The other thing that was strange from a broadcasting perspective was that while ESPN was in the rain delay, I'm sure anyone watching who really loves the game did what I did and flipped over to The Golf Channel to see if they were back "Live From" since they do such a good job with background stories and overall deep coverage.

Nope, it was "Big Break," "Big Brother," "Big Savings from Amelia Earhardt Island," or whatever the latest variation is. And not only that, it was several of them in a row in case I wanted to catch up on how Doogie was doing or what the latest scenario was. I didn't and went back to the Full House story on E!

The Golf Channel's "Live From" coverage is the best. There are things shaking at TGC. Kraig Kann was in studio back in Orlando, Steve Sands was on the ground at Bethpage, hosting the coverage with Brandel Chamblee and Frank Nobilo, while Kelly Tilghman was interviewing folks from either the Media Center or the Media Center dining area.
As mentioned, Kann was on set in Orlando with Charlie Rymer, who does a nice job and is a good fit for TGC. The Golf Channel has a tendency sometimes to take itself too seriously and Rymer is one of the guys that has some playing cred and yet a sense about him that its just a game.

Since I serve as Media Chairman for the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee at Brown Deer Park Golf Course, I, of course, had a run-in with Charlie Rymer. Rymer was presented a big box and I brought it up to the clubhouse for him. Inside was his new PING staff bag. He pulled out the brand new, shiny white bag, looked it over and asked me to wait a minute outside the clubhouse. A few minutes later he came out with his old white PING staff bag and asked if I could "take care of this." Not knowing what he meant, I asked him, specifically what he wanted me to do with the bag. "Oh, keep it if you want..." was all that I needed to hear. For many years thereafter, I kept spare clubs in it in my office.

The key to this year's Open, especially with the weather conditions unfolding as they are, is simple. Get your ball on the green in the fewest amount of strokes and be prepared to have and make several four, six, eight and 10-foot putts for par. It will be the Open of the three Ps -- patience, persistence and pars.

You can't win the Open on Thursday, now Friday, but you sure can shoot yourself out of it. Remember this is a par 70 of more than 7,400 yards. Everyone is going to have their troubles. First round scores of 74, 75 and even 76 are fine, they will keep you in the tournament because no one is going to shoot 65, especially on Day One and run away with this thing. Stay under 80 in the first round and you've still got three more rounds of golf and plenty of chances to get yourself back into it.