Open Championship, Tiger Woods farewell to St. Andrews

The good news from St. Andrews, where the Open Championship has closed the second round, comes with Filippo Celli. At the end of the race, his interview runs parallel to that of world number one Scottie Sheffler, both in front of the microphones a few meters from each other. There is also a certain similarity between the two. Surely the twenty-one year old Roman amateur aims high and does it with an explosive mix of talent, passion and conviction. One who always plays on offense, who under pressure finds the winning key. Who is sure of his means and does not look at the great champions from afar and with fear (he was immediately feeling when he played with Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy in the test laps), but rather aspires to soon be one of them. Today he lined up 67 shots, five under par for the field for as many birdies, in a flawless card that places him at -3 in the total (74-67) and throws him straight into the weekend in the midst of an even more elite restricted.

Patient

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After all, he had said last night that he would have turned his luck on his side after a lap in the throes of strange rebounds, but he was satisfied and confident. “Today I had patience especially in the first holes with several occasions where the putt did not enter. I hit the ball really well all day, an incredible feeling (apart from the tee-shots of the 17 and 18)”. At the last, his favorite (“magic hole, in the heart of St. Andrews, with the green between the houses”) the wrong shot on the left did not stop him from scoring the last birdie and garnering the applause of an audience. cultured. The young Texas Christian University student has good hands and says, “my strengths are approaches and putts, with a lot of feeling and little technique”, just what makes the difference in St. Andrews. But his long game (“technically good and increasingly solid”) is not far behind.

Francesco Molinari will still be on the field over the weekend, who won this Open in 2018. With the projection of a cut on the par, he won with his teeth a 71 (-1) to remedy yesterday’s 73 and continue the tournament. There will be no Guido Migliozzi who thwarted three birdies and then lost five shots on the road (147, 73-74 his score).

Tiger’s farewell

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Meanwhile, it was Tiger Woods again who gave the magic moment. The public loves him and knows that he won’t be in St. Andrews for the 2030 Open. Because eight years is a long time for a bad back, knee and leg, because he only takes the field if he is sure he is competitive. He struggled in this Open (where he made history, winning it and winning it three times, two of which on this track), but there was no better time to greet the public and the pitch, playing the 150th edition of the major. more ancient. He got off to a bad start yesterday by missing two strokes on the first hole with the ball in the water, and today he made a mistake with a short putt for the birdie. Crossing the Swilcan Bridge in the middle of the hole he waved his hat, thanked the Old Course and closed an important chapter in his career. But the show must go on. And there were many protagonists at the top of the standings. Who set the partial at -13 was the Australian Cameron Smith: 67 in the first round and today six birdies and an eagle for a 64 which confirms him as an important figure of the season (two titles won, the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Players Championship which screened him among the top ten in the world). Two shots behind (-11) is the American Cameron Young, leader yesterday, who followed with 69 to 64 of the first round keeping, as he said, “the situation under control”.