The Open: Things you might have missed from day three at St Andrews
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‘Ian, it’s your Mum calling’
Periscope has become the latest must-have app on the Tour and there are fewer greater exponents than Ian Poulter. The Englishman earned Twitter praise from plenty of fans on Saturday morning as he kept them entertained with clips of him supping tea alongside fellow Ryder Cuppers Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Paul Lawrie in the St Andrews Links Clubhouse. ‘Poulter-vision’ was taken temporarily off the air, though, after an untimely phone call: ‘Another periscope coming shortly,’ tweeted Poults. ‘Sorry my mum called and it cuts off @periscopeco they need to fix that. You should be able to decline call.’ Poor Mrs Poulter.
Chicken delight for Tommy
Tommy Fleetwood was one of a host of players who looked like agonisingly missing out on the weekend (well, Sunday-Monday) by a single shot. The Englishman – fancied by many, us included, to have a very strong week here – could not hide his disappointment on Twitter and sought solace in the traditional way – Nandos. ‘Butterfly chicken breast, medium, peri peri chips and spicy rice #watertho #athlete’, to be exact.
The Beeb is full of good Duf
It seems as though the contingent from across the pond is thoroughly enjoying their trip to St Andrews, and not just for the golf. During the delays, Billy Horschel has been watching some rugby while Cameron Tringale has been glued to the Davis Cup. Jason Dufner, though, has been savouring a bit of culture courtesy of the BBC: ‘BBC television not only good for golf coverage, but excellent music history documentaries’, he tweeted. Does he know about the license fee?
Mind the deer head, Sir Nick
Sir Nick Faldo thoroughly enjoyed his moment in the sun on Friday afternoon, the three-time winner pulling on his favourite old sweater and getting all teary as he waved goodbye on the Swilcan. It almost didn’t happen though. On Monday, Faldo was getting changed in the bedroom of his rented house when he impaled his hand on the antler of a deer’s head that was mounted on the wall. ‘This morning my cut was open again,’ he said post-round on Friday. ‘So I went back to the hospital and had it glued and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. And then the kids looked at me and said, “Dad, what are we doing?” And I said, “I don’t know.” They said, “I think you should go play.” That was the goal of the week – to stand on the bridge and get the picture.’
Daniel’s ace
It’s been quite a fortnight for Englishman Daniel Brooks. The 28-year-old qualified for his first Open after grabbing one of the three remaining qualifying spots on offer at last week’s Scottish Open at Gullane. He won’t be here for the final two rounds but he will certainly cherish his first Open experience after recording the first hole-in-one of the Championship at the 11th hole.
The best of Twitter
Tom Watson: So humbled. Thanks so much for all your support, been a GREAT run. Thanks @TheOpen. Loved playing with @TheBig_Easy and @BrandtSnedeker
Lee Westwood: Bit of a strange decision here @TheOpen . They seemed to stop play out on 11 and allowed the rest of us to carry on playing.
David Hearn: More than disappointed in the R&A. Some groups hit only 1 shot while others played on. It needs to be a fair contest and wasn’t this morning
Richie Ramsay: U know there are Scottish people saying “oh this is nothing last week it was windier, greens far quicker, rough twice at thick
Pablo Larrazabal: finishing my packing and i will be on the way to the airport soon… Not good enouf to play the weekend… Next tournament will be Akron
Louis Oosthuizen: Got lucky, then unlucky. My golf ball was first blown closer to 1 foot from the hole, then further to 6 feet without me striking it at all!
Lee Westwood: @IanJamesPoulter giving @PaulLawriegolf a Twitter tutorial! God help us!!!
Shane Lowry: It’s tough to take missing that cut. Golf can be cruel but it will pay me back when I least expect it. #patience #onwardsandupwards
Sergio Garcia: Decent weather on 1st round, pouring rain and wind on the 2nd and a gale on the 3rd. I wonder what the weather has in store for us next,Haha
James Morrison: Come on wind disappear, not sure how many Starbucks I can handle!!!! Especially with @WinningGolfMind
Ian Poulter: Feel very sorry for the crowd who have paid and travelled to watch no golf. It’s the sunniest day of the week, just gale forced winds.
Billy Horschel: One of the many reasons I love crossing the pond…get to watch Rugby! #AusvsRSA
Sir Nick Faldo: Just want to thanks the St Andrews golfing Gods for looking after me yest, went from a scary morn to one of my best day of my life! #3on17
Pablo Larrazabal: @TommyFleetwood1 @TheOpen arriving to the airport mate… Flight leaving in a couple hours going to sunny Barcelona… No wind there
Paul Dunne: Looks like no golf for me today! Bit of practice and rest to get ready for the next two rounds! #TheOpen #GoBlazers
Justin Rose: Making the most of an unexpected day off in the middle of a major! Energise for a big 3&4th round.…
Martin Kaymer: Having coffee at the Old Course Hotel..Would rather play a few holes on my favorite course!
Francesco Molinari: I bet you did a survey this week 90% of the field would tell you they had the wrong side of the draw!
Day 3 in numbers
40: The strongest of the gusts in miles per hour on Saturday.
17: Years since the last Monday finish at the Open (Seve Ballesteros winning at Lytham in 1988).
838: Amount of time in minutes lost at this year’s Championship so far.
25: Combined total for the first holes completed after the delay by Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel and Darren Clarke
6: Consecutive holes without a par played by Watson at the end of his second round.
5: Difference in shots in the last three holes of Sergio Garcia (10) and Lee Westwood (15)
10: Amount, in pounds, it will cost to watch the final round on Monday. It’s free for under-16s.
37: Putts by Jordan Spieth in round two – the most in one round in his professional career.
