The Open Championship: Final Day

OldSouth freely admits it: Golf gets in the blood, and he's got the bug.

The first groups tee off in less than an hour from this posting--no, he's not going to force himself to stay awake for the moment, just to say he did it. He'll need some sleep to tune in to the early afternoon groups. Luis Oosterhuizen (who dat?) has come from obscurity and wrestled St. Andrews to the mat for three days in a row. All he has to do stay focused, come in at a couple under, and not worry about Casey and Kaymer and Westwood turning on the afterburners to catch up. And the weather has to cooperate.

That's all.

It should be entertaining. Someone may yet ace the 18th hole. Woods came tantalizingly close on Friday, and a number of tee shots blew past the hole this week. OS cannot imagine a 300+ yard drive through the wind...but that's why he's watching it on TV, not out there doing it himself. Alas, he caught the bug some forty years too late.

And, speaking of TV, OS has truly enjoyed his DirectTV service this week, as they feature four channels of coverage--the normal ESPN feed, 1st and 18th holes, Road Hole, and the International Feed, which wins hands down. No commercials, and jolly, wonderfully informed narration of the story of the tournament by the crew that broadcasts the European Tour every week. The camera work is less detailed, with lots of tower shots, and very little whiz-bang-computer-generated stuff like helicopter shots down the fairway. But the cameras do capture the sweep of the course, and the grandeur and atmosphere of the event.

The Open is like no other event, especially at St. Andrews. Time stands still, and genteel competition and good will rule the day.

The Open Championship site here.

It features video and audio links, live scoreboard, and more, in case you can't get the TV broadcast.

Enjoy!