“Any golfer worth his salt has to cross the sea and try to win the British Open.”
–Jack Nicklaus.
“I came back and in ’63, I was at the British Open, trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I thought was a two-shot lead with two holes to play at Lytham. I remember it like it was yesterday. Anybody with a proper brain would have played the ball short of the hole. I didn’t have a proper brain at the time. But you have to make that mistake to learn it.”
— Jack Nicklaus
The Open [the British Open] begins today at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. This is the 154th playing of the championship.
The Royal & Ancient refers to the tournament as “The Open”. So does much of the world. But in the United States, and in other discrete places, you will hear it referred to as “The British Open”. This drives the English golf gods mad. To the folks at the offices in St. Andrews, it is fine to refer to the “U.S. Open”, the “U.S. PGA”, or the “U.S. Masters”, but do not call it “The British Open”. At least not within their earshot.
Whatever you call it, it is a fine test of golf, an enduring tradition, the last “major” tournament of the season, and a good reason to get up early to watch golf on television.
Scottie Scheffler won The Open in 2025, at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. He will be defending his title, against a formidable field. This has been a frustrating year for him, as he has started slowly in so many tournaments, beginning a late charge, and coming up just short, time and again. Maybe this will be a breakout week for him.
Inflation dropped to 3.5%. WINNING!
Did you know that it was legal for banks to lend money to illegal aliens? It is illegal for them to be present in the country, but it is legal to facilitate their ability to remain in the country? This is nuts!
The House of Representatives passed a bill making Daylight Savings Time permanent. Bad choice. Very bad choice.
Senate Democrats are blocking the funding of America’s military. We have troops in harm’s way, troops serving in all corners of the world, enemies testing and probing our defenses daily, and the Democrat Party thinks that defense spending is a political stunt on which to advance their agenda. Good grief!
“God don’t like ugly!”
–Senator Raphael Warnock (D. Ga.), explaining during a Sunday worship service at The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, that the July 4, 2026 thunderstorm in Washington, D.C. was a rebuke to President Trump for his policies.
The Observations suggests that it is very bold for one to presume to speak for God. Even if you are a radical Leftist preacher in Georgia.
“You’re going to be remembered as someone who betrayed your friends, who betrayed your country and who claimed that you cared about relationships. But, in the end, the only relationship you actually cared about was the relationship with Donald Trump. You sold your soul. You betrayed your friends, your legacy, your own soul. You sold your soul to the devil, and now you get to meet him in person.”
–former MSNBC host and serial racist, Joy Reid, condemning Senator Lindsey Graham (R. S.C.) to Hell.
The Observations also suggests that it is a very bad idea to judge another’s soul. But then again, Joy Reid has never demonstrated good judgement.
“I stopped carrying Sarah Huckabee Sanders briefings, just refused to carry him [President Trump] because having worked there, it like actually hurt me to watch her lying.”
–MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace, explaining just how fragile she is.
Now that the special tax on second “luxury” homes in New York has gone into effect, the New York City housing market is in a free fall collapse. Surprise!
The New York City Council is raising its pay 18%, retroactive to January 1, 2026, and putting in automatic increases effective on January 1 of each succeeding year. These do nothing politicians draw taxpayer funded salaries at more than twice the median income of the citizens who fund their salaries. Does that sound fair to you?
Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s (D. N.Y.) tax increases and related policies have had a decisive impact on New York City. High earners are fleeing in droves, and tax receipts have dropped by $11 billion. And it is only July.
In Los Angeles, California, city council members earn more than $250,000.00 per year. And now these poor put upon politicians have decided that they need only work 1 day a week. It gives them more time to play golf, tennis, and drink white wine.
Connecticut welcomes displays in its State Capitol, from all sorts of citizens’ groups. But this Christmas season, there will be no Nativity scene. Connecticut legislators refuse to permit a Nativity scene because it is “solely religious”. Well, yes. Yes it is. Are any of you aware of the meaning of Christmas?
“The National Guard is the military, and we don’t believe the military belongs on our streets policing our neighbors. It isn’t about the individuals. Soldiers are trained for combat, not community policing.”
–statement issued by Tamboli’s Pizza & Pasta in Memphis, Tennessee, explaining why it refused to serve members of the Tennessee National Guard.
Despicable. Absolutely despicable.
New Hampshire State Representative Ellen Reed (D.) was ticketed for driving 100 mph in a 65 mph zone on 1 occasion, and 92 mph in a 65 mph zone on another occasion. Mrs. Reed is arguing that the tickets are invalid, because she was on her way from her home to the State Capitol for work. She is citing the State’s Constitution as her legal authority. Huh. Whatever happened to the notion that “no one is above the law”? Maybe there is a Democrat exception to that rule.
U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.) looks exactly like the kid who reminded the teacher at the end of the day on Friday that she had forgotten to assign homework for the weekend. He is Mary Pete Buttigieg without the masculinity.
Mexico has begun filing criminal complaints with State prosecutors in the United States, concerning Mexican nationals who have been killed by, or otherwise dies while in custody with, ICE. Yeah. Good luck with that.
GFK
Observations From The Fifth Estate 