| TALES FROM THE BOX
A Remarkably
“Open” Open Julian Tutt recounts a special week in Ireland and looks ahead to this month’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool where Tiger Woods looks set to make his first major appearance of the season.
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Daniel Wong (Tutt); AFP
Mikko Ilonen is all smiles after his victory at the title sponsorshipless Irish Open, which took place at Fota Island (right); Sergio Garcia's infamous canary-yellow outfit from the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool (opposite) 40
HK GOLFER・JUL 2014
ponsors whither thee? I have just witnessed a gripping Irish Open, an event that is – amazingly – lacking a title sponsor. How can this be? It defies comprehension that no one in the corporate world thinks it’s worth supporting in a big way. Over 100,000 people came through the gates over five days (there were nearly 7,000 for the ProAm alone), which was more than the attendance at the European Tour’s flagship event, the PGA Championship at Wentworth. Beautiful pictures of Fota Island Resort were beamed all around the world, with many of Europe’s top names contending. It’s something that the European Tour’s new chairman, David Williams, must surely be giving urgent attention to. By all accounts he’s a new broom who is already raising a lot of dust. Hopefully when it settles the larder won’t just be a lot cleaner, but rather better stocked too! The Irish Open was yet another episode in a long saga of dashed hopes for the locals. Save for a stone-cold putter, Graeme McDowell might well have snatched the glassware from Mikko Ilonen’s grasp. The big disappointment though was that Rory McIlroy, the 2011 Hong Kong Open champion, missed the cut again. In the second round he made six birdies and an eagle for a two-under 69. In his post round interview he appeared to hint that he might have to review the way he plays. Ask anyone who knows him well and they will tell you that he’s a bull-
headed young man who does things his own way. His colleagues are amazed at his course management, or lack of it. So far, it’s that gungho approach that’s brought him considerable success and fortune. He’s not a Tiger Woods and never will be, but I just detect that there’s a growing frustration within himself at his inability to “get it round” when all is not hunky dory. Under full sail he’s an incredibly exciting player to watch. When battered by the raging storm the canvas gets a little tattered and there’s a real sense that he’s not doing himself or his enormous talent full justice. He was apparently pretty exhausted coming into the tournament and probably wouldn’t have played that week HKGOLFER.COM
had it not been his home Open. He left to lick his wounds and ensure that he’s in prime condition to tackle Royal Liverpool where the Open Championship returns eight years after Tiger’s third and last Open win. Tiger’s course management that week was except iona l in ver y d r y, burnt, bou ncy conditions, using his driver just once. My main memory apart from that is of Sergio Garcia’s canary-yellow outfit on Sunday, when it seemed he might be the man to challenge the American. He may as well have walked round with a white flag. But he’s in top form again. Maybe he will finally get the major his talent deserves. As has been the case for the last few years, I shall be glued to the action all day long from the “comfort” of my little box in the TV compound, linking the output that goes around the world. For the most part you will hear the BBC commentary team, with all the wit and wisdom of Peter Alliss, Ken Brown, Sam Torrance et al. But when they go to domestic coverage (with interviews and features) that’s where yours truly has to leap in with a seamless flow of fascinating information to enrich and entertain the rest of the world. It requires skill, knowledge and considerable concentration … at least that’s what I tell my paymasters! I have a little orange button that controls who and what “The World” hears. What power! At the time of writing Tiger is about to make his reappearance after an enforced hibernation and is obviously intent on “defending” his Hoylake title. It’s a huge ask for him to come back and win another major so soon after complex surgery. The news that there’s a Tiger on the prowl no longer sends mind-numbing fear and trepidation through the ranks and personally my money will not be on him. Henrik Stenson must surely take the winner’s cheque sooner or later, although in recent weeks he has shown an alarming tendency to miss shortish putts under the cosh on Sunday, an area where traditionally he’s been very strong. Mikko Ilonen won the Amateur Championship at Hoylake in 2000 and was tied 16th at The Open there last time. Might he repeat Padraig Harrington’s Irish Open/Open double of 2007? A few weeks out, it seems to be a remarkably “open” Open. There’s no question Ryder Cup qualifying is at the forefront of a lot of players’ minds now. Martin Kaymer’s not given captain Paul McGinley a chance of leaving him out. Back in 1999, in the “Bear Pit” of Brookline’s Country Club, Bernhard Langer was overlooked as an obvious captain’s pick by Mark James. He just didn’t like him. Arguably his personal HKGOLFER.COM
One of my memories of the 2006 Open is Sergio Garcia’s canary-yellow outfit on Sunday, when it seemed he might be the man to challenge Tiger Woods for the title. He may as well have walked round with a white flag. But he’s in top form again. Maybe he will finally get the major his talent deserves. predilections cost Europe the cup. He was great value as a captain though, especially for the media. His dry, laconic humour whizzed straight over the heads of many American journalists, and the European Team would often sit and watch the live press conferences on television, just to see what wickedness he would come up with. In the end, “Gentle Ben” Crenshaw (James’ American counterpart) got the victory he craved, but his reputation for gentlemanly conduct was seriously tarnished. The tragedy of 9/11 ensured that the competition was changed from odd years to even, so Europe’s next skipper, Sam Torrance, had an extra 12 months to prepare for the 2002 edition at The Belfry. His wife Suzanne planned a meticulous week of entertainment for the wives, whilst Sam left no stone unturned to make his players feel like superstars. Every player got a beautiful silver canteen of cutlery, expensive engraved Rolex’s and plenty more besides. He was a popular captain who hardly put a foot wrong. Langer gave him a scare though with a late night call to tell Sam that his neck had gone and he wouldn’t be able to play the next day. After some gentle ego massaging, he did. Perhaps Mark James hadn’t fancied being a wet-nurse! Famously it was McGinley who provided the coup de grâce. He’ll have to rely on someone else to do that in September. Kaymer again maybe? Or a rampaging McIlroy perhaps, a wiser sailor by then? HK GOLFER・JUL 2014
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