Open additions + Glenmorangie needs you!

The course at Royal Troon is shaping up nicely for July, Ivor Robson’s successors have been announced and Glenmorangie is seeking the greatest Open finish.

I’ve just returned from two hectic but excellent days in Ayrshire for the R&A Media day at Royal Troon and an event at Dundonald Links, which will play host to the 2017 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. In the space of less than 48 hours there’s been quite a bit to take in but I’ll try and summarise it here.

Fine test at Troon

The course at Royal Troon looks to be in excellent shape with less than three months until the 145th Open Championship. After a winter of extremely heavy rain, the greens team has had to work extremely hard and they’ve done an incredible job. Industrial pumps had to be brought in to remove hundreds of thousands of gallons of standing water from the course. As we made our way round, Chairman of the R&A’s championship committee Peter Unsworth pointed out areas where the water had been knee-high back in February.

It was amazing then that the ground was firm and fast yesterday. Years of fairway sanding has created excellent surfaces that deliver the true links effect – the ball running on and on downwind (often towards trouble.) Bunkers and approaches were immaculately presented and the greens extremely true. Although a little slower at this stage, they will doubtless be pretty sharpish come mid July.

The grandstands are going up and the infrastructure needed to support the great championship is going into place. I was struck by the logistical challenge of staging this great event. Peter Unsworth pointed out that every season presents new considerations and demands. Unlike at The Masters where much of the infrastructure is fixed, The Open has to start from scratch at a different venue each year. It’s quite a feat of planning and organisation.

The links at Royal Troon poses all the questions you would expect from a championship track and I would say that, aside perhaps from Carnoustie, it’s the most challenging of the Open courses. Strategy is required on the downwind holes (prevailing wind is down on the front nine) and powerful, controlled hitting is essential on the hugely testing run for home.

Tips for driving in the wind:

I’m writing a piece on the challenges of the back nine at Troon for the Open issue of Golf Monthly - look out for that.

Under starters’ orders

Following Ivor Robson’s retirement, the R&A has announced two new starters for the 145th Open Championship.

David Lancaster will become the official Open starter and he will have support from Matt Corker. Both men are experts in communication and should, the R&A believes, be confident of announcing the players in front of the thousands of spectators at the event and the many millions watching on television.

Lancaster served in the Royal Navy and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He left in 1989 and set up a company that specialises in coaching individuals and companies to deliver high-impact presentations. Corker was a superintendent in the Hong Kong police before returning to the UK in 1997 and joining Lancaster’s company as an associate.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be given the opportunity to become the official starter,” said Lancaster. “The Open is one of the most prestigious events in world sport and I have long been inspired by its heritage and the tremendous performances of the golfing greats over the years. Matt and I are very much looking forward to playing a part in history by introducing the players on the first tee.”

Youngsters’ Open camping opportunity

Spectators under the age of 25 will be able to camp for free at Troon this year at the “Open Camping Village,” which will be run by The R&A’s official accommodation partner and will be located just a short walk from Royal Troon at Marr Rugby Club.

The village will feature two, four and six person tents and there will be inflatable camping beds for every guest. There will be 500 camping places available with shower and parking facilities on-site.

Children under the age of 16 will be required to be accompanied by at least one adult of any age, up to a maximum of two adults.

This year is the 20th anniversary of The Open’s Kids go Free campaign – All children under the age of 16, accompanied by an adult, gain free entry to the Championship.

Glenmorangie Needs you

Glenmorangie “The Spirt of the Open” has launched a campaign to find what the public believes to be the Greatest Finish in Open history. You can vote now at Glenmorangie.com

A panel made up of Glenmorangie’s ambassadors – Justin Rose, Tony Jacklin CBE and David Cannon, together with R&A CEO Martin Slumbers and a selection of media partners (including Mike Harris of Golf Monthly) have collaborated to draw up a shortlist of the 10 greatest Open finishes. The panel considered different aspects including, the quality of play down the stretch, atmosphere, pressure and the significance of achievement; and the 10 shortlisted finishes are as follows:

1970, St Andrews - Jack Nicklaus defeats Doug Sanders by a single stroke in an epic 18-hole play off after Sanders’ infamous missed putt on the 72nd green.

1972, Muirfield - Lee Travino claims a second Open title, breaking Tony Jacklin’s heart with an incredible chip-in par on the penultimate hole.

1977, Turnberry – Tom Watson edges out Jack Nicklaus in a titanic battle: the “Duel in the Sun.”

1984, St. Andrews – Seve Ballesteros ends the challenge of Tom Watson by willing a birdie putt into the hole on the 18th then celebrating with an iconic, matador’s fist pump.

1995, St. Andrews – Constantino Rocca produces one of the great shots in the history of The Open at the 72nd hole, sinking a putt from the “Valley of Sin” to force a play-off with John Daly.

1999, Carnoustie – Jean Van De Velde's meltdown, blowing a three-shot lead on the final hole before losing in a three-way play-off to Paul Lawrie who closed with 67 and then birdied the 17th and 18th in extra holes.

2000, St. Andrews – Tiger Woods completes the career Grand Slam by obliterating a stellar field to win by eight shots, breaking a multitude of records in the process.

2007, Carnoustie – Padraig Harrington comes from six shots behind to defeat Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff after Sergio’s par putt on the 72nd green defies gravity and fails to drop.

2009, Turnberry – 59-year-old Tom Watson set up a golfing fairytale with a chance to win his sixth open. Athough he missed just missed out it was one of the most exciting climaxes to any tournament.

2013, Muirfield – Phil Mickelson charged through the field, posting a round of 66 on the final day, including four birdies in the final six holes and a simply incredible second to the par-5 17th.

It’s now up to you to decide which of these incredible climaxes stands above the others as The Greatest Open Finish. You can do so by voting at genmorangie.com. Voting will be open until the 15th of July with the winner announced on the 16th; the penultimate day of this year’s tournament.

Scottish Open to Dundonald

It has been announced that the 2017 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will be contested over Dundonald Links just outside Troon.

Kyle Phillips, the man responsible for designing the layout at Kingsbarns, created the course at Dundonald and, much like Kingsbarns, it’s a sympathetic modern take on a classic Scottish links.

When we played, the wind was gusting and the greens were fast and firm. If the pros face it in similar conditions, we could see some perplexed faces as they try to come to terms with the tricky slopes and run-offs that surround many of the putting surfaces.

There’s an eclectic selection of holes on the links that will test all facets of the game. Long par-4s demand strong hitting while shorter holes require a deft touch and the ability to manipulate ball flight.

The course is no stranger to significant competitions. The links has welcomed European Tour qualifying, Senior Open qualifying, the Boys Amateur Championship and the 2015 and 2016 Ladies Scottish Opens.

The 2017 championship should be quite a spectacle and it’s great for the event to travel to the South West, having previously visited Castle Stuart, Royal Aberdeen and Gullane.