The Open: Being in final group with my brother would be worst nightmare - Matt Fitzpatrick

Alex Fitzpatrick will make his major debut at Royal Liverpool after qualifying at West Lancashire Golf Club a fortnight ago in a field which contained Ryder Cup players Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson.

Older brother Matt is a major champion following his victory in the US Open at Brookline last year and has been giving Alex the benefit of his wisdom ahead of Thursday’s first round.

However, the Ryder Cup star is well aware that he has yet to record even a top-15 finish in the Open, with his best result a tie for 20th at Royal Portrush in 2019.

“I would argue The Open is my weakest major, to be honest, so my expectations have probably got to match my previous results,” said Fitzpatrick, who travelled to Hoylake on the back of a missed cut in the Scottish Open.

“I’ve got to be realistic about where I am, where my game is. It’s not obviously where I would like it to be. I think everyone would be like to be playing golf like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler right now, but that’s pretty rare for the rest of us.

“I think for me, a good finish, all jokes aside, would be kind of top 30 this week, I really do.”

Asked if he could pinpoint why his Open form was so poor, Fitzpatrick said: “No, I couldn’t really tell you.

“If I had to play one last round in the world, I wouldn’t choose a links golf course. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing great links golf courses. I love playing Muirfield and Turnberry, this place is fantastic, as well.

“There’s loads of great places. It’s just for me it doesn’t necessarily suit my eye.”

The Fitzpatricks, from Sheffield, are not the only brothers in the field after Nicolai Hojgaard secured one of the qualifying places available in the Scottish Open to join his brother Rasmus on the Wirral.

Before this week, Edoardo and Francesco Molinari were the last brothers to play in the Open at St Andrews in 2015.

“I’ve almost wanted to give Francesco and Edoardo a call and ask them what it’s like, what’s the dynamic like between you? Is it weird?,” Fitzpatrick said.

“People ask, what would you do if you were in the final group [with Alex] on Sunday and I said, well, that would be kind of my worst nightmare, to be honest.

“I remember when I first got on Tour, Alex was still at my golf club, Hallamshire, and members would come up to him all the time asking how’s Matt doing? Where’s Matt? Not, how are you doing? How’s your game? It was just always asking about me. Well, I completely understand how it feels now because it’s the other way around.

“I totally get how it is and I’m sure for him growing up it was probably very annoying. It’s hard for him to kind of have his own identity and have his own game.

“People thinking ‘oh he’s got to be like his brother and stuff’, when actually we are polar opposites, both on and off the course.

“On paper my strengths are driving and putting and his strengths are short game and approach play. Then off the golf course, yeah, we are just literally polar opposites. I’m like a control freak, OCD, organised and he’s not.”

​World No 2 McIlroy – winner of the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday – has cancelled Tuesday’s scheduled press conference, where he had been due to speak to media to preview the final major of the year.

No reason was given as organisers announced on Monday this would now not be happening. There were no fitness issues as the Northern Irishman practised as normal after arriving at Hoylake. “We have been advised that Rory McIlroy will no longer be taking part in a preview press conference tomorrow morning,” a statement read.

The move is not without precedent as the 34-year-old similarly cut back on his media commitments ahead of the US Open in Los Angeles last month. McIlroy won the last of his four majors at Hoylake in 2014, the last time the Open was held on the Wirral links.

Hoylake member Matthew Jordan will hit the opening tee shot at this year’s Openl.

The 27-year-old local qualifier will get the action under way when the tournament begins on his hometown course on Thursday.

Jordan, who turned professional in 2018, has been a member at the Wirral links since he was seven years old. He said: “It’s an amazing honour. I’m sure the first tee, no matter what, was going to be special, but to have this honour is brilliant.”

Malton & Norton’s Emma Brown finished tied-second at the R&A Women's Senior Amateur Championship. England Senior Women's squad member Jackie Foster claimed success at Woodhall Spa, two shots ahead of world No 1 Nadene Gole and Brown, with a six-over-par tally of 297 (76, 73, 72 and 76).