Portrush has finally hosted the Open but, as Ireland make their Test bow at Lord’s, they must do so as guinea pigs – is it a snub?It’s a wonder the Irish are so well known for their hospitality when you consider the state of some of the people they have to welcome. The very same day play got under way in the 148th Open the papers here led with the Boris Johnson line, first reported in the Financial Times, about Leo Varadkar, “why isn’t he called Murphy like all the rest of them?” Add it to the list, along with Iain Duncan Smith’s blithe dismissal of “this Irish stuff”, Karen Bradley’s blunt admission of her own ignorance of the difference...
The Irishman conquered his fears and the horrible weather for a memorable Open triumph, winning by six shotsThey were nervous at the 1st, and so was he. The ovation they gave Shane Lowry when he stepped out to begin the final round of the 148th Open soon settled down into an uneasy silence. Lowry is an anxious man. He has said it himself. Back in 2016 he got so stressed about organising the guest list for his wedding that he and his fiancée decided they were better off eloping to New York instead. It was later that same year he blew a four-shot lead in the last round of the US Open at Oakmont. Everyone remembered that one and, even...
It was no disgrace for Fleetwood to finish six shots behind the sentimental favourite who held him at bay through driving rainThe Sabbath was never a day for gambling in these parts and Tommy Fleetwood resisted the temptation in picking his way round a sodden, wind-whipped course with more devil in it than your average prison cell. He still did not win but he did as well as the elements, the Dunluce Links and his temperament would allow.On a day when JB Holmes shot 87 and Cameron Smith reckoned a 15-handicapper would not get around the course at all, it was no disgrace finishing six shots behind the sentimental and rightful favourite, Shane Lowry. The ever-smiling Irishman held him at...
The conclusion of the third round of this year’s Open will be greeted by flutes and drums in Portrush and a depressing look back to a Northern Ireland beset by sectarian divisionWhen the Portrush Sons of Ulster’s Facebook page becomes essential reading, you realise this year’s Open is no ordinary championship.As the third round of the final major of the year concludes, spectators will exit Royal Portrush to the sound of flutes and drums. The R&A wants us to cast our minds dreamily back to 1951, when Max Faulkner triumphed on Antrim’s north coast; Saturday evening will instead catapult us back to 1690 and the Battle of the Boyne. Continue reading...
Second major of the season gets under way at the Country Club of Charleston on Thursday but the $5.5m purse is dwarfed by the men’s of $12.5mThe USGA normally has to wait until June before the annual necessity to hunker down as criticism flies from all directions. The men’s US Open, as beset by complaints relating to course setup or rules matters, has become the most controversial tournament in golf. At Pebble Beach next month, another fevered chapter will surely play out.This week’s US Women’s Open, which takes place in Charleston, also under the guidance of the USGA, has been afforded a noisy backdrop of its own. An anonymous survey carried out by Golf Digest – interviewing players, caddies, coaches...