BET AGAINST LOUIS!! I can’t say that enough. This guy can’t keep making me wrong. Louis Oosthuizen has only made 1 cut out of 8 previous majors, and he’s on the verge of the Open Championship victory. I THINK NOT!
He obviously has no idea he’s leading the British Open at St. Andrews. Somebody please call, poke or wake Louis up and tell him.
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South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen remains a firm favourite to win the Open Championship after a third-round 69 gave him a four-shot lead over the field (Oosthuizen 8/11 to win Open).
The 27-year-old led by five shots after round two and he now sits on 15-under par at St Andrews, with England’s Paul Casey the nearest challenger on -11 after his third-round 68 (Casey 5/2 to win Open).
Highly-rated German star Martin Kaymer (12/1) is on eight-under par, while Lee Westwood, Alejandro Canizares and Henrik Stenson are a further shot back with one round to go at the home of golf.
But the tournament is now Oosthuizen’s to lose after rounds of 65, 67 and 69 and the youngster is looking forward to the final day of the year’s third major.
“I was nervous at the start but made a few putts to calm my nerves,” he told BBC Sport. “I’m playing nicely and I feel very confident out there.”
Westwood has been a consistent performer at the majors in recent times, finishing tied for third at last year’s Open and PGA Championship, before a runners-up spot at this year’s Masters and a top 20 finish in the US Open.
The Englishman has eight shots to make up on the lead and acknowledges that it will be tough to overhaul the frontrunners on Sunday afternoon.
“It can be done,” he said. “But, having seen the way Louis and Paul Casey played today, it will be very tough.”
Tiger Woods will have to wait a little longer for his next major as he sits on -3 and a 12-shot deficit will be hard to overcome with just one round to go, even for the world’s number one player.
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Tiger Woods (13/2 to win the tournament) claims his powerful hitting will do him no favours when the Open Championship gets underway at St Andrews tomorrow, as it is more about placement at the Home of Golf.
The world number one is looking to win his third Open at St Andrews, but goes into the tournament on a disappointing run of form since he returned to golf following his self-imposed break due to issues in his personal life.
He has played six events and only 21 rounds, including missing the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship, but his rivals will know he has saved his best performances this year for the majors.
Woods (2/1 to be the Top American at the Open) finished fourth at the Masters on his comeback and then again in the same position at the US Open at Pebble Beach, and he will undoubtedly be looking to add to his 14 major titles.
Tiger said at his pre-tournament press conference that he does not have a “specific advantage” over all the players going into the tournament, and his power hitting could not be a deciding factor, as St Andrews “requires placement” more than anything.
“You really have to place the ball correctly,” said Woods.
“Just because it’s wide off the tee doesn’t mean you can blow it all over the place. You have to hit the ball in the correct spot and the two years that I’ve played well here, I’ve done that.”
For the first two rounds at St Andrews, Justin and Camilo Villagas will play with Woods.
Rose (20/1 to win the competition) has won two tournaments on the US tour this year and will be going into the Open with confidence when the three-ball get underway at 9.09am for the first round on Thursday.
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The French golfer on that moment at Carnoustie in 1999, his love of a fine red and why he believes in alien life beyond earth
Hi Jean. Thanks for talking to Small Talk. It is my pleasure.
This week has already seen some typically Scottish summer weather at the Open. Is that going to level out the playing field? No. I think it will accentuate the differences. Good weather tends to level out the field. In tough weather you’re going to have to play different routes and sometimes find the opposite side of the fairway. It all depends on how windy it gets. You’re going to have to rely on a great short game, because it’s going to be harder and harder to get close to the flags. You’re going to have to be very patient.
Yes, but who’s going to win? I have a feeling a European player might be in front come Sunday. It’s just a feeling. I think it’s going to play down to the people who play the course a lot and who know it well. Knowledge of bad weather will be primary.
How are you enjoying working for the BBC? I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s a side of golf that I like. It’s nice to see how much work goes into this behind the scenes just for four days of golf.
How about working with Peter Alliss, who had a bit of a go when you messed up that final hole at Carnoustie? Well, I haven’t brought it up. First of all, people are entitled to have opinions and I think it probably came from an ex-player being able to identify with it and react to it and they know how much it means so they get emotional too. That’s how I see it. Working with him is an experience for sure. He’s been in the business for ever. I think he does a very good job.
The punters like you. You must have heard that. No. I haven’t really.
You should Google yourself … Google myself! Jesus man, you’re going to make me sweat here.
You’ve never Googled yourself? No. I wash myself, I don’t Google myself.
You’re obviously famous for that moment when you double-bogeyed the final hole at Carnoustie to miss out on the Open. You said at the time it’s going to be 10 years before people stop talking about it. It’s 11 years now. Small Talk is still talking about it. Are you tired of the whole thing? No, I’m not tired. I think there were two or three hundred million spectators. If I meet all of them in my life, they’re all going to want to talk about that. So it’s going to take a while.
So, can you talk about it now then? Sure, although I’ve got nothing to hide. I have said it all a zillion times before and it’s still the same. I always say if there was a shot to play again it was my third shot. The second shot I hit the grandstand – I mean how freaky is that? I’m not hiding anything down the bottom of my soul about all this. I lost a play-off at the French in 2005 and that was more painful to me than the one at the Open. I tried my best. It was fate at the end of the day.
When you got in the water, was it sharp and uncomfortable under foot or were you cushioned by weed? No. It was fine. It was very soft under my feet.
Are you the sort of person who will go paddling a lot? Perhaps on a family holiday. I’ll tell you what, I cannot stand the feel of sand under my feet.
Isn’t that supposed to be a nice feeling? For you maybe. I love beach holidays, but I go to the beach to swim. I don’t like to feel wet and to feel the sand on my feet. I was raised on the beach but I took up golf because I didn’t want to go there. My four brothers were going to the beach, our house was in the middle of the golf course and I said to my parents that was where I wanted to go. I just don’t like getting wet feet and walking on the sand.
That’s a bit of an irony then. You took up golf because you didn’t like getting your feet wet. And then the dominant image of your golf career is you getting your feet wet. Funny eh? Yes. That is funny.
Can you sum up in five words why the French team failed so badly at the World Cup? A big mess. And a lack of authority from some.
What’s the last book you read? That is an interesting question. [Long thoughtful Gallic pause]. I just started the biography of Andre Agassi. And I’ve just finished a book on… Bloody hell it was in English as well… I just finished it… It was good anyway. I read a book a while ago, Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyers Tour of France by Kermit Lynch. That’s a very good book about wine.
Are you a big connoisseur? I don’t know about that. I’m a big drinker.
Do you like a rough, stinking Burgundy, or a more corporate and refined Claret? I was born very close to Bordeaux so you’ve got the answer there. There are many varieties of taste in the wine. I love wine. Wine is like a beautiful music of taste on the palette.
Talking of which, what was the last CD you bought? A few days ago I burned a CD. I put a mix of songs on it: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stereophonics, Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas.
Do you like rap music? I like everything. I went to see the farewell tour of Pavarotti. I love AC/DC. I love Queen.
Have you ever seen a ghost? Not yet. And I’m not looking forward to seeing one.
Have you ever sensed a presence behind you, turned around and found there was nothing there? Yes. Many times.
Do you believe in alien life beyond earth? Yes. I can’t believe we’re the only one around.
Do you believe aliens have made contact and the information is being kept from us? I don’t know. If that is the case, why are we not being told? Why not?
Small Talk isn’t sure. Was life better in the 1950s? I think life was better in the 1980s. Did you have cell phones? No. Information has changed dramatically. If you’re not reachable in the next two seconds people get annoyed. If they can’t get you on the phone or you don’t answer an email in a split second they don’t understand.
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There are some tried and true rules when it comes to betting golf matches daily. For example, after the first round of a major golf tournament, you can bet that people are already either in a position to take risks (Phil), stay steady (Tiger) or not care (Laurie Canter).
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Phil Mickelson has revealed that three-time Open champion Sir Nick Faldo has advised him on how to play the Old Course at St Andrews ahead of this week’s tournament (Mickelson 18/1 Open Championship Outright).
The 40-year-old American world number two was given some timely tips from Faldo during a practice session on Tuesday ahead of the action getting underway on Thursday. And Mickelson feels the advice handed to him from he man who won the Open on the Old Course in 1990 could prove invaluable by Sunday.
“He played some of the best golf you’ve ever seen there,” Mickelson said.
“Nick has a lot of great thoughts on St Andrews, on avoiding bunkers and what allowed him to win and be so dominant.”
Mickelson (6/1 Top American) has never won an Open in 16 attempts with third place at Troon in 2004 his best effort to date. However he is confident that he can come out on top at St Andrews this year.
“There’s no question this one best suits my game because there’s so much more room off the tee than other Open venues,” he added.
“There’s plenty of room out there. I don’t feel restrained on the tee at all. I feel like there’s plenty of room to hit it, and it’s more of a second shot golf course.”
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Tiger Woods has climbed his way to the Top of the British Open Power Rankings. Yes, I know, he didn’t even tee off at either the John Deere Classic or the Scottish Open this past week.
But because Phil “Lefty” Mickelson played about as badly as any golfer at the Scottish Open, Tiger inherits the top spot.
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Bernard Gallacher is confident that a European will end the United States’ dominance and win this week’s Open at St Andrews, with Padraig Harrington (22/1 The Open Championship – Outright) expected to lead the charge.
Three-time Ryder Cup skipper Gallacher is aware that Stewart Cink’s victory at Turnberry last year made him the 11th American to lift the Auld Claret Jug since 1995.
However, with Harrington just missing out on a hat-trick of wins in the same tournament, Gallacher feels the form of European golfers this year points towards one of them coming out on top at the home of golf.
Graeme McDowell (28/1 Outright) secured his first major win at the US Open last month, while Ian Poulter (33/1) won the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship in February, Rory McIlroy (14/1) enjoyed success at the Quail Hollow Championship and Justin Rose (22/1) has won two of his last three tournaments in the USA.
And, following Edoardo Molinari’s Scottish Open victory on Sunday, half of the world’s top 20 positions are now made up by Europeans.
Gallacher said: “I think this is a new era. We had it in the 1980s and I think we’re reaching out to another golden era led by Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion.
“Graeme McDowell’s victory at the US Open will inspire this generation. But there are so many players. I will be very disappointed if Lee Westwood doesn’t win a major this year.
“Ian Poulter won the World Matchplay and of course Rory has been doing so well. There’s also Justin Rose. Paul Casey hasn’t won a major yet but he’ll be knocking on the door and it’s only a matter of time before Sergio Garcia gets his game back.
“I don’t want to say who will win it but I think it will be a European.”
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European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie believes that competition for places in his side to face the USA has seen the players raise their game over the past couple of years (Europe 4/6 to win Ryder Cup).
The 47-year-old will be in charge of the Europeans when they try to regain the cup from the Americans at Celtic Manor in Wales from October 1-3.
‘Monty’ will have one of the most talented teams in years at his disposal, with experienced players near the top of the rankings who have won on both sides of the Atlantic in recent times.
The leading four players on the Ryder Cup World Points List are Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter, who have all won stateside this year.
They will be joined by the top five in the European Points List and the likes of Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer may have to use this route to qualify, with two-time US winner Justin Rose relying on one of three captain’s picks unless he can continue his rapid rise up the rankings (Rose 20/1 to win Open Championship).
Montgomerie feels that the increased pressure for places is good news and he has witnessed a change in attitude towards all aspects of the game as players scramble for the remaining places on his team.
“I’ve never seen people practice so hard physically, mentally, on every aspect of the game as I’ve seen this year especially, and last,” he said. “I never worked, ever, as hard as these guys are right now on their games.”
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Players and public are united in their admiration for Ernie Els as the South African goes for glory at St Andrews
It is not easy being the Big Easy when disappointment calls, as it did for Ernie Els during the final round of this year’s US Open at Pebble Beach. Three under for the day standing on the 9th tee and seemingly cruising towards a victory, the South African walked into the wall.
Bogey, double bogey, bogey; and with that Els’s hopes of a fourth major were finished. Unfortunately his working day was not and the sense of loss percolated over the closing holes until he reached the back of the 18th green, where the media horde was waiting to record his reaction to losing a championship he should have won.
Els’s closing 73 went in the books but his thoughts on a third-place finish did not as he, spotting the microphones and television cameras, pulled a Burt Bacharach and walked on by. “Not speaking to the press was a bad mistake,” he says. “I was just so hot-headed because I really felt I had a chance to win.
“There’s been quite a few close ones over the last couple of years and I didn’t quite have my thoughts together. I wasn’t trying to have a swipe at anybody or deliberately being rude. To be honest, I just wanted to go and throw myself in the ocean. Sorry.”
Brutal honesty, especially when it comes to acknowledging his own failings, is just one of the appealing aspects of a personality that is not entirely reflected in Els’s wonderfully smooth swing or in a nickname that has never sat comfortably on his shoulders.
He is big, no doubt. But easy he is not – at least not all the time. Yet if he is quick to anger, he is even quicker to make amends, as was the case during the BMW Championship at Wentworth when, stung by the criticism of his design changes to the West course, Els had words with those players whom he believed had “stabbed him in the back”, including Graeme McDowell.
But after the Ulsterman won his famous victory at Pebble Beach one of the most effusive messages of congratulation came from Els. “That’s just the kind of man – the kind of champion – he is,” says McDowell.
The US Open champion is not alone in his admiration. A man could spend a very long time trawling the driving ranges of professional golf in an attempt to find someone who dislikes Els.
It is the same story with the public, who were seduced from the start by the South African’s winning ways and whose affection has deepened through the years as he celebrated his big-time successes (three major championship victories) and, perhaps more especially, endured his heart-breaking losses (too many to mention).
It is not that people feel sympathy for the preternaturally gifted multi-millionaire with the private jet but that they feel empathy. They may not recognise themselves in his lifestyle or his other-worldly golf but they certainly recognise something of themselves in his obvious vulnerabilities. He is one of them, an everyman, a peoples’ champion.
No doubt a victory for Tiger Woods, or for one of the home players, in next week’s Open at St Andrews would generate bigger headlines but it is hard to imagine a more popular winner than Els. The good news for his supporters is that such a victory may well come to pass.
After a two-year hiatus, during which he struggled with his putting, a serious knee injury and the fall-out of his son Ben’s diagnosis of autism, Els is back among the tournament favourites at every one he enters. He has already won twice on the PGA Tour this season and, had he holed a few putts at Pebble Beach, would have won there too.
“A lot of it has been down to hard work,” he says of his run of form. “But moving the family to America has been a great thing. It has made Ben and Sam [his daughter] more comfortable. I am not going to make excuses or feel sorry for myself – everybody has something in their life – but a more settled life at home has meant I’ve been able to be a bit more single-minded about golf again, like I used to be.”
The revival has come just in time, with golf’s next generation of stars, the Rory McIlroys and Anthony Kims of this world, announcing their readiness to push the old guard aside. Els names the young Ulsterman and the American as the best of the bunch. “It is OK doing well over a few weeks or months or even a couple of years. But the big question is, can you sustain it over a long period, over 10 or 15 years? I think some of the younger guys – McIlroy, Kim – realise what is needed to stay at the top. Some of them don’t.”
Kim is injured but McIlroy will carry high hopes on to the first tee at the Old Course – justifiably so perhaps but, if the youthful prince of European golf wants to write his name into the history books, he will find the path to his ambition blocked by the Holy Trinity of the sport’s last decade and a half: Woods, Phil Mickelson and, of course, Els.
“If I couldn’t play golf tomorrow and I had to look back, I would have to say, ‘You know what, Ernie, that’s a very nice career you’ve had,’” he says.
“But right now I think, if I can get everything in order with my game, I have three more majors in me. Starting with the Open at St Andrews.”
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