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As we near another British Open at Royal St. George, I thought I would go through the list of players from Japan competing in this years Open. It's always a good opportunity not only to see some Japan tour players but also to see some JDM gear in action.  I've also got a few pictures of each players bags, though not necessarily what they will be playing at the Open.

Ryo Ishikawa - Yonex: Ishikawa has been altering between his trusty tour cavity backs and new Yonex muscle backs all year. What will he play come Thursday? He relies on his new 380cc driver and ST 3 Wood and surely that 16* 0 iron will come in handy for him especially if the wind picks up.  Can the 19 year old finally come through on the world stage? He's got the raw skills but still lacks composure under pressure and the ability to be consistent. He must tame his wildness to be successful.

Yuta Ikeda - Tourstage: Ikeda is the new top man for Tourstage and sports the all Bridgestone bag unlike most pros that have a mix mash of brands.  From the X-Drive 415 to GR utilities to 905 CB Limiteds and even TS Wedges and putter, Ikeda is the anti Ishikawa, quiet, reserved, not flashy at all. In Japan he is the young man (25) who's an old man based on his demeanor.

Hiroyuki Fujita - Yamaha: Fujita is one of my favorite golfers. At 42 years young he is full of experience and has superb touch around the greens.  He is not overly long compared to the young guns but he is just as styling on the course. He games the Yamaha V425 Tour and V Forged Tour Model but struggles sometimes with the left side. I'm always rooting for him.

Tadahiro Takayama - Tourstage: There was a time where Takayama was one of the hot up and comers for Tourstage on the Japanese tour.  He faded for a while and was quiet before coming back strong over the last two seasons.  Takayama is gaming the X Blade 901 Limted Blades and X-Drive 705 455 driver. He's a streaky player who can either be hot and contend or disappear on the first day.

Tetsuji Hiratsuka - Tourstage: Like Fujita, Hiratsuka has been around on the Japan Tour and has been a mainstay with Tourstage. Still gaming the 09W-01-01 Prototype which the 703 Limited is based on, he also games the newer X-Blade 705 Type M. Another player who is up and down and can get hot... (or cold).

Hiroo Kawai - Taylormade Japan: At 39 Kawai got his first Japan Tour win of his career and it happened to be a Japan major at the Nissin PGA Championships which got him into the Open. He games the R11 and the Japan model R9 Forged. I don't really know much about him since he really only broke out this year.

While I don't really for see any of the Japan Tour players making a run at the Open, frankly the course is nothing like what they play in Japan, I'll root for them nonetheless. And if one were to show up on the leader board it would be great for Japan. Thanks to the favorable time difference, the Open here in Japan will be aired on prime time which is awesome as I rarely get to watch any of the US based events live due to the time difference.

So what do you think? Who will win this years British Open?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Matt Kuchar was spotted carrying a New Prototype Hi-610 TS Driving Iron by Fourteen Golf at the British Open this week.  Two versions are expected a standard Hi-610 and a Hi-610 TS (Tour Spec). Fourteen Golf is not sure if both models will make it to the retail market but  stay tuned for more pics and info as they are now in play on the JPGA tour as well.

It's been a while since Fourteen Golf has released a new driving iron design their last was the HI-550 and HI-660 which both have been phased out for quite some time.

Based on the looks of the spy pic via Golf.com it appears this version has a more rounded sole and will of course feature a hollow body most likely with tungsten weighting inside.

Let's hope we see a resurgence of the driving iron.  In my opinion there are far to few on the market in recent years.

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We've taken a look into some pretty interesting golf bags on this blog, some of the biggest and best names in all of golf.  We've gotten to see what clubs they play, the lofts, the putters, the different golf balls and even their sponsorships coming out in flying colors.  Thanks to Tom Watson's amazing play at the British Open last week, however, we're now going to get the unique opportunity to look into the bag of one of golf's greatest golfers, and the golf bag of a 59-year-old professional that otherwise, we might never know what clubs he was carrying.

Interesting on Many Levels

It's interesting to see what Watson played at the British for a few reasons...first, because he played so well, second because he is almost sixty years old, and third because its a direct comparison to the younger players that we're so used to seeing.  It is clear at first glance that he's obviously still sponsored by, and loves the way Adams clubs play.  His bag is filled with Adams with the only exception being his putter, which so infamously failed him on his final 8 foot putt.

The Full Quiver

That said, here are the clubs he used, according to golf.com:

DRIVER: Adams Speedline (9.5°) with Aldila Voodoo SVS6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Adams Insight (14.5°) with Aldila Voodoo SVS7 shaft
HYBRID: Adams Idea Pro Gold (18°, 20°) with Grafalloy Hybrid We Trust shafts
IRONS: Adams Idea Pro (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
WEDGES: Adams Puglielli (52°), Tom Watson (56°)
PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot XG #7
BALL: Titleist Pro V1

Tom Watson Plays YOUNG!

Now, at first glance we can't tell the shaft flexes and all of that, but nevertheless, we are struck by just how amazingly fit and, well, YOUNG, Tom Watson's bag makes him look.  No huge lofted driver, he's playing hybrids, and he's still getting almost 300 yard drives.  Impressive and it says a whole lot about the caliber of golfer Tom Watson really is.  Ordinarily, we only show the bags of those winning golfers, but today we had an opportunity to look inside a very unique bag.  Why not?

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Cink who just recently won the British Open was sporting a new Nike Prototype Putter, We have been seeing glimpses of these hot new putters from Nike golf all over the golf forums but this image here is of the actual one used by Cink to win the Open at Turnberry this week.
 

The putter features your traditional Anser style with heel-toe weighting. It's got  some high tech looking red grooves as a milling design which is of course to reduce skipping and the skids.  Another noticeable difference is that his has some aesthetic enhancements like the carbon style insert on the bumpers. We are not sure if it's actually carbon but it has that effect, if thats there as style or function we havent heard yet.
 

Golf.com's David Dusek reported:

There is a waffle pattern on the heel and toe, similar to the pattern on the back of the Nike Victory Red Half-Cavity irons. There is a sight line on the back flange of Cink's putter, and where Casey's putter has red paint-fill, Cink's is trimmed in black. Finally, on the bottom of Cink's putter there is a reference to The Oven, Nike's club building and testing facility in Ft. Worth, Texas.

I've seen five different versions of Nike's prototype putter with similar cosmetics to Cink's. Although nothing has been officially announced by Nike Golf, with this much detailing—and now two major wins by Cink and Lucas Glover—it would be surprising not to see these putters made available fairly soon. 

Above is the best image taken so far of the face milling design. We are awaiting confirmation if the red lines are petruding the face or actual deep grooves filled with red paint. Another questinon that comes to mind is do off center struck putts have reduced pull or push spin due to the face grooves angleing downward? Only time will answer these questions and lets hope Nike knocks it out of the ball park with some more enticing engravings on the sole and in the cavity.

I will go out on a limb and say Tiger will be replacing his Scotty Cameron by mid 2010... what say you?

( Thanks to our friend David Dusek over at Golf.com for the scoop )

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We said it yesterday, we'll say it again today.  If you told Vegas oddsmakers that by today, Saturday, you'd have a 59-year-old Tom Watson in the lead at the 2009 British Open, and Tiger Woods on the plane home, they'd most likely have laughed you right out of town.  Looks like Watson is the one laughing now as he continues to battle it out at Turnberry, fighting to hold onto his top spot.

Oldest Winner in PGA Tour History?

In the event hat he DOES hold on, he's currently tied for the lead at -3 and through the 14th hole today at +2 for the day, he'd be the oldest winner in the history of the PGA Tour.  In a word, a word we use a lot here:  Wow.  Nevertheless, it's not like the top of the leaderboard is exactly a lonely place this year at Turnberry, at the start of round 3 today, there were a gigantic amount of players within striking distance of the lead.  Currently, there are 39 players all within 6 strokes of the lead and inside of that, 10 players that are only three strokes away.

Weather Changes Everything, Who Can Cope?

Given the extremely flighty and ever-changing weather conditions at Turnberry, absolutely anything could happen to close out today, and even MORE ups and downs could be seen in the final round on Sunday.  The question of who will win will most likely be answered by the same answer to another question:  Who can play consistent, accurate golf no matter what the conditions are doing?

British Open is Wide Open

To say that this tournament is wide-open is a bit of an understatement.  Anything, and I do stress ANYTHING, could happen.  If you're not tuning in to the final round tomorrow, you might want to have your head examined, as it's going to be one of the most exciting finishes so far this year.  Tune in, you won't regret it.

As for us, we'll be rooting for Watson, all the way.

(image via pgatour.com)

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They say in golf, accuracy is more important than power.  They say if you can find the fairway your scores will be lower.  At Turnberry, these old proverbs seem to be more true than almost anywhere else.  That's right, in order to score well, and we're already seeing evidence of this all over the leaderboard, you have to drive well.  Those that are accurate off the tee this week will see success, those who aren't, just won't.

Paul Casey & Peter Kostis Agree:  Driver is Key

When golf.com asked Paul Casey via his Twitter account about this, he had one very simple, very true thing to say:

"Drive the ball well. Look at the two previous Turnberry winners, Norman and Price. Both drove it brilliantly. Same this week."

How true it is.  Watching Tiger Woods miss fairway after fairway, and now seeing him waiting in the wings at +5, desperately hoping to at least make the cut, it shows just how dangerous errant tee-shots can be to your score.  That said, looks like some PGA Pros are making a few driver changes this time around.

Shorter Drivers for More Accuracy?

For some players, that means playing with drivers that are much shorter than their usual clubs.  As you know, a shorter driver usually leads to much more accurate tee shots, but much less power.  In a links course like Turnberry, accuracy once again trumps the need for power.

Fairway Woods Off The Tee?

Who else will be making these changes, and moreover, in Rounds 3 and 4 could we see more players opting for a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee instead of driver?  Will we see more 'choking down' on the drivers out there, shorter clubs or will we just see them stay in the bag?  I guess we'll see, but at least we finally know, Accuracy > Power.   At least at the British Open.

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Well.  Hmm.  I suppose we're a bit lost for words right now.  We waited a bit today to talk about the golf that's being played at Turnberry today, but now that the scores are in and we know what's going down, it looks like Tiger Woods might actually miss the cut at the 2009 British Open and, if so, will be heading home a lot earlier than he, or anyone else anticipated.

Cut Line at +4

As of right this very moment, the projected cut line is sitting right at +4.  On any other Friday, that would be a score that would be ridiculously high and wouldn't even give Tiger a slight concern.  Today, however, after shooting a four-over-par 74 today, and a 1-over 71 yesterday, he's sitting at +5 and one full stroke below the cut line.  In a word...Yikes.  In the event that the cut line does stay exactly where it is, Tiger would miss this cut and it would be only the second time in his entire career that it has happened.  Considering he's been in the Top 10 in 18 of his last 19 tournament appearances, this would be shocking, and upsetting to him.

2006 Last Missed Cut

The last time he missed a cut, was the 2006 U.S. Open and since then he's actually leading the PGA Tour in consecutive cuts made at 38.  Unless something miraculous happens, that streak will end today.

What Happened to Tiger?

All of this brings up a much bigger question:  What happened to Tiger at the British?  Going in, as you already know, he was the 2-1 favorite to win the entire thing, and now it's hanging in the balance if he'll even be able to play tomorrow.  How did his swing fall apart so obviously this tournament, it was visible to see he was leaving everything to the right, and extremely visible that he just couldn't seem to get anything going.

So, what happened?  Anyone want to go out on a limb and make some analysis?

(Image via AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

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If when you went to sleep last night, someone told you that you'd wake up to a first round almost completely in the books, and on top of the leader board at the British Open we'd be seeing Tom Watson, what would you say?  If that person also told you that while Tom Watson, who is 59 years old, shot a five-under-par 65 first round, while Tiger Woods struggled to post a 1-over-par 71, while his playing partner, 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa whooped him and shot a -2, would you think I was even crazier?  Welcome to the crazy house then, because all of those things have already transpired today.

Tom Watson, 59, Shocks World

That's right, Tom Watson shocked the entire field and the entire golf community today as he shot an opening round 65, blasting away golfers half his age and sitting comfortably tied atop the leaderboard as we speak.  What makes it even more impressive, however, is the simple fact that Watson hasn't played a single round of competitive golf at Turnberry since the 2003 SENIOR British Open.  Yes, I said Senior.  When asked about how he felt about his extremely impressive first round, Watson had this to say:

"I still feel as if I can compete against the kids...I'm a ceremonial golfer at [too long] Augusta National, I admit that."

Watson Demolishes Woods

Considering his first round today included 5 birdies and not a SINGLE bogey, I'd say he is most certainly competing against the kids.  One of those kids just so happens to be the odd's on favorite going into today, Tiger Woods.  Despite the fact that he was favored to win it all, errant shots proved to be his undoing and he was completely outplayed by both Lee Westwood, and the young 17-year-old golfer from Japan we talked about yesterday, Ryo Ishikawa, who both came in at -2.

Can Tiger Come Back?

Can Tiger get it together before tomorrow, or given the excellent play of everyone else, is he in a hole he can't dig himself out of?  If Watson is correct, and the course is playing with its defenses down, we could see scores plummeting.

(Image via Robert Beck/SI)

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Ryo Ishikawa, only 17 years old, has enjoyed one heck of a roller coaster ride the past few months.  Considering he's basically been famous since he was 15 years old and became the youngest winner on any Tour, anywhere, that is sanctioned by the Official World Golf  Ranking, and has since seen more countries and tournaments than just about any teenager, ever, to say he's about to face his first true test must really mean something.

Ishikawa, Woods & Westwood

That's right, Ishikawa, the Japanese wunderkind and newest media sensation, is paired with none other than Tiger Woods for the very first round of the British Open at Turnberry, in Scotland.  Interesting, as Tiger knows exactly how it feels to be in Ishikawa's shoes, and might have some good advice and who knows, even a calming presence to the torrent of reporters and media he's used to as of late.

Humbling & Exciting

Tiger, who has gone on record as saying that Ishikawa is handling the media support and the pressure extremely well hasn't gone unnoticed to Ishikawa.  Here's what he had to say concerning Tiger Woods, and his upcoming pairing with him and Lee Westwood:

“It’s unbelievable that Tiger is talking about me...And it is like a dream come true. Ever since I got into the British Open it’s like a total dream. I’m surprised to see Tiger in the same group.”

How he'll handle Tiger remains to be seen, but the other big question waiting to be answered is how he'll handle the golf course.  He's never seen anything remotely like the style of course he'll be facing at Turnberry and it will be beyond interesting to see how his game adapts to it, or rather, how quickly.  If it does adapt quick enough, we might be seeing Ryo in all four rounds this British Open, if not, it might be a 36 hole dream.

TUNE IN, This Will Be Good

Stay tuned, this is one of many reasons it's going to be so good this year.

(image via Damian Dovarganes/AP)

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The weather might have been exactly what Steve Stricker needed to wake up, clear the cobwebs and come back from an Even Par opening round, to absolutely dominate the course and the competition throughout his entire second round.  Whatever happened, it's clear that Stricker changed something, and that changed launched him all the way into sole possession of second place.  Impressive.

Stricker Fires -10 to Land in 2nd Place

Also impressive, however, and also holding Stricker from that top spot, despite the amazing -10, 61 he shot today, is the ongoing great play by Darron Stiles.  After opening with a first round 64, he's already back on the course trying to finish out his second round he was unable to play when the skies opened up.  Looks like that brief delay didn't negatively affect him in any way, as he's already -5 through his 15th hole and in sole possession of the lead at -12.  After only two rounds, that's a pretty impressive score to be holding on to at the John Deere.

Weather To Force 36 Hole Sunday?

The real question remaining, however, is how the weather will affect the final round of play in Silvis, Ill.  The current idea for a Sunday schedule, is to force the players to play 36 holes with a brief break in between.  What's even more strange, is they are going to be pairing people in groups of 3, starting them on both the first and the 10th tee, and they won't even be re-pairing groups between rounds.

Sunday Will Be A LONG Day

What that all translates to, is a very long, long day for golfers on Sunday.  Will this carry over and affect their play at the British?  Probably not, but still, no one wants to play 36 holes on the Sunday they were supposed to be only playing 18.  It will get interesting, that is for sure, and we'll see how these players gut it out and hold onto the scores they're building, add to them, or even go lower.

Tune in!

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They say the best way to prepare for a big tournament, especially one in which you're going to be defending your title, especially one as HUGE as The British Open, is to win a tournament right before it.  Yep, the momentum of winning can sometimes carry over and make winning again all the easier.  That's exactly what Padraig Harrington is hoping as he just took home his third straight Irish PGA Championship in convincing fashion.

Month of Poor Golfing Ends

What might be making Harrington even MORE comfortable going into the British this coming Thursday, however, is that he finally turned around an entire month of poor golf with a few great rounds that led to this championship.  Whether or not it's the full turnaround he's been looking for remains to be seen, but it has to feel great going into the British fresh off a win of this size.

Seven Stroke Lead

Harrington had little issue and almost no problem winning this one again as even a final round +1 didn't stop him from taking top honors by 7 strokes over amateur golfer Brian McElhinney.  Think it's odd that Harrington chooses to play the Irish PGA instead of a sanctioned golf tournament before the British?  You shouldn't be...according to reports:

"Harrington prefers to play the Irish PGA, which is not sanctioned by any of the major tours, to prepare himself for links golf, which he will face at Turnberry. He has won the last two years at the Irish PGA, then gone on to win the British Open."

Will Victory Lead to Victory

Well, if it works, it works.  Apparently it's been working for Harrington as he took home the championship at the British last year.  The biggest hurdle he'll have to face, however, is himself.  He's failed to make the cut in his last 5 tournaments on the PGA Tour...not exactly the frame of mine you want going into a title defense.  That could mean this win at the Irish is even More important.  We'll see!

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If you tuned in to even a single round of the wet, soggy and delayed golf that made up the U.S. Open, you most likely saw a few surprising things.  The most surprising of all being that a vast majority of the Pros taking part in the tournament pulled out their long irons from their bag and replaced them with any number of hybrids.  Due to the wet grass, the soft greens, and even the rain falling from the sky, they needed shots that flew high and landed softly.  For all of you purists, looks like those irons are going to be going directly back into the bag next week at Turnberry for the British Open.

Scotland = Wind

That's right, the course, Turnberry's Ailsa Course in Scotland, is notorious for being extremely windy, and given those conditions and the high trajectory that a hybrid inherently brings, looks like Paul Casey, and others are going to be dropping the woods for their long irons, anywhere from 1-3.  According to Paul Casey's Twitter account:

"Thinking the 5 wood will be coming out and the 2 iron will be making a guest appearance for the Open. No other changes."

Casey Going with Nike Pro Combo OS

When asked by members of golf.com what 2 iron that would be, he responded with a simple: "Still the Nike Pro Combo OS. I have 2 or 3 of them that I'm hanging on to."  Interesting.

What Pros Will Go Irons?

It will be interesting to see what other professional golfers on the PGA Tour will opt out of the hybrid realm and directly back into the long irons that dominated the tour before the hybrid craze took over.  Given the windy conditions, I fully expect the majority of the players to be hitting long irons, and even far less fairway woods unless the distance demands it.  Whatever the case will be, we can't wait to see how Turnberry plays this time around!