The Open Review
Is Xander the best in the world?
I used to watch Xander’s expressionless face and think, “he’s absolutely shitting himself.” But since the American won the PGA Championship and now the Open Championship, that same look strikes as unflappable confidence. God knows what’s going on in his head, but he's contending in every major. He's gone from elite bottle job to best player in the world. It’s amazing how the narrative changes - well done Xander.
Make the Pros Suffer
It is fantastic when the best players in the world grit their teeth, turn their caps backwards, and battle through wind and water. Billy Horschel’s back 9 on Saturday, during which he did not hit a green in regulation, was a display of such grim determination it could only be conjured up by a West Ham fan.
Scheffler is Tiger-esque with his ball striking… but he can’t putt.
Yes, he duffed one on the 18th, but statistically, Scottie Scheffler is performing every bit as well as Tiger Woods in his pomp in all but one category. Put a long iron, or a wedge, or a driver in his hands and no one else in his era stands a chance. But the putting is a problem. It derailed his 2023 season, but appeared to be solved earlier this year. Old habits die hard though and a slew of missed opportunities over the weekend at Troon left him 7 shots off the Champion Golfer.
There’s nothing better than Links Golf
Watching players on the PGA Tour battle long rough and lightning greens is pretty cool, but it’s almost impossible to recreate the drama and unpredictability of Links Golf. Wind, rain, dodgy bounces and bunkers that can swallow a man whole and add to that the brutal length of the back 9 and it makes for a helluva tournament.
What could have been for Lowry
It was a rollercoaster week for the beloved Irishman who looked to be firmly in control heading into the weekend, but a nightmare third round in the worst conditions of the day saw him slump to a 77 leaving him with too much work to do on Sunday. The advantage he has on the links is clear though, our guess is that he picks up at least one more Claret Jug over the next decade.
The Postage Stamp
What more can be said about this wonderful little 110 yard golf hole. The wind, often howling off the left, encourages the aggressive player to hang one out there and ride the elements towards the flag. Go too far and you’ll wake up in the aptly named “Coffin Bunker”, don’t go far enough and everything falls to the right. There is no safe path on the Postage Stamp.
The Railway Hole
A bizarre moment on Friday saw Patrick Cantlay swing his club full throttle as a train approached him at 100 mph. The railway on the 11th hole is a quirk of Scottish golfing history that runs through a number of courses on The Ayrshire coast delivering nightmares to tourists and pros alike. Golfers must decide between gorse on the left or tracks on the right and god help you if you’re partial to a slice.
