TIGER WOODS HAS branded the rough at Royal Lytham and St Annes as ‘unplayable’ prior to the opening round of the British Open on Thursday.
Britain’s wet summer has resulted in knee-high rough around the Lancashire-based course and Woods is just one of many golfers to have complained.
After his first practice round at the British Open venue, the 36-year-old was scathing when asked about the rough.
Oh my God! It’s just that you can’t get out of it,” Woods said. ”I’ve never seen the rough this high or thick and dense. The bottom six inches is so lush.
“The wispy stuff, we’ve always faced that at every Open, but that bottom six inches, in some places it’s almost unplayable.”
Woods spent five hours practicing at Royal Lytham and St Annes and despite his concerns regarding the rough, he is looking forward to the classic challenge of the British Open.
“You can have so many different weather conditions,” Woods said. ”You just don’t know.
“That’s one of the unique things about the British Open and why it’s my favourite major championship.
“Weather plays such a huge role in the tournament. Probably the biggest differences here are the bunker conditions.
You have to make a decision on the tee about what you’re going to do. With certain winds you can clear (the bunkers) and other winds you can’t.”
Last year’s PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley is also apprehensive about the British Open venue.
“The course plays very tough,” Bradley said.
“I’ve never played a course where the first nine holes are pretty much downwind and the last nine are straight in.”
Cian Healy looks haunted now. McGrath should be first choice for province and country
Sexton isn’t far behind him. Madigan must now thinking why isn’t he starting ??
Line out is wobbly. Scrum is under severe pressure. Half backs are atrocious. We don’t look like breaking the gainline. And yet we’re only a peno behind. Game on. Keep the ball down the other end. Too much possession in out half. Kick over their wingers
Win is paramount but a performance would also be nice to see after last week.COYBIB.
Is this on BT or Sky?
Bt
Cricfree.tv for anyone looking for a stream
Thank you Paul
Leinster are a bit shit
So, to stay alive in the competition Leinster have to beat the second best side in England away from home having lost to the fifth(?) best side in England at home last week.
It doesn’t look good on paper lads.
Games aren’t won on paper, thankfully.
Leaving form aside for a minute, the Leinster team selected is a very strong one. Likewise, the bench is better than most teams can furnish.
Going back to form, they simply can’t be as sluggish as they were in the second half last week. There is too much at stake, as they will be very well aware.
This is a good Bath side, but far from unbeatable. All to play for!
What a run from Cronin there. I remember him doing that for Shannon in an AIL final a while back. Some gas.
Cronin played centre when he was younger. Great pace there
Leinster is not an entry level job, Cullen is way out of depth. Leinster need to fire him and find someone with experience ASAP.
His selection being shown up
Cullen is in place for the season at the very least, virtually regardless of how the team does. Plenty of coaches in rugby do great things in their first job with very little previous experience – Gregor Towsend, Bernard Jackman, etc.
Let’s back Leo and see how he does. Surely he has earned that?
Has he earned it though? Where was the apprenticeship?
Yep, too big a step up
I’d back Leo if he:
- starts using the younger players more this season. Ringrose, VDF, McGrath, Moore and Jack McGrath need to be first choices;
- come up with a more discernible game plan. From today’s match, Luke Fitzgerald and others almost always seem to cut inside back into traffic. Why?
- reach the playoffs in the Pro 12 and get a home semi-final. Anything thereafter is a bonus and will help us when next year’s European Cup draw is made;
- Have the courage to pick on form, not reputation. A lot is made of some of the internationals having mental fatigue after the RWC. Doesn’t seem to be affecting the internationals at Bath and if anyone should be mentally scarred – George Ford – he didn’t show it.
As a side note, we need to kick the whole NIQ situation into touch. If we can select players from abroad – we only have 4 teams to pick form. We need to have more choice – and allow overseas players ( still controlled though ) it will be good for the provinces and ultimately the national team.
Cian is dead on, Brian he hasn’t earned it. Bernard Jackman was coaching at local level for junior sides before he even retired. He spent a number of years cutting his teeth at lower levels, that type of experience is invaluable and Cullen simply doesn’t have it. Cullen should’ve gone down to New Zealand or South Africa and learned for 5-10 years then come back.
Note to Cullen: the youngsters McGrath, VDF should be on the pitch full time. What an hash of a selection picking Boss and Murphy!!!!!!!!!!!
Too many of them just don’t look up for it like they used too.. Thank God Te’o is throwing himself around the place like a madman…high risk stuff but his league knowledge is letting him get most of the reads on George Ford right.
Leinster need to take a long hard look at themselves. Need to rebuild. Certain players are not at the races and are no good to the jersey. We have enough young tyros coming through. Let’s build and put our efforts into the Pro 12. Get to the playoffs, and potentially a better pool draw next season. Unfortunately, it appears Healy, Heaslip and Murphy are not performing. We need to find an enforcer in the second row and McGrath needs to be first choice scrum half
I feel bad for a young lad in James Tracey, but that line out is simply unacceptable in that situation. Toner needs to answer for it also.
Unacceptable
Toner sexton only internaional quality starting mcgrath moore goid when intoduced -the rest pitiful.
Breakdown becoming a huge issue for Leinster. Poor coaching or poor technique?
Hard to know if the inaccuracy on Leinster’s part is players or coaches – probably both bear some responsibility – but there is also the fact that we simply don’t have anyone as good at the breakdown as Francois Louw.
Definitely miss SOB, so why don’t we try and counter Louw with VDF? Murphy seems to be all at see again
Agreed – Murphy better at 6/8 than 7, VDF has been playing really well this season (albeit against lesser teams than Bath). We’ll see him soon, I’d say.
Too many average players in leinster-no cutting edge -end of line- Saracens look a great side again this season.
And yet Boss is still on the pitch
Fair play john you called it!
Food for thought, Matt O Conner wins Pro12 and Qf and then reaches semi final, the next year. fired by fans, Leo crashes out of Europe in first 2 games, what should happen?
Btw this is what happens when you have a World Cup hangover and a novice coaching staff.
Wouldn’t necessarily blame the coach entirely players need to man up. Leinster simply too soft and ultimately not good enough darcy driscoll huge losses and never replaced- o brien Carney fitz heaslip healy all trending in wrong direction.
No, this us what happens with unrealistic Leinster fans. Wake up !! Smell the coffee !! Leinster aren’t good enough, simple, no matter who the coach is. Ye couldn’t wait to get rid of MOC . Hailed Leo and now are looking for his head after a handful of games. Give the guy a break and a bit of time !! Unfortunately the way the IRFU run things the provincial sides are only going to fall further and further behind the rest because of their ruling on foreign players. There is a fine balance to achieve and they have it wrong.
Agree with your comment on the IRFU
But the reason we are falling behind is because in France and England, the sugar daddies rule the roost and can buy as they wish. We need to react here accordingly. Relax the NIQ rules
Useless,why is Heaslip captain?matt o Connor was not the problem last season after all now they have a coach stuck in the headlights and players with no guts disgraceful
I don’t think Cullen is the best man for this job. He has no real experience. No point in following one bad coaching choice with another.
Bearing in mind each teams’ form going into this game, I’m pretty happy with both the performance from Leinster in the first half, and the 6-3 half time score line.
Far from their best, but at least there is a grit about Leinster that was absent last week. Bath look more dangerous, but Leinster are being resilient.
Jack McGrath will be on soon – Healy still not back to even near his best. Madigan into 10/12 at some point would help – there’s a lack of spark in the back line. Does Leo trust VDF to stick him in at open side? Louw is ruling the breakdown impressively.
Healy shadow of himself not looking good for him.
The scrum was embarrassing.
time to blood the younsters for the remaining ECC. concentrate on Pro 12 trophy. Not good news for Ireland either and Ulster were toothless last night.
How long before the Leinster board see the wood for the trees. Team are not playing as a team, they’re a disgrace and only care about what excuse to trot out this time. And Cullen? Good player but what coaching pedigree? None. Out of his depth and needs to go…NOW! Fans will vote with their feet and you’ll be seeing a quiet RDS….
And an even quieter Aviva