The British Open

Jeff in England writes:

Have been watching the British Open which is played on a links (wild natural near sea) course. Wonderful stuff. Do you follow it?

Tom Watson, nearly 60 years old is leading the Open. Incredible!. It would be one of sport’s greatest moments if he wins.

Tiger Woods did not make the cut.

I love golf because there is still a traditional code that matters. No cheating by the players like in so many other sports. No rude and boorish behaviour from the players or crowd. So civilised. Such integrity. Mostly a white sport with some non-white players, Tiger Woods being the most famous. But it seems to have relatively few non-white fans in America and Europe and even fewer come to tournaments.

Plus the game itself is a wonderful test of tactical intelligence, stamina and concentration.

Plus I like sports where each player plays for himself against all the other participants. Team sports mask the individual. Boxing and tennis are great individual sports but one player plays another player and that is it. In golf it is you against the whole world. Exciting!

Jeff in England writes:

Subject: THE WINNER (26 years ago) THEN IS LATER TO WIN THE TIMES THEY AIN’T A CHANGIN’

Watson leading after three rounds after seeming to fade. He birdied two of the last three holes.

One golfer recently gave himself a penalty for moving the ball by accident. No one else could have seen that he moved the ball. Can you imagine that happening in tennis or boxing or baseball or basketball or chess etc. Nor has any golfer used performance enhancing drugs to my knowledge though some do drink alcohol.

I think Watson will tee off about 2 tomorrow which means 9 your time.

Of course on a whole other level competitive spectator sport is meaningless. In the greater scheme of things it doesn’t really matter who can best hit a small white ball into a hole on grassland.

But I’m enjoying the tournament on a lower level of things.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 18, 2009 03:13 PM | Send