Radio 5 live 10:00-19:00, BBC Two highlights 20:00-22:00. “They have taken an interest in all aspects of my game and are committed to helping me play the best golf of my life”. If we’re lucky, it might be all four of them. “Honestly, I don’t care”, he said, to much laughter.
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Dawson, a 52-year-old Champions Tour golfer, qualified for Royal Troon by winning the Senior British Open last year.
Two days before the British Open, Willett said he has had a “brutally honest conversation” with himself as he looks to rediscover his form.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Bovada has Day and reigning U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson listed as 8/1 co-favorites at the Open, followed by Rory McIlroy (+900), Jordan Spieth (+1000), Adam Scott (+2200) and Sergio Garcia (+2500). A decision beyond that wouldn’t be expected for at least a few more years. “It was like the ultimate ground game championship”. His mind always seemed to be the problem, although it seems to be a problem no longer.
The 28-year-old won his first major at the PGA Championship last year and said being No 1 was not a burden.
“I’ve had a chance to win (at the Scottish Open) but I’m not firing on all cylinders”.
He has nine top 10s in his British Open career, and he enters this weekend with three straight top fives, including a win at the AT&T Byron Nelson. “I crave to have that trophy in my possession and to reach a third leg of the Grand Slam this week would be fantastic”.
World No. 3 Spieth was fourth previous year in his bid for a third straight major title, and is still looking to avenge that Masters collapse at Augusta in April when he squandered a five-shot lead with nine holes to play.
Now, Johnson wants to get it back. He referenced Birkdale when asked why links golf is so different from the other majors.
Day is trying to become the first Australian to win the Open since Greg Norman won the second of his two Claret Jugs in 1993. His best result at the British Open was tied second in 2011.
“Winning majors is not easy”, he said.
There have been eight Open Championships contested at Troon in the history of the tournament. He finished tied for sixth at a rain-sodden St Andrews a year ago but he has been hampered by a back injury this season. “But it’s not comfortable to me because it’s not what I referred to it as growing up in the United States”.
“I’m here to win”. But the former world number one has cut down his schedule and been in pretty decent form of late. The other two were Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer. In addition, three of the last five champions were over 40, while Johnson was 39. Spieth won the Classic past year.
The British Open at Royal Troon kicks off Thursday for the ninth time at the storied golf course. Often when you tee off has a big bearing on your showing with weather conditions fluctuating constantly.
Aberdeen’s Richie Ramsay is excited to be teeing it up at the Open Championship once again. “And, ideally, getting some wind on moving day, on the Saturday, would be the best”.
On the European front, a decent outside bet is Germany’s two-time major victor Martin Kaymer. Day was only a year old when Norman closed with a 64 at Royal Troon, only to hit his drive on the final hole of the playoff so far that it went into a pot bunker and ended his chances.
The Postage Stamp only measures 123 yards but its green slopes towards a cavernous bunker to the right, which has ruined the Open dreams of many.
The par-four 11th is a horror show.
“The inward nine turns back into the wind and is relentless with tight fairways and prickly gorse bushes”.
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“They’re small targets, the greens”.
