By James Morrison
Hopefully over the next two weeks I will book my spot at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, something I thought I had already done at the Joburg Open in February.
I was tied third playing the 72nd hole so, as things then stood, I would have got in as the highest ranked player on that score. I then hit the pin with my approach from 115 yards to the 18th which rebounded back to 15 feet and the putt then horseshoed out.
Minutes later Stuart Manley birdied the last to pip me. Now my attention is on a high enough finish in Ireland or Scotland as I won’t be trying my luck at Final Qualifying which I imagine will be the case with a lot of players.
It now takes place on the Tuesday of the Irish Open so playing 36 holes two days before a really big week really eats into your preparations – plus I’ve not played this year’s venue at Portstewart before so I wanted to do my homework properly.
I first played Royal Birkdale in the 2005 British Amateur, the other qualifier was Southport & Ainsdale, and I loved the course. I would say it is one of the better Open venues. My favourite though would have to be the Old Course.
We are lucky to play there every year at the Dunhill Links but it is so much more special to play it in an Open and to be in semi-contention too. Two years ago I partnered Phil Mickelson in the final round. We both shot 68 and it was an absolute pleasure.
Phil was actually seven under on the 17th tee but then hit one out of bounds. Otherwise he just carried me along with him. I obviously really wanted to play well with him and that was a great experience and memory to have.
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I have played in three Opens so far. My debut came at Lytham in 2012. I had always played the Lytham Trophy and hated it but going back there in July was very different with all the stands up and I loved it.
People talk about opening up with a par 3 with the railway line to your right but it’s actually OK. The tee is tucked away in the trees so it is just you, your playing partner and the starter.
It is all very quiet and you are in your own little zone for the first 20 minutes. After that, for the next few holes, it’s quite demanding off the tee. That year I started with a 68 and was then off at 3.30pm on the Friday.
Usually you can waste a lot of energy watching the TV, worrying about the conditions – which will often have changed by the time you tee off – and trying to kill a lot of time but in 2012 my son was about five weeks old so I spent most of the morning washing bottles and changing nappies before we all went for breakfast on Lytham high street.
In the end I think I lipped out for birdie at the last when a three would have got me into the following year’s Championship. Otherwise, there was Troon last year which is a very good test. All Opens are special, of course.
If I had to miss one it would be Royal St George’s, but you are talking about the very best layouts in the UK. The last major produced a familiar winner in Brooks Koepka.
I played with Brooks at Wentworth a couple of years ago and he was obviously a great golfer. A lot of the big American players go to college and then head straight to the PGA Tour but Brooks spent a few years playing on our Challenge and European Tours.
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He said it in interviews how coming over to Europe, playing different grasses and experiencing different cultures had really helped him and that he had learned such a lot. He was a very popular, cool bloke with a good sense of humour and arms for legs.
The way that he won it, never looking backwards nor getting intimidated by the chance of winning, was so impressive. Some guys get caught in the headlights – he didn’t. Finally a mention for Eddie Pepperell, another good bloke who thinks smart.
Everyone has waves in their careers but he has done all the right things and ridden out the storm and hopefully his top-20 finish at Erin Hills will help him kick on.
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