Rory Happy With Scottish Open Play, Heads To Portrush The Betting Favorite

The punters have Rory McIlroy at 8-1 or so, the only single-digit price on the current OddsChecker board totaling all of the UK betting houses.

And while he wasn’t ashamed of his 67-67-68-69, the pushover that Renaissance Club proved wasn’t quite the exacting links test some might have wanted. Though McIlroy says he just wanted “a scorecard in his hand” and while it was unsaid, he surely wanted to arrive at Portrush late enough to cut down on the amount of “Rory” screams he will hear all week (with the best intent of course).

From Alistair Tait’s Golfweek report:

“All I wanted to do was get a scorecard in my hand,” McIlroy said. “Doesn’t matter if the winning score is 20 under or 10 under or whatever. I just wanted to play four rounds of competitive golf. I’m going to do that this week and at least have a better idea of where my game is at heading into next week, instead of having a few weeks off and trying to figure it out once I get there.

Video: Royal Portrush's Thirteenth And Fourteenth Holes

There isn’t much mystery to the 191-yard par-3 13th at Royal Portrush (view flyover here). It’s the most heavily-bunkered green here and features some nice wings for hole locations—at least they are nice if you aren’t trying to play to them in The Open.

The 470-yard 14th plays back toward the sea, with a fairway filled with bumps and pits to make it one of the most challenging tee shots on the course. Another elevated green awaits, with a steep fall-off left and a slight swale right.

Portrush's 1951 Open Championship: So Much To Savor In Reading About Max Faulkner's Win

Carve out a few minutes to read John Fischer’s look back at Max Faulkner and the 1951 Open win at Royal Portrush. Fischer covers so much of note about a fascinating character from the past who was rightlyfully remembered as an eccentric who lived an extraordinary existence.

Here is just one of many tidbits of note:

Faulkner had a major weakness: putting. His idol, Locke, seemed to make every putt, but Faulkner missed too many, and he continually changed putters, sometimes even making his own. His most unusual putter had a shaft made from a billiard cue and a head made from a piece of driftwood that Faulkner had found on the beach. He got good press about the odd putter, but it wasn’t that often in his bag.

Here is the official Open site’s write-up of the ‘51 event where hometown man Fred Daly was the favorite son.

There is also this cartoon—yes—recreating the greatest shot final round playing partner Frank Stranahan had ever seen, documented in Fisher’s piece.

Peter Alliss on Faulkner and the 1951 Open. He’s a bit more frail and yet as elegant as ever.

And the old film:

Video: Royal Portrush's Eleventh And Twelfth Holes

The 475-yard par-4 11th—viewable in this flyover by clicking on the link—poses the most daunting drive if the wind is up. A left-to-right shaped shot is called for but some of the trickiest dunes and vegetation await the wayward. Another green complex with only one bunker and a fall-off to the side.

The hole is named for the club’s first professional.

The par-5 12th plays straight away with pits off the tee to easily catch a slight miss. The par-5 narrows gradually as it plays through dunes and finishes at a small green fronted by a deep swale and fall-offs on all sides. Dhu Varren is the local railway station.

Video: Royal Portrush's Ninth and Tenth Holes

The ninth at Royal Portrush will be a brute with any wind at all, as a right-to-left tee shot is needed with firm ground to offset the ground tilt and small bunkers awaiting drives not turned over. But turn it over too much and the trouble left appears to be of the pitch-out variety.

Playing through a beautiful dunescape, the 432-yard par-4 finishes with an uphill second shot to a deep, bunkerless green with a fall-off to the right, sideboard left. With two bunkers well short of the green, judging distance may be tricky here.

After a distinctive right-to-left bend to the previous par-4’s, the 10th turns things around and asks for a left-to-right shot shape to shorten its 456 yards. Maybe.

Playing through the Himalaya-like dunescape for which the 10th is named, the optimum view of this long, slender green set amidst dunes comes from the left side of the fairway, otherwise the sightline into the green is likely to be obstructed.

Will Tiger Woods Be Open Ready?

It’s the question on many minds as Tiger returns to the major he nearly won last year and where his creativity, shot shaping and wind-management give him an edge over less-seasoned players.

But as he goes from Pebble Beach to The Open without a start, it’s reasonable to wonder if just waking up at 1 am is enough to get ready. David Feherty thinks so, sort of. Pat Ralph at Golf.com with Feherty’s comments.

“He sticks to a plan,” Feherty said. “I think a good deal of it will depend upon the weather, which I suspect being from there may not be great. We may get some real Open Championship weather. Personally, I kind of hope we do. There’s something traditional or special about playing golf in bad weather. And Tiger typically is not renowned as a bad weather player. I don’t know what sort of shape his back is in for that kind of thing, but I know Freddy [Couples] suffered with it over the years. But the only mistake I’ve ever made about Tiger Woods is underestimating him. He’s an unknown quantity at the moment.”

Bob Harig takes a deeper look into the numbers and considers Tiger’s chances at Portrush for ESPN.com, noting that Woods has never played the week before The Open as a professional. There was this headline-grabber last week from Padraig Harrington:

"I personally think if you're serious about winning The Open, you've got to be playing tournament golf at least before it," two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington said before last week's Irish Open. "You'd rather be playing links golf and being in a tournament than just [playing] on your own, so if you're serious about trying to win the Open, you should be playing at least one, if not two, of the events running into it.

"I was always mightily impressed when Tiger Woods would play in a major without playing the week before. I'd be a basket case if I didn't play the week before."

It should be noted that even when Woods went over early and hung out in Ireland, he was usually playing golf at an inland course and not on a links buddies trip.

Video: Royal Portrush's Seventh And Eighth Holes; Rory McIlroy Explains How To Play Them

We’ve arrived at the two new holes created to make this Open a reality. You’ll see much coverage on this, including a Golf Channel feature I hope you’ll enjoy early in the week, with a special emphasis on architect Martin Ebert. (As with the previous flyovers, I can’t embed, so hit the links and enjoy.)

The new par-5 7th measures 590 yards and features a tribute to Nellie (hit link to see the flyover), the huge fairway bunker at the old 17th hole where the tented village will sit this year. What will be done with the old 17th has yet to be officially announced. But in the meantime, we will see if Ebert’s fairway bunker poses the same risk/reward threat as Nellie. From there the 7th winds through steep dunes that used to be part of Valley course holes before a fairly simple looking green, with some fall off left and in front. Note the exposure of sand in the dunes.

From there Ebert created a dogleg left par-4 8th that looks pretty stunning. The tees sit atop dunes and the 430-yarder bends around a ridge line except for one open sand pit that still looks a bit raw and new in this flyover. There are two small bunkers on the outside of the dogleg to catch drives not turning the corner.

This green complex looks much livelier than the 7th and similar to many at Portrush, with plenty of trouble for the missed approach.

Here are two R&A-produced videos with Rory McIlroy playing the new holes and giving his endorsement.

Geography Based: R&A Goes To Three-Hole Aggregate At Portrush

Good to see the R&A is simply looking at the holes before them at Royal Portrush to reduce their normal four-hole aggregate Open playoff to three, as Doug Ferguson reports here.

The mind immediately goes to (A) St. Andrews and its perfect four-hole rotation of 1-2-17-18 and (B) a possible caving to the demands of other majors to shorten the Open Championship playoff. (The Masters is silly sudden death, while the U.S. Open is two holes and the PGA Championship three holes).

About That Sound Of Drums You'll Hear Saturday At The Open

Ewan Murray explains the “celebration of marching bands” concert to take place Saturday of The Open at Portrush. You may hear drum sounds as the last groups are playing and depending on who you believe, there may be an Orange Order appearance (here’s a different view than Murray’s).

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.

In what has been billed as a “celebration of marching bands”, a three-hour concert will take place from 6.30pm in the centre of the town. The performers are listed on social media as if it were as natural as Glastonbury (which, in respect of Northern Ireland, you can make the reasonable case it is).

The William King Memorial band start proceedings, followed in half‑hour slots by the Derryloran Boyne Defenders, Dunloy Accordion, Ballykeel Loyal Sons of Ulster and Moneyslane Flute Band. The Drumderg Loyalists will round things off from 9pm. The Sons of Ulster will then march to an Orange hall. There is naturally a comedic, ludicrous undertone to this in 2019 but when placed on the Open’s doorstep it is a horrendously embarrassing look.

Lovely!

Video: Royal Portrush's Fifth And Sixth Holes

The land has gradually grown more interesting with each hole and for many the par-4 fifth is the front nine’s best hole, a dogleg right over and around rumpled grounds rewards a left-to-right play. A deep green abuts the sea and White Rocks nearby and is generally the course’s most photographed spot, affording incredible views in all directions.

The 189-yard sixth sets up for a left-to-right shaped shot, depending on wind, and gradually narrows to a back peninsula featuring a steep falloff to the rear. Shots that are not shaped into the back third of the green will likely bound through into trouble.

Video: Royal Portrush's Third and Fourth Holes

The simple-looking par-3 third is 174 yards and guarded on the left by a swollen pot bunker and on the right but a tightly-mown hillock. Roll-offs left and in the left-rear probably eliminate many attempts at a run-up shot. The third green tilts right to left.

Things pick up considerable steam at the beautiful par-4 fourth, teeing off over a ravine with out-of-bounds down the right in the form of a property line. Another right-to-left shaped tee shot with bunkers left sets up an approach to a green situated between hillocks. The iron shot also sets up nicely for a right-to-left shot shape.

The 4th is named for Ireland’s first Open Champion and Portrush native son, Fred Daly.

Video: Royal Portrush's First And Second Holes

To get up to speed on Royal Portush, seen briefly in the 2012 Irish Open and before that, the 1951 Open, the options for flyovers are limited. Without the official Open site posting anything, we at least have this lovely set on Vimeo to check out. They can’t be embedded but I know you can handle clicking the link!

With out of bounds down the right and fairway bunkers, expect players to start with a lot of hybrids and irons on the 416-yard first. The green is elevated with a nice, steep fall-off to add interest. This hole was originally the third hole in H.S. Colt’s renovation of the course but became the first when Portrush’s clubhouse moved closer to today’s course.

The 572-yard second hole plays out in the same direction as the opener before bending left. Cross bunkers and tall, pinching dunes will annoy those who had to wedge out but otherwise this should be a great opportunity for birdie. The bunkerless green is slightly elevated and benched in between dune and a short grass fall off that will lure players to go for the green in two. But a slight miss will leave a tough recovery.

R&A: Terrain Unsuitable For Buggies Cited As Reason For Denying John Daly's Request

As with Bethpage Black, carts, aka buggies when we move overseas, are not allowed at any time. As noted by the R&A in squashing John Daly’s request for a cart.

From Alistair Tait’s Golfweek report, that also suggests the R&A had other reasons besides steeper-than-normal dunes:

“We believe that walking the course is an integral part of the Championship and is central to the tradition of links golf which is synonymous with The Open. We must also ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field.

“The terrain at Royal Portrush is not suited to buggies and indeed the club itself does not permit their use. We have a serious concern that some parts of the course, where there are severe slopes and swales, would be inaccessible.”

Open Coverage Plans: 50 Live Hours, Tom At Turnberry, Irish Flute Takes Over For Bagpipes

Yanni’s been busy in the studio working with Irish flutists as bagpipers protest outside, as you’ll note in the trailer below. The NBC/Golf Channel plan for the 2019 Open Championship for Immediate Release:      

ORLANDO, Fla., (July 1, 2019) – In partnership with The R&A, NBC Sports Group announced its all-encompassing coverage plans for The 148TH Open, taking place July 18-21 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. NBC Sports will dedicate 410 total hours surrounding The Open, the most ever, with 200 hours of linear programming coupled with 210 complementary hours of streaming coverage, including featured holes and marquee groups. Spanning from Thursday’s opening tee shot through Sunday’s final putt, the network’s Emmy-nominated tournament coverage will feature nearly 50 live hours, annually the most live coverage hours from any golf event. 

Having covered The Open for 40 years collectively, Paul Azinger (2005-’15), Nick Faldo (2004-’07 & 2016-’18) and Mike Tirico (1997-2018) will contribute their extensive familiarity in calling golf’s original championship and be joined by the deepest and most-experienced roster of analysts, hosts, reporters and personalities in golf. The network’s live tournament and complementary coverage will feature in-depth perspective on the significance of The Open’s return to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951, and for only the second time ever. This year, The Open also is being staged as the final men’s major championship of the year for the first time since 1971.

“The tradition that surrounds golf’s original championship takes on added significance this year with The Open returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports Group. “Our extensive approach will feature an unprecedented amount of coverage, with live coverage from the first tee shot early Thursday morning through the final putt on Sunday evening. Leading up to The Open, our coverage will help set the stage with not only the competitive storylines, but also the cultural significance of Northern Ireland as host for just the second time in the 148-year history of The Open.”                                                               

Highlights of NBC Sports’ 410 Hours of Coverage Surrounding The 148TH Open: 

• “Playing Through” Returns: Enhancing both the viewership and commercial experience, NBC Sports’ popular “Playing Through” split-screen commercial format returns for The Open, ensuring viewers don’t miss key stretches of the action during commercial breaks. During NBC Sports’ coverage of The Open at Carnoustie in 2018, an additional 181 shots of live golf were shown because of “Playing Through”.

• Comprehensive News Coverage All Week: Called “the best 19th hole in television golf” by Golf Digest, Golf Central’s Live From The Open platform will headline nearly 70 hours of comprehensive news coverage from Royal Portrush, beginning Monday, July 15 at 9 a.m. ET. Morning Drive will complement the network’s news presence, including Midnight Drive, the show’s special 90-minute live pre-game show (Midnight-1:30 a.m. ET) that leads directly into the opening tee shot of The 148TH Open with GOLF Channel’s live coverage kicking off at 1:30 a.m. ET on Thursday morning.

• GOLF Films’ Tom at Turnberry: Premiering on Monday, July 8 at 9 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel, Tom at Turnberry will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Tom Watson’s unthinkable run (at age 59) at winning a sixth Claret Jug. On-site coverage during The Open also will feature a collection of GOLF Films “shorts,” to help tell the stories of The 148TH Open and Royal Portrush.

• Vantage Point with Mike Tirico Originating from Royal Portrush on Tuesday, July 16: Complementing the network’s Golf Central Live From The Open coverage, a new episode of Vantage Point with Mike Tirico will premiere on Tuesday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET, originating from Royal Portrush. The show will include a GOLF Films short from NBC Sports’ David Feherty on his native Northern Ireland, in addition to a remarkable story on efforts being made to help curb PTSD through golf at Waterville Golf Links in Ireland. Vantage Point also will welcome additional guests alongside Tirico to offer context surrounding golf’s original championship in its return to Northern Ireland for the first time in nearly seven decades. Next month also will mark Tirico’s 23rd consecutive year covering The Open, and in addition to Vantage Point he’ll also contribute to NBC Sports’ live tournament coverage.

• The Men in Blazers Show at The Open Returns, Airing on NBCSN, July 17-21: NBC Sports’ critically-acclaimed The Men in Blazers – Roger Bennett and Michael Davies – are set to return to The Open for the second consecutive year, abandoning their Panic Room studio in the “crap part of SoHo” in Manhattan for a distant corner of Royal Portrush for a nightly show, Wednesday, July 17 through Sunday, July 22 on NBCSN. The nightly show will include featured guests, daily highlights, non-traditional stories and cultural elements from The Open presented in the duo’s signature, unconventional style. In addition to the nightly show on NBCSN from Royal Portrush, Rog and Davo will offer their unique takes on The Open through a series of features for NBC Sports’ overarching coverage.

• David Feherty Vignettes Highlight Unique Aspects of The Open: A native of Northern Ireland, NBC Sports’ David Feherty will deliver a collection of his signature vignettes to highlight the underappreciated and perhaps overlooked aspects of The Open from a local’s perspective. Excursions for Feherty will include an education on the ancient game of Hurling, a sport of Gaelic and Irish origins; a journey to locate a proper source for traditional Irish music; and a morning spent at sea attempting to catch his breakfast. Other content elements will include a story on the 2007 Walker Cup team, and a recollection of Rory McIlroy’s course record-setting 61 at Royal Portrush as a 16-year-old.

• Chronicles of a Champion Golfer: GOLF Channel will premiere new episodes of Chronicles of a Champion Golfer, a compelling series featuring first-person narratives of past Open champions. Airing on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET, upcoming episodes include Jordan Spieth (July 2 – 2017 champion), and Johnny Miller (July 9 – 1976 champion). The full library of Chronicles of a Champion Golfer episodes are currently available on GOLFPASS, featuring Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, among others.

• Golf’s Greatest Rounds: GOLF Channel will travel back in time with a collection of memorable Open Championships. Golf’s Greatest Rounds will relive the signature moments from past champions Darren Clarke (July 3 – 2011; Royal St. George’s), and Rory McIlroy (July 10 – 2014; Royal Liverpool).

• AIRTMES FOR THE 148TH OPEN WEEK (All Times EST)

  Monday, July 15

  7-9 a.m.                                   Morning Drive

  9-11 a.m.                                 Golf Central Live From The Open

  11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.                  Sky Sports – On The Range  

  7-9 p.m.                                   Golf Central Live From The Open

  9-10 p.m.                                 The Road to Royal Portrush

  Tuesday, July 16

  6-10 a.m. / Noon-2 p.m.         Golf Central Live From The Open

  10 a.m.-Noon                          Morning Drive

  9-10 p.m.                                 Vantage Point with Mike Tirico

  Wednesday, July 17

  6-10 a.m. / Noon-2 p.m.         Golf Central Live From The Open

  10 a.m.-Noon                          Morning Drive

  11-11:30 p.m.                         The Men in Blazers (NBCSN)

  Thursday, July 18

  Midnight-1:30 a.m.                 Midnight Drive

  1:30 a.m.-4 p.m.                      The Open – First Round

  4-5 p.m.                                   Golf Central Live From The Open

  11-11:30 p.m.                         The Men in Blazers (NBCSN)

  Friday, July 19

  1:30-4 p.m.                             The Open – Second Round

  4-5 p.m.                                   Golf Central Live From The Open

  11-11:30 p.m.                         The Men in Blazers (NBCSN)

  Saturday, July 20

  5-7 a.m.                                   The Open – Third Round

  7-11 a.m.                                 Golf Central Live From The Open

  7 a.m.-3 p.m.                           The Open – Third Round (NBC)

  3-4 p.m.                                   Golf Central Live From The Open

  1-1:30 a.m.                              The Men in Blazers (NBCSN, Saturday Overnight)

  Sunday, July 21

  4-7 a.m.                                   The Open – Final Round      

  7-9:45 a.m.                              Golf Central Live From The Open

  7 a.m.-2 p.m.                           The Open – Final Round (NBC)

  2-4 p.m.                                   Golf Central Live From The Open

  10-10:30 p.m.                         The Men in Blazers (NBCSN)

Slumbers Backtracks On No Deal Brexit Comment Showing That There Is No Deal To Be Made From Talking About No Deal Brexit

Interesting to see R&A Chief Martin Slumbers issue a statement a day after suggesting a no-deal Brexit could lead to headaches for the first Open in Northern Ireland since 1951.

Serious gunpoint style quotes here. All for…just answering a question. Or was this at issue? Pallets!

"There is no doubt in my mind that it is going be an historic occasion," said Slumbers of the 18-21 July event.

"We are determined to deliver an outstanding Championship at Royal Portrush and stage the biggest ever sporting event ever to be held on the island of Ireland.

"It is a privilege to be bringing The Open back to Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951 and we are all looking forward to it very much.

"We are working with our partners and the local agencies in Northern Ireland to stage a fantastic Championship of which everyone will be proud."