OK gang, we are feet in the sand and hand in the Yeti here on the panhandle. Good times.
As is customary, we will do an abbreviated 5-at-10 each day this week, because, well that's what we do. If it's a Monday-through-Friday, we do a 5-at-10 or you get your membership dues back. (Side note: The bidding process for the Delta house in "Animal House" where they show the slides and bellyache at each picture with the random "We need the dues" comment from the back ground is priceless. And, for those of us who were in a fraternity in college, not as overly exaggerated as many may think. In fact, there are a lot of parts of "Animal House" that are more documentary than farce. Either way, it's a truly underrated classic.)
On Mondays we do winners and losers. We'll continue that but we'll do what we can to keep it brief.
Swedish golfer Henrik Stenson, right, celebrates his win Sunday at the British Open. Looking on is caddie Gareth Lord, who came from England to play college golf at UTC in the early 1990s and is still a member at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.Winners
Henrik Stenson. Wow that was amazing. A 63 on Sunday at The Open to get to 20-under for your first major championship. Truly incredible.
Gareth Lord. The former UTC golfer was on the bag for Stenson. Great moment. We could tell you a lot more but TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer absolutely stripes his story about Lord in today's TFP.
Golf fans. Being compared to the Duel in the Sun - one of the great golf myths of all-time - was a treat for everyone watching The Open on Sunday, as Stenson needed almost all of that 8 under 63 to hold off Phil Mickelson.
Local golf fans and the competitors at the U.S. junior amateurs. The Honors - one of the best venues in the land - will host the U.S. Junior Amateur this week. Good times all around, and the event is open to the public and free. Here's our look at The Honors and there was a hole-by-hole preview with quips from Charlie Rymer in Sunday's TFP. (Side note: Charlie Rymer = funny dude. That is all.)
Phil Mickelson of the United States, left, smiles with Ernie Els of South Africa on the 18th green after he completes his second round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Friday, July 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) Losers
Phil Mickelson. Lefty was amazing Sunday. He shot 65 for Pete Jacobsen's sake in the final round of a major championship while in contention. It was great, and this is not a shot at all. But - there's always a but - he missed yet another chance to grabbed a major, and at 46, you have to wonder how many more chances he may get. He handled it with grace and dignity, and, again, we have nothing but high praise for his performance and sportsmanship, and he also made more than $800,000. Still, Mickelson has finished second at a major championship now 11 times and with his five career majors, the 'what coulda been' factor is hard not to ponder when looking back on his career. He's going to go down as a top-10 golfer of all-time, and that's hardly loser status, but think if he had not hooked a driver in the trash can at Winged Foot or faced Stenson's career day or even a couple or three of the landslides - either great play from his opponent or carelessness from Mickelson - and you are talking about a career that potentially puts Lefty on the Rushmore of all-time players.
(There were a slew of others, but truth be told, The Open was the entire story of the weekend in our view.)
Golf contest update
OK, we promise - simply absolutely must - will post all 26 entries in the Double Major and Majorly Doubled contest.
But between SEC media daze and the kids + sand combo, well, we're short on time and long on demands.
We will post the unequivocal leader at the turn - Mr. scole023 himself, who asked for this contest in a mailbag 10 days ago.
How good was his entry? Well, he didn't count Jason Day's 22 points.
Scole023 had Day, D. Johnson, Mickelson, Sergio and H. Stenson on his entry. He was one of three people to have the eventual winner in Stenson, and one of two to have Stenson and Mickelson. (Nice job Terry, as well.)
We'll post all the entries later today, and remember gang, if anyone ahead of you has two that miss the cut in the PGA, well, that could bring everyone back into this thing.