NO SHORTAGE OF story lines abound for this week’s British Open.
The obvious choice is Tiger Woods’ 2014 major debut, a few months removed from back surgery.
While rust will likely prevent him from continuing his run at Jack Nicklaus’ major record, it should be noted that Woods did hoist the famed Claret Jug after winning the 2006 British Open at this very same seaside Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
If scores are bunched Sunday, the course’s finishing holes could offer an entertaining run of play.
The final four holes start with the pothole-bunker-defended, 161-yard par-3 15th hole and continue to the 577-yard par-5 16th hole.
The latter played as the easiest hole on the course at the 2006 Open, so if a player needs to make some magic, the 16th is a very welcoming spot to make up a stroke, or strokes.
Even if the wind isn’t howling, No. 17, a 458-yard par-4, that played as the course’s second-most difficult in 2006, could cause problems.
In front of the 17th’s green lie four protective pot bunkers — two on the left, two on the right — so I would imagine a Sunday pin placement would be near the front of the putting surface.
The 18th hole is a 551-yard par-5, left-to-right dogleg that is reachable in two shots for the big hitters.
But swinging for the green is a case of risk/reward, with out of bounds along the right side of the fairway and rough along the left.
A two-shot swing is possible here, especially with stands capable of seating more than 7,000 people set up beyond the green.
Betting lines have set Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy as the two favorites at 14-to-1, with Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson right behind them at 16-to-1.
Tiger still comes in at 18-to-1, higher than U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer and defending champion Phil Mickelson.
Television coverage on ESPN starts at 1 a.m. Thursday and Friday mornings, 4 a.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday.
Or, if you are like me and DVR the proceedings, whenever you wake up in the morning.
Sign-ups still available
The second annual Friends of Olympic Christian School Charity Golf Tournament is set Saturday at Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim.
A total of $40,000 in prizes, including shots at two big hole-in-one prizes, are available.
The cost is $90, which includes green fees, cart, range balls and lunch.
A scramble format with a 9 a.m. shotgun start is planned.
There will be two divisions, a low gross and an OCS Eagle flight.
Register online at www.olympicchristian.org, or phone 360-808-7355.
Discovery Bay play
Team and individual sign-ups for The North Olympic Peninsula Salmon Coalition’s first benefit tourney are open through Thursday, with play on Saturday.
Cost is $75 per player on four-person teams. $30 of the $75 fee is tax deductible.
Discovery Bay’s summer junior clinic will run from Aug. 11-14.
Cost is $65 per player.
Phone the Discovery Bay golf shop at 360-385-0704 to sign up for either event.
SkyRidge tourneys
SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim has two upcoming tournaments.
First, the ninth annual Lavender Golf Tournament, a two-person scramble event with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start, is planned for this Saturday.
Players will play from multiple tees: the greens for pars, silvers for bogies and the black tees for birdies.
Cost is $35 per player, with chances at four KP’s and a long-putt contest, along with golf, range balls and food.
Carts are $15 per seat.
A $10 per person honey pot will be available.
The 40-person Clallam Links “Open,” an individual medal play tourney will be held Sunday after the British Open concludes.
Lunch starts at noon, and the mini-shotgun event is at 1 p.m.
There are three divisions: a men’s amateur for players with handicaps from 0-14 that will go from the black tees; a men’s amateur 15 and up, which will play from the green tees; and a women’s amateur from the silver tees, where only the net scores will count.
Players can come up with their own foursomes or let SkyRidge handle the pairings.
This event has a $1,000 payout based on a full amateur field, and 30 percent of the field will get a payday in each division.
Phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673 or stop in to sign up.
TaylorMade demo
Cedars at Dungeness will host a TaylorMade demo day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.
Head pro Garrett Smithson was excited to have TaylorMade back at the course.
The company has really taken over as the most favored brand in golf in recent years, based on sales totals.
Port Ludlow tourney
Port Ludlow’s Festival by the Bay, a three-day celebration of the former timber town turned retirement village, includes a golf tournament.
The festival runs from July 25-27, with the golf tournament set for Friday, July 25, at Port Ludlow Golf Club.
Sign-in begins at 11 a.m., and the shotgun start for the four-player scramble format event is 1 p.m.
Entry fee for Port Ludlow members is $35 and $75 for nonmembers.
The fee includes lunch, range balls, prizes for on-course contests, prizes for winners and an admission badge for all festival events.
There will be KP prizes for two of the par-3 holes and a $10,000 prize for a hole-in-one on a designated par-3 hole.
An awards ceremony will follow play at Niblicks restaurant in the Port Ludlow clubhouse.
The festival schedule is available at plfest.org.
For more information, or to register, phone Port Ludlow at 360-437-0272.
Sixkiller tourney
Noted college football broadcaster Brent Musberger will head up a list of sports celebrities participating in the fourth annual Sonny Sixkiller Husky Golf Classic presented by Wilder Auto Center.
The tourney is set for Cedars on Friday, July 25.
Sixkiller has lined up a who’s who list of more than 30 Husky legends to play in the tournament, including former Husky greats Bob Schloredt, Michael Jackson, Nesby Glasgow, Marques Tuiasosopo, Greg Lewis, Robin Earl and Steve Emtman.
Former Port Angeles High School player Scott Jones, the only Roughrider to have played in the NFL, also will play in the event.
Jones’ NFL career came after a college career with Washington.
The event benefits the Olympic Medical Center Foundation.
For more information, phone 360-417-7144.
Jokers Wild recap
A large field of 25 Lady Niners from Cedars at Dungeness and 40 guests from Lakeland Village, Discovery Bay, Port Townsend, SunLand, SkyRidge and Port Ludlow golf clubs played in the Lady Niners’ Jokers Wild Nine-Hole Invitational under blue skies and warm temperatures last week.
Lady Niners member Lindsay Busch mentioned that Cedars Director of Golf Bill Shea and crew readied the course starting with crafting a nine-hole putting course in the practice area, including hazards such as tiny trees and little sand bunkers to navigate around.
The competition was fierce, requiring a sudden-death playoff to determine the ultimate putting contest winner, Judy Kelly, from SunLand Golf Club.
Volunteers Ron Quigley and Dave Inglesby explained the rules and kept the contest going smoothly.
Lady Niner Jan Boyungs supervised the chipping competition, setting up a challenging target at a range of about 75 feet.
Coincidentally, Boyungs also landed the ball within about 6 inches of the cup to win the chipping contest.
Each golfer was assigned a playing card suit at the start of the tournament, either a spade, club, heart or diamond.
With an afternoon shotgun start, each golfer played their own ball from tee to green, and upon arriving at the next tee, the foursome would find a playing card on the tee box, and the suit of the card would determine which golfer’s net score would count for the previous hole.
If the playing card on the next tee box was a joker, then the team could use the lowest net score for the previous hole.
The team of Cassandra Docking of Cedars, Shelley Peterson of Discovery Bay and SunLand members Christie Wilson and Teri King finished first with a net score of 28.
Runners-up were Lilli Gomes and Lisa Ballantyne both from Cedars, Joanne Quiring of Lakeland Village and Judy Munden of Discovery Bay.
The third-place team consisted of Lee Stanley and Olympia Brehm from Cedars, Janie Marcus from Port Townsend and Janice Orth from SunLand, scoring a net of 30.
Peterson won the event’s straight drive contest and KP’s were earned by Edna Chicarell of Discovery Bay on the fourth hole and Lee Stanley on the third hole.
After golf, all the ladies enjoyed cool drinks and a taco bar, followed by the awards ceremonies.
“Kudos go to Jo Hendrickson, who chaired this year’s invitational, orchestrating the efforts of all the Lady Niners and the able staff at Cedars at Dungeness,” Busch said.
“Our thanks also go out to Garrett Smithson, head golf professional at Cedars, for his work behind the scenes to prepare for the tournament.”
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or pdngolf@gmail.com.