X Justin (4-under) and the other afternoon tee times.
Stenson gets to 7-under. That's four birdies in the last five holes, and he's on to No. 8.
Mickelson's second shot on the par-4 No. 11 hits long and right of the cup and then rolls back toward the hole to within 10 or 12 feet. All of these guys are making their approach shots roll back toward the hole--those shots are always so pretty.
I know they always walk away before the guys actually putt, but I would hate having somebody standing a few feet away from me holding an umbrella over my head while I was trying to figure out how to hit a putt. Another thing I would not like about being a professional golfer is feeling rushed.
Mickelson has labored through tall grass and matted straw along the 430 yards to the 12th green, and now we've got some not-USGA official fretting with him over his ball as it wobbles back and forth around the spot where he'd marked. Well, we'll see if that ends up being any greater issue, but, whatever, this is not going to be Phil's favorite moment from his summer vacation in Scotland. He takes a bogey, and he's back to 10-under and three ahead of the field.
Oh, boy, here we go. I've got everything turned down low because the women of my house are still asleep, but the Golf Channel has gone back to showing slo-mo of Phil's gloved hand, his marker and his ball on the No. 12 green. This can't be good.
OK, look, I've been watching sports pretty much every day of the last 48 years. I get the pros and cons, and I'll give you there are absolutely pros. But, on balance, I'm telling you I would go for eliminating any sort of replay in officiating any type of sport. It just introduces too many other unintended opportunities for questionable decisions, and, most of all, it just keeps us all too focused on officiating. Hire the best officials you can; have them make the best calls they can at the moment stuff happens; roll with the mistakes; change the officials who seem to make the most questionable decisions, and quit talking about any of this otherwise. Life's too short.
OK, Mickelson birdies the par-3 14! He's 11-under.
The Golf Channel guys are going crazy about the fact that Mickelson is wearing two gloves. Whatever. I get it. My fingers are forever getting cold, particularly in the rain. I'd wear two gloves if I was outside in Scotland, too.
Also, enough with the commercials being played louder than the actual TV show! Everybody hates this. We've all hated it for years. Everybody's buying enough of your stupid, worthless products. Just stop it. Enough!
Things are drying out, and the boys are almost back in town. Jordan Spieth (even) tees off in about 20 minutes; Jason Day (2-over) and Rickie Fowler (2-under) are in the same threesome going off at 2:26 local time, and Rory McIlroy (2-under) tees about 10 minutes after that.
Mickelson has played today with Ernie Els and Lee Westwood. Els (5-over) will not make the cut; Westwood (2-over) might.
@TigerWoods .@Venuseswilliams put on a show all week and @serenawilliams has once again elevated tennis to another level. Very happy for both of you. 2:26 PM - 11 Jul 2016
Stenson got himself another birdie at 16, and now he's parred 17. So that inches the Swede to 9-under and within one of clubhouse Phil for the tournament lead.
The television where I live is now tuned to a Nickelodeon program, Crashletes, co-hosted by Rob Gronkowski. It's a cross between Jackass, America's Home Videos and NFL Films' Football Follies, and it's horrible.
I don't believe I'd ever heard of Scott Hend. The 42-year-old from Townsville, Australia, has birdied four of the first six holes of his second round, and now he's 4-under and T6 for the tournament.
Meanwhile, we've moved to a Disney program, Best Friends Whenever, which is about some perky, scrubbed teen-agers who can time travel. In today's episode, a girl goes back to the 1950s to visit her grandmother, and one of the adults is portrayed by Marion Ross. This, of course, makes me very happy.
I watched the pilot episode for this show, and thought it showed real promise. Of course, Disney is far removed from the glory days of Kim Possible and Lizzie McGuire.
Patrick Reed has slipped back to 4-under for the tournament. He, Hend, Billy Horschel and Steve Stricker are the only golfers among the top 14 in the tournament who are on the course now, and they're all 4-under/T6.
There's a fair amount of wind and rain blowing right now, so I don't think we're likely to see anyone out on the course challenge the scores that have been posted by Mickelson and Stenson.
McIlroy is 3 under through 21 holes; Spieth is 1 over through 24 holes.
Jordan Spieth just took a double bogey on the famous "postage stamp" 8th hole. He's now 3-over par, and a good bet to miss the cut. Given his experience on 12 at the Masters, and 8 here, he should really avoid short, tricky holes.
Wake up, Justin Thomas of Louisville. Phil Mickelson looks like he might try to go ahead and squeeze in 72 today, catch a flight home to San Diego and watch you and everybody else chase him the rest of the weekend in Scotland on TV. Mickelson's put went around and around the cup on No. 7 before falling for birdie, and then he very nearly got a hole-in-one on No. 8. That's three birdies in the last five holes for the British Open leader, and it has pushed him five strokes ahead of the field in the early going of the second round.
ReplyDelete1. P. Mickelson: -11 (26 holes)
T2. S. Kjeldson: -6 (29 holes)
T2. H. Stenson: -6 (23 holes)
Mickelson shoves in a 6- or 7-footer for par on No. 9 and marches off the green under an umbrella to make the turn still at 11-under and still five strokes ahead of everyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe rain is pretty dense at the moment, but the Golf Network dudes are reporting that the forecast calls for it to let up about 1 p.m. local time, which would be good news for St. X Justin (4-under) and the other afternoon tee times.
Mickelson pars 10.
ReplyDeleteDefending-champ Zach Johnson of Iowa City, Iowa, and Keegan Bradley of Woodstock, Vermont, have joined Søren Kjeldsen of Aalborg, Denmark, and Henrik Stenson of Gothenburg, Sweden, at 6-under and T2.
Stenson gets to 7-under. That's four birdies in the last five holes, and he's on to No. 8.
ReplyDeleteMickelson's second shot on the par-4 No. 11 hits long and right of the cup and then rolls back toward the hole to within 10 or 12 feet. All of these guys are making their approach shots roll back toward the hole--those shots are always so pretty.
If you were to ask me: "How many PGA Tour events has Henrik Stenson won?" I would say something like, "twelve."
DeleteThe real answer is four.
I know they always walk away before the guys actually putt, but I would hate having somebody standing a few feet away from me holding an umbrella over my head while I was trying to figure out how to hit a putt. Another thing I would not like about being a professional golfer is feeling rushed.
ReplyDeleteThey don't like being rushed either; that's why they hate being put on the clock.
DeleteMickelson pars 11.
ReplyDeleteZach Johnson birdies No. 8, and he, too, has moved to 7-under, four behind Mickelson, along with Stenson.
ReplyDeleteMickelson has labored through tall grass and matted straw along the 430 yards to the 12th green, and now we've got some not-USGA official fretting with him over his ball as it wobbles back and forth around the spot where he'd marked. Well, we'll see if that ends up being any greater issue, but, whatever, this is not going to be Phil's favorite moment from his summer vacation in Scotland. He takes a bogey, and he's back to 10-under and three ahead of the field.
ReplyDeleteOh, boy, here we go. I've got everything turned down low because the women of my house are still asleep, but the Golf Channel has gone back to showing slo-mo of Phil's gloved hand, his marker and his ball on the No. 12 green. This can't be good.
ReplyDeleteOK, look, I've been watching sports pretty much every day of the last 48 years. I get the pros and cons, and I'll give you there are absolutely pros. But, on balance, I'm telling you I would go for eliminating any sort of replay in officiating any type of sport. It just introduces too many other unintended opportunities for questionable decisions, and, most of all, it just keeps us all too focused on officiating. Hire the best officials you can; have them make the best calls they can at the moment stuff happens; roll with the mistakes; change the officials who seem to make the most questionable decisions, and quit talking about any of this otherwise. Life's too short.
I agree with all of this.
DeleteThe T2/7-under group is now Bradley, Johnson and Kjeldsen.
ReplyDeleteNow somebody's swabbing Phil's chest with a towel.
ReplyDeleteI guess you just get used to it.
Mickelson pars 13.
ReplyDeleteOK, Mickelson birdies the par-3 14! He's 11-under.
ReplyDeleteThe Golf Channel guys are going crazy about the fact that Mickelson is wearing two gloves. Whatever. I get it. My fingers are forever getting cold, particularly in the rain. I'd wear two gloves if I was outside in Scotland, too.
Also, enough with the commercials being played louder than the actual TV show! Everybody hates this. We've all hated it for years. Everybody's buying enough of your stupid, worthless products. Just stop it. Enough!
ReplyDeleteStenson is back to 7-under and the T2 group.
ReplyDeleteOK, I didn't see it, but Mickelson bogeyed 15. And Zach Johnson bogeyed 11.
ReplyDelete1. P. Mickelson: -10 (33 holes)
T2. K. Bradley: -7 (27 holes)
T2. S. Kjeldsen: -7 (36 holes)
T2. H. Stenson: -7 (29 holes)
5. Z. Johnson: -6 (29 holes)
The best second round completed thus far is a 5-under from Charl Schwartzel of Johannesburg, South Africa. That puts him at 4-under for the tournament and currently T7.
ReplyDeleteMickelson pars 16.
ReplyDeleteThings are drying out, and the boys are almost back in town. Jordan Spieth (even) tees off in about 20 minutes; Jason Day (2-over) and Rickie Fowler (2-under) are in the same threesome going off at 2:26 local time, and Rory McIlroy (2-under) tees about 10 minutes after that.
ReplyDeleteStenson breaks the tied at second. He zips in a maybe 20-footer at 13, and he's to 8-under and two back of Phil.
ReplyDeleteIf Stenson were as good in real life as he is in my mind, he'd be like a four-time major winner.
DeleteIt's looking like you're going to have to be inside of 2-over to play tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteMickelson pars 17.
ReplyDelete23-year-old Justin Thomas of Louisville was scheduled to tee off just a few minutes ago. He's 4-under.
ReplyDeleteAnd, by the way, 34-year-old J.B. Holmes of Campbellsville is 2-under for the tournament through 10 holes today.
Mickelson has played today with Ernie Els and Lee Westwood. Els (5-over) will not make the cut; Westwood (2-over) might.
ReplyDelete@TigerWoods
.@Venuseswilliams put on a show all week and @serenawilliams has once again elevated tennis to another level. Very happy for both of you.
2:26 PM - 11 Jul 2016
46-year-old Phil Mickelson of San Diego, California, pars 18.
ReplyDelete1. P. Mickelson: -10 (36 holes)
2. H. Stenson: -8 (33 holes)
3. S. Kjeldsen: -7 (36 holes)
4. Z. Johnson: -6 (33 holes)
T5. K. Bradley: -5 (30 holes)
T5. P. Reed: -5 (18 holes)
Stenson got himself another birdie at 16, and now he's parred 17. So that inches the Swede to 9-under and within one of clubhouse Phil for the tournament lead.
ReplyDeleteAnd Henrik Stenson, 40, of Gothenburg, Sweden, shuts her down with another par.
ReplyDelete1. P. Mickelson: -10 (36 holes)
2. H. Stenson: -9 (36 holes)
T3. K. Bradley: -7 (34 holes)
T3. S. Kjeldsen: -7 (36 holes)
T5. S. Garcia: -5 (34 holes)
T5. Z. Johnson: -5 (36 holes)
T5. P. Reed: -5 (22 holes)
Argh. St. X J.T. is going the wrong direction: par-bogey-par-birdie-double start. He's 2-under. Come on, Justin Thomas of Louisville!
ReplyDeleteCampbellsville J.B. is back to 1-under for the tournament. He'd gotten it to 3-under, but he just doubled the par-4 15th.
ReplyDeleteStenson's 6-under today is now the best completed second round thus far.
ReplyDeleteThe television where I live is now tuned to a Nickelodeon program, Crashletes, co-hosted by Rob Gronkowski. It's a cross between Jackass, America's Home Videos and NFL Films' Football Follies, and it's horrible.
ReplyDeleteOK, this is getting better. Here's a bulldog who skateboards, snowboards and surfs!
ReplyDeleteNow here's a horse playing with a giant ball.
ReplyDeleteNow "Gronk" is narrating footage of a guy who's really good at pop-a-shot. I do love pop-a-shot.
ReplyDeleteHere are some bad singings of the national anthem.
ReplyDeleteNow we have a high-school football game where a ref gets hit in the face by the football on a field-goal attempt.
ReplyDeleteOK, well, that show grew on me.
ReplyDeleteThe Twitter desk is now following @Crashletes.
DeleteWe'll probably even start following President Trump next year.
1. P. Mickelson: -10 (36 holes)
ReplyDelete2. H. Stenson: -9 (36 holes)
T3. K. Bradley: -7 (36 holes)
T3. S. Kjeldsen: -7 (36 holes)
5. P. Reed: -6 (25 holes)
6. Z. Johnson: -5 (36 holes)
Reed has slipped back to 5-under.
ReplyDeletePlaying in the same group, Fowler birdied No. 1; McIlroy, No. 2. Both are now 3-under.
I don't believe I'd ever heard of Scott Hend. The 42-year-old from Townsville, Australia, has birdied four of the first six holes of his second round, and now he's 4-under and T6 for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteHe's the only golfer who is, one, on the course; two, better than 1-under today, and, three, under par for the tournament.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, we've moved to a Disney program, Best Friends Whenever, which is about some perky, scrubbed teen-agers who can time travel. In today's episode, a girl goes back to the 1950s to visit her grandmother, and one of the adults is portrayed by Marion Ross. This, of course, makes me very happy.
ReplyDeleteI watched the pilot episode for this show, and thought it showed real promise. Of course, Disney is far removed from the glory days of Kim Possible and Lizzie McGuire.
DeletePatrick Reed has slipped back to 4-under for the tournament. He, Hend, Billy Horschel and Steve Stricker are the only golfers among the top 14 in the tournament who are on the course now, and they're all 4-under/T6.
ReplyDeleteI have finally posted the Day One Wrap-Up.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard at 9:30 CDT:
ReplyDelete1. P. Mickelson: -10 (36 holes)
2. H. Stenson (SWE): -9 (36)
T3. S. Kjeldsen (DEN): -7 (36)
T3. K. Bradley: -7 (36)
T5. Z. Johnson: -5 (36)
T5. P. Reed: -5 (27)
There's a fair amount of wind and rain blowing right now, so I don't think we're likely to see anyone out on the course challenge the scores that have been posted by Mickelson and Stenson.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy is 3 under through 21 holes; Spieth is 1 over through 24 holes.
Jordan Spieth just took a double bogey on the famous "postage stamp" 8th hole. He's now 3-over par, and a good bet to miss the cut. Given his experience on 12 at the Masters, and 8 here, he should really avoid short, tricky holes.
ReplyDeleteI'm right with you on my impression of Henrik Stenson's career. Of course, you're golf stuff at the HP is where I get most of my golf information, so this makes sense. Anyway, I absolutely am considering Stenson of Team Sweden to the be the gold-medal favorite in Rio.
ReplyDelete