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Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
The Open: First hole-in-one of the week while Rory McIlroy's game ‘ready' to launch moving day bid
3 minutes ago Ollie's started 'dell Finland's Ollie Lindell, who is 291st in the world rankings and last year finished third on the Challenge Tour's order of merit, is into the top-10 at the Open Championship as he birdies his opening two holes to get to -4 early doors. Is he the unexpected man to go low today and get himself into contention? 6 minutes ago Shane finally has a birdie He's had to wait 10 holes to get it but Shane Lowry has finally put a red number on the scorecard as he holes a putt from just off the green for the three at the par-four and to finally get something behind him. Back up to level-par for the tournament, as is Jon Rahm who also birdied the 10th, and headed to 11 trying to get something going on the back nine. 14 minutes ago HOLE-IN-ONE! We've had a couple of close calls today already but we finally have an actual hole-in-one as John Parry holes his tee shot on the 192-yard par-three 13th! That's an achievement in itself but it's also taken the Englishman up to -3 for the week and he's now four-under-par for the day! 15 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Rory on the range Rory McIlroy (-3) is at the driving range with under an hour until his 2.30pm tee-time this afternoon. He starts the day seven behind world number one Scottie Scheffler, so it seems it's going to take something seriously special to get him right in the mix. But he is Rory McIlroy. 21 minutes ago Second eagle of the day! It comes for Tommy Fleetwood on two as, playing alongside Justin Thomas for the third day in a row, he more than makes up for bogey at one by rolling in a lengthy eagle attempt and punching the air. Goes to -2. 29 minutes ago Clubhouse leader Out in the first group of the day but holding the clubhouse lead after a birdie on the par-four 18th, Corey Conners is currently the man to beat as a five-under 66 sees him shoot up into a share of 10th at -4! That will obviously be beaten as the day goes on but, for now, that's the score to be caught. Really tidy round for the Canadian, only one blemish on the scorecard at the par-four ninth, but six birdies mean he should have an afternoon tee time for the final round! An unexpectedly tough hole Eleven groups have now made their way through the ninth hole and there has been only one birdie, from Takumi Kanaya, and four bogeys. It is a tough hole in general but today it looks like it's going to cause some serious problems. Not to Wyndham Clark, though! The former US Open champion rolls in the second birdie of the day at the hole for his third gained shot of a bogey-free front-nine to turn in 33 and become the latest to hit -3! 31 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Bryson's frustrations show That run of birdies on the front nine feels a long time ago now. A poor tee shot on the downhill par three 13th drops into the front bunker and, despite nearly holing it, he can't save par as the bunker shot runs out and he doesn't make it coming back. Club smashed into the sand sums up the fall-back to -1. 36 minutes ago Back nine bites back Henrik Stenson is the latest to drop back to -3 as he flies the par-four 14th green long and left and cannot recover to save par, missing the par putt from 30-feet and falling back courtesy of his first bogey of the day. Scoring has really dried up over the last hour or so. What had looked like a day where someone could potentially go very low has suddenly become a slog for plenty. Stenson still the lowest tournament score on the course, alongside Corey Conners, at -3. 44 minutes ago Gareth Hanna 'GO ON BRYSOOON….. MY MVP!' Two guys have been shouting that before every shot these last few holes. Got to admire their consistency if nothing else. Their man gets pin high in two on the par five but his eagle putt pulls up a couple of feet short. Ooooo his birdie putt isn't very MVP either as it misses left and he stays -2. A nasty three-roll. 47 minutes ago A birdie! Yes, it's a birdie for Maverick McNealy on, of all holes, the par-four 11th as he hits in a brilliant approach to six feet and holes the putt! Fairways in regulation: 7/9 Greens in regulation: 11/11 Putts: 21 Birdies: 11 Pars: 10 Score: -1 (E for the tournament) Quoted message Today 11:38 AM Adam McKendry Maverick watch Why not? This has the potential to be a special (yet boring) scorecard from the American. Fairways in regulation: 6/7 (a miss to the left at the ninth!) Greens in regulation: 9/9 Putts: 18 Pars: 9 Score: E (+1 for the tournament) 50 minutes ago Adam McKendry Shane's stuttering stays Even when presented with a par-five that most of the field have birdied so far, it's just a par for Lowry who remains +1 for his round and the tournament having failed to pick up a shot all day. Rahm does likewise. This group is flat, no matter how much the crowd try and pick them up. 52 minutes ago Another Bryson bomb on 12 It's the unhinged nature of his driving ecosystem that hooks the crowd, I think. His tongue licks out of his mouth mid-backswing as he gives that one the full message, 346 yards to set up a 175 yard second into the par five. 52 minutes ago Struggling Schmid It's been a really tough day for the German, who has had just two birdies in a round that has also contained three bogeys and three double-bogeys. The last man in the field last Sunday, through his finish at the Scottish Open, is now +8 for the tournament, four shots worse than anyone else and ELEVEN behind playing partner Corey Conners, who is still at -3 going down the par-four 17th. Today 11:57 AM Gareth Hanna Bryson not walking alone on 11 Former Liverpool duo Jason McAteer and Don Hutchison are following the American round as he sets up a gettable 15 footer for birdie, hitting it pin high on 11. Meanwhile, trouble for Kimsey as he goes left into the thick, thick stuff and can only move it a few feet. Edit: No golden sky finish to this hole for Bryson. He cuts a VERY frustrated figure as he hole-bound putt pulls up short. He needed one or two of those recent ones to drop ahead of the par five to continue a real run. Today 11:55 AM Of course, as soon as I mention the pair they go and bogey their next holes, Kanaya at the 13th and Svensson at the eighth, to fall back to -2. I've got to learn to wait before I post... Quoted message Today 11:44 AM Adam McKendry Two unlikely chargers The two hottest men on the course? Nope, it's not Bryson DeChambeau or even Henrik Stenson. No, that honour instead goes to Takumi Kanaya and Jesper Svensson, who are four-under-par thru 12 and seven holes respectively. Sweden's Svensson looks particularly well-placed to put together an impressive card as he's spun off three straight birdies at the fifth, sixth and seventh to go with another at the second as he hits -3, while Kanaya converts on the par-five 12th for birdie to reach the same score. We may keep an eye on Svensson. He has a lot of time and a lot of gettable holes coming up to rack up a low score today. Today 11:54 AM First to -4 It's Henrik Stenson, who looked to be in an awkward position short right of the par-five 12th green having misjudged his approach, but instead he plays a lovely bump-and-run up the hill and in tight for the easy birdie - his third of the day, along with an eagle - to get to -4 and into a share of fourth! Today 11:48 AM Gareth Hanna 'Jesus' An involuntary prayer from a woman on the edge of the 11th tee box as her life flashes before her eyes while Bryson's drive whistles away. It is a different noise of sheer power than his playing partner Nathan Kimsey. It ends up 331 yards down the left edge of the fairway and 145 yards out into a gentle left-to-right breeze. Today 11:48 AM Low spirits Shane Lowry cuts a really frustrated figure as he gives himself a good look at birdie on the par-three sixth with a fine tee shot to 13-feet but then can't hole the putt, leaving it low to the right, and the look on his face says all you need to know. He remains +1 and with little to no momentum behind him, although he is headed onto the par-five seventh that has yielded eight birdies to the first nine groups. Jon Rahm, meanwhile, with a fantastic up-and-down from right of the green to rescue a par and also remain +1. Today 11:44 AM Two unlikely chargers The two hottest men on the course? Nope, it's not Bryson DeChambeau or even Henrik Stenson. No, that honour instead goes to Takumi Kanaya and Jesper Svensson, who are four-under-par thru 12 and seven holes respectively. Sweden's Svensson looks particularly well-placed to put together an impressive card as he's spun off three straight birdies at the fifth, sixth and seventh to go with another at the second as he hits -3, while Kanaya converts on the par-five 12th for birdie to reach the same score. We may keep an eye on Svensson. He has a lot of time and a lot of gettable holes coming up to rack up a low score today. Live Blog Software
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
The Open: Rory McIlroy 'can challenge' after keeping dream alive while Lowry and Scheffler chase down leaders
Key updates Getting the chop: Big names set to miss the cut McKibbin faces nerves wait to learn cut fate Rory says he can 'go on a run' to challenge this weekend Bryson makes the weekend with stunning 65 Friday weather forecast Round two tee times one minute ago Gareth Hanna Haotong joins clubhouse Li'd Haotong Li matches yesterday's 67 to tie Brian Harman 's clubhouse lead of eight under par. Unfortunately for them, it looks like Matt Fitzpatrick is about to go one shot clear as he's on the par five 12th in two. 3 minutes ago Flag hunting Almost literally for Dustin Johnson as he takes aim with his second shot on the par-four 18th, it hits the green hard and bounces up... and hits the flag, dropping down a foot from the hole! Sometimes you get the breaks and that was certainly one of them - that will be a tap-in birdie for the two-time Major winner and he'll be in for the weekend at level-par! 7 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Tommy loves Portrush And Portrush loves Tommy Fleetwood (-1) Tommy Fleetwood on Twitter / X Privilege to play in front of the home crowds the last two days with their hero. Better day today for me and looking forward to a big push this weekend! @TheOpen Tommy Fleetwood (@TommyFleetwood1) July 18, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. 8 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Not to be for Darren Clarke He gave it a good rattle at the 17th to be fair to him. From 'other', he managed to get his approach shot just off the back edge, and his chip was close put came up a couple of feet short. At +5 with one to play, it's looking like there's just one final reception at 18 left to close out his tournament. 8 minutes ago Doing things Reit Welcome to the front page of the leaderboard, Kristoffer Reitan. The Norwegian has just birdied the par-five 12th, as most are to be fair, to get to -4 and knock Rory McIlroy off the big scoreboard in front of us in the media centre. It's been a fine round for the 27-year-old, who is the reigning Challenge Tour champion and won the Belgian Open earlier this year, as he's currently on track for a bogey-free six-under round having carded an eagle and four birdies. 12 minutes ago Revelation of the week: There's a players' barber in the locker room After shooting a three-under 68 on Friday to get to five-under-par for the tournament, Denmark's Rasmus Højgaard was asked (among other things, of course) whether he'd had a midweek haircut. "I did actually. I took the flow away. It got a bit too long, and I sort of thought, no, this is the time. So I managed to get a haircut on Wednesday. So far it's actually worked out," he said. Did he go into town to get it done? "There's a barber in the locker room. I put my name down on Monday and had to postpone it for Tuesday, and then I couldn't find Tuesday. Then I had to do it Wednesday, and I finally did it. It's been working out." Life of luxury, isn't it. 16 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Clarke's birdie battle Two holes to play and two birdies needed for Darren to get to the +3 'maybe, but unlikely' pile. Considering his tee-shot at 17 has gone right and been classed as landing in the 'other' section of the course - as opposed to normal headings like 'fairway' or 'bunker' - we can assume it's not in great shape. 18 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Three-way tie at the top And it's a European who makes his way to the -8 alongside Harman and Li, as Matt Fitzpatrick continues the perfect start to his back nine, adding birdie at 11. With the par five 12th to come, we could soon see a new outright leader. 20 minutes ago Adam McKendry 'I'm proud of my Irish heritage': Keegan Bradley thrilled to play well on 'home soil' On shooting a four-under 67: "That was fun. Played really, really well. I've been playing so poorly here over the last couple years. It feels nice to put a nice round together, nice two days together. I played nice yesterday as well. But what a fun day." On going bogey-free:"I really am proud of that. Like I said, I've struggled here, so to be in contention, to have played the way I did today means a lot. I never know what I'm going to get when I come over here, so this is a nice bonus." On his Irish heritage:"(My family is from) Cork. I'm really proud of my heritage to be from here. I played the Irish Open here. I always dreamt of playing in the Irish Open; I played it at this course (in 2012) when I made the Tour. It's exciting to be back." 22 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Getting the chop: Big names set to miss the cut Padraig Harrington finished up nine over par for the tournament after a 76 today and bows out for the week. He's not the only big name that fans will miss out on seeing over the weekend. Adam Scott 's eight over par round left him tying Harrington's overall score, with US Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed just one shot better off at +8. Needing a miracle back nine to get through, sitting at +6 at the turn, the same score at which Louis Oosthuizen bows out. Stewart Cink finished at +4, which is sufficient to secure the weekend off. The fighters Our own Darren Clarke is at +5 with two holes to play. Two birdies required to give himself any chance and get in alongside McKibbin at +3 - which has now drifted to a tie for 80th, by the way. Patrick Cantlay is at +3 but he has five holes to go to creep up another one. Ryan Fox (thru 10) and Collin Morikawa (thru 7) are at +4 and need to improve. Commentator's curse Immediately after bigging up Chris Gotterup, he goes and bogeys the par-four 14th after what appears to be a sculled chip through the green and drops a shot to fall back to -4. Still, if he can rally and finish strongly then he still has a chance of tying the low round of the day. 34 minutes ago 'My mind went numb': Shaun Norris on making a TEN on the par-four fourth on his way to missing the cut at +5 What happened:"I hit a very poor tee shot, the first one. Then proceeded to hit the next one straight in the bunker. Now I'm trying to chase something, trying to make the best score out of it. Unfortunately the fourth shot caught the lip, then I stuck with the same club and tried to do the same. After that, the mind sort of went a little bit numb. But it happens. Golf is golf, there's nothing you can do about it. Made a number, and I had to accept it and carry on." On bouncing back with birdie at the fifth:"You've just got to accept it. Plain and simple, you've got to accept it. There's nothing you can do about it, the past is the past. I knew that it happened, I made the number, I made the 10 on the hole. I just said, okay, now instead of making two or three or four birdies coming back, I've now got to make five or six. I was happy with the way I fought back after that. Unfortunately I didn't make as many putts as I would have liked to, but that's how it goes." 35 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Mickelson cruising through to weekend Barring disaster, Phil should be here for the weekend after this. He drives it just off the front edge of the 17th and sets up a birdie putt inside five feet. That would get him back to level par for the tournament and resting easy. Edit: Knocked that in for birdie, parred the last to get in at E. See you tomorrow, Phil! 40 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Another birdie coming up for Shane? Lowry's 50-yard pitch at the par five seventh is good - and sets up a 'should-make' that could take him up alongside Rory at -3. Playing partner Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, has a similar length putt to go within one. Ominous from the world number one. Edit: Scheffler's in! Never in doubt. Slight right to left break and it's right in the middle. Four under through seven and one behind the leaders. But Shane's putt is always left and that's a big miss. Stays at -2. 41 minutes ago 'I'm enjoying the course a lot more than six years ago': Francesco Molinari, who has made the cut at +1 "I'm enjoying the week here more than 2019 just because it's a lot, I think, to come back as a defending champion. I'm enjoying definitely the course a lot more this time than six years ago. Apart from that, I'm probably playing better than I did that week, I just need to make a few more putts." 42 minutes ago Gareth Hanna The Buddhist monk is getting going too In the very last group of the day, Sadom Kaewkanjana is up to -4 after a birdie at the par three third. 49 minutes ago Chris has Gott it going Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup is trending in the right direction today as he picks up the second eagle of his round, the American following up his eagle on the par-five second with another on the par-five 12th to reach five-under-par having started the day one-over! Could he be the second player to win the Scottish Open and then The Open a week later, after Phil Mickelson in 2013? He's only three back now! The Open on Twitter / X An eagle on 2 and now an eagle on Gotterup is six-under today. The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. 54 minutes ago Gareth Hanna McKibbin faces nerves wait to learn cut fate Tom McKibbin, the 22-year-old from Holywood has finished up his second round, shooting a two over par 73, which leaves him at +3 for the week. That's currently in a tie for 78th and means he faces a nervous few hours ahead to learn if he's through to the weekend. Of course, it's the top 70 players and ties who will be here tomorrow and Sunday, so if another eight players drop back to +3, then he could still sneak through. Today 03:57 PM No more solo lead Haotong Li is back to eight-under-par as he makes a mess of the par-four 14th, driving it into the rough down the right, hacking his recovery just short of the green, over-hitting the chip just over the back of the green and then missing the putt. It's a bogey and he returns to a share of the lead alongside Brian Harman. Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick continues an utterly wild round that has contained just two pars, and he hasn't had one since the third, adding a bogey at the par-four eighth to the mix after failing to get up-and-down from the left of the green to fall back to -6 alongside Scheffler. Seriously, Fitzpatrick's last five holes have been birdie-bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey. Throw a par in there mate, you'll thank me for it. Today 03:55 PM Back-to-back for Scottie Here he comes... Scottie Scheffler is up to six-under-par and three back of the lead as he picks the perfect line on a 34-foot birdie putt on the par-three sixth and, after some encouragement - "Break! Break!" - it finds the hole and falls in for a second consecutive birdie that takes him into a share of third! In the same group, Shane Lowry can't convert his own long-range birdie putt so that's another par. The Offaly man is ticking over nicely but perhaps does need to get something going, even just to hang onto Scheffler's coat-tails. Live Blog Software
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
The Open: Rory McIlroy out on course as Shane Lowry reaches final holes in Royal Portrush
2 minutes ago Adam McKendry Danish delight We already have Jacob Skov Olesen in a share of the lead, Nicolai Hojgaard in the clubhouse two back at -2 and now there's another Dane on the charge as John Axelsen birdies 12 and 13 to move to -2, two off the top. The 27-year-old plays primarily on the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly known as the Challenge Tour) and only qualified through Final Qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports - he's certainly making the most of that invitation. 8 minutes ago Gareth Hanna 'Oh Rory' Rory loops his long putt round the slope and in to three feet but then…. MISSED IT. Leaves himself further away for bogey but at least gets that. Shockwave for a nervous crowd. Fleetwood two putts for par off back edge but, JT can't tease his own putt from back there down the slope as leaves it 20 foot short, missing the hill altogether. Bogey for Thomas. (To anyone who saw my brief trigger happy post that he had holed it, I am sorry. Fully scudded him. Fully.) 9 minutes ago Adam McKendry Scheffler on the move He's hit an absolute stunner into Calamity, flirting with the chasm but bouncing it up onto the green and up to three feet - and he drains the putt! That's the World No.1 up to -2 and just two back, with the birdie-able par-four 17th coming up! Unfortunately Sergio Garcia is going the other way as he bogeys the par-four eighth and is back to -2 as well, having been at -3. 18 minutes ago Gareth Hanna And a roar! Very impressive from McIlroy. We've barely seen anyone make the green from that left rough but he manages to squeeze it on the front edge. A long two-putt and we're away. Gareth Hanna on Twitter / X And everyone in Portrush breathes a collective sigh of relief for Rory McIlroy Gareth Hanna (@GarethHanna11) July 17, 2025 22 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Audible relief There was a physical and collective sigh as Rory's tee shot lands IN BOUNDS. It's in the rough on the left and we know how thick that is. So not ideal. But it's not a reload. So sure look. We move. Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood safely on the short stuff. Everyone in Portrush is glad that's over. 26 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Here's Rory The first cheer for the man himself as the supporters round a packed first tee catch a glimpse of him on his way. This shot is six years in the making. Can he exorcise the ghosts of 2019? Rory McIlroy reacts to 2019 nightmare at Royal Portrush during Open press conference Rory McIlroy admits that after the disappointment of missing the cut at The Open at Royal Portrush in 2019 he is going to take a brand new approach to this year's tournament. 29 minutes ago Gareth Hanna First feature group Bryson, Rose and Bob MacIntyre all through the first with routine, two-putt pars. No drama. The atmosphere is so different to yesterday. It was like a festival - fun and frivolous. Today, it's tense. The competition is here. 30 minutes ago Adam McKendry Just before Rory tees off We have another player in the clubhouse at four-under-par as Matthew Fitzpatrick, fresh off that chip-in birdie at the 16th, has signed for the third 67 of the day to join Jacob Skov Olesen and Haotong Li at the top of the leaderboard! Some fine play from the Englishman today as he looks to secure a second Major title. 33 minutes ago Adam McKendry Wind dropping? It mustn't be as tough as it was this morning because on the par-three third there have been more birdies in the last five groups (three) than there were in the previous 35 groups (two). Because golf. 42 minutes ago Adam McKendry Forgotten stars aLIVe again? On the big scoreboard in the media centre, it shows the top-12 players on the leaderboard and currently four of them are from LIV Golf, with Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm all going well, while Laurie Canter is at -1 as well. What odds on one of them winning on Sunday? 44 minutes ago Gareth Hanna God loves Rory? The afternoon feature groups might just be blessed by the weather as word is that the squalls are through and it's cleared up for the afternoon. 49 minutes ago Three in a row for Sergio Birdies at five, six and seven for the Spaniard and he's one back! It's hotting up. 51 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Big cheer from the first And that signals the honorary local Bryson DeChambeau arriving for his tee time as the afternoon feature groups begin. Today 09:33 AM Gareth Hanna The Open Guinness tracker: Where's the cheapest pint in Portrush this week? Consider this thorough investigation by Niamh Campbell a public service. The Open Guinness Tracker: Your guide to the cheapest and most expensive pints in Portrush Guinness is by far the most popular choice of pint for golf tourists, and with nearly 300,000 people venturing through the streets of Portrush this week, there'll be a serious amount of kegs constantly flowing with stout. Today 09:26 AM Gareth Hanna Fitzpatrick slam dunk from Calamity to lead! Well if that's not shot of the tournament, something else special is going to happen. Matt Fitzpatrick was in the ditch at the 16th and facing calamity.... until his pitch goes straight into the hole - no bounce, no touching the sides! Unbelievable. And he goes to -4 alongside the leaders. Shot of the week. Hands down. Today 09:20 AM Gareth Hanna Jordan in and just one back Matthew Jordan competes his three under par 68 with three pars to finish what had been a rollercoaster back nine. Elswhere on the leaderboard, back to back birdies on five and six have shot Sergio Garcia into a tie for sixth and just two back. The rain has stopped, the umbrellas are down and with the greens softened up, it could be time for those two leaders to come under fire. Today 09:07 AM Gareth Hanna One hour to Rory time I'm sure he can't wait until this tee-shot is over, given 2019, and the report of this quote from his putting coach Brad Faxon yesterday... Quoted message Yesterday 01:17 PM Gareth Hanna Rory's first tee struggles? Emmmm, not to alarm anyone ahead of tomorrow but the reports of this quote aren't exactly what we want to hear. Remember, Rory teed off early on Monday and Tuesday and nobody saw him hitting those shots. He did, however, get it safely off the first tee today, hitting an iron down the right side, just short of the bunker. The context of all this, of course, is his tee-shot out of bounds left in the first round in 2019, which ultimately led to an opening quadruple bogey 8 and him missing the cut by a shot. So quite why his putting coach would say this is a bit of a mystery. Just pretend we didn't mention anything... External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Show more Today 09:04 AM Adam McKendry Darren Clarke on shooting a 75: 'Maybe I should have spent more time in the Harbour Bar!' On his round:"I played really nicely and practised and everything was good. Then today just didn't quite have it. That was it. You'd think I've never played here before, some of the places I hit it to. That's frustrating. I know you can't hit it short of the third. I know you can't hit it right on seven. I just hit it a few places that you cannot hit it here. I know better. Unfortunately, I just did. Then I couldn't really borrow a putt to go with it. It was a tricky day, could have been worse. Just got to play better tomorrow." On being home:"It's been brilliant. I've really enjoyed it. I've been down here practising a lot, hitting putts, doing everything. Coming in here shooting four-over, maybe I should have spent more time in the Harbour Bar than out here! It's great. I love getting home. It's one of those things. Unfortunately I'm so busy now over in the States it's tough for me to get home as much as I want." On Pádraig hitting the opening tee shot:"He made three, didn't he? I told him the other day, I made three (in 2019), so you should do the same. And he did. It's one of those sorts of things where, if you haven't played a Ryder Cup, you don't understand what it's all about until you do something like that. It's a huge honour to hit the opening tee shot, especially for somebody like Pádraig in Ireland. As much as I told him he was going to feel nervous and feel a bit of pressure when he walked down the steps, he probably didn't believe me, knowing Pádraig like I do. But I guess whenever he got there and got on the tee, oh, this is pretty big. So I'm glad to hear he was emotional about it." On the difference between 2019 and 2025:"It is bigger and better. The whole build-out for the event is bigger and better. It's getting better every year, The Open Championship. It's great to see. We had bad weather last time, looks like we're going to have iffy weather again. The fans are still going to come and watch. From a personal point of view, they were really good to me. They were shouting and roaring at me and encouraging me even when I was struggling a bit on the back nine there. It's great to see so many people out there. It's just a shame we got some of this inclement weather. That's links golf. That's what happens." Gareth Hanna Phil loves Portrush After carding his one under par 70, Phil Mickelson was full of love for Portrush. On the fans:"The people here are just so nice. They're very warm and receptive for everybody. I think they're very appreciative too that The Open has come back here. And we as players are very appreciative too because it's such a great golf course." On why Americans love Royal Portrush:"I just find that it's a very rewarding course if you hit good shots and a very penalising course. It seems to be consistent with the degree of how good or bad you hit it, as opposed to getting away with really bad shots and get lucky. It seems like it penalises it to the degree which it should." On his hole-out from the bunker:"That was a crazy one. It was really one of maybe two poor shots I hit, I felt - that bunker shot that buried in the lip, and then to make it, it was obviously a lot of luck. It was crazy. I was just trying to save bogey, and I got lucky and it went in." Today 08:57 AM Gareth Hanna Leader Olesen - familiar success on north coast Jacob Skov Olesen, the joint leader, is used to success on the north coast, having won the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin last year. After his four under par 67 today, he spoke to the press. On his 'awful' form: "The way I was playing, I wouldn't say it was on the cards. I always feel like if I play my game that I can do well, especially around links courses, kind of shape it around with some good short game as well. But yeah, it hasn't been very good golf the last couple of months. I've been driving it well, but my approach game has been quite awful to say the least. "I wouldn't say suits links golf, but it's been good off the tee definitely suits. You can get it up quite far with the firm fairways compared to if you land it in the rough. Yeah, it's nice." On the toughest stretch: I'd say the start. As a lefty, the right-to-left wind isn't the nicest wind for me. I've been working on it. I thought I did fairly well on those holes. I felt like if I could make some pars on those right-to-left wind holes, that would be good, especially hole three with that front on the right as a lefty with the wind off the right, it's really hard to try and hit a high draw up, and it's hard to get it to really stop compared to if you can hold a little softer cut up into it.
Khaleej Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Laying down the Law: English golfer's comeback fuels DP World Tour ambitions
As the Road to Mallorca heats up, Englishman David Law has made a compelling case for his return to golf's top flight. Law, who lost his DP World Tour playing rights last season, surged six spots to third in the Road to Mallorca Rankings after clinching a pivotal victory on the Challenge Tour. With the latter half of the season approaching, his eyes are firmly set on reclaiming his spot among Europe's elite. 'I am really determined to get my DP World Tour card back,' said Law after the win. 'This has given me huge confidence. One of my goals was to be in contention more and I've managed to do that.' For Law, the competition may be intense, but the fundamentals remain unchanged. 'The standard is incredibly high out here, but the feeling of being in contention doesn't change whether you're on the DP World Tour or the HotelPlanner Tour,' he explained. 'I want to keep putting myself in uncomfortable situations. That's how you grow.' While Law took the trophy, the tournament leaderboard was tightly packed. Compatriot Ryan Lumsden, Denmark's Victor Sidal Svendsen, Austria's Maximilian Steinlechner, and England's Jack Floydd finished just two strokes behind at 20-under-par. Steinlechner's final-round 63 propelled him to the top of the Road to Mallorca standings, overtaking Italy's Renato Paratore. South African Daniel van Tonder now sits in fourth place, just ahead of England's rising star Joshua Berry. Middle East Implications With the DP World Tour headquartered in Dubai, the Road to Mallorca has added resonance for UAE golf fans. Law's comeback story underscores how the Tour serves as a global proving ground for talent, from Scotland to South Africa and beyond. The surge of international players aiming for DP World Tour status echoes the growing appetite for competitive golf across the Middle East, where events like the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship showcase elite competition on a global stage.
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
'We're getting there' - Connor Syme opens up on state of Scottish golf
Scotland's newest KLM Open winner reflects on valuable support he received as an amateur Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Connor Syme reckons Scotland's next generation of professionals - the likes of Connor Graham, Cameron Adam and Hannah Darling - would benefit from the same level of support that helped him become the country's newest DP World Tour winner. Along with Bob MacIntyre, Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson among others, Syme gained valuable experience from playing in Challenge Tour events through an amateur-to-professional initiative involving Scottish Golf and Edinburgh-based Bounce Sport. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Coupled with playing in events around the world thanks to support he received as a Scottish Golf squad member, that gave Syme the platform to hit the ground running when he made the switch to the paid ranks in 2017. Connor Syme talks to the media during a press conference prior to the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club |The 31-year-old is now teeing up alongside some of the world's top players in this week's Genesis Scottish Open as the KLM Open winner after landing a maiden DP World Tour triumph, handling a pre-event press conference at The Renaissance Club in the same polished manner as the final round in Amsterdam last month. 'Good question,' he replied to being asked if he felt that Scotland as a professional elite golfing nation punches above or below its weight in the modern-day game, with MacIntyre, helped by his double win on the PGA Tour last season sitting 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking but only Ferguson being the other player flying the Saltire sitting in the current top 150. 'I guess we are probably kind of getting it back. Certainly when I was coming through amateur golf, the talent that we had in Scotland for whatever reason didn't end up making it on tour at that point. 'I think a few of those guys probably still could do it, but it's obviously nice that from my age group growing up, quite a lot of us have managed to get on tour and have won on tour, which is awesome. But, yeah, obviously with the home of golf, it definitely carries its pressures and trying to live up to that. Bob is obviously doing absolutely brilliantly and we are all trying to get, hopefully, to where he gets to.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The likes of Denmark, which has produced a whole host of DP World Tour winners in recent years, and Sweden are nations that seem to keep producing talented players on a constant basis, with Syme being asked if he had seen anything those countries do that Scotland doesn't. 'I'm not too sure,' he replied to that one. 'I think certainly from my point of view and I guess I can only speak about it from my experience with Scottish Golf, I think I got it really, really good. We had such amazing support, and if I'm honest, I didn't go to college in America because of the support Scottish Golf offered us. We'd spend eight weeks in South Africa and four weeks in the Middle East. In 2016, I won the Australian Amateur when I was out there for four weeks. Connor Syme landed his maiden DP World Tour win in the KLM Open last month |'I think that was a real exposure to what professional golf is like. I don't even play four or five weeks in a row now. But having that experience of being away for long periods of time helped me so much. That was definitely something I look back on as going, wow, that has really, really helped me to get on tour and understand what it's like. 'After I won the Australian Amateur, I played in the Joburg Open on the DP World Tour. These were all little milestones I wanted to try and expose myself to before turning professional. I played in The Open and Walker Cup and stuff like that. That was all stuff that I drew on to then turn pro and then start off quite well.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Due to a lack of funding, the aforementioned amateur-to-pro transition scheme is no longer in place, meaning the likes of Graham and Adam, both of whom have qualified for next week's 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, and Darling, who is set to turn professional after this week's European Women's Team Championship in France, are not as well prepared when the time comes to make the switch. 'It's obviously difficult because I don't know enough about what's happening, but I think I definitely benefitted a lot from that, for sure,' continued Syme. 'I know, there was SportScotland support and we had support from Johann Rupert (through the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation) to be able to do what we did back then. It's all money-related, really, what they can afford to do. I definitely did benefit from it. 'Obviously I had support from my parents as well and, when I didn't go to college in the US, my dad was like 'right, we're going to do this for four years like you're at college almost'. I was almost serving my apprenticeship of a wee amateur kind of trying to be a pro almost through that. Although I was still working at the range (Drumoig Golf Centre), I was practising and preparing like I would be like I am now. But definitely the funding and support that we had at that point was amazing and it would obviously be brilliant for the guys and girls coming through if they can get that back.' Bob MacIntyre celebrates after being crowned as the Genesis Scottish Open champion at The Renaissance Club 12 months ago | Getty Images
