A perfect Open needs a measure of yuck

Twice Open champ Harrington hopes weather in Ireland challenges; Stray Shots: RC evals

The weather last year at Royal Troon was “perfect” for Open. (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — What is the perfect Open Championship?

The 2007 and 2008 Champion Golfer of the Year thinks the ideal Open conditions would be very similar to last year at Royal Troon — with a combination of both good and bad weather — making it a proper championship.

“I’d love to see 63 holes are sunny weather like this and wind and nine holes of brutality,” Pádraig Harrington said of his desired Open conditions. “That’s a perfect Open Championship. If you put 72 holes of really extreme weather it wears everybody down, but 18 holes to nine holes where everybody has to play that ferocious wind and rain and get on with it, that would be perfect.”

When Harrington, the reigning U.S. Senior Open champion, was defending his Claret Jug in 2008 at Royal Birkdale, he was at a distinct disadvantage shooting a 4-over 74 with the worst of the draw that Thursday morning. On top of dealing with a wrist injury that nearly forced him to withdraw before the tournament started, it was less than ideal.

The conditions were so difficult in the first round that two players — Sandy Lyle and Rich Beem — walked off the course after nine holes for no other reason than the difficulty of the conditions.

“Obviously when I look back at 2008 when I won at Birkdale, players walked in off the golf course; it was that bad the first day,” Harrington recalled after shooting a calm 1-under 69 in the opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open. “I think a certain amount of that is always good in an Open Championship and it’s certainly very entertaining for the fans. But as players, it’s hard to do 72 holes of that. Let’s hope for nine or 18 (holes) of this next week — for the other guys, not for me — and then sunny blustery weather like this would be perfect.”

Looking back, Harrington can laugh about the difficult opening morning he had in Southport. But at the time, it wasn’t so funny.

Finishing five shots off the lead of Robert Allenby, Graeme McDowell and Rocco Mediate, Harrington was T38 and struck by how easy the afternoon wave had it after his difficulties in the morning.

“I’ve shot 74 I’ve, like, fought so hard, I’m so happy,” Harrington recalls. “And I’m staying in a house. My family are with me, and of course, I’m trying to keep busy in the afternoon, you know. I don’t watch the golf, and they’re all sitting in the living room watching the golf. And I walk by, doors open, and I see Adam Scott hitting a 3-wood onto the 15th green for a second shot. I hit 3-wood on for my third shot. I literally ran in and nearly put my foot through the TV. I was, like, absolutely raging.”

According to Harrington, the wrong side of the draw is not insurmountable if the weather continues to be difficult but easy conditions makes gaining ground on the leaders much more difficult.

It ended up working out for Harrington in the end. A second-round 68 lifted him to T4 and tied with all three opening-round leaders — who all shot morning 73s — and within only three shots of 36-hole lead K.J. Choi. On Saturday he reached a tie for second with Choi just two behind 53-year-old Greg Norman in the lead.

Norman had one of his familiar major Sundays, struggled to shoot 77 and leaving the stage wide open for Harrington to repeat as Open champion with a 69 and comfortable four-shot victory.

Harrington is competing this week in the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club instead of the PGA Tour Champions event (Dick’s Openz0 that he has won each of the previous three years. To get ready for an Open at Royal Portrush, the Irishman couldn’t justify prepping at En-Joie Golf Colb in Endicoot, NY.

“I’m not defending because I know if I want to play in an Open Championship, I’ve got to play links golf, competitive links golf,” Harrington said after making three bogeys in his last four holes to slip out of the top 10 to T49. “As frustrated as I am with my finish today, and my routines weren’t very good my caddie kept pointing out to me, it’s about getting better the next three or four days going into next week, so next week we are not at step one. We are further down the road.”

---

Stray Shots: More Ryder Cup evals

By Peter Kaufman

1. Further on Ryder Cup: Our ongoing analysis of potential Team USA captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup is not an unimportant exercise. Look at the potential roster for Team Europe: Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bob MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose and Rasmus Højgaard.

Whew. That’s a deep team. Almost all vets — some grizzled — of the Ryder Cup crucible. Formidable. Name even one or two European players where you might say “well, we have some sure points against them.”

And, interestingly, every year the Europeans feel like a cohesive team, as opposed to the Americans who often feel less so. There is zero discussion in Europe around players that may be great players but are not viewed as great teammates (definitely like Patrick Reed and maybe about Brooks Koepka).

While a raucous New York crowd will be, truly, Team USA’s 13th player, captain Keegan Bradley will need to be an alchemist of sorts to assemble a winning squad — and hope his team makes a ton of putts.

2. This week’s first spotlight: Let’s start with Sam Burns, who is No. 21 in the world. He’s been as high as No. 9. He is currently 15th in Ryder Cup points.