2 days ago
‘It is more fun to be involved': Open golf score records down to two local women
When you watch the coverage of the
Open
golf
championship on television this week and see the latest scores go up on the screen – or, if you're lucky enough to have secured a ticket, witness the shots being updated on the huge yellow scoreboards that dot the course at
Royal Portrush Golf Club
– it's all down to two local women.
Two local women and their teams, to be precise: Alison Algeo from Ballymoney and Sammy Barry from Portrush, both members of the Co Antrim club and, for the purposes of the Open, chief recorder and chief scorer respectively.
Concentration will definitely be required, 'but then you're sort of concentrating on it anyway, because you're there because you enjoy golf', says Barry.
'It certainly does add excitement,' says Algeo. 'When they announced the Open was coming the first time [in 2019], everybody was very excited. But the second time, there was a bit of excitement but there was a bit of shock it was coming back so soon. I think a lot of people thought, 'I don't want to work this time.' But then people started to change their minds.'
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'There was a bit of fomo [fear of missing out],' adds Barry.
'Suddenly people thought, maybe it is more fun to be involved, because as a walking scorer you get inside the ropes,' says Algeo. 'You're literally walking down the middle of the fairway, which nobody else gets to do.'
Barry's team of 90 people will get to do precisely that. They are the walking scorers – so called because they literally walk the course alongside the golfers as they play their matches, keeping careful note as they go.
The 16th hole on the Dunluce course at Royal Portrush, one of the most challenging for players. Photograph: David Cannon/Getty
Every group of players that goes out has a walking scorer with a hand-held electronic device, she says. On this device they record every shot each player takes.
'They record the position of it – as in, is it on the fairway, is it on the rough, is it in the fairway bunker? How far, the rough location, how many shots the player takes. These are the statistics that feed into the scoreboards all round the course, and Sky TV, NBC, whoever is televising it.'
For those TV commentators, the walking scorers are also the first point of contact 'if something amazing happens', explains Barry.
'So when you see people on TV saying: 'he's playing with a seven iron', and you think, how the hell does he know that, it's because you've gone and asked the caddie,' she says.
'Or, say there's a hole in one, before it goes up on the screen, they'll ask you to talk them through it, just to make sure there hasn't been a mistake.'
No pressure, then? 'Well, it's up to the golfers to do their stuff, really all the pressure's on them,' says Algeo.
'There is pressure, but you've got referees with you, you've got other people with you who are also watching, you've got the scoreboard carrier,' adds Barry.
'There's always a junior member or somebody going around with a pole with a score up on it for the players, and they'll be golfers as well, and you can say to them: 'What happened? Did I miss a bit?' laughs Algeo.
Alison Algeo and Samantha Barry: 'I wouldn't want to jinx Rory.' Photograph: Paul Faith
Once the ball is safely in the hole on the 18th green, Algeo's team takes over. 'We're responsible for escorting the players, their caddies and the walking scorer from the back of the 18th green to the recording hut to make sure they all get in there safely, and then record the scores,' she says.
They also ensure the various statistics that tournament organisers the R&A want are recorded properly before the walking scorer disappears.
This has its perks, says Barry. 'You get to meet the players more directly.' Algeo agrees, but adds: 'You're not allowed to talk to them unless they talk to you. You have to be very respectful.'
Algeo's staff are all club members, while about a third of Barry's – some 30 people – have travelled from as far afield as Australia and the United States to volunteer at the Open.
'They've scored Olympics and US Opens and Masters, so they're really interesting people to meet,' she says.
Training takes place during practice days. Barry says the equipment is 'relatively straightforward', 'but you can always snarl them up'.
The championship is due to get under way on Thursday but excitement has long been building. The course was handed over to the R&A at the end of June. Registration and practice days began on Sunday ahead of the start of the tournament proper.
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'It'll be great when it just gets going,' says Algeo. 'It's a bit like an exam. You do so much build-up and then you want to just get started now, please, and get this over and done with and out the other side.
'I think you really only know what it's going to be like when all the people arrive, and then you get a real buzz.'
Both women experienced that buzz back in 2019 when the tournament returned to Royal Portrush – and to the island of Ireland – for the first time in more than 70 years, bringing with it an economic boost of £100 million (€1.15 million).
Barry says it was 'amazing' speaking to people last time and discovering how many had not been before who said they would return with their families.
'Obviously then Covid happened, but I think they have all come back. And they're not just coming back for the Open – people have come back here to Portrush,' she said.
'The cruise ships all come now, and they'll bus them up,' says Algeo. This brings 'a lot of money' in the area, while the legacy fund, which the R&A put in place for Portrush, brings £100,000, she says.
The Open certainly 'raises our profile', says Barry. 'People around the world know where Portrush is, and it's making sure the whole area benefits from it.'
This time around, a record-breaking 250,000 spectators are expected at the event. Both women are in no doubt about who those crowds will be cheering for.
They played with an American yesterday who asked if everyone there supports Rory McIlroy.
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'We said: 'Everybody, everybody supports him, everybody wants him to do well',' says Barry. 'But we don't want to put any pressure on him, saying that.'
McIlroy's caddy's father-in-law is a member of the club, so there's a 'personal' connection.
Golf is 'very much a mental game', adds Algeo. 'So we'll all be holding our breath, and hoping.'
Is McIlroy going to win the Open? 'Who knows. I couldn't – I wouldn't want to jinx him,' she says.
'When he tees off at the first tee, the whole world will be holding its breath ... saying: Please don't put it out of bounds.'
