I’m sorry. Open practice days are lovely after all
“Here comes the circus.”
A torrent of humanity is spilling out over the 4th at Royal Birkdale and, in what I can only describe as a grandstand-ette (think maisonette but, well, grander), the sudden influx of souls is a source of no little scorn.
It’s clear some of those leaning against the railings have been in place for some time.
But their perfect view is now under threat and it’s all the fault of two Spanish superstars.
As Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm come into view, so does their travelling army.
Only at this point, as this human traffic jam swarms to fill the empty spaces surrounding the edges of this par 3, do I realise how big a deal practice day at the Open is.
I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve been to half a dozen Opens, the last two in a reporting capacity, and I’ve never bothered to attend the warm up.
Here was my reasoning.
It doesn’t matter.
I like the cut and thrust of battle. I like every second to count. I like every shot to mean something.
Practice day was, in my opinion, the absolute antithesis of this.
Hit a bad shot off the tee? No problem, just flush another. Don’t like that lie? Shift it.
Don’t get me started on the Piccadilly Circus that the green becomes. Where it seems the only thing a player doesn’t try to do is propel a ball towards the hole.
Will my favourites even turn up? Or will I have to camp on the range watching them hit bucket after bucket?
Then you want to charge me £30 for the privilege? No thanks.
At least that was my view. Like Saul on the road to Damascus, I have been converted. I prefer this image to the reality, which is that I’ve U-turned like a politician during an election campaign.
This, of course, has been influenced greatly by the appearance of Garcia. I’ve always had a soft spot for old Sergio. I’ll admit to even shedding a quiet tear when he won the Masters.
It’s a bromance that’s built out of appreciation for his ball-striking, you understand, and here’s a chance to see that lovely swing up close and personal.
That and I can take pictures like I’m part of the paparazzi and no-one’s going to feel my collar.
But I’m not the only one with the same idea.
The crowds are five or six deep. They are utilising every spare inch of Birkdale’s property. It feels just like a championship day.
Garcia looks in lovely touch. He stiffs an approach on the 5th and, two holes later, negotiates a tricky lie in the left rough with consummate ease.
From a hollow, from a bunker, from a tight lie – it doesn’t matter where the ball is. Nothing seem to trouble him.
Rahm is no less impressive. He’s an absolute tank. He’s such a physically commanding presence, I wonder if he could pick me up and vault me down the fairway like a javelin.
What he can’t do, at least early on, is keep his ball in the fairway. I’ve come to the conclusion, though, that this is all part of a cunning plan.
He’s deliberately finding the deep rough to get the hang of it before the proper business of competition begins.
Even so, when he sent an approach on the 1st so far left even the spectators weren’t prepared to negotiate the gorse to retrieve it, there were a few murmurs of concern.
‘Don’t worry, he’ll probably just shoot a steady 68’.
When he does get it right, and sends a driver careering down the 2nd that leaves no more than 40 yards to the flag, it draws gasps from the ever growing audience.
The contrast, though, with what’s happening here compared with other parts of the course is immense.
A couple of fairways away, Dustin Johnson holes his approach shot on the 11th. It’s a brilliant effort – coming in from the heavens, stopping right on a dime and tapping the flagstick before gravity does the rest.
It’s a shot seen by me and about 30 other people. This is the world number one and he’s practically playing by himself.
On the 18th, the massive structures that guard the Art Deco clubhouse aren’t getting much of an early workout either.
There’s a pass out policy when space gets a bit tight – come back within 20 minutes or you’re out – but it’s an order that’s not necessary.
This place will be creaking on Sunday teatime. Right now, it’s got the feel of a county cricket clash.
Padraig Harrington’s walk down 18 boosts numbers considerably before Garcia and Rahm take centre stage.
The shutters whir, there’s a salute of iPhones to both and there’s a walk off where everyone’s happy – at least for today.
I’m cheered too. I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve, and the presents are all yet to come.
Open practice days? I love them.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
