“The game is in a great state”, said defending British Open champion Zach Johnson, one of only two players outside the Fab Four to win at the last 10 major championships.
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Alongside Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson he clings onto his “fab four” status but has been cruelly named as the Ringo Starr of the group! “Physically, technically and mentally he is a little bit better in all those departments than the other three guys”, Faldo told reporters.
Maybe it was therapy, maybe it was retribution for putting himself in this position with a self-inflicted injury; either way McIlroy settled in to watch last year’s Open with a dollop of dread.
“When he won here, he hit in two bunkers for the week – and they were greenside bunkers”, Chalmers said.
“It was hard. I actually thought it was going to be more hard watching it”, he said.
He said the Tiger Woods era spoiled golf fans into believing everyone should win tournaments when given a chance, and no one was better at that than Woods.
Americans have won the last six opens played at Royal Troon, an out-and-back style course on the Firth of Clyde.
I would expect Rory Mcllroy and Sergio Garcia to do well, as they have games suited to these types of conditions.
European golf has been in rude health for a while, and there are a few players from this side of the Atlantic who’ll fancy their chances of taking home the Claret Jug on Sunday evening.
“Hopefully the struggle is out of the way for that hole”. Last year, the championship got so much rain that it was pushed to a Monday finish for the first time since 1988.
Despite missing out on the Claret Jug past year, Day left Fife with new-found self-belief. I crave to have that trophy in my possession at some point. I couldn’t even remember how to get to the driving range, it’s been such a long time ago. And I think in the 12 years since I won here my driving distance has gotten a lot shorter, because the golf course played very, very long, especially the back nine. It depends, as do many aspects of links golf, on the wind. “Those guys (Spieth, Johnson and Day) are having a great run at the minute”.
The Open Championship is completely different than the other three men’s majors. “If I could spend half an hour with him, he might turn out to be the best player the world has ever known”.
“Regardless who he’s playing against, he just does his own thing”, Willett said at a press conference at Troon on Tuesday.
Former US Open victor Justin Rose has resorted to the meticulous approach which brought him a maiden major title as he looks to win a second in the 145th Open Championship. He has one win this year. Also, the International Olympic Committee says there is much less threat of contracting mosquito-borne viruses during the winter months in South America. “No offence, but you guys (in the media) have made me feel like it’s a valley in all honesty”.
Todd Hamilton has returned to Royal Troon for the first time since 2004 after deliberately staying away to preserve the memories of his shock Open victory.
And it’s even more unlikely that you would have stepped in the locker room players used throughout the tournament. “I’d be like, yeah, well, sometimes it goes like that and it goes in cycles”, he said. “So I will be going back there, I just don’t think it’s appropriate this year”.
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“I don’t remember everything that happened, but I remember enough to make it a very memorable and cherished event”.
