Every week across America there is a game played that is advertised as golf.
That’s not the case, though. It’s more like high-stakes pitch ‘n putt.
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The scoring tells you this.
The final three tournaments before leaving for Scotland — the John Deere, Rocket Mortgage Classic and Travelers — were won with scores of 28 under par, 18 under and 22 under, respectively.
What total score did Xander Schauffele get to win the Claret Jug at Troon? Nine under?
This would have prevented him from finishing in the top 30 in any of these events.
But that’s because the content they produce for 40 weeks a year is designed for a TV audience with a remote control in their free hand, and whose attention span is the length of an elderly goldfish.
What we witnessed over the past four days on the windswept Ayrshire coast was real golf. It was golf with bare hands.
Here it is not possible to slam it down the middle of fairways wider than the Mississippi, not to hit a pitching wedge ten feet and not drive home the putt.
To earn respect from a links course, you must think of each attempt like a quadratic equation.
You would be better off choosing your club than choosing your life partner.
You better not be two feet away when the bullet hits – otherwise it might as well be two miles away.
Earning that respect in the kind of weather we’ve had for three-quarters of this war, when the rain is making the grips slip from your hands, the wind is blowing the jacket off your back and the rough stuff is sticking out like a limp?
It takes a special kind of bloody understanding to understand why this most rage-inducing of entertainments was invented here in the first place.
And that’s why, even though his tilt at the title faded long before the end of his final round, my favorite memory of the 2024 Open will be that of America’s Billy Horschel, who battled the elements and himself to reach the top of the leaderboard.
He was at his best when the weather was at its worst.
Horschel lived every second of those 18 holes, giving his best with every swing and every connection.
While others huddled under umbrellas and demanded wetsuits, he walked around wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
He might have his clubs in his West Ham golf bag, but the guy could be just like us. He really is that mentally capable.
For many reasons, not least the thought that a Hammers fan I know was being laid to rest today, I wanted them to stay and win.
But that didn’t happen, this was clear from the half a dozen holes.
As the season improved, so did his brilliant game. And as his game deteriorated, so did his mindset, until you were begging him to slow down his backswing.
But wait, the man wasn’t done yet. Birdie on 16. Birdie on 17. Birdie on 18.
It was too little and too late to upset the engravers, but enough to tie for second place.
The match was with Justin Rose, whose putts were getting closer with each hole but just wouldn’t fall.
An incredibly deliberate slice drive from South African veteran Thrisson Lawrence became less and less impressive the moment it fell off the top of the boards.
Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry collectively started off with consecutive birdies but couldn’t keep the momentum going.
Through it all, the more pressure mounted, the more quiet Schauffele became.
Schauffele wins British Open and seals second major achievement of his career and 2024Hole by hole, he took shots and worked his way through the field. Then, once he got ahead, there was never any question he would go on and win.
His back nine finally tamed Troon, a rat-a-tat of four birdies from 11 to 16 that rocketed him up the leaderboard and turned what had been a cavalry charge into a no-contest. And you know what?
My guess is that the champion golfer of 2024 will have enjoyed every stormy, rain-soaked, painful moment of these four days far more than a stroll in the sun at some similar country club in Barfbucket, Idaho, or Scoobydoo, Delaware.
Because that’s what golf is all about.
Yes, we love days like Jack and Tom’s unforgettable duel, just as we love watching the best players go at it sometimes.
For me, though, this week was like the best game of golf. An exhausting challenge.
One of the most searing examinations of character in the game.
Four days when every birdie was a punter, when it was an honor to land a birdie six feet from the pin.
Take a look at the victims who missed the cut – Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Tiger, Louis Oosthuizen, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and others.
It shows just how tough it was, and it’s a measure of how even major winners and Ryder Cup heroes can be made to look like 18-handicappers.
The mystery is how Schauffele made it look so easy when it mattered most.
I can’t wait for Thursday night and St Mirren’s return to Europe after a very long time away.
Certainly, the first leg of this Europa Conference League second round qualifier won’t cause much excitement on the continent – in fact, there will be many in Scotland who will forget it’s even happening.
But for the people of Paisley, it’s been 37 years in the making. And it means a lot to the world.
Icelandic club Valur have given the Saints around 250 tickets and fans are travelling to Reykjavik via Dublin, Stockholm, London, Amsterdam and even Riga in Latvia.
They want to be a part of Thursday’s special moment in some way, and are willing to bear the cost.
Stephen Robinson and No.2 Diarmuid O’Carroll have worked hard to get that team into a Euro slot in the Premiership.
Now, his reward is to wear the black and white striped jersey on foreign soil, following in the footsteps of the likes of Tony Fitzpatrick, Dougie Somner, Steve Clarke, Ian Ferguson and the late, great Billy Abercrombie.
If the Buddys are still on par a week from now when tickets go on sale, that will be good enough for a start.
And the same applies to Killie as they head to Rugby Park for a tough Europa League opening fixture against Cercle Brugge.
Hopefully the place will rock as boss Derek McInnes continues his amazing job of reviving the club’s fortunes after they were demoted just three years ago.
Good luck to both of them. Let’s keep the flag flying as long as we can, friends.
Just after 6pm last Friday, 17,000 England fans were standing and clapping and cheering.
Not for any of his heroes, though.
No, they’re cheering on the opposition. They’re giving West Indies batsman Kavem Hodge the applause he deserves after he completes a magnificent century – and in the commentary box, England’s greatest cricketers join in the praise.
Like 99 per cent of the crowd at Trent Bridge, the men with the microphones are desperate for their country to win.
But unlike their counterparts in the world of football, they don’t let that overshadow what’s in front of them.
That’s the difference. That’s why cricket lovers here are not willing to give in to our neighbours, as many were when we reached the Euro final last week.
Cricket bookies and pundits watch the match with both eyes.
He has found a way to give his team full support while also praising the opposition for their special performances.
When a visiting batsman scores a 100, they don’t want to thrash the bowlers or demand the coach be sacked. Instead, they appreciate the talent, give credit where credit is due, and then they start cheering for their own team.
Read more at The Scottish Sun
Imagine this at a football game? Standing up and applauding when the other team scores? Someone swings a stick at you. And get a standing ovation for it…
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Xander Schöffel was almost a professional footballer, but he quit the sport after a dispute with the coach
