BOGEYS AND BIRDIES
THE OPEN MIKE DICKSON’S BIRKDALE AWARDS
BIRKDALE, KING OF THE OPEN ROTA
the southport course reminded us why it is, overall, many people’s choice as best venue for the championship. Big crowds can secure decent vantage points thanks to the terrain’s natural undulations and provide a great atmosphere; the players love the course; the staff and marshals are genial. A free campsite for under 25s in the town was a welcome innovation.
GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME
who could come up with the best horticultural pun? Alfie plant won the silver Medal for best amateur, following in the footsteps of Chris wood and Justin rose at Birkdale. Alfie’s watching girlfriend is called daisy Meadows. toby tree made the cut and ended up with a score inside that of Gary woodland.
UNFORTUNATE LOCAL PUBLICITY
the burglars who broke into henrik stenson’s rented house in nearby formby while he was out playing his first round did not do a great promotional job for the area. personal effects and some of his clothes were stolen. with a distinctive
MODEST BEGINNINGS
MARK O’MEARA was invited to hit the first ball of The Open in driving wind and rain, and sliced it into the trees to kick off with an eight. It was not a good week for invited former champions. Five ended up in double figures over par, leading to suggestions that entry criteria need tightening. golf twist, police asked that anyone who comes across some hugo Boss gear with a netjets logo should contact them.
SUCCESSFUL HAIRDRYER MOMENT
on the opening day rory McIlroy had struck five bogeys on the first six holes, leading to a memorable exhortation from his caddie Jp fitzgerald. ‘You’re rory McIlroy, what the f*** are you doing?’ he asked. the northern Irishman did not drop a stroke for the rest of the round and clawed his way back to a 71.
SPAT OF THE WEEK
Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston took exception to talksport host Mike parry’s proposition that he was a clown rather than an inspirational figure.
the popular, built-for-comfort Johnston hit back by calling him ‘sad’, ‘pathetic’ and a ‘d***head’. the counter-attack was all going well until Beef received an endorsement via twitter from Joey Barton.
FASHION FAUX PAS
NO GOLF event is complete without some garish outfits. John Daly usually tops the leaderboard for bad taste and this year he scandalised some by bearing the Trump logo on his shoulder. Kevin Na’s camouflage trousers (right) divided opinion while Justin Thomas obliged his sponsors on the first day by going for a sort of Great Gatsby look, complete with tie, that did not quite come off.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
there is no getting away from it, the sport massively misses tiger woods. the troubled American did not appear to have golf on his mind on friday night, when he made a rare and random interjection via twitter. ‘new cloth for the pool table,’ he reported, accompanying it with a picture of the cloth emblazoned with the logo of the oakland raiders nfL team.
STARS OF THE OPEN
the golf crowd in what is a northwest england heartland of the sport, all 235,000 who turned out over the week. they don’t titter at silly things (a wimbledon-ism), keep quiet when asked and would never stoop to moronic cries of ‘Getinthehole!’. Many even refused to go home amid the filthy weather of friday evening.
ETIQUETTE PLEASE
soMe pros increasingly seem to think that it is below them to cry ‘fore’, and barely raise an arm when they miscue a ball into the massed ranks of spectators. world no 1 dustin Johnson is a particular offender (and we aren’t just saying that because his happened to hit a member of the media).
UNEXPECTED STAR OF THE OPEN
hAotonG LI could become one of the most significant figures in the future of golf if yesterday’s performance can be reproduced on a regular basis. A big Chinese star on the men’s tour could have a huge impact on the sport and make him very rich indeed.
Another one to watch is texasraised Canadian qualifier Austin Connelly, who went into the last round tied third. he plays a lot of his golf in europe, having got on to the tour via qualifying school, and he is only 20.