British Open Championship WinnersJuly 16, 2018The oldest of golf’s majors, the Open Championship extends back to 1860, when it was played by eight professionals at Prestwick Golf Club. The initial winner was Willie Park, Sr. He defeated the heavily favored “Old” Tom Morris by two strokes. Harry Vardon holds the record for the most number of victories, with six. Winners of the Open Championship originally received “The Champion’s Belt.” Later, the trophy became the famed Claret Jug. The complete list of British Open Championship winners is below. A = amateur PO = Playoff, a number in parenthesis following a name indicates the number of Open Championships that player had won at that point.British Open Championship Past WinnersYear Venue Champion Country Winning Score 1st Prize2017 Royal Birkdale Jordan Spieth United States 268 (-12) £1,420,0002016 Royal Troon Henrik Stenson Sweden 264 (-20) £1,175,0002015 The Old Course at St Andrews Zach Johnson The United States 273 (-15) £1,150,0002014 Royal Liverpool Rory McIlroy Northern Ireland 271 (-17) £ 975 0002013 Muirfield Phil Mickelson United States 281 (-3) £ 945 0002012 Royal Lytham and St. Annes Ernie Els (2) South Africa 273 (-7) £ 900 0002011 Royal St. George’s Darren Clarke Northern Ireland 275 (-5) £ 900 0002010 St Andrews Louis Oosthuizen South Africa 272 (-16) £ 850 0002009 Turnberry Stewart Cink United States 278 (-2)PO £ 750 0002008 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Pádraig Harrington (2) Ireland 283 (+3) £ 750 0002007 Carnoustie Golf Links Pádraig Harrington Ireland 277 (–7)PO £ 750 0002006 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Tiger Woods (3) United States 270 (–18) £ 720 0002005 St Andrews Tiger Woods (2) United States 274 (–14) £ 720 0002004 Royal Troon Golf Club Todd Hamilton United States 274 (–10)PO £ 720 0002003 Royal St George’s Golf Club Ben Curtis United States 283 (–1) £ 700 0002002 Muirfield Ernie Els South Africa 278 (–6)PO £ 700 0002001 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club David Duval United States 274 (–10) £ 600 0002000 St Andrews Tiger Woods United States 269 (–19) £ 500 0001999 Carnoustie Golf Links Paul Lawrie Scotland 290 (+6)PO £ 350 0001998 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Mark O’Meara United States 280 (E)PO £ 300 0001997 Royal Troon Golf Club Justin Leonard United States 272 (–12) £ 250 0001996 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Tom Lehman United States 271 (–13) £ 200 0001995 St Andrews John Daly United States 282 (–6)PO £ 125 0001994 Turnberry Nick Price Zimbabwe 268 (–12) £ 110 0001993 Royal St George’s Golf Club Greg Norman (2) Australia 267 (–13) £ 100 0001992 Muirfield Nick Faldo (3) England 272 (–12) £ 95 0001991 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Ian Baker-Finch Australia 272 (–8) £ 90 0001990 St Andrews Nick Faldo (2) England 270 (–18) £ 85 0001989 Royal Troon Golf Club Mark Calcavecchia United States 275 (–13)PO £ 80 0001988 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Seve Ballesteros (3) Spain 273 (–11) £ 80 0001987 Muirfield Nick Faldo England 279 (–5) £ 75 0001986 Turnberry Greg Norman Australia 280 (E) £ 70 0001985 Royal St George’s Golf Club Sandy Lyle Scotland 282 (+2) £ 65 0001984 St Andrews Seve Ballesteros (2) Spain 276 (–12) £ 55 0001983 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Tom Watson (5) United States 275 (–9) £ 40 0001982 Royal Troon Golf Club Tom Watson (4) United States 284 (–4) £ 32 0001981 Royal St George’s Golf Club Bill Rogers United States 276 (–4) £ 25 0001980 Muirfield Tom Watson (3) United States 271 (–13) £ 25 0001979 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Seve Ballesteros Spain 283 (–1) £ 15 0001978 St Andrews Jack Nicklaus (3) United States 281 (–7) £ 12 5001977 Turnberry Tom Watson (2) United States 268 (–12) £ 10 0001976 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Johnny Miller United States 279 (–9) £ 7 5001975 Carnoustie Golf Links Tom Watson United States 279 (–5)PO £ 7 5001974 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Gary Player (3) South Africa 282 (–2) £ 5 5001973 Royal Troon Golf Club Tom Weiskopf United States 276 (–12) £ 5 5001972 Muirfield Lee Trevino (2) United States 278 (–6) £ 5 5001971 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Lee Trevino United States 278 (–10) £ 5 5001970 St Andrews Jack Nicklaus (2) United States 283 (–5)PO £ 5 2501969 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Tony Jacklin England 280 (–4) £ 4 2501968 Carnoustie Golf Links Gary Player (2) South Africa 289 (+1) £ 3 0001967 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Roberto De Vicenzo Argentina 278 (–10) £ 2 1001966 Muirfield Jack Nicklaus United States 282 (+2) £ 2 1001965 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Peter Thomson (5) Australia 285 (–3) £ 1 7501964 St Andrews Tony Lema United States 279 (–9) £ 1 5001963 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Bob Charles New Zealand 277 (–7)PO £ 1 5001962 Royal Troon Golf Club Arnold Palmer (2) United States 276 (–12) £ 1 4001961 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Arnold Palmer United States 284 (–4) £ 1 4001960 St Andrews Kel Nagle Australia 278 (–10) £ 1 2501959 Muirfield Gary Player South Africa 284 (E) £ 1 0001958 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Peter Thomson (4) Australia 274 (–10)PO £ 1 0001957 St Andrews Bobby Locke (4) South Africa 279 (–9) £ 1 0001956 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Peter Thomson (3) Australia 286 (–2) £ 1 0001955 St Andrews Peter Thomson (2) Australia 281 (–7) £ 1 0001954 Royal Birkdale Golf Club Peter Thomson Australia 283 (–5) £7501953 Carnoustie Golf Links Ben Hogan United States 282 (–6) £5001952 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Bobby Locke (3) South Africa 287 (–1) £3001951 Royal Portrush Golf Club Max Faulkner England 285 (–3) £3001950 Royal Troon Golf Club Bobby Locke (2) South Africa 279 (–9) £3001949 Royal St George’s Golf Club Bobby Locke South Africa 283 (–5) £3001948 Muirfield Henry Cotton (3) England 288 (E) £1501947 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Fred Daly Northern Ireland 293 (+5) £1501946 St Andrews Sam Snead United States 290 (+2) £1501940–1945: No Championships because of World War II1939 St Andrews Richard Burton England 290 £1001938 Royal St George’s Golf Club Reg Whitcombe England 295 £1001937 Carnoustie Golf Links Henry Cotton (2) England 290 £1001936 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Alf Padgham England 287 £1001935 Muirfield Alf Perry England 283 £1001934 Royal St George’s Golf Club Henry Cotton England 283 £1001933 St Andrews Denny Shute United States 292PO £1001932 Prince’s Golf Club Gene Sarazen United States 283 £1001931 Carnoustie Golf Links Tommy Armour United States 296 £1001930 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Bobby Jones (a) (3) United States 291 Am – £1001929 Muirfield Walter Hagen (4) United States 292 £1001928 Royal St George’s Golf Club Walter Hagen (3) United States 292 £1001927 St Andrews Bobby Jones (a) (2) United States 285 Am – £1001926 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Bobby Jones (a) United States 291 Am – £751925 Prestwick Golf Club Jim Barnes United States 300 £751924 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Walter Hagen (2) United States 301 £751923 Royal Troon Golf Club Arthur Havers England 295 £751922 Royal St George’s Golf Club Walter Hagen United States 300 £751921 St Andrews Jock Hutchison United States 296PO £751920 Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club George Duncan Scotland 303 £751915–1919: No Championships because of World War I1914 Prestwick Golf Club Harry Vardon (6) Jersey 306 £501913 Royal Liverpool Golf Club John Henry Taylor (5) England 304 £501912 Muirfield Ted Ray Jersey 295 £501911 Royal St George’s Golf Club Harry Vardon (5) Jersey 303PO £501910 St Andrews James Braid (5) Scotland 299 £501909 Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club John Henry Taylor (4) England 291 £301908 Prestwick Golf Club James Braid (4) Scotland 291 £301907 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Arnaud Massy France 312 £301906 Muirfield James Braid (3) Scotland 300 £301905 St Andrews James Braid (2) Scotland 318 £301904 Royal St George’s Golf Club Jack White Scotland 296 £301903 Prestwick Golf Club Harry Vardon (4) Jersey 300 £301902 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Sandy Herd Scotland 307 £301901 Muirfield James Braid Scotland 309 £301900 St. Andrews John Henry Taylor (3) England 309 £301899 Royal St George’s Golf Club Harry Vardon (3) Jersey 310 £301898 Prestwick Golf Club Harry Vardon (2) Jersey 307 £301897 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Harold Hilton (a) (2) England 314 Am – £301896 Muirfield Harry Vardon Jersey 316 PO £301895 St Andrews John Henry Taylor (2) England 332 £301894 Royal St George’s Golf Club John Henry Taylor England 326 £301893 Prestwick Golf Club William Auchterlonie Scotland 322 £301892 Muirfield Harold Hilton (a) England 305 (Am)1891 St Andrews Hugh Kirkaldy Scotland 166 £101890 Prestwick Golf Club John Ball (a) England 164 Am – £81889 Musselburgh Links Willie Park Jnr (2) Scotland 155PO £81888 St Andrews Jack Burns Scotland 171 £101887 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park Jnr Scotland 161 £101886 Musselburgh Links David Brown Scotland 157 £101885 St Andrews Bob Martin (2) Scotland 171 £101884 Prestwick Golf Club Jack Simpson Scotland 160 £101883 Musselburgh Links Willie Fernie Scotland 159PO £101882 St Andrews Bob Ferguson (3) Scotland 171 £101881 Prestwick Golf Club Bob Ferguson (2) Scotland 170 £101880 Musselburgh Links Bob Ferguson Scotland 162 £101879 St Andrews Jamie Anderson (3) Scotland 169 £101878 Prestwick Golf Club Jamie Anderson (2) Scotland 157 £101877 Musselburgh Links Jamie Anderson Scotland 160 £101876 St Andrews Bob Martin Scotland 176 £101875 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park Snr (4) Scotland 166 £61874 Musselburgh Links Mungo Park Scotland 159 £61873 St Andrews Tom Kidd Scotland 179 £61872 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Jnr (4) Scotland 166 £61871 No Championship1870 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Jnr (3) Scotland 149 £61869 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Jnr (2) Scotland 154 £61868 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Jnr Scotland 157 £61867 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Snr (4) Scotland 170 £61866 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park Snr (3) Scotland 169 £61865 Prestwick Golf Club Andrew Strath Scotland 162 £61864 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Snr (3) Scotland 167 £61863 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park Snr (2) Scotland 168 –1862 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Snr (2) Scotland 163 –1861 Prestwick Golf Club Tom Morris Snr Scotland 163 –1860 Prestwick Golf Club Willie Park Snr Scotland 174 –...Read More & CommentCallaway Rogue Pro BlackJuly 16, 2018Callaway Rogue Pro Irons I love the look of black irons. There’s something businesslike and slightly sinister about them. Callaway offers its top-of-the-line Rogue Pro irons in black — a striking look. The Rogue Pro has a thin topline, compact head, thin sole, shallow cavity and minimal offset. Lots are slightly weaker than the Rogue Standard. The Rogue Pro irons feature Callaway’s well-tested 360 Cup Face with Variable Face Thickness. The combination offers the optimal face flex for ball speed — even on off center hits. The other part of the clubhead design equation — Center of Gravity — is handled by tungsten weighting....Read More & CommentPacific Dunes Is An Amazing CourseJuly 15, 2018Pacific Dunes Is An Amazing Course I had my second go at Pacific Dunes on Saturday, and found that it was every bit as enjoyable and interesting as the first. Pacific Dunes is a Tom Doak design which currently is rated as number 18 on Golf Digest’s list of 100 best courses in the United States. Golf Digest ranks Pacific Dunes one step behind Oakland Hills South, which I also have played. Pacific Dunes lacks the pedigree, but is still, I think, better. It is ranked #14 by Golf magazine. A true linksland course, Pacific Dunes is routed along cliffs and high dunes above the Pacific Ocean. The fairways run hard and fast. Every shot must take the wind into the equation. Gorse, which should be banned by the UN as an enemy of humanity, is seen on many holes. A friend who has played several times in Scotland compared Pacific Dunes favorably with those in the home of golf, saying only that the fairways were not quite as hard. As far as I am concerned, Tom Doak is a golf course design genius. Bandon Dunes golf resort is lucky to have two courses designed by Doak: Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald, a tribute to Charles Blair MacDonald. What the two have in common are wide fairways and large greens which are easy to hit but difficult to hit precisely. Shots aimed at the premium landing zones will often kick and spin off into unwanted directions under the hard and fast conditions. Fortunately, every ball location — even the poor ones — seem to offer multiple opportunities for recovery — and redemption. I think it would be a very long time, indeed, before I tired of trying to decipher the puzzle. I liked Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald so much that I played each twice. Pacific Dunes is truly bucket list golf ...Read More & CommentSnake In The Grass At Bandon Dunes, OregonJuly 14, 2018I spied this beautiful, but tiny snake in grass just off the 17th green at the Old MacDonald course at Bandon Dunes. For what it’s worth, Bandon Dunes is truly bucket list golf....Read More & CommentHolt’s Julie Massa Wins Second Consecutive Michigan Women’s Senior AmateurJuly 14, 2018Holt’s Julie Massa Wins Second Consecutive Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur PORTAGE – Julie Massa of Holt rallied from an early deficit to turn back Susan Campbell of Kalamazoo in the final match of the 15th Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur Championship presented by Sullivan Golf Travel. Massa, who won for the second consecutive year, was 2-down through three holes Thursday at The Moors Golf Club before battling back to take the lead and win 2-up. “Sue made a birdie on the second hole with a great putt, and then I got in a tough spot in the bunker on three and made bogey,” Massa said. “I just told myself to be patient and just play your game and see what happens.” Massa, 54, had tied the match by the eighth hole, lost the ninth and was 1-down heading to the back nine. She won holes 11 and 12 to go 1-up and then held the lead through the hazard-laden back nine. Campbell, 64 and a two-time former champion, conceded a birdie on the final hole after she hit a shot into a water hazard. “I was fortunate with a birdie putt on 2 because it hit the hole going fast, and she got a tough lie in the bunker at 3 and I won with a par, but you don’t sit back,” Campbell said. “Julie is too good of a player. I knew it was going to be a close match no matter what, and it was.” Massa, last year’s GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year, reached the finals with a morning semifinal win over two-time champion Joan Garety of Ada, 3 and 1, and Campbell had to go 20 holes to turn back Audrey Akins of LaSalle in the other semifinal. “It’s not easy to win,” Massa said. “It’s nice, I think because you put the work into it, and you know it is not easy. When these opportunities come along you hope to take advantage. Then when you do, it feels good.” Sue said second place was not a disappointment. “I have been really struggling with my game this year, so to play well today and yesterday is rewarding,” she said. “I know Audrey isn’t all the way back from surgery she had, but I had never beaten her and I had to play well and go extra holes to do it. Then I faced Julie. I haven’t beaten her yet. She is just so solid. She got the lead, and the few times she made bogey, I walked off with bogey, too. It’s a tough back nine here.” Massa said she has known Campbell for 25 years, as well as the other golfers in the rest of the championship flight. “You know you are friends, and you sort of put that aside because you are both trying to play good golf,” she said. “I feel good because I won, but also because I played good golf to do it and had fun.”’ Champions were also determined in three other flights. The flights were determined by USGA/GAM handicap index. Completed results in the match play brackets can be found at gam.org. via Greg Johnson...Read More & CommentThe 16th At Bandon DunesJuly 14, 2018The 16th At Bandon Dunes The GolfBlogger is at Bandon Dunes this week, enjoying playing rounds on Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald and Bandon Preserve. Pictured above is the 16th at Bandon Dunes. Designed by David Mclay Kidd, Bandon Dunes is the resort’s original course. It opened in 1999 to great acclaim, and today is #37 on Golf Digest’s Top 100 in the US, and #35 on Golf magazine’s list. Kidd’s Bandon Dunes is a true links course built on dunes and bluffs high above the Pacific Ocean. The ground is hard and runs fast. Wind is a constant. Fairways and greens are large, offering multiple routes to the hole, depending upon player skill. On the 16th at Bandon Dunes, the green is barely visible just to the right of center, with four players silhouetted against the sky. There are many routes to this hole. The first is the direct path. With a strong wind at his back, one of my playing partners drove the ball 360 yards to just short of the green. A second path is to lay up in front of the ridge, then play a 120 or so yard shot to the green. Playing left to the wide landing area is another option, although this leaves a long shot into the green. Finally, you could do as I did, and play a shot over the ridge, leaving a long pitch to the green. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald also are links courses, while Crenshaw and Coore’s Bandon Trails is a woodlands course, but with much of the same hard and fast play. The resort also has a thirteen hole par-three called The Preserve, and a 100,000 square foot putting green, with mad undulations which in the afternoon is turned into an infinitely variable 18 hole putting course. Bandon Dunes Golf resort is bucket list golf. I’ll have a lot more on this trip in the coming weeks....Read More & CommentCoolibar Fairway Golf HatJuly 12, 2018Coolibar Fairway Golf Hat Skin cancer is a very real danger, and baseball caps just don’t offer enough protection. If you’re regularly out on the course — or out anywhere in the sun — you should wear a wider brimmed hat. This one from Coolibar is nice. It has a 3 inch brim, straw construction interior moisture wicking sweatband, and mesh grommets for air flow. It is rated as UPF 50+ for the covered area. And it looks stylish....Read More & CommentPlaying Old MacDonald At Bandon Dunes #GolfBlogWorldTourJuly 12, 2018Playing Old MacDonald At Bandon Dunes #GolfBlogWorldTour Along with my friends Tony Korologos of HookedOnGolfBlog and John Duval of Into The Grain, I had the chance to play the Old MacDonald course today at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina, the course asks: What would the classic architect Charles Blair MacDonald have designed with a piece of Oregon coast at his disposal. The answer is a course that gets more difficult the closer you get to the greens. Missing the wide fairways is difficult. However, holding the green with a shot is a chore. The course ran firm and fast; wind was a constant howl in from the Pacific Ocean.It was a thoroughly enjoyable round, and I’ll have a full review as soon as possible. ...Read More & CommentAdidas Adicross Five Pocket ShortsJuly 11, 2018 Adidas Adicross 5 Pocket Golf Shorts It is full-on summer here in Michigan. Temperatures last week were in the 90s, even in the Northern Reaches, which is unusual. Shorts are the costume de jour.Slim, 5-pocket silhouette engineered with stretch for comfort, range of movement, and versatility Clamp label at lower-right back pocket Tonal 3-Stripes heat transfer at right rear pocket...Read More & CommentScots Have A Contingency Plan For Discovery Of The Loch Ness MonsterJuly 10, 2018Scots Have A Contingency Plan For Discovery Of The Loch Ness Monster The Scots apparently have a contingency plan for what to do upon discovery of the Loch Ness Monster. Basically, it’s a mostrous version of catch-and-release. They’d catch it, take a DNA sample and then put it back in the Loch. A practical people, those Scots. It makes me wonder if the US government has a similar plan if an actual sasquatch shows up....Read More & CommentHydro Flask Stainless Steel Water BottleJuly 10, 2018Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Water Bottle I own several Hydro Flasks and use them every time I go out for a round of golf, or bicycling. They are tough, double walled, stainless steel constructions, that keep my liquids cold for a long time. The food grade stainless steel doesn’t absorb flavors and avoids the whole BPA issue. They come in a wide variety of colors, and sizes from 18 to 64 ounces. You can read my review from several years ago here: Hydro Flask Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Review Features:DESIGN IN MIND: With it’s easy-access wide mouth, the sleek design holds the same volume of liquid as other leading water bottle brands. Also, safety is top-of-mind, as the bottles are made out of non-toxic BPA-free plastics & 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. SLIP-FREE GRIP: Unlike other leading water bottles, Hydro Flask has a powder coat, which gives you a solid grip. The Powder Coat works with the premium TempShield insulation, which prevents condensation from forming on the outside of the bottle, to give you exactly what you want in an everyday refreshment delivery system. JUST THE RIGHT SIZE: Meets your everyday hydration needs in one container, all while keeping it piping hot or ice cold and fitting comfortable and conveniently in your hand or your vehicles’ cup holders. The wide mouth aspect also fits most backcountry water filters. INSULATION INNOVATION: The double-walled, vacuum insulated TempShield Insulation, the same technology used in all Hydro Flask products, will ensure that your beverage of choice maintains its temperature for many hours to come. Hot drinks up to 6 hours, and cold drinks up to 24 hours. INSULATED, FLEXIBLE, AND BUILT TO LAST: Designed with stainless steel pivots and a flexible strap, this cap moves when you do. Plus, it’s made with Honeycomb Insulation to keep drinks cold up to 24 hours or hot up to 12 — no matter what the weather’s doing outside....Read More & CommentOdds To Win The Open Championship 2018July 9, 2018World Number One Dustin Johnson is the bettors favorite for winning the 2018 Open Championship At Carnoustie. He’s alone atop the board at 11/1. Johnson has a mixed record at the Open Championship. He did not play the Open the last time it was Carnoustie (2007), so there’s no history to work from there. But overall, his record at the Open Championship is mixed, at best.2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018Cut T14 T2 T9 T32 T12 T49 T9 T54 ?Rory McIlroy is in next at 12/1. McIlroy won the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this year, and finished fifth at The Masters. However, he missed the cuts at The Players and The US Open. Not a particularly good sign. Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood are all in at 16/1. Spieth has had a terrible year by his own standards. Fowler is that guy whom everyone is waiting on to win his first major. Rose has had a pretty good year, though: He won the WGC-HSBC Champions and Fort Worth Invitational and has six top ten finishes in all. Fleetwood is a guy I’d keep an eye on, though. We don’t see a lot of him here in the States, but he is sneaky good. He has eight top tens this year worldwide. Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods and John Rahm round out the top ten at 20/1. Koepka is coming off his second consecutive US Open, but it remains to be seen if his game translates to a Open Championship. He finished T10 in 2015 and T6 in 2017. Koepka was a scratch in 2016 because of an injury. Thomas has two wins this season, to go with a second. He finished 17 at the Masters and 25th a the US Open. Rahm as a win this year at the Careerbuilder Challenge, and a 4th at the Masters. However, he missed the cut at the US Open. As for Tiger. Well, he’s Tiger. He would have people betting on him to win even if he wasn’t in the field. The complete Odds to Win the Open Championship 2018 follow: ...Read More & CommentJohn Deere Classic Winners and HistoryJuly 9, 2018The John Deere Classic began life in 1971 as the Quad Cities Open. For its first four years, it was played at the Crow Valley Country Club in Davenport, Iowa. (The other members of the Quad Cities are Moline and Rock Island Illinois, and Bettendorf and East Moline, Iowa. Yes, there are five in the quad). The winner the first two years was Deane Beman, who later would serve as PGA Commissioner from 1974 to 1994. In 1975, the event was renamed the Ed McMahon-Jaycees Quad Cities Open, and moved to Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Illinois. It stayed there until 1999, under various names, including the Miller High LIfe Quad Cities Open, the Lite Quad Cities Open, the Hardees Golf Classic, and the Quad City Classic. John Deere became the sponsor in 1999, and in 2000, the event moved to the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. The tournament has for years been played in July, the week before the British Open, and this has at times made it difficult for the event to attract a strong field. However, the (British) Open Championship grants an exemption to a player who finishes in the top five at the Deere, who is not already otherwise qualified. That sort of qualifying has produced some good results in the past. Open Champion Ben Curtis got into the tournament by virtue of a 13th place finish at the Western Open, played two weeks before the Open. In what was seen as largely as a publicity stunt, the John Deere gave Michelle Wie a sponsor’s exemption in 2005. Wie shot a -1, missing the cut by two strokes. She got another exemption in 2006, and finished six over par on the first day, then withdrew after the ninth on the second, citing heat exhaustion. Steve Stricker and DA Weibring have each won the event three times.D. A. Weibring: 1979, 1991, 1995 Steve Stricker: 2009, 2010, 2011Steve Stricker holds the tournament record at -26 (2010)A list of past John Deere Classic winners follows:...Read More & CommentScotty Cameron Custom Newport Putter – Skull LimitedJuly 9, 2018 Scotty Cameron Custom Newport Putter – Skull Limited I have a Scotty Cameron Newport, but nothing as cool as this Skull Limited model....Read More & CommentIrish Open Winners and HistoryJuly 8, 2018Ireland’s national golf championship was first contested in 1927 at Portmarnock golf club. George Duncan of Scotland, who had previously won the 1920 Open Championship, took home the prize. Since 1927, the Irish Open has been an on-again, off-again sort of affair. It was paused—as were most national championships—for World War II, then not played from 1951-52, and 1954 to 1962. It was replaced by Carroll’s International from 1963 to 1974. Those winners are included in the chart below for continuity. Finally, the Irish Open returned in 1975, as Carroll’s Irish Open with European Tour sanctioning. The tournament record aggregate score is held by Colin Montgomerie (2001) and Ross Fisher (2010) at 266. Christy O’Connor, Junior (1975) and Bernhard Langer (1984) set the pace at -21 to par. A complete list of Irish Open winners follows:...Read More & CommentFrog On Golf BallJuly 7, 2018Frog On Golf Ball The second hole at Boyne Mountain’s Alpine course is next to a pond, sheltered from the sun by dense woodlands. When I arrived at the green, I discovered that my ball had a visitor. He stayed there long enough for me to dash back to my cart and get the camera. As you can see, he is quite the tiny guy. I then noticed that throughout the rough surround the green and feeding down to the pond, there were dozens of tiny frogs hopping about. When I was a kid, we called frogs like these spring peepers, but I am certain that someone out there can give it a proper identification. Leave a comment below....Read More & Comment
