Tuesday At The Open Championship
Players opine on a number of topics including the new par 3. Plus, NBC and Sky coverage plans, pricey merch reviewed, and inside Hoylake's clubhouse.
The rain came a bit early and left early Tuesday but it was enough to take whatever firmness re-established Monday afternoon out of Royal Liverpool.
Yet practice carried on for players in the less than rosy conditions with The 151st now just hours away. Play commences Thursday at 6:35 am with Matthew Jordan, Richie Ramsay and Branden Grace heading out first.
(Remember, only the first tee is used in The Open. The final group tees off Thursday at 4:16 p.m. local time.)
View the full field tee times announced Tuesday.
The Met Office is still resisting commitment to a meaningful Saturday or Sunday’ weather forecast, but at least punters who play luck of the draw can see a slight early-late advantage on paper.
Several players stopped through the press center and while no one broke any news, there were plenty of quotes worth chewing on. Today’s edition will cover those, then touch on NBC and Sky’s plans for this week before wrapping with a merch review and a look inside the wonderful clubhouse. Shall we?
Quotable
Brooks Koepka on his first experience with Hoylake in 2014. “Probably a little bit different golfer than I was in 2014. But I mean, the course sets up really well. Links golf is all about avoiding bunkers and positioning yourself in the right spot and playing smart. Just comes down to making putts. I think it's a good golf course. I don't think length is a huge advantage out here. It'll be interesting to see.”
Koepka on the internal out of bounds impacting play at the 3rd and 18th holes. “We don't really play too many golf courses that have it. I think at the PGA they had it on 6. Couldn't go down 7. Obviously one here on 3 and I guess 18. It's fine. Just don't hit it over there you won't have a problem, right?”
Collin Morikawa on Royal Liverpool. “There's not really many blind tee shots, not many blind approaches, a few coming on the back nine, but everything is in front of you. Obviously they've always talked about staying out of the bunkers, but it's really true. It's a shot penalty if you hit it in these fairway bunkers. So that's step number one this week is to stay out of as many fairway bunkers as possible, and then hopefully give ourselves some birdie opportunities.”
Morikawa on calling The Open the British Open: “I definitely called it the British Open the year I won and then people gave me hate for it, so then I called it The Open last year, but I played better when I called it the British Open, so I might call it the British Open. But obviously British pertains to certain parts of Europe, but I guess -- I'm not too good with this whole geography, world stuff. I think people understand whether you say British Open or The Open. At the end of the day if you win it you can call it whatever the hell you want.”
Jon Rahm when asked about the possibility of protests by environmental activists Just Stop Oil: “I really don't know. I've seen a couple of those things. I know they're going for an impact. I saw a couple of them intervening in Wimbledon, and obviously this looks like it could be a perfect spot. But we have nothing to do with it.”
Jon Rahm on links golf. “My first round was right before we played the British Boys at Royal St. George's. My dad and I played -- and I'm going to butcher the pronunciation, Royal Cinque Ports. So my dad and I played there for the first time, and he had to tell me -- I had driver in hand on every hole and he's like, yeah, you might want to hit a 3-iron. I'll never forget the first hole was playing downwind and I hit 3-iron and I saw that ball bounce once and twice and three, and just keep on going, which I'm more used to see the ball bounce backwards and that's it. It was a really fun day, really fun experience. I actually played pretty good for my first showing, and I think I've done okay in links golf, and I've played some good golf and I enjoy it every time. I think it's, in my mind, golf at its purest state, no matter what the weather is. There's so many ways of getting it done.”
Rahm on his new equity stake deal with Callaway and whether it would impact his views on a possible distance rollback. “I think no matter our view, it looks like it's happening, so it doesn't really matter what I think or not. But if it can be at the forefront of a big company like Callaway who can get ahead of it and that could be invested a little bit earlier, that could be great. But yeah, it doesn't really change. The USGA and the R&A are going to do what they want to do, no matter what I think.”
Rory McIlroy, stopping for a few quick quotes to a pool reporter on Royal Liverpool. “It's in superb condition. It's basically how I remember it. It's a very strategic golf course off the tee. It's very, very well bunkered and you sort of have to -- that's I think the biggest challenge of this golf course, is avoiding those pot bunkers off the tee. Just getting really comfortable with the clubs you're hitting off certain tees and whether you challenge the bunkers or not or lay back, it's a very strategic golf course, which I like. You really have to think your way around it.”
Scottie Scheffler on Royal Liverpool’s bunkers. “I'm just going to try and avoid the bunkers at all costs. I feel like at St. George's a lot of the bunkers had a tiny bit of an upslope before you got to the wall face, and here it seems like the faces of every bunker is almost a downslope going towards it. I don't think that's something I particularly like in a golf course. I think it doesn't reward the good shots as much. If you're closer to the green you end up closer to the lip, and if you get a worse shot and barely get into the bunker you actually have a play. So I would prefer if there was a little bit of slope there, but that's what's so special about the majors. Every golf course is different and it's a challenge, and I'm just going to do my best to stay out of them this week.”
Scheffler when asked about watching YouTube video of Tiger’s 2006 win here. “I had never seen this course before. I didn't really know anything about it, other than the fact that it was really firm and he only hit one driver for the entire week. Anytime I'm coming to a new course, I try to learn something about it before I get there versus just coming in blind. It really is a valuable tool for me.”
Two More Takes On The 17th
Scheffler was asked about the radical new par 3 at Royal Liverpool and revealed that he’s been talking with other players about how to play the Martin Ebert-designed addition.
“There is not really a high-percentage play,” Scheffler said. You just have to hit a really good shot, and if you don't, I would say missing it left of the green is a little bit better than right.
“That bunker is pretty treacherous on the right. But as far as that hole goes I'm just going to try and hit a really good shot, and that's pretty much all you can do.”
Koepka likes the short distance and says its success is wind-dependent.
“If you get a cross wind there, it could be pretty interesting,” he said. “I'm a big believer in the short par-3s, make it difficult, exactly like that. I'm not a huge fan of 260, 250. It kind of takes -- I don't want to say the excitement out of it, but it's kind of boring. You already know it's a 3-iron and everybody is hitting to the same spot, where I think all the best par-3s in the world that have ever been designed are 165 yards or shorter.”
NBC And Sky: Faldo Unretires For A Week
Three-time former champion Nick Faldo is not yet a year into retirement and has been added to NBC’s Open coverage. He had previously been announced as a member of the Sky Sports crew and now joins a robust roster of NBC voices (see below). Prior to his “retirement” as CBS’s lead analyst, Faldo had worked one last hour at the 2022 Open with former ESPN colleagues Mike Tirico and Paul Azinger.
Now Faldo’s back though it’s debatable how many fans were thirsting for an investment in his return compared to spending on improved visuals or sound. NBC did not tout any significant technology rollouts or a Golf Channel documentary that has been part of recent Opens, but will have Live From features on former Open Champion Ben Curtis (who is now coaching high school golf), a Rich Lerner-helmed piece on Australian Jack Newton, and a Todd Lewis-reported story on Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s struggles with stuttering since childhood. Not sure those would have been top of mind with most folks, but maybe the finished product will make for great television.
Otherwise, NBC Sports plans to present nearly 50 hours of live championship coverage within the United States Thursday-Sunday, with more than 200 hours of live coverage including featured groups, featured hole and Open Championship All Access coverage on Peacock.
First and second-round coverage begins before each day’s first tee shot on Peacock and will conclude after the final putt drops, giving fans unparalleled coverage of this year’s championship.
On the featured hole front—you guessed it—Little Eye will be the focus this year on Peacock. Live featured groups Thursday-Sunday exclusively on Peacock will be split into two morning and two afternoon groupings.
The broadcast team that includes Mike Tirico on his 25th Open along three other lead analysts:
Play by Play: Dan Hicks / Mike Tirico / Terry Gannon / Steve Sands
Analyst: Paul Azinger / Brad Faxon / Nick Faldo / Paul McGinley
Tower: Curt Byrum / Brad Faxon
On-Course: John Wood / Notah Begay III / Smylie Kaufman / Arron Oberholser / John Cook
Essays: Jimmy Roberts
Interviews: Cara Banks
As with the U.S. Open, NBC will have “All Access” Thursday and Friday on Peacock, this time with Trey Wingo hosting and Billy Ray Brown analyzing. The feed is designed to “complement the traditional broadcast coverage, tapping into the main telecast, featured groups and featured hole coverage, range cam, and will include interviews with select guests.”
Open Championship All Access will stream exclusively on Peacock from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. ET on Thursday-Friday.
The U.S. times:
For The Quad’s UK subscribers, Sky’s coverage plans:
Sky Sports will have round-the-clock coverage from The Open, live from July 20-23, with 80 hours of live programming across the tournament week and a host of extra programming available to enjoy.
Thursday
6.30am-9pm - The Open LIVE!
9pm-9.30pm - The Open verdict LIVE!Red button - Live at The Range from 7am-11am and 12.30pm-4pm, Featured Groups from approx 8.30am and Featured Hole coverage from 10am (also live on Sky Sports Golf's YouTube channel)
Friday
6.30am-9pm - The Open LIVE!
9pm-9.30pm - The Open verdict LIVE!Red button - Live at The Range from 7am-11am and 12.30pm-4pm, Featured Groups from approx 8.30am and Featured Hole coverage from 10am (also live on Sky Sports Golf's YouTube channel)
Saturday
9am-11am - Saturday at The Open LIVE! (also onYouTube)
11am-8pm - The Open LIVE!
8pm-9pm - The Open verdict LIVE!Red button - Early play from first tee time, Featured Groups from approx 10am, Live at The Range from 11am-4pm, Featured Hole coverage from approx 12pm
Sunday
8am-11am - Sunday at The Open LIVE! (also on Sky Sports Golf's YouTube channel)
11am-7pm - The Open LIVE!
7pm-8pm - The Open verdict LIVE!Red button - Early play from first tee time, Featured Groups from approx 9.30am, Live at The Range from 10am-3pm, Featured Hole coverage from approx 12pm.
Merchandise Is Rea££y Pricey
Perhaps emboldened by robust sales at the 150th where “St Andrews” moved the goods through in record fashion, The Open “Shop” is back with the usual array of “stuff” priced like it’s a Taylor Swift concert. Since The Open funds most of the R&A’s many outstanding initiatives—something explained on each price tag—there should be some forgiveness, but it was hard not overhear the offense patrons were taking at prices. It’s even easier to spot the cash register operators waiving “Next Please” signs toward customers unwilling to invest $40 for a cap or $52 for a t-shirt.
Notably, a few fans I queried wondered if the players knew about the pricing and how poorly it reflects on them. The insinuation being that higher purses were driving the need for high prices, not the funding of R&A’s initiatives or supply chain issues.
Ultimately golf wants to be a lot of things in terms of welcoming and inclusivity, but absurd prices for merchandise of mixed quality and soulless design only reinforces all of the worst stereotypes.
A few of the items of note: