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The Open will return to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951. With The Troubles in Ireland between 1968 and ’98 there was no chance of a return, but times have changed and there will be several smiling faces welcoming this event to a hometown course. Darren Clarke has a home nearby, whilst Graeme McDowell was born in the small town of Portrush along with Brooks Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliott. Oh, and Rory McIlroy has some history on this course too, but more on that later.
Lending a local view of the event, Clarke admitted “Obviously we (Northern Ireland) have had our difficulties in the past”, but says that only adds to the “Very, very proud” feeling of hosting an anticipated 215,000 spectators on golf’s biggest stage.
What to Expect
To expect the unexpected would be impossible, given nobody knows what to expect (or, more specifically, what not to expect). We know the weather will have its say, but its lips will remain tightly sealed until such time as it wants to bare its teeth. Serene weather at the Scottish Open last week saw a season-low winning score on the European Tour around the sort of links course that is notoriously punishing, so if the wind holds off then whatever half-cooked scripts had been scrambled together by TV experts and pub pundits can be thrown out the window.
At the Ready
Matt Kuchar and Justin Thomas managed -16 (T20) & -19 (T9) respectively in Scotland, showing that generous weather certainly opens things up to the Americans more. The likes of Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods enter the week with reason for optimism, but it’s Brooks Koepka who possesses the edge (for a change) in the form of aforementioned local caddie Ricky Elliott. Whilst the new 7th & 8th holes present a fresh challenge, he may well have the best knowledge of the rest of the course in the entire field. Elliott’s knowledge is, of course, Koepka’s knowledge.
Francesco Molinari defends the Claret Jug that he won primarily thanks to his precision and bogey-avoidance (a bogey-free weekend at Carnoustie is something to behold). However, this year’s winner will likely need to mix a few more birdies in there. Statistically speaking, that puts Matt Fitzpatrick in the mix as he ranks third in Bogeys Per Round (2.30) & fifth in Birdies Per Round (4.46) on the European Tour. Perhaps it will require the more aggressive approach, such as that of Jon Rahm at the Irish Open, to get over the line, but Fitzpatrick is in with a strong shout for his first Top-10 at a Major since T7 at The Masters in 2016.
As for Rory…Sure, he’s World No. 3, has his name on the Claret Jug, is playing a local course of his childhood and has eleven Top-10 finishes and two wins in 13 starts this year… That’s all fine, but it’s all background noise. The real story is something McIlroy did as a 16-year-old amateur. The local starlet blitzed Royal Portrush’s Dunlace Links course to card a 61 that obliterated the course record. And he did it all as a kid.
In Conclusion…
With its extreme unpredictability and outstanding field of talent, an Open Championship at Royal Portrush is a gambler’s nightmare and a golf fan’s dream.
Joe Carabini
