Xander, Tiger and smooth Tennent’s beer: 50 observations on Open Championship
Xander Schauffele hits his second shot on Sunday on the 18th hole at Royal Troon.
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TYPING QUICKLY BECAUSE TENNENT’S IS CALLING, N.Y., USA — My friends and I play a game. Maybe you do too. For us golf-playing folk, it’s part of what makes golf-watching engaging, because you wonder:
What would I shoot?
What would I shoot at Augusta? What would I shoot at Pinehurst? Shoot, what would I shoot at any of these pro ballparks? The answer, of course, is “many” — but the conversation among my gang usually meanders to where we’d play the worst. Maybe it would be ANGC. I’ve gotten votes for Harbour Town due to its claustrophobic corridors. I’ve heard thoughts on Kapalua because of its unevenness.
But Royal Troon might just be at the top.
How many shots would I rack up from the coffin bunker? Would I just pick up?
Where would my ball go on 11? The gorse? The hay? Into a commuter-train seat?
How the hell would I survive a day like Saturday afternoon at Troon, with the winds slapping down hopes and the clouds unleashing tears? I mean, listen to those who strapped on their golf shoes that day:
Said Dustin Johnson: “I mean, the back nine, that’s the hardest nine holes I think you could ever play in golf right now, into the wind and rain — I mean, it’s so long I could barely reach — the par-4s, I had to smash 2 to get there, same with Brooks [Koepka]. That’s how long it was playing.”
Said Matthew Jordan: “I don’t quite know how to summarize it just yet. That back nine was just so tough. I was hitting clubs into there from yardages that I probably did when I was like 13, 14. It was just a complete grind.”
Said Mackenzie Hughes: “Yeah, it’s really tough. Very difficult because every single shot requires attention, focus. Even the little basic ones. Yeah, you’re just fighting for every single shot. It’s a long, grueling day, and happy to be done.”
That all being said, this is kinda why … we play golf, though. The challenge. The survival. If we can play it here, we can play it anywhere.
And we sure do like watching the best occasionally approach some of our scores.
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As we look back at the Open Championship week that was, we’ll make that observation No. 1 then. Let’s try for 49 more as we post up at the home office. There is motivation to finish, too. I’ve discovered the Vale Public House, in the Hamilton Heights area of NYC. It’s a Scottish-flavored pub.
With Tennent’s Lager on tap.
The thought is to publish this piece with one hand on the keyboard — and the other holding a pint.
2. Here’s another word, though, from Hughes on Saturday:
Asked a reporter: “How about the spectators sitting through this out there. On 18, did you hear some people yelling your name and there were some Canadian flags?”
Answered Hughes: “Yeah, it was funny because on 18 — maybe it was 16, I was talking to my caddie, [and] I said, it’s amazing how many people are out here on a day like today when it’s just absolutely piss weather. They’re all here. They want to see the golf. It’s tough to watch golf in this kind of weather, I’m sure, when you’re under your umbrella.
“But they were out there. They were a pretty cheerful bunch for the most part, given the weather.”
Cheers to that.
3. Here’s another word on Tennent’s.
According to this story here written by Bunkered’s Michael McEwan, the brew was nowhere to be found at Troon.
No cheers to that.
4. I was rooting for the Justin Rose and Billy Horschel storyline. For the vets. For Rose getting a crack at major No. 2. For Horschel getting a crack at his first. For another shot. For not letting go as you get older.
This hit me:
Asked a reporter: “You just said one key word there about dreaming, the ability to dream. At this stage in your career to be here in the Open, the greatest tournament, to be able to go to bed tonight thinking of the dream still alive …”
Said Rose: “It’s still my dream. In a few years, it’ll be someone else’s dream. But yeah, still my dream right now. Great opportunity to go live it out tomorrow.”
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5. All of that made me wonder: When did I start cheering more for the olds? When did that flip?
Hmm, let’s keep this about the golf — and not about my 40-something mental state.
6. This is a nice segue to Tiger Woods, though.
I think I have two thoughts here, after the 15-time major winner missed the Open cut, his third MC in four major starts this year.
I think he contends again. Maybe as soon as next April, at the Masters. He’ll refuel. He’ll recalculate. He’ll play more next year. Making a run is not impossible. Who’s better mentally than him, after all? He can manage a couple under-par rounds, and there you go.
7. But I wonder if Woods thinks he’s bullet-proof. The alphas always do.
This could get ugly.
Twenty-two years later, the moment below is still in my head.
8. Let’s talk about the winner. Was Xander Schauffele’s weekend one of the best ever? He fired a 69 on Saturday, when the likes of DJ, Hughes and Jordan all suffered, as noted above. Schauffele then closed with a 65 — Sunday’s low round by two strokes.
Killer.
9. Speaking of that, there was this exchange:
Asked a reporter: “Your California mellowness, do people mistake that maybe there’s more fire inside than we can see?”
Answered Schauffele: “Yeah, I like — I mean, everyone in my family knows how competitive I am. I may not be the guy running around fist-pumping, but that’s just who I am. I kind of know how I need to be to perform at a high level.
“The same way I don’t get really angry, I also don’t let myself get too over the moon because to me, it’s the same thing. If I’m sitting there snapping a club, that would be the same as me running around fist-pumping. It would take too long for me to adjust before my next shot to hit a good one. I’ve kind of embraced this sort of SoCal, laid-back kid, but there’s obviously a fire burning deep within, or you wouldn’t have a couple majors sitting by your side.”
10. So how high does the Schauffele major tally reach? Three? Six?
Or just the two?
One person close to the situation had a thought here:
“He’s only halfway there,” Schauffele’s dad, Stefan, told GOLF’s James Colgan. “I would say the one with the greatest potential for the career grand slam.
“How about that?”
Let’s put the over-under total at 3.5.
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11. Does Jordan Spieth win another major?
Let’s put his over-under number for future majors at 0.5.
(You can also give that same number to Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Sam Burns and Cameron Young.)
12. Does Justin Thomas win another major?
Let’s put his over-under number for future majors at 1.5.
(You can also give that same number to Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland.)
13. Ludvig Aberg might win like eight majors. Or zero.
There’s also a crop of Aberg-like machines coming.
14. I love the idea of Schauffele re-evaluating the process. He thought he needed more speed — so he hit the gym. He thought he needed another voice in the room — so he brought on Chris Como. Some players don’t do that. Some stick with the same methods, hoping for different results, which, yes, is the definition of insanity.
15. Let’s talk Rory McIlroy.
In this case, there’s no need to change much. Maybe a tweak here. Maybe a change to the team there. But majors are hard. Golf is difficult. He’s as good as they come.
16. GOLF’s Sean Zak wrote a lovely examination here.
17. There’s also the real possibility he never gets past Pinehurst.
18. But here says he wins the PGA next year at Quail Hollow. He wins there seemingly every year. It’s a lay-up.
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Right?
19. This exchange was notable:
Asked a reporter on Friday, after McIlroy missed the cut: “There’s a lot of players out there really toiling, some of the best names in golf like yourself. Was there a point where you became quite philosophical about what was happening and looked at it in the bigger picture?”
Answered McIlroy: “Yeah, I think once I made the eight on the 4th hole, that was it. Twenty-two holes into the event, and I’m thinking about where I’m going to go on vacation next week.
“Yeah, that was basically it. I mean, I knew from then I’d sort of resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to shoot, whatever it is, four- or five-under from there on in to make the cut.”
20. This exchange was also notable:
Asked a reporter on Friday, after Robert MacIntyre played his first four holes during the second round at eight-over — then played his final 12 holes at four-under: “Did you think you had any chance of being here for the weekend?”
Answered MacIntyre: “When I made that eight on 4, my head was completely gone. Then you’re standing on 5 going between a 4-iron and a rescue, and you’re honestly trying to just — trying to make bogeys instead of doubles and triples that I was making.
“I didn’t think I was going to make the weekend, but Mike said, look, fans are here to watch. Just give them what they want, a severe dig and fight, and that’s what I done. I just tried my best and managed to turn it around.”
21. Loved watching Thriston Lawrence pumping driver all over the yard on Sunday.
22. Can Marlboro please sponsor Dan Brown so he can be … the Marlboro Dan?
Sorry.
23. Is Jon Rahm on the way back, after a tie for seventh? Was his major season — tied for 45th at the Masters; missed cut at the PGA; WD at the U.S. Open — a blip?
24. Is Dustin Johnson on the way back, after a tie for 31st? Was this major season — missed cut at the Masters; tied for 45th at the PGA; missed cut at the U.S. Open — a blip?
25. How do we evaluate Cam Smith this major season (tied for sixth at the Masters; tied for 63rd at the PGA; tied for 32nd at the U.S. Open; missed cut at the Open Championship)? Or the campaign of Koepka, the one-time king of golf’s biggest events (tied for 45th at the Masters; tied for 26th at the PGA; tied for 26th at the U.S. Open; tied for 43rd at the Open Championship)?
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26. If you’re blaming LIV Golf for the above results, go ahead. Of course, there’s also Bryson DeChambeau, who was close to winning three majors this year.
I think the point is, none of us know how LIV is affecting play quite yet. Is the looser atmosphere messing with competitive juices? Maybe. Is that same vibe unlocking something? DeChambeau would agree there.
27. Is Scottie Scheffler the PGA Tour player of the year? Or Schauffele?
Schauffele. Two majors > one major.
But if — if — Scheffler’s putter is on, he’s the best player in the game. By a lot.
28. Whom do we talk to get Tony Johnstone on U.S. broadcasts?
GOLF’s Alan Bastable, meanwhile, is a Sam Torrance fan.
29. Let’s dive into some of the sights.
Troon, Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch saw, has this bunker-rake setup:
30. All the feels here, from Koepka:
Here, too:
31. Yes, Prestwick Airport is close to Troon, as Golf Digest’s Jamie Kennedy saw here:
32. This was classy:
33. This was wild:
34. This was great:
35. How many times do we think the train is actually hit?
36. Let’s listen to some of the best quotes.
Here’s this exchange between Shane Lowry and a reporter, started by the reporter:
“Are you a good front-runner?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m a good runner,” said Lowry, laughing.
“I don’t know. I put myself there in a few big tournaments, and I’ve managed to knock them off. So I’ve done it a few times. I don’t know. It’s hard to win tournaments. We’ll see. I’ll tell you Sunday evening.”
37. Here’s this, from Ewen Ferguson, on the highs and lows of the game:
“So hard, so hard, because that’s this game. That’s mental. That’s why my psychologist is here with me somewhere. I just talk to him and just keep myself in a decent kind of mind because I think I’m quite an excitable guy, and when I’m doing well, I’m happy and everything is great, but then when things aren’t, I’m like, slow down, but the margins are so bloody small in this game. You never know when it’s going to go your way.”
38. Here’s this exchange between McIlroy and a reporter, started by the reporter:
“You mentioned earlier that you met Tiger for the first time when you were 15. Do you ever sort of sit home and think like how surreal it is that that 15-year-old lad has now become fairly close mates with Tiger Woods? And like it was said earlier, like a global superstar?”
“Yeah, I get reminded of it or I remind myself of it every day,” McIlroy said. “I always say this, and it sounds cliche, but I don’t take it for granted that I can wake up every day and try to live out my childhood dream. And one of my childhood dreams was to meet Tiger Woods, but not only that, to compete against him and to befriend him and become close to him.
“Yeah, not in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d end up in the position that I’m in, but I’m very grateful for it. I still have to remind myself a lot that this is my life.”
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39. Here’s this exchange between Schauffele and a reporter, started by the reporter:
“Before winning the PGA, did the idea of winning a major feel more daunting than maybe a normal Tour event?”
“You put more emphasis on it,” Schauffele said, “but daunting is not really how I would view it. We’re playing golf out here, you know what I mean. It’s not like anyone’s dying after they don’t shoot the round of their life.”
40. Here’s Schauffele, on playing through Saturday’s rough conditions:
“I’m lucky. I love playing golf, and I love my job, and I love playing over here. For me, it’s all fun, and I just try to have as much fun as possible even on a day like today.”
41. Here are a few wonderful reads from my colleagues on the Troon grounds.
Here’s Zak again, on Rose.
42. Here’s Colgan, on the Schauffeles.
43. Here’s Michael Bamberger, on the week’s real winner.
44. And below is about a half-hour of video from Scotland, via Zak and Colgan, through the “Seen and Heard” franchise:
Monday and Tuesday, please click here
Wednesday, please click here
Friday: please click here
Sunday, please click here
45. Was the Open the year’s best major?
Here’s my ranking of the four:
1. Open Championship (links, drama, Sunday funday)
2. U.S. Open (one of the best final rounds you’ll see)
3. Masters (another good final round, DeChambeau lifted a sign)
4. PGA Championship (good final round, too many birdies, unfortunate news off the course)
46. So who wins next year? Let’s give this a go:
Masters: Aberg
PGA Championship: McIlroy
U.S. Open: Joaquin Niemann, if he qualifies
Open Championship: Aaron Rai
Rai? A sentimental pick, and you can read why here.
47. So how did the predictions go this year?
You can be the judge. After each of the majors, I wrote similar “observation” stories, and I made picks in each. Here’s what I had:
After the Masters: PGA Championship, Scheffler; U.S. Open, Will Zalatoris; Open Championship, Koepka
After the PGA Championship: U.S. Open, Scheffler; Open Championship, Koepka
48. Major season isn’t over, though.
Gimme Gemma Dryburgh at the Women’s Open. She’s a Scot. And they’re playing at none other than St Andrews.
Dryburgh? A sentimental pick, and you can read why here.
49. Then there are these bets:
50. I got my Tennent’s, as you can see in the pic below.
Cheers!
Editor’s note: I also wrote observations from the Masters, the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. You can read the Masters story here, the PGA Championship story here and the U.S. Open story here.
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