HOYLAKE: As attention returns to golfing action on the course, rather than behind the scenes, the Royal Liverpool Golf Club is buzzing with excitement ahead of the 151st Open Championship, which tees off on Thursday.
The recent merger agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s LIV Golf calmed a lot of the frayed nerves in the sport and so, for the first time in months, the golf alone is the main talking point this week.
Here are some of the most interesting storylines and characters to watch for as the action unfolds over the next four days.
Rory McIlroy’s silent quest
Dignified silence can sometimes be more powerful than any determination to have the last word. That is the mantra Rory McIlroy seems to be trying to follow this week.
The Northern Irishman, the world No. 2, is the overwhelming favorite this week, with both history and form supporting him. He won the championship when it was last played at Royal Liverpool, in 2014, and was spectacular in his triumph at the Genesis Scottish Open last Sunday.
In 2014, McIlroy was in imperious form with his driver and brought the golf course to its knees by playing the par 5s to 12 under par over the four days, making nine birdies and two eagles en route to a 17-under par total.
The course will play a lot more difficult this year, with the 10th hole reduced to a par 4, but even this will be to his advantage.
McIlroy was scheduled to speak to the media on Tuesday but declined to be a part of the press conferences, possibly to avoid questions about the proposed agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Cam Smith’s title defense
Like McIlroy, defending Open champion Cameron Smith is also going for back-to-back wins on the British soil. Less than two weeks ago, he showed his game was in great shape by winning his first-ever LIV Golf title, at the Centurion Club near London.
Last year, when the landmark 150th Open Championship was played at the “home of golf,” the Old Course at St. Andrews, the unassuming Australian was perhaps not the most popular winner. But that was only because he had managed to upstage crowd favorite McIlroy on the final day.
It was a blinding performance by Cameron as he closed with an eight-under-par round of 64, which included six birdies on the back nine as he raced ahead of McIlroy and Cameron Young.
Smith might have dropped from a career high of No. 2 in the world ranking to No. 7, but this has more to do with the fact that he made the move to LIV Golf and so the ranking points dried up. But even while playing on his new tour, time and again he displayed the same magic with his short game that helped him win his first Major title.
The 29-year-old from Brisbane reckons his game is even better now than it was last year. That is a worrying thought for the rest of the field.
Another chance for LIV players to shine
If there is one thing the LIV Golf players would want this week, it is the validation of the Official World Golf Ranking governing body. They have already proved, most famously at the Masters, where Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson finished tied for second, that their time playing on a different tour has not taken anything from their competitive instincts.
The board of the ranking body met here on Wednesday and we will soon know the outcome of their discussions regarding the awarding of official ranking points to LIV Golf players. With the hostilities now officially over in the battle of the tours, chances of a favorable decision have been enhanced.
In the meantime, a strong contingent of 16 LIV players, led by defending champion Smith, will try to snatch the limelight once again. Also among them are past Open champions Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen and Henrik Stenson. Added to the mix will be in-form PGA Championship winner Koepka, three-time LIV champion Talor Gooch and the long-hitting Bryson DeChambeau.
Among the players whose presence will be missed are Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who finished second at Royal Liverpool in 2006 and in 2014, and English stars Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.
Scottie Scheffler’s consistency
There is a reason Scottie Scheffler is ranked the world No. 1; in his past 18 starts on the PGA Tour, he has never finished outside the top 12. That is an extraordinary achievement, comparable to the dominance of Tiger Woods in his heyday, although Scheffler’s win rate — just two in 2023 and six since January last year — is nowhere close to that of the legendary American.
However, the understated Texan is fast becoming a modern-day legend himself and is focused on adding another big trophy to his 2022 Masters win. His tied-for-third-place finish at last week’s Scottish Open is a clear indication that he is a lot more comfortable on links now than he was last year, when he missed the cut in that event and finished tied for 21st at The Open in St. Andrews.
Rickie Fowler and his form
Another in-form player is Rickie Fowler. The popular American has managed a terrific turnaround; after dropping to No. 185 in the world rankings after the PGA Tour last season he has risen to No. 22 thanks to consistent performances.
When The Open was last played at Hoylake in 2014, Fowler was a man who could do no wrong. That year, he joined the rare club of players who finished in the top five of all four majors in a single season.
A return to working with his former coach, Butch Harmon, has proved to be just the elixir he needed. He finally won a title, the Rocket Mortgage Classic, after a gap of more than four years and will be among the favorites this week after 13 top-20 finishes so far this season.
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