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Irish Open 2015
Irish Open 2015
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Replies: 209
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To be fair I was referring more to the decade from 1955 to 1965 when O Connor was in his prime and most of the players you mentioned were not really on the scene.
He may well have won all that British golf has to offer but it was a bleak era for British golf in general. I can accept the fact that you consider my assertion on the quality of opposition in that era bland.However you cannot seem to see the inconsistency in pointing out that while at the same time asserting that a player who never won an Open could be considered the greatest links player ever.If he were genuinely great he would have figured out a way to win one. |
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Sergio certainly threw the towel in very early on yesterday Paulie.
Rory is just putting like a blind man. Though with 5 under looking likely now to make the weekend, I have a feeling Rory will stage a rally and potentially make it. A big ask, and not worth backing at anything under tens. But if he finds two shots before the 13th, he will have a huge crowd willing him to pull out the extra two needed. The champion that he is, I would expect him to respond to the call. Ricky is revelling in the challenge presented to him, and is certainly enjoying it, and giving it his all. If Rory can get something going, it may in turn help and spur Ricky to an under par finish. And tournament favouritism. |
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Willet could be a few shots better already today...putter cold.
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They would in their hole win tournament after tournament, according to you everybody was better at every sport 50 years ago. I heard clowns like you Dan saying ,that the drunk Best was better than Messi, Gordon Richards was the best jockey, the same old shiite all the time.
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OConnors best year was 1970.
His play in windy conditions was the best ever but the fact he was a poor putter contributed to him not winning the Open. I can't recall a British Open of his era that had the savage conditions of Birkdale when Harrington won it or Troon the time Woods had the huge score. I do recall however a tournament played in savage conditions where OConnor posted some phenomenal score which had him eight shots clear only for the round to be scrapped. Mincer stated earlier you could win a tournament with a hurl in those days,Tolmi asserted it was less competitive yet the only evidence we have is the performance of golfers that straddled the different eras,that evidence suggests that the golfers of forty years ago were far superior to the present crop. |
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Mincer I never rated Gordon Richards and have said so many times on here.
There will always be a tendency to look at the past through rose tinted glasses but equally when the young see someone at the top of their sport they immediately brand him the best of all time. Messi does look the best to me. Ryan Moore doesn't and neither did A P McCoy,Ruby a different matter although not at his best recently. |
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What evidence is that exactly ?, the stuff gathered at the bar in Jaxxy's every night most likely.
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I heard you on about Richards Archer and many others from yesteryear, one thing you have is a selective memory, a very selective one.
As for Ruby not being at his best, what a load of tosh. |
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What evidence??
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Tom Watson winning the British Open in 1975 and then 34 years later missing out on winning in a play off.
He led the tournament from day one in Turnberry and only lost the lead on last hole. That field had all the modern great golfers in it including many that weren't born when Tom Watson won the Open in 1975 yet here was an old man with the yips and he all but beat the lot of them. In another sport boxing we have strong evidence that Ali was the best of the last fifty years. He beats George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle forcing Foreman to retire whilst still in his prime. Foreman returns twenty years later as a fat middle aged man and wins the World Title in 1994. |
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Rory finds one, Ricky follows him in......lets see some fireworks boys!!
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No selective memory Mincer I have consistently said Richards was overrated.
I am a great admirer of Fred Archer but strangely enough I never saw him. |
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Huddys asked me to lob up that he has backed Cabrera Bello e.w at 66s.
I can imagine Huddys payslip..... Gross... PRSI... PAYE... USC... Cabera Bello... Net...  |
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You forget to tell us Dan, that boxing is the most bennt game in sport, and thats saying something, and there used to be one belt, and then they had about 30 of them.
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Seriously wildman that's your evidence??
Boxing has zero to do with anything and your example of Watson was a once off.I'm surprised you didn't bring Roger Milla and David Bryant into it as well. You made a couple of statements that are clearly not backed up by fact yet you are not man enough to admit you were wrong. In order to back up your blind faith in O Connor you state that he was the most consistent player of his era in the Open.However in 25 of his Opens Peter Thomson was also in the field and guess what Thomson finished in front of O Connor in 20 of these.Do you still stand over your assertion? The simple fact was O Connor was by far the best Irish player of his era and for a considerable part of his career close to the best in the Bitish Isles.However given the dearth of talent in the UK at the time it wasn't any great badge of honour.Factor in that for at least half his career Americans didn't really play in the Open it is glaringly obvious that his failure to win the Open was indicative more of a nearly man than the greatest ever links player. |
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Its only a discussion to me, I don't research things just rely on memory.
You are obviously right about Peter Thomson being more consistent although that was because he was a better golfer,certainly a better putter. Thomson won tournaments all over the world,OConnor didnt really travel I acknowledged earlier that OConnor was a poor putter but my memory of him is as the best wind player around. I should have clarified the best links player to best links player not to win the Open,probably should have clarified that further by saying from tee to green. What happened in Turnberry in 2009 was heart breaking. Tom Watson led from round one was sensational,Cink the eventual winner was never in front had no pressure and beat an exhausted man in a play off,it still rankles. You say it was a once off but it was a straddling of eras which gave us a chance to compare and contrast. In some ways its a futile exercise but its enjoyable and its not geared for declaring winners. Nicklaus,Palmer,Player and Watson would have been champions in any era. |
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Just back from a fairly exhausting day at RCD , reckon there has been a shower ( sometimes severe) nearly every hour since Wednesday . Tough golfing conditions when the sun is not shining ( which it did betimes ) .
A lot of the guys dont know how to best play their shots on a course like this . Have seen some putt when they should have chipped , others putting when they should have chipped . The greens are excellent , and not too fast ( God knows what some scores would have been had they left the greens at over 11 on the stimpmeter ) . But yesterday I saw some top players miss straight putts from 3 feet without even lipping the hole . Rory doing just that at present on TV rerun . I backed 5 players pre tournament , two of them are joint leaders , the other 3 retired or withdrew . All duck or no dinner , how can so many supposedly fit athletes pull out of tournaments after starting ? My sixth fancy ( Lowry) breaks his putter . My putter is 60 years plus old , not a mark on it , still works well , and occasionally I have hit approx 200 yard shots with it ( in rotational 5 club competitions ) . Re "older players " from different generations , James Bruen still arguably holds the course record at RCD , set in 1938 . Same course as now , 16th par 4 replaced by a new one for the Walker cup of 2007 . Equipment and ball changes since then nullify any extension in length brought about by said improvements . The main reason the Americans were better up to end of 1970's was the ball . They played 1.68 , we played 1.62 . Since we changed and over the last 30 years lots of the best players in the world have come from Europe and the ROW . Take Tiger out of the American figures and you are left with no Americans dominating golf since Jack and associates . Christy never played in his heyday with the bigger ball . Reckon he would have improved his win record if he had , as it is a lot easier to putt 1.68 vs 1.62 . Christy would have loved the conditions over last few days at RCD , an opportunity to showcase his ability to play golf in the wind on a great links course . Padraig the nearest we have had to Christy in repect of adapting to conditions such as these , and we all know that Padraig has not been at his best since his 3 Major triumphs due to various factors ( some known only to Padraig) . Yet he threatened to run away from the field this morning . Fact is a lot of the current top golfers learnt to play in ideally set up conditions , cant blame them for that . If you want those conditions you play mostly in America , or South Africa , or Australia , or Spain , or parts of Asia . You will only get conditions like that mid summer in these parts ( if you are lucky) , but everyone who wants to play golf world wide has to accept their local conditions . Golf is different in all parts of the world , climatic conditions , grass , etc , it is partly what makes golf interesting and challenging . |
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Complete carnage out there today. If Wood can get in on two under, he could win it.
Bello is playing well though, just putting poor. And Kjeldsen has settled down. If he could find a birdie soon he might be on the way to victory. Had a few quid on Kjeldsen at 332 average before start, traded some out at 3.05 yesterday. Had in for more at 2.02, but didn't quite get that low. |
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Take your pick , callit . Also backed Kjeldsen ( 350) , but traded out early ( and still a bit ) . Exceeding expectations .
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Soren Kjeldsen - Winner
Betfair Bet ID1:51081208742 | Matched: 27-May-15 21:17:46 Back 330.01 14.25 -- 4,688.25 Matched Soren Kjeldsen - Winner Betfair Bet ID1:51079788111 | Matched: 27-May-15 20:29:21 Back 340.00 15.75 -- 5,339.25 Matched ....As I didn't put it up earlier in the thread. Also backed Hoey, Doak and Matt Fitz at big prices on the machine. Fitzy threatened for awhile. Doesn't quite have the winners mentality at weekends yet. |
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Jesus, Kjeldsen caddy be getting a rollicking if he worked for Bubba!!
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One thing was a certainty there, no matter who won this rubbish, Kelly would be on him.
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I be sick if Pepperell wins. Huge fan, expect him to be better than Euro tour dross. Proving it today.
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Big putt coming for Kjledsen. Has been very tentative with the putter...
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Ryan Palmer looks a very good bet at 2.3 in 3 ball later.
In what should develop into a 2 man game, Palmer seems much more likely to play to his best than Hoff who has started consistently well of late...only to consistently blow the weekends. |
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That missed 3footer could prove costly. 2 up 4 to play, would have been nice cushion.
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Sour grapes mincer . He hasn't won yet , anyway I always trade out .
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He was unlucky on 18. Hit two great shots.
Tee shot here a good 30 yards shorter than regulation. |
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Well done Kelly, you really are the greatest.
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Wall of death putt . Great finish , must be cosidered for the ( British ) Open .
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As predicted -up steps Mr.Nomark to fall over the line in the rain-swept ,wind-battered Irish Open. Gentlemen and Ladies I give you the world 303 -Mr Soren Kjeldsen...
--- that's Kjeldsen with a 'J'. |
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Kelly was in like Flynn when Callit (uncharacteristically) opened the door for a 300/1 aftertime.
Callit responded genuinely by posting his bet in an attempt to distance himself from the man that never loses. |
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A miracle man - His selections posted before the event never win but he still never loses and yet smoehow doesn't pay the premium charge. 2+2 = BS
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I have to pull you up on that one now Dj, kelly never afterimed a 300/1 winner, it was in fact 350/1.
Those extra 50 pts could make all the difference. |
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Well done to any who had the winner, I had a few back myself but the only one that came up was laying Rory at 2.02 to be in the top 5.
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Presumably someone disbelieves my assertion that I backed Kjeldsen at 350 .
Let them put their money where their mouth is , I will have 10grand ( sterling) on with them at 1.01 if they dare , winnings ( £100 sterling ) to go to injured jockeys fund ( receipted ) . Betfair to verify . I dont know how to post up bets . So shut up or put up ! I backed 5 players , laid 2 back pre play , the other was Quiros( no lay back ) , other than Kjeldsen and Wood 3 of my 5 retired pre cut . |
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dj876 , you should know better than querying me . Everything I post is accurate and honest , and not befuddled by detail .
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There is a deafening silence from the doubters and begrudgers !
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Reference my first post on this thread , Eric Brown won the Irish Open in 1953 , largely courtesy of a hole in one at the ( brilliant --then ) 16th hols at Belvoir Park . Talking to the general manager of Belvoir on Friday , he told me that Eric's daughter visited Belvoir early this week and played a courtesy round with 2 friends .
She was at the Irish Open on Friday , was delighted to know that some of us who watched her father win were about , sadly our paths did not cross . |