More Open Championship

• Padraig Harrington has withdrawn from the championship due to the death of his father.
• There's a great story by Lawrence Donegan in the Guardian about the so-called "Nicklaus ball" and how much tougher it is to play with a ball that travels as far as the one Jack hit in 1985. The ball says: "RIP Distance" on one side and "This is the ball Jack wants you to hit" on the other. Donegan doesn't name the company that manufactured the ball, but I'd put my money on Titleist. Who else makes more money from golf ball sales? Either way, the story, which has Gary Orr playing the "old" ball against a Pro V1, is a fascinating read.
• Geoff Shackelford has an interesting take on "Tigerball." In fact, Geoff's website has several interesting notes on the Open Championship, including the fact the R&A had to use parts of four St. Andrews golf courses to gain the length needed to keep the Old Course viable. This is stupid. Jack is right.