British Open joins US Open in leaving prize fund at same level
The U.S. Open also did not boost its purse this year at Oakmont .
The winner this week at Royal Portrush will receive $3.1 million, the same amount Xander Schauffele earned last year at Royal Troon.
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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michelin-starred restaurant to close for months for major revamp
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New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
Padraig Harrington: ‘U.S. golfers will feel differently but, for the rest of us, the Open is No 1'
'The British Open has always been the major that Americans — some, not all — whine about the most,' wrote John Feinstein in his book The Majors. The great American author, who sadly passed away this year, practically invented the 'embedded' genre of sportswriting, so us Brits should overlook the 'British Open' faux pas and not indulge in any 'US Masters' tit-for-tat nonsense. Advertisement 'Without question it is the most difficult to get to, not just because of the long flight, but because all the Open sites are a good-sized hike from any major airport and a lot of the drive from airport to golf course inevitably involves narrow two-lane roads and dozens of Great Britain's infamous roundabouts that leave you either dizzy or lost or both,' he continued, before adding half a dozen other reasons why some Americans do not enjoy the tournament, ranging from food to newspapers to the lack of showers in hotels. The latter is no longer true, by the way. But having laid out the case for the prosecution, he responds with the following defence. 'In return for their trouble, they get to play in the place where the game was invented, in front of the world's most knowledgeable and appreciative fans, and have a chance to win the oldest and, many would say, the most prestigious title in golf.' The book was published in 1999 but it was based on his inside-the-ropes access at all four majors in 1998. That was the year Mark O'Meara added the Open to the Masters title he won three months earlier. The American beat compatriot Brian Watts in a play-off at Royal Birkdale, with his friend Tiger Woods a shot back in third and a fresh-faced amateur called Justin Rose tied for fourth. Padraig Harrington came into that tournament with high hopes, having finished tied 18th at his first Open in 1996 and then tied fifth in 1997. But like most of the field that week, he struggled with Birkdale's bad bounces, thick rough and high winds. But the Irishman, who is now 53, would not have it any other way and will be teeing it up at Royal Portrush, the Northern Irish venue for the 153rd edition of the Open. Harrington has played in 27 of the last 28, winning in 2007 at Carnoustie and retaining the title at Birkdale a year on. Advertisement 'The Open means different things to different people but it's fair to say that, for any golfer not from the United States, it's always been their Open,' Harrington tells The Athletic. 'American golfers will feel differently but, for the rest of us, the Open is No 1. It's the original, isn't it?' Indeed it is. First played in 1860, only the absence of a trophy to hand out in 1871 (Young Tom Morris had claimed the winner's belt in 1870 thanks to his third straight victory), the two World Wars and Covid-19 have interrupted the Open's 165-year history. For the first 25 years of that run, the Open was the only major, although nobody used that term at the time. The U.S. Open was the next of the quartet to get going in 1895, the same year that the U.S. Amateur started and 10 years after the (British) Amateur began. These four tournaments, the two transatlantic Opens and their amateur equivalents, made up golf's grand slam for the first half of the 20th century and only one man, the incomparable Bobby Jones, ever achieved it. A lawyer by profession, Jones pulled it off in 1930 and promptly retired from competition, but that was not the end of his impact on the sport. Far from it, because in 1931 he bought a plant nursery in Georgia and, with the help of English course designer Alister MacKenzie, turned it into the Augusta National Golf Club. In 1934, he invited his golf buddies to a tournament and the Masters was born. By that point, the Professional Golfers' Association of America — the guys and gals who teach people to play and run pro shops, not the millionaires of the offshoot PGA Tour — had created their own tournament, the PGA Championship, or what the rest of the world calls the USPGA, in 1916. So, the Masters was the last of what would become the majors to get started. Advertisement But even then, it was not until 1960, when another American phenomenon came along and started talking about a modern 'grand slam' to emulate Jones' 1930 feat, that the term 'majors' entered common usage. That was Arnold Palmer and he finished second in his first crack at the Open in 1960 but won it in 1961 and 1962, which made him a lifelong favourite with British fans. Therefore, the Open was 100 years old before anyone started to think about it being one of the four events that define professional golf careers now. And each of the quartet has a distinct character. The Masters is the only one played at the same course every year. It is prim, proper and very pretty, with the smallest field, cheapest sandwiches and strangest prize. The USPGA used to be hot and sweaty when it was held in August but has been played in May since 2019, making it less of a physical ordeal. Dominated by American golfers for decades, it is the only major exclusively for professionals. The U.S. Open is next in the calendar and is best known for being long, narrow and very hard. If you enjoy watching the world's best golfers getting annoyed, this is the major for you. And then there is the Open, the one played in front of huge crowds on old courses carved out of the sandy scrubland that links the sea with the interior. While American courses have trees and lakes to go around or over, links courses have bumps, scratchy grass and the wind. 'Most pros love order,' says Harrington, who won the 2008 USPGA during a 13-month purple patch that took him to third in the world rankings. 'They would like to play in domes, with no wind and no divots or spike marks. But golf was never meant to be fair. It's supposed to be a test of skill and fortitude, and fortitude is a lot harder to coach. 'What I like about the Open over the last 15 to 20 years is that it's gone in the opposite direction of the rest of the game by saying it's not going to manipulate the course — you're going to get what the weather gives you. And it's not just the weather during the tournament that matters — the weather in the weeks before has a huge impact on the course. Advertisement 'The Open has just decided to say, 'This is links golf, if the conditions are kind, you're going to need to shoot 20 under to win, if they're not, four over might be enough, we're not going to interfere with the set-up at all'. Some pros don't like that but for traditionalists like me, that's awesome.' The youngest of five boys, Harrington grew up in a southern suburb of Dublin. His dad, Paddy, was a policeman who also played Gaelic football to a high standard and loved golf. Like most golf fans of a certain age from these islands, young Padraig remembers watching the BBC's coverage of the Open for 12 hours or more each day, and has vivid memories of tournaments that could be sun-kissed in the morning and played in sideways winds in the afternoon. You can still watch the tournament all day if you want to but, like most of the good stuff, it is behind a paywall on Sky Sports in the UK. But that move has helped the tournament's organisers, the competitions subsidiary of the St Andrew's-based R&A, to keep up. 'If you look at the Open today compared to where it was even when I won mine, it's twice the footprint because of the extra facilities they've put in for players,' says Harrington. 'That's been the biggest change. The lounges, locker rooms, restaurants, practice areas at all the majors have massively improved and they are second to none at the Open. There are three or four places you can eat or get a coffee, a great gym, lots of space for your family and friends. 'It's a first-class experience — we're very lucky. But they've had to do that because the Masters did and then the U.S. Open and USPGA did it, too. The Open wants to be the best, so it had to respond and it has. 'There is a huge amount of competition between the majors and it's been great for us golfers. And I don't just mean in terms of the prize money, although I'm not going to pretend that's not been great, too. But when we're talking about the majors, most players would turn up for free and what we really want at the big tournaments is a great experience.' Advertisement For the record, the Open's total prize pot is $17million (£12.5million), which is the smallest of the four majors. The U.S. Open leads the way at $21.5million (£15.8million), which is presumably the United States Golf Association's way of saying sorry for trying to humiliate the field every year. 'Most Europeans, Australians, South Africans, Japanese, would choose the Open as their favourite major,' says Harrington, who was speaking to The Athletic only two days after winning his second U.S. Senior Open, in Colorado Springs. 'Don't get me wrong, the Masters is great, too, and it has the advantage of always being at the same venue, so it has top facilities. And the U.S. Open and USPGA have massively improved. They're all really good now. 'But I can't tell you how much the experience has changed at the Masters for players. I remember when I first went, you were always on edge about doing the wrong thing. You wouldn't dare be caught with your phone out. But it's become a lot more relaxed and player-centric now. The Open is the world's major, though. It's like cricket and Lord's, isn't it?' Harrington's hunch that the Open is the non-American golfer's top major is hard to verify without conducting a survey but it is the most cosmopolitan in terms of who plays in it. Golfers from 25 different countries competed in the Masters and USPGA this year, with 27 countries represented at the U.S. Open. There will be 31 nations at Portrush. American golfers have won 72 per cent of the 89 Masters staged, 83 per cent of the 107 USPGAs, 71 per cent of the 125 editions of the U.S. Open but only 31 per cent of the 152 Opens. And those wins have been shared between 13 nationalities at the Masters, 10 at the USPGA, 11 at the U.S. Open and 15 at the Open. Clearly, the huge difference in America's share of victories at the Open compared to the three U.S.-based majors is partly to do with the cost and difficulty of transatlantic travel before jet airliners became widely used in the 1960s, but it is also because the R&A, which organises the Open, is the game's governing body outside the U.S. and Mexico, so it has always tried to grow the game in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and South America. In recent years, the Open has taken its qualifying tournaments on the road, with events in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Italy and the U.S., as well as the traditional regional and final qualifying tournaments in the UK. Harrington believes this is another example of the Open 'upping its game' and learning from the other majors. The U.S. Open's final round of qualifying takes place at 10 different courses around the U.S. and is known as 'the longest day'. The scramble for places at the main event creates great drama and storylines, something the R&A's social media team appears to have noticed in recent years. Advertisement Speaking of games being upped, if you were wondering what Harrington has been doing since his major-winning, Ryder Cup-competing heyday, you may be surprised to hear that he has become one of the most popular golf coaches on the internet, with almost 200,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel and followings of 150,000-plus on Facebook and Instagram, and more than 230,000 on X. 'I just love doing it,' he says. 'I was feeling a bit burned out around 2016, 2017, so I started to think about what I would do next. I did some TV work and it seemed to go well. But I could see that it's a tougher gig when it's your full-time job, and you're not just a player who's adding a bit of colour. 'It was during Covid that I started doing the coaching videos. Almost one a day. Everyone was cooped up at home so I thought I'd use the time to pass on some tips. I didn't really think much about how many people would watch them — I wasn't sure anyone would watch them — but the feedback was good. 'What I really like about the videos, is that you can just keep coming back to parts of the game again and again, because the sport evolves. And I'm always thinking of new ways to explain things.' Harrington came to the pro ranks relatively late and had started training as an accountant by the time he decided he might just be good enough to make the sums add up as a golfer. Could those early doubts about his own golf be the reason he is so interested now in making the rest of us better? 'It's absolutely because of who I am,' he says. 'I have always thought of myself as a raw amateur who learned how to play golf. Other sports came much easier to me. I played soccer and Gaelic (football), I was a goalie. My last game of football was at (the home of Gaelic football) Croke Park. 'But we are all the product of our circumstances. I know that I became the golfer I am because I was the youngest of five competitive boys and we grew up 15 minutes from a golf course where my dad, a policeman, probably spent too much time. Advertisement 'Stackstown Golf Club was our playground and the fact that it has six greens you can't reach in regulation undoubtedly taught me a lot about the importance of fortitude and having a good short game. 'The club was full of hustlers — not in a bad way but just that there was something on every game, could be a fiver or a pound, it didn't matter. But what was important was that it taught me how to play the game, not just hit the shots. I was always trying to figure out how those guys got around the course — I became obsessed with it and have been ever since. 'If I was to play a round with you, I bet I could work out a lot about your game before you even hit your first tee shot. I would be looking at how you carry the bag, tee it up, whether you waggle the club behind the ball and wiggle in your shoes. That would tell me you've been playing a while, as it's something that has gone from the game in recent years. 'If you're an amateur golfer and you catch my eye on the range, I'm sorry, but you're going to get a lesson from me!' So, if the chance to compete in the oldest, most prestigious, most international tournament on the planet is not enticing enough for American golfers who prefer lush fairways, air-conditioning and all-way stops, surely the prospect of a chipping clinic from a short-game guru on Portrush's first-class range will tip the balance. After all, a tip from a two-time winner might be all you need to win the thing and receive the greatest title in golf, the champion golfer of the year. No caveats, prefixes or sponsors' names, win the Open, become the champion, it is that simple.
Forbes
19 minutes ago
- Forbes
Here's How To Watch Golf's 2025 Open Championship
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is among the favorites at The 153rd Open Championship at Royal ... More Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. (Photo by) The 153rd Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush Golf Club this week, where Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele are among the betting favorites at what promises to be Northern Ireland's biggest-ever sporting event, with approximately 278,000 fans expected to attend the golf season's final major tournament. This marks the third time Royal Portrush has hosted The Open, following Max Faulkner's victory in 1951 and Irishman Shane Lowry's emotional triumph in 2019. The tournament, scheduled for July 17-20 at the iconic Dunluce links on the Antrim Coast, is set to have the largest fan turnout for an Open Championship held outside of St Andrews. While Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Xander Schauffele are among the top picks to extend the run of success by Americans in the men's majors – wins at nine of the past 10 titles – Irishman Rory McIlroy will surely be the fan favorite at Royal Portrush. McIlroy, who missed the cut on home soil in 2019, is the only non-American to claim victory over the past 10 men's majors, as his win at The Masters Tournament in April made him just the sixth person to claim the career Grand Slam. 'When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably circled even more so than the Masters for different reasons,' said McIlroy, who tied for second at last week's Scottish Open. 'It's lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that's happened this year.' The tournament is available to watch via a mix of free television and paid streaming services, with NBC Sports providing nearly 50 hours of live coverage in total. It's important to note there's a five-hour time difference between Northern Ireland and New York (ET), so coverage of the first two rounds will start in the early morning hours on the East Coast. The Claret Jug sits on the fifth hole at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. (Photo by ... More Richard Heathcote/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) How To Watch The Open Championship TV: NBC, USA Network Streaming: Peacock, and the NBC Sports App Broadcasting Schedule (All Times ET) Coverage begins shortly before the first scheduled tee time at 1:30 a.m. ET NBC Sports will complement its comprehensive Open Championship coverage with live featured groups Thursday to Sunday streaming on Peacock, showcasing two morning groups and two afternoon groups each day. Peacock will also feature a Par-3 channel highlighting the 6th and 16th holes. Open Championship Favorites The field of 156 players is the most diverse in Open Championship history, featuring professionals and amateurs from around the globe. Among the standout storylines is McIlroy's return to Royal Portrush, where with heavy expectations in 2019 he hit his opening tee shot out of bounds, made a quadruple-bogey 8, and carded a first-round 79 en route to missing the cut. 'You get to an Open, it's a major championship, everything that comes along with it, and I just think that that feeling, the walk to the first tee and then that ovation, I was still a little surprised and a little taken aback,' said McIlroy. 'Like 'Geez, these people really want me to win.' 'I think that brought its own sort of pressure, and more internally, not really wanting to let people down. I guess it's something I didn't mentally prepare for that day or that week. But I learned pretty quickly that one of my challenges, especially in a week like this, is controlling myself and controlling that battle.' Rory McIlroy during a media conference at Royal Portrush Golf Club ahead of The 153rd Open ... More Championship. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images) So, which McIlroy will show up this week? McIlroy wasn't seriously in contention at the PGA Championship or U.S. Open but is coming off the runner-up finish in Scotland. And although he missed the cut at The Open Championship last year, he finished third and tied for sixth in the two years prior to that. Other Key Players to Watch: Shane Lowry celebrates with the Claret Jug after winning the 148th Open Championship held on the ... More Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2019. (Photo by) Open Championship Betting Odds Based on the latest odds from the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook: Scottie Scheffler hits a shot during a practice round prior to the 153rd Open Championship at Royal ... More Portrush Golf Club. (Photo by Alex Pantling/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) What To Expect From The Weather At Royal Portrush All things considered, the weather forecast appears relatively benign, although there is some rain in the forecast and, like almost all Opens at seaside venues, winds coming off the North Atlantic. Temperatures are expected to hover around 68-70°F during tournament days, with light to moderate winds expected throughout the week. Of course, being on the water means the weather (and winds) can always be fickle, and who doesn't expect that at an Open Championship. 'A nice stiff breeze and a little bit of rain is not the end of the world,' said Lowry, who had to contend with strong rain and winds at times six years ago at Royal Portrush. 'If you go back to 2019 here, we got blessed with the weather in the afternoon the Saturday, and I shot 63 and it helped me win the tournament. You kind of have to take the rough with the smooth. 'The one thing you have to do when you get to an Open is take what you get, take it on the chin and just be the best you can. That's all you can do.' Shane Lowry shelters under his umbrella during the final round of the 2019 Open Championship held on ... More the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club. (Photo by) The Royal Portrush Challenge Royal Portrush's Dunluce Links presents a spectacular and challenging test, with holes that wind through some of the choppiest dunes among courses in the Open Championship rota. The course underwent significant changes prior to the 2019 Open, with two new holes (No. 7 and No. 8) created by architects Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert. The course's unique character lies in its green complexes and surrounding areas, with a number of putting surfaces nestled into dunes or elevated above fairways. Lowry's 63 in the third round of 2019 stands as the current official course record at Royal Portrush, though locals remember McIlroy's round of 61 as a 15-year-old amateur in 2005, prior to the course renovations. Rory Mcilroy during a practice round prior to the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf ... More Club. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) Prize Money The 2025 Open Championship has a prize fund of $17 million, with the winner earning $3.1 million, the same amount as Schauffele received in 2024. It's the first time since 2012 the R&A hasn't increased the purse. As the final major of 2025, The Open at Royal Portrush promises to deliver compelling storylines -- from McIlroy's quest for home glory, to Scheffler's pursuit of a links major and Schauffele's bid for back-to-back titles -- at a beloved venue in front of the largest crowds outside of St Andrews.
