Golf needs a home winner of The Open to cut through sport's triumphalism - Nick Westby

With a European Championship final dominating a nation’s consciousness, a rematch between young and old in the men’s final at Wimbledon and an Olympic Games less than two weeks away from opening up on the River Seine, it would be fair to assume that very few people outside the golfing bubble are thinking about the Open Championship right now. Yet that is about to change.

For on Thursday, the world’s best golfers and a handful of fortunate club pros and budding amateurs take to the fabled links of Royal Troon for the 152nd instalment of the game’s oldest major championship. As ever, it is one played to a host of intriguing subplots, and one that does so unimpeded by other sporting events to steal its thunder.

The Euros are done, the England inquests/celebrations (delete as applicable) are dying down, Murray’s Wimbledon and Jimmy’s Lord’s farewells are over, and the Olympics is still a weekend away. Perfect timing for golf to stride into the limelight, one might wonder.

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How desperately a sport still riven with division needs a tournament for the ages. How desperately it needs another duel in the sun.

Brian Harman of the United States outlasted home favourite Tommy Fleetwood at last year's Open (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)Brian Harman of the United States outlasted home favourite Tommy Fleetwood at last year's Open (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)
Brian Harman of the United States outlasted home favourite Tommy Fleetwood at last year's Open (Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images)

How desperately golf needs a British winner of its home major to punch its way back into the social discourse.

Troon has produced great battles before. Eight years ago, Henrik Stenson beat Phil Mickelson in a battle for the ages, combining for 14 birdies and an eagle in the fourth round.

Stenson’s closing 63 equalled the lowest score in a men’s major, eclipsing Mickelson’s flawless closing 65 that left him three behind but an incredible 11 shots clear of JB Holmes in third.

Yet Troon has also delivered anti-climatic winners.

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Battle for the ages: Henrik Stenson of Sweden celebrates edging out Phil Mickelson the last time the Open was played at Troon in 2016. How golf needs a similar battle, or a home winner, this time around.Battle for the ages: Henrik Stenson of Sweden celebrates edging out Phil Mickelson the last time the Open was played at Troon in 2016. How golf needs a similar battle, or a home winner, this time around.
Battle for the ages: Henrik Stenson of Sweden celebrates edging out Phil Mickelson the last time the Open was played at Troon in 2016. How golf needs a similar battle, or a home winner, this time around.

With respect to Todd Hamilton, his unexpected win in 2004 in a play-off over the far more popular Ernie Els left a cold feeling among those of us who had followed the action over four days - this correspondent included - and hardly set the world talking about golf.

That empty feeling was reciprocated last year on the banks of the Wirral when Brian Harman romped to victory.

The American lefty, unnerving in his play as he protected and extended his lead, was an undeserving recipient of heckles and cat-calls from the increasingly inebriated galleries who were unsuccessfully willing ‘Tommy Lad’ Tommy Fleetwood to reel him in.

Harman was a worthy winner at Royal Liverpool, but uninspiring. The fact he has failed to add a title to his name in his year as champion golfer further emphasising how much of a bolt from the blue his play over those four days were.

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That’s major championship golf, though. One hundred and 56 players tee it up on a Thursday, all with the same chance of winning, all at the mercy of the seaside weather and undulating, unforgiving links.

Which makes the lack of a British winner of our home championship all the more baffling.

None for a decade now since Rory McIlroy triumphed at Royal Liverpool, and we all know how he has fared since. After backing up that Open success with a second PGA Championship a month later, McIlroy will have gone nine years and 11 months, some 3,629 days, round 87,100 hours (for those keeping count) without winning a major. No near-miss more devastating than which he suffered at Pinehurst at last month’s US Open.

For an English golfer, you have to back even further to 1992 and last of Sir Nick Faldo’s three wins.

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Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald all tried and failed.

Danny Willett, Fleetwood, Tyrell Hatton have all had a go but never got close enough. The latter pairing will be back (Willett’s exemptions are up) while Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick knows how to win a major and on a links course as well having won last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links. Could one of those put together the four rounds required to fend off the world’s best, the capricious weather and the rolling dunes?

Or will one of a trio of Yorkshire golfers heading to Troon to mix it with the big boys make a run at the Claret Jug - Wakefield’s Dan Bradbury emboldened by a maiden experience last year, or debutants Dan Brown of Northallerton or Joe Dean of Sheffield?

Whoever or however they emerge, golf needs a home winner now more than ever to cut through the triumphalism of other sports.

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