Feeling good after his driver passed Valderrama’s brutal test, Cameron Smith has arrived at Royal Troon determined to bag a second career major at the 152nd Open Championship.
To put the absurdly confounding difficulty of the relatively microscopic 8th hole at Royal Troon in perspective, consider this: The average proximity to the hole on the PGA Tour for a shot played at a similar distance to the 8th’s 123 yards is just a shade over 20 feet. Whether the pin is set in the front, middle or back on the hole’s relatively wee putting surface, such a miss could very well not be on the green.
There is history at all the courses where the R&A plays The Open. While St Andrews might be the most familiar, it has rivals in terms of charm, tradition and novelty.
Rose, who has just one top-10 finish in 2024, shot rounds of 66 and 68 on the 36-hole qualifying day to earn co-medallist honours with fellow Brit Dominic Clemons.
Based on the responses to questions about the status of LIV golfers in major championships put to Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers on Thursday in Australia, it does not appear LIV members will be given a special category into the Masters and Open Championship in 2024.
Could the R&A be thinking of adding a new course to the Open Championship rota? Or at least making a one-off visit outside the traditional circle of host venues?
Brian Harman wasn’t treated kindly by the Royal Liverpool crowds during his Open Championship conquest. Luckily, the reception back home in the United States was more fitting for the Champion Golfer of the Year.
Earlier this week PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan released a wide-ranging memo to membership, outlining the tour’s endeavours towards a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as Monahan and tour leadership attempt to regain and rebuild trust with players. On Thursday, one of those players detailed the reception to Monahan’s efforts.
When Jay Monahan let slip a memo assuring PGA Tour players he would be informing the USGA and R&A that the tour would not endorse a golf ball rollback proposal, don’t think for a minute that he was simply updating his constituents.
Australian Golf Digest
