hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Jul 21, 2009 15:37:00 GMT -5
9797 wrote:
Cink birdied the 72nd which was extremely clutch (and in stark contrast to Westwood's three putt bogey).
Yeah, I was so happy that Westwood wasn't in the playoffs. When he hit that amazing 2nd shot on 17, I had a feeling that he would drain the eagle put to give him a temporary lead. When he "only" birdied, I still thought it was Watson's to lose, and when Lee found the rough on 18, I figured he was out of it. Then he hit that amazing shot to at least give himself a birdie put. Like I said before, they didn't have the audio on at the pub I was at. I glanced away for a minute and then turned back to see him with a giant smile on his face. It wasn't until he actually hit his 3rd shot, that I realized how far he still was. When that put rolled past the whole, I was standing there motioning it on, further and further, knowing that if he missed the comebacker, it would "cinkth" the victory for an American, one way or another.
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Jul 21, 2009 15:47:26 GMT -5
I can't believe I'm that dorky.
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guru
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Post by guru on Jul 21, 2009 15:50:42 GMT -5
I can't believe I'm that dorky. I can
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hoya95
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by hoya95 on Jul 21, 2009 17:27:13 GMT -5
No, but Watson took all the pressure off of him in the playoff by falling apart. Kenny Perry crumbled, Mickelson faltered (again), Watson melted, and the list over the last few years goes on and on. I'm trying to remember the last time somebody had a one shot lead on 18 on Sunday and actually made a par. It must have happened, but it seems to have been a while. Cink birdied the 72nd which was extremely clutch (and in stark contrast to Westwood's three putt bogey). Harrington had a one shot lead on the last hole of the PGA championship last year and made a par to win. I think he made about a 20 footer to clinch the win. Huge difference in pressure in Cink's putt on 18. He's just trying to post a number in hopes that the leaders come back to him. He had much, much less to lose.
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GIGAFAN99
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Jul 21, 2009 19:26:18 GMT -5
I was more annoyed that he tried to putt from off the green. You've got to chip that. There's no way to control it by putting, and he had zero chance to make an 8 footer. This is 3 majors in a row where the sentimental favorite has melted down in the clutch. The choking in golf has gotten ridiculous. Can anyone other than Tiger finish? 100% agree. I played Ailsa last year in open shape. And if you're off these greens, putting means you're settling for bogey. Zero chance of controlling the speed. Between the incline, grain of the first cut, and how quickly it goes flat (or downhill) and fast all at once, it's three putts but you only get one stroke. You have to chip it. Worst case it carries and your putting uphill. Way better than some sidehill swinger from 8-10 feet. Also Watson's achilles has always been his putter. But he's a great chipper. No idea why his caddie wouldn't say "Uh, Tom, you better put that flat stick away before you hurt someone." Awful decision and yes, a choke. The second shot was the one everyone hit. No problem with that. You don't realize how far it's going to carry and there's no way to know really at that point. His instincts were right, they just turned out not to be correct if that makes any sense.
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Jul 22, 2009 10:53:21 GMT -5
I was more annoyed that he tried to putt from off the green. You've got to chip that. There's no way to control it by putting, and he had zero chance to make an 8 footer. This is 3 majors in a row where the sentimental favorite has melted down in the clutch. The choking in golf has gotten ridiculous. Can anyone other than Tiger finish? 100% agree. I played Ailsa last year in open shape. And if you're off these greens, putting means you're settling for bogey. Zero chance of controlling the speed. Between the incline, grain of the first cut, and how quickly it goes flat (or downhill) and fast all at once, it's three putts but you only get one stroke. You have to chip it. Worst case it carries and your putting uphill. Way better than some sidehill swinger from 8-10 feet. Also Watson's achilles has always been his putter. But he's a great chipper. No idea why his caddie wouldn't say "Uh, Tom, you better put that flat stick away before you hurt someone." Awful decision and yes, a choke. The second shot was the one everyone hit. No problem with that. You don't realize how far it's going to carry and there's no way to know really at that point. His instincts were right, they just turned out not to be correct if that makes any sense. We can agree to disagree in principle. You've played this particular course and I haven't so that certainly carries a lot of weight. But in general, the apron and other first cuts tend to be tighter at the British Open. It is commonplace to see the experts putt from much further away than Watson was. Who can forget the trans-area-codal putts from Daly, Rocca and Leonard, among others. Again, I'm not saying that chipping would've been the wrong move, just that it's not the obvious slam dunk that some of you have suggested. As for his "instincts," I think that they were right ... he just didn't listen to them. I think that is the point that the other Tom was making. His instincts told him to go with the 9 iron. Given what happened with the 8, the 9 would probably have been a damn good shot.
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GIGAFAN99
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Jul 22, 2009 19:07:04 GMT -5
100% agree. I played Ailsa last year in open shape. And if you're off these greens, putting means you're settling for bogey. Zero chance of controlling the speed. Between the incline, grain of the first cut, and how quickly it goes flat (or downhill) and fast all at once, it's three putts but you only get one stroke. You have to chip it. Worst case it carries and your putting uphill. Way better than some sidehill swinger from 8-10 feet. Also Watson's achilles has always been his putter. But he's a great chipper. No idea why his caddie wouldn't say "Uh, Tom, you better put that flat stick away before you hurt someone." Awful decision and yes, a choke. The second shot was the one everyone hit. No problem with that. You don't realize how far it's going to carry and there's no way to know really at that point. His instincts were right, they just turned out not to be correct if that makes any sense. We can agree to disagree in principle. You've played this particular course and I haven't so that certainly carries a lot of weight. But in general, the apron and other first cuts tend to be tighter at the British Open. It is commonplace to see the experts putt from much further away than Watson was. Who can forget the trans-area-codal putts from Daly, Rocca and Leonard, among others. Again, I'm not saying that chipping would've been the wrong move, just that it's not the obvious slam dunk that some of you have suggested. As for his "instincts," I think that they were right ... he just didn't listen to them. I think that is the point that the other Tom was making. His instincts told him to go with the 9 iron. Given what happened with the 8, the 9 would probably have been a damn good shot. For the record, I agree on other open courses, just not Ailsa. And Watson, having won both the Open and Senior Open there knows Ailsa well enough that he should not have putted that ball. But his 8 was correct. If he jumps the 9 precisely like he did his 8, then sure it's a great shot. But if he doesn't, let me tell you if you think long is bad on that hole, short is worse. That green is elevated and the pitch at that point is a tough proposition. He could end up hitting his 4th from the exact spot he hit his 3rd very easily. So I like that 8. I just don't like that non-pitch.
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