Tag: Open Championship
Prestwick St Nicholas is what is commonly known as the “Hidden Gem”. The second course at the birthplace of the Open Championship was also laid out by Old Tom Morris – for the tradesmen and labourers of the Scottish west coast town, who could not find a place at the posh Prestwick Golf Course. Old Tom was also only the keeper of the links at the PGC, but a member of “St Nics”, which is only a ten-minute drive from this year’s Open stage at Royal Troon and whose greens have recently been the victim of vandalism.
Prestwick St Nicholas golf club, 10 mins away from Royal Troon was found like this earlier today.
byu/Significant_Scotland ingolf
Consequences for Open Championship 2024
The security measures for the Open and the precautions against attacks by environmental activists, for example, have been stepped up again following this incident at the neighbouring site.
Between July 18 and 21, the 152nd Open Championship will take place at Royal Troon. The R&A has now published a study on last year’s tournament in Royal Liverpool, which shows the overall economic benefit for the Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region of the event.
Royal Liverpool: Second highest attended Open Championship in history
The 151st Open attracted 261,180 fans to Hoylake, surpassing the previous attendance of 202,917 at Royal Liverpool in 2014. This made it the second highest attended Open Championship in history, behind only The 150th Open in St Andrews in 2022. So it is not surprising that the event generated an impressive overall economic benefit for the Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region. A study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) speaks of a total economic impact of £43.19 million. In addition there are £144 million of destination marketing benefit as a result of the worldwide broadcast of The 151st Open as shown by independent research led by YouGov Sport. These numbers are the result of engagement on linear television and digital platforms during the week of The Championship. A little reminder: By the way, Brian Harman is the reigning champion at Royal Troon this year.
A new name added to the most iconic trophy in golf.
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2023
Brian Harman, your Champion Golfer of the Year. pic.twitter.com/ute123jyZ7
Compared to the last staging of The Open in Royal Liverpool in 2014, the economic impact has increased by as much as 35%. One in four spectators at the tournament even came from outside England, which further underlines the popularity of the event. This summer, the 152nd Open in Royal Troon is sure to attract a lot of spectators from all over the world once again.
Categories
Ivor Robson Passes Away Aged 83
Ivor Robson, a man with one of the most distinctive voices in golf, has died at the age of 83.
Ivor Robson, Voice of The Open
He was the official starter at The Open for 41 years and his passing has been met with an outpouring of affection from players and golf administrators alike.
He also acted for over 40 years as the DP World Tour’s official starter with his ‘on the tee’ message delivered in his cultured brogue at famous golf venues around the globe.
Ivor sent the world’s best players on their way in a wonderful career – from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods, from Arnold Palmer to Seve Ballesteros, from Tom Watson to Rory McIlroy.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “We are deeply saddened to hear of Ivor’s passing. As official starter at The Open for over 40 years, his voice was instantly recognisable and synonymous with the Championship for players and millions of golf fans worldwide.
“He was popular and well respected among all golfers who played in The Open and I know that they will share in our sadness at this news. On behalf of all of us at The R&A, I would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to his wife of 61 years, Lesley, and the Robson family.”
It was in 2015 when he announced his retirement, working at The Open at St Andrews for the final time, before making his emotional final announcements when the curtain came down on the DP World Tour season in Dubai in November 2015.
“It is a great honour to be the official starter for the greatest championship in the world”
Ivor said at the time, “It has been a wonderful career. It’s been a great honour. The way I have been treated by players, officials, sponsors… thank you all very much.”
A much-loved resident of Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, Ivor was born in England in 1940 and began his remarkable career at The Open in 1975 at Carnoustie. He went on to earn the admiration of the best players in the world, sending players off from the 1st tee with his famous words and a hearty grin.
“To the professionals, it has been great fun being here with you,” he added in 2015. “We have had lots of banter and it has been wonderful. You are a credit to the professional game. And to the spectators, thank you for your wonderful support over the years.”
For 41 stagings of The Open, it was one voice, Ivor’s voice, that marked the time.
Ivor Robson. 1940 – 2023.
— The Open (@TheOpen) October 17, 2023
A voice synonymous with The Open. pic.twitter.com/NTEvkrggQl
He didn’t miss a championship or a tee time going back to 1975 and was also well known for avoiding a toilet break as much as he could between matches teeing off.
Having worked at his 40th Open at Royal Liverpool in 2014, The 144th Open the following year was Ivor’s last.
When he took to the tee at 6.32am on the opening Thursday over the Old Course it marked the beginning of a final championship for the iconic 1st tee announcer.
“I feel you can’t go on forever and if you’re going to step off there’s no better place to do it than here,” he said. “I’ve had some nice ones but this is special, St Andrews. It is just magnificent.”
Ivor said he would miss many things about working at The Open but mostly it was the people. “Being involved, being a part of a team,” he said. “I’ll miss that a lot but it’s time to go.”
A fiercely private man who enjoyed playing when he could at his beloved Moffat Golf Club, he was also a proud Rolex Ambassador.
Looking back to his Open career, he added, “It is a great honour to be the official starter for the greatest championship in the world. I’m privileged and immensely proud. They were all very special.”
Text: The R&A
In the first round, the pros at the 2023 Open Championship had to contend with the treacherous pot bunkers at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. For round 2, the conditions were adjusted.
The deep pot bunkers are characteristic of the links courses in Scotland. The steep bunker walls give players a hard time on such courses anyway. Not infrequently, bad luck adds to the problem, so that a normal stance is not an option when playing out of the bunker. So the players have to get creative, play with one leg and in the worst case play back towards the tee. Complicating matters further is the sloping topography of the greens towards the bunkers, which causes balls to roll towards the sand time and time again.
Even some professionals despair of the challenging obstacles at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Justin Thomas, for example, ended his first round with a 9 on the par-5 18th because he was unable to free himself from a tricky bunker location.
Adjusting the bunkers at the 2023 Open Championship
In addition to sloping greens and steep bunker walls, the subsoil in particular poses a special challenge for the pros. The greenkeeping team has smoothed out the bottoms of the bunkers in preparation for the British Open 2023, so that the balls stay in tricky positions in the corners of the bunkers. With dry conditions in mind, the greenkeeping team was asked to adjust the bottoms of the bunkers after the completion of the first round.
The R&A explained, “We would like to inform you that we have adjusted the way the bunkers are raked overnight. Yesterday afternoon the bunkers dried out more than they have in recent weeks, and this resulted in more balls being left directly against the walls than we would normally expect. (…) We routinely rake the bunkers flat at most Open venues, but we decided this adjustment was appropriate given the drier conditions that occurred yesterday. We will continue to monitor this closely for the remainder of the championship.”
For now, then, it’s a case of breathing a sigh of relief for the players at the British Open. With a little luck, such hopeless situations as there were in the first round can be avoided.
The British Open is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in the world. It will be held this year at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course. The weather conditions on the rugged coast of Great Britain will in itself have a major impact on the tournament, but rain or storms can make the already demanding links course even more challenging for the professionals.
Weather forecast for the Open Championship 2023
The golf course has been through almost every weather condition in the past week. There have been thunderstorms, heavy rains, lots of wind and even the sun has made an appearance once. At least the start of the tournament is supposed to stay mostly dry.
Thursday, 20.07.
The tournament will start with a mostly sunny day and possible small showers.
Friday, 21.07.
On the day of the decision, who will be allowed to continue the weekend, it will be very cloudy with again small rainfalls.
Saturday, 22.07.
In the night from Friday to Saturday there may be heavier rain. On Moving Day, rain is expected to be almost continuous, easing during the day.
Sunday, 23.07.
On the final day, light showers are expected again and there may even be thunderstorms. On the other hand, the wind will drop a bit.
Can we rely on the forecast?
No. Especially in Great Britain, the weather is very erratic and can change every minute. Even professional golfers like Jon Rahm, don’t pay very much attention to the forecast. “We’re in England. We’re right next to the Channel, too. I don’t really look at the forecast because it changes so quickly. I hope we still see certain weather conditions because it’s the Open. There will always be wind. Hopefully the rain will stay away, but there will always be a period that favors some more than others. It doesn’t look like it’s going to play extremely fast or extremely firm because the rain and some of the humidity should stay, but you never know. I think it will play similar to 2014.”
Impact of weather conditions on the tournament and players
The weather in Liverpool can play a crucial role during The Open Championship. Rain can soften the ground on links golf courses and affect ball roll speed. The strong and unpredictable wind can affect the trajectory of the balls and pose tactical challenges to the golfers. Players will need to adapt to the changes and adjust their shots accordingly to be successful.
The 2023 Open Championship promises to be a compelling tournament on the links course near Liverpool. Weather conditions could play an important role and increase the challenges for the players. With the right preparations, golfers can bring out the best in each other. It is sure to be a tournament full of excitement, skill and fascinating moments as the best golfers in the world compete for the coveted title.
Ever since his success at the Scottish Open, Rory McIlroy has been the clear favorite for this year’s Open Championship in Liverpool. We take a look at what speaks for him and who could challenge him for the title.
A Rory McIlroy in top form at the Open Championship
At the beginning of the year, there seemed to be nothing that the Northern Irishman couldn’t win. But then the outside pressure mounted, it was as much about LIV and the PGA Tour as it was about sporting success, and McIlroy seemed to have reached his limit. The results failed to materialize, and time out was necessary, even from the Elevated events, which he had promised to participate in when they were first conceived. But with June 6 and the negotiated merger between the PGA and PIF, the pressure is also falling off. What happens at tour level is no longer his business, McIlroy thinks to himself, and plays as freely as he did at the beginning of the year. A second place at the US Open in June was the first bright spot, then the links victory last week. The signs are all pointing to McIlroy.
The fact that he is the last Champion Golfer of the Year to be named at Royal Liverpool further helps his odds. And let’s not forget the duel against Cam Smith at the 2022 Open Championship. McIlroy’s colleagues also know that the 34-year-old is a force to be reckoned with this week. Last year’s triumphant Cam Smith, for example, said. “There are a lot of guys who, if the week goes well, can be up there on Sunday. I’m sure Rory is one of them.” For Jon Rahm, McIlroy is also the main favorite. “If I had to pick one player, it would be Rory,” he said in an interview with Mercedes Benz. Matt Fitzpatrick even expresses a tiny bit of jealousy at the four-time major winner’s outstanding form. “I think everyone would like to play golf the way Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are doing right now. But that’s pretty rare for the rest of us.”
The unbeatable Scottie Scheffler
If there is anyone who can outperform Rory McIlroy in terms of form, it is Scottie Scheffer. You’ll look in vain for a missed cut this year and all season for the world No. 1. His worst finish in 2023 is a split 12th.If there isn’t at least a top 10 for him this week, it almost has to be a disappointment. In his last ten major appearances, Scheffer missed the cut only once and finished outside the top 10 only once, but that was at the 2022 British Open. At St. Andrews, the currently unbeatable Scheffler apparently found his master. But he showed that he has no problems with links golf per se with a shared third place at the Scottish Open last week.
The defending champion Cameron Smith
Not to be forgotten, of course, is the defending champion. When Cameron Smith handed the Claret Jug back to Martin Slumbers of the R&A, he reluctantly let the trophy go. “I’ll just win it again,” he jousted. Even though Smith’s Ripper GC is only in the lower midfield of the LIV Golf League, things look very different for the captain. He ranks second in the season standings behind only Talor Gooch after his win in London. In addition, he boasts four top 10 results, an eleventh place finish and a twelfth place finish. His major record this year is not without its problems either. Although T34 at the Masters, where he particularly shone in previous years, the trend developed positively: T9 at the PGA Championship, 4th place at the US Open, what will he achieve at the Royal Liverpool?
The fiery Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm also looked unstoppable at the beginning of the year. Since the spring and his Masters win, however, he’s cooled off a bit. More breaks, results good enough to keep him in the top 3 in the world, but not to challenge Scheffler for the top spot. He is well aware of that himself, he explained before the tournament. “Obviously Rory and Scotty are more the favorites because they’ve been playing better lately, but I’m glad people still think I have a chance.” At the same time, he said, his expectations of himself are probably higher than what people on the outside think of him. “Whether people think you’re going to win or not, I’m still coming here to win.” He’s already won one major this year, and a second would definitely be in the cards.
Honourable Mentions
But, as Jon Rahm also says, “This is golf, all 150 of us have a chance.” Figures like Rickie Fowler, with chances to win the US Open and end his winless streak are also aiming for the title, as is Brooks Koepka, who has major title number 6 in his sights, but has had very inconsistent results at the Open Championship so far. With Tommy Fleetwood, who finished T4 behind Rory McIlroy last year and T6 last week, standing just as high with the bookmakers as world No. 5 Viktor Hovland, with whom Fleetwood shared fourth place in 2022. But in the end, there can only be one Champion Golfer of the Year 2023.
Galvin Green, the premium hi-tech apparel brand, has scripted striking outfits for four of its leading Tour ambassadors taking part in The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool this week, including three players on the cusp of making Europe’s Ryder Cup team in September.
They are led by Englishman Jordan Smith – fresh from a strong showing at the Genesis Scottish Open where he finished in a tie for 12 th. Two-time DP World Tour winner Jordan currently occupies 12 th place in the European Ryder Cup standings, followed by former Ryder Cup star Dane Thorbjørn Olesen in 15 th and Sweden’s Alexander Björk in 20 th spot. They will be joined by England’s Laurie Canter, one of the LIV Golf trailblazers.
Here are the colourful, high-performance garments that the four are set to wear as they take on the challenging Hoylake links, in addition to the market-leading Galvin Green outerwear and mid-layers they might need.
The Open Championship 2023: The looks of Galvin Green
Jordan Smith will step on the first tee on Thursday wearing the bold MADDEN short-sleeve shirt featuring a free-flowing wave print in the Navy/White colourway along with the matching NOAH trousers in Navy. Smith’s full-line up of performance-driven designs include:
The MAXIMUS shirt inspired by a still, calm ocean in Sharkskin and NOAH pants in Black; the tri-tone MO shirt offering a contemporary look in the Cool Grey/White/Navy colourway and navy NOAH trousers; MADDEN shirt in the refreshing Cool Grey/White colourway with matching NOAH trousers in Sharkskin.
Thorbjørn Olesen, winner of the Thailand Classic earlier this year, will be looking to elevate his season with a strong showing at Royal Liverpool wearing the following outfits:
The distinctive MARKOS shirt in a gleaming water-themed print to deliver a supremely eye-catching look paired with the NOAH trousers in the Ensign Blue/Navy and Navy colourways respectively; MADDEN design in the bright Blue/White option and NOAH in White; the MAXIMUS in Sharkskin and NOAH pants in Black; plus the MO shirt in the vibrant Cool Grey/White/Sunny Lime colour and NOAH in Sharkskin.
Alexander Björk, who has played in Galvin Green apparel since turning Professional in 2009, will sport a selection of athletic looks that include:
The MARKOS shirt in a mesmerising Navy/Orange colourway paired with the NOAH trousers in Navy for a super stylish appearance; vivid MO shirt in Black/White/Sharkskin and black NOAH trousers; distinctively bright MANOLO shirt in a fun print of small lighthouses and tee pegs, along with the NOAH trousers in Sharkskin; plus the MADDEN style in a super vibrant Orange/White colour complemented by the contrasting NOAH trousers in Navy.
Laurie Canter, who successfully booked his place at the 151 st Open through winning the Final Qualifying event at Royal Porthcawl in challenging conditions, will wear the following outfits:
The MARKOS shirt in Blue/Navy and matching NOAH pants in Navy; MALCOLM shirt in a stylish Black/Sharkskin/Red colour combination that is inspired by the natural beauty of coastal golfing venues and NIXON trousers in Black; trendy MICO shirt designed to project a bird’s eye view of the ocean from above and NIXON pants in Sharkskin; as well as the MADDEN in Navy/White and matching NOAH trousers in Navy.
“We’ve assembled these top-quality outfits to ensure our Tour Ambassadors look the part and perform at their best on the biggest stage,” said Conor Petters, Marketing Manager UK & Ireland. “Wearing our hi-tech clothes will hopefully give our players the edge to play at their peak and help secure a Ryder Cup spot further down the line in some cases,” he added.
All VENTIL8 PLUS shirts and trousers provide excellent moisture transportation properties and breathability to keep the body dry, while offering UV 20+ protection in warmer temperatures. Easy to maintain, the garments also dry quickly and without the need to iron. To explore the Galvin Green looks that will be worn at Hoylake, visit www.galvingreen.com.
The Champion Golfer of the Year will receive the highest amount in The Open’s history as it returns to the renowned Hoylake links for the 13th time.
The R&A announced that the total prize fund for The Open, played from 16-23 July 2023, will be USD16.5 million, an 18% increase on 2022.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “Our aim is to ensure The Open remains at the pinnacle of world golf and we have almost doubled the prize fund since 2016. While we are seeing substantial increases in prize money across the men’s professional game, we are fulfilling our wider obligation to the sport by elevating the AIG Women’s Open, strengthening pathways in the elite amateur game and encouraging more people around the world to play golf. We believe that getting this balance right is vital to the long-term future of the sport.”
| Place | USD |
|---|---|
| 1 | $3,000,000 |
| 2 | $1,708,000 |
| 3 | $1,095,000 |
| 4 | $851,000 |
| 5 | $684,500 |
| 6 | $593,000 |
| 7 | $509,500 |
| 8 | $429,700 |
| 9 | $377,000 |
| 10 | $340,500 |
| 11 | $310,000 |
| 12 | $274,700 |
| 13 | $258,300 |
| 14 | $241,800 |
| 15 | $224,800 |
| 16 | $206,600 |
| 17 | $196,600 |
| 18 | $187,500 |
| 19 | $179,600 |
| 20 | $171,100 |
| 21 | $163,100 |
| 22 | $155,000 |
| 23 | $146,700 |
| 24 | $138,500 |
| 25 | $133,800 |
| 26 | $128,000 |
| 27 | $123,300 |
| 28 | $119,100 |
| 29 | $113,900 |
| 30 | $108,000 |
| 31 | $104,500 |
| 32 | $99,200 |
| 33 | $95,700 |
| 34 | $93,000 |
| 35 | $89,800 |
| 36 | $86,200 |
| 37 | $82,200 |
| 38 | $78,000 |
| 39 | $75,200 |
| 40 | $72,800 |
| 41 | $69,800 |
| 42 | $66,400 |
| 43 | $63,400 |
| 44 | $59,800 |
| 45 | $56,400 |
| 46 | $53,400 |
| 47 | $51,300 |
| 48 | $49,300 |
| 49 | $47,000 |
| 50 | $45,900 |
| 51 | $44,900 |
| 52 | $44,100 |
| 53 | $43,400 |
| 54 | $42,800 |
| 55 | $42,100 |
| 56 | $41,500 |
| 57 | $41,100 |
| 58 | $40,800 |
| 59 | $40,500 |
| 60 | $40,200 |
| 61 | $40,000 |
| 62 | $39,800 |
| 63 | $39,600 |
| 64 | $39,400 |
| 65 | $39,200 |
| 66 | $38,900 |
| 67 | $38,600 |
| 68 | $38,300 |
| 69 | $38,000 |
| 70 | $37,800 |
Prize Money shall be allocated only to professional golfers.
If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Prize money will decrease by USD125 per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of USD36,550.
Non-qualifiers after two rounds: Leading 10 professional golfers and ties USD12,000; next 20 professional golfers and ties USD10,000; remainder of professional golfers and ties USD8,500.
The sporting outcome was to be expected after the first round of the British Open 2022. Tiger Woods fails to make the cut. But he had probably not expected the elemental force with which he was met by the love of the fans as he walked down the final fairway. Riotous cheers from the tee to the green. Standing ovations on the grandstand at the last hole. Even the 46-year-old, who won the British Open here in 2000 and 2005, had to shed a few tears.
“And I don’t know if I’ll be physically able to play another British Open here at St Andrews”. The next Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews is not scheduled for another eight years, in 2030, due to the chaos caused by the Corona pandemic. It’s actually the “Home of Golf’s” turn to host golf’s oldest major tournament every five years.
Tiger Woods: “You could feel the warmth”
That might be too long for Woods, who remains very limited in his walking. And so the walk down the final fairway amounted to a farewell tour. Everyone present seemed aware of the significance of the moment. And even though Woods still talks about wanting to continue working hard to play tournaments, it’s quite possible that this could never again be the case on his self-declared favorite course.
The closer he got to the 18 green, Woods explained, the more emotional it became. He said he saw Rory McIlroy, who had just started on one, coming toward him. “As I walked further along the fairway, I saw Rory right there. He gave me the tip of the cap. It was a pretty cool — the nods I was getting from guys as they were going out and I was coming in, just the respect, that was pretty neat. And from a players’ fraternity level, it’s neat to see that and feel that. And then as I got into the shot — or closer to the green, more into the hole, the ovation got louder and got — you could feel the warmth and you could feel the people from both sides. Felt like the whole tournament was right there.”
And it felt like a very special moment for the spectators, too. Something big was in the air, a big goodbye. At the very least, a big uncertainty. Tiger was probably not the only one who had “a few tears” in his eyes. But Woods made one thing clear right away during the subsequent media talk: “I’m not retiring from the game. I will continue to play British Opens in the future.”