CBSSports.com staffers Ross Devonport and Steve Elling take a scattershot look at three compelling and timely topics in the game.
| 1. After playing in 46 consecutive major championships, this week's British Open marks the first time since 1996 that Tiger Woods won't be in a Grand Slam field. In your mind, does that make the event more interesting or less compelling? | |
| Steve Elling | Ross Devonport |
 I know this sounds somewhat contradictory, but it's a bit of both. At the risk of sounding like a sociology professor, it will be interesting to see if players still experience the same cultural gag factor with Woods not breathing down their necks, whether any fresh faces can emerge in his absence, or whether world No. 2 Phil Mickelson can finally win the world's oldest championship or supplant Woods as PGA Tour Player of the Year or the leader on the money list. There are plenty of palatable subplots for aficionados, but the same rules apply for most sidewalk sports fans. That is, without Woods, general interest and TV ratings will predictably wane, and that even seems to be the case this week in Southport, where the mood isn't exactly electric. At least, not yet. |  It definitely makes it less compelling for most folks, but true golf fans will always tune in to the Open Championship. Like the Masters, it just has that special aura about it, and fans over here in the U.S. don't get to see the best players in the world play on links-style very often. It's just a different game, although Royal Birkdale doesn't feature some of the rolling fairways and other interesting attributes that some of the other Open Championship host courses do. Still, I'll be glued to my television this weekend along with millions of others -- with or without Mr. Woods. As for the lack of electric atmosphere in Southport, you need to get yourself up to Blackpool or down to Liverpool, Steve, for some real nightlife. |
| 2. Kenny Perry won again last weekend on the PGA Tour, his third victory in five starts, to move up to 16th in the world. The fact that he is intentionally skipping this week's British Open to play in a third-rate PGA Tour event in Milwaukee has been belabored to death, but is it a topic the press and public should let go? | |
| Steve Elling | Ross Devonport |
| Absolutely not. In fact, his victory at the John Deere Classic, to me, only underscores the lunacy of his decision. Yeah, Perry turns 48 next month and after 22 years on tour has earned the right to play where he wants, but the reality of it is, he could have won the British Open this week. He would have been ranked among the top half-dozen favorites along with Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia. Nobody in the world is playing better than Perry at the moment, and he's going to face what amounts to a glorified Nationwide Tour-caliber field this week in Milwaukee? Looking at this selfishly, the British Open will now be staged minus the top player in the world and the hottest player on the planet. Nice. | I'm not a big fan of what Perry is doing, as he's basically making himself and the Ryder Cup bigger than the entire game, but I can see what he's trying to do. One trip to that gnarly rough at Royal Birkdale and his wrist might snap, ruining his chances of playing at 100 percent at Valhalla. Just ask Paddy Harrington and Luke Donald how their wrists are feeling right now. Perry is quite happy beating up on a bunch of scrubs over here and is certainly in his comfort zone at the moment, which we know is a huge factor in golf. The Royal and Ancient won't be sending him a birthday card any time soon, but Perry won't care when he picks up his fourth title of the season in Milwaukee and the media continues to berate him. |
| 3. Royal Birkdale, site of the British Open, is considered in many quarters to be the best golf course in England. Do you buy it? | |
| Steve Elling | Ross Devonport |
| Based on what I have seen so far, and of the courses in this entire region, I don't think there is any argument at all. It might be the best course in the entire Open rotation. The beauty of Birkdale (other than the awful art-deco clubhouse) is striking, especially after a wet summer that has the heather, wildflowers and gorse a-popping. Unlike the overrated St. Andrews in Scotland, blind shots are few and there aren't any quirky moguls in the fairway to make well-placed tee balls bounce sideways into pot bunkers. Frankly, it's quite likely the fairest links course in the rotation -- which might be to the disadvantage of some. Since it has dogleg holes and can be played like an American-style course -- versus the more advantageous running the ball along the ground at other Open venues -- only Yanks and Aussies have won in the eight times it has hosted the Open. But five of the eight are Hall of Famers, including Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller. Woods' absence notwithstanding, Birkdale should produce a worthy champion. | Man, this is a tough one. You have to think the only other courses that have what it takes to challenge Royal Birkdale are the other three English ones in the Open Championship rotation -- Royal Liverpool, Royal St. George's and Royal Lytham. Liverpool vanished from the rotation for 39 years, so that eliminates that layout, and Lytham starts with a par 3, which, to me, is a joke. And while St. George's is nice, the list of former Birkdale winners you mention and the fact that no two holes face in the same direction -- thanks, Wikipedia! -- gives this week's host course the edge |
