Rónán MacNamara in Royal Troon
Prowling along the media fence on the driving range at the 152nd Open Championship in Royal Troon, the eyes scanning the bays where the who’s who of golf’s elite batter the links turf and wiggle and waggle their bodies in slow mo to produce the perfect feel.
There is Pádraig Harrington swinging out of his skin with a green speed stick before pounding drivers. Standing next to him is the king of speed and power Bryson DeChambeau with the tunes in to block out the world.
If Dustin Johnson was any more laid back he would be on the floor as he clips wedges in his lazy, languid style. Looking down the line the figures of Tom Kim, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka are going through their routines ahead of the big day on Thursday.
Class acts everywhere you look. No wonder the kids are rooted to the barriers pleading with the stars to sign their caps and flags.
It’s a scene that has become much too rare in golf and an issue tat needs to be sorted out pronto. This is the Open, this is major championship golf. LIV, PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, amateur. It doesn’t matter. Everyone is here for one thing and one thing only. The Claret Jug and it’s great.
Harrington who played on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour in the heyday of a two tour rivalry between the continent and the United States is licking his lips.
“It really does (add excitement), I have always been an advocate of two strong tours,” said Harrington on the presence of LIV players at the majors.
“I liked when Europe was very strong and that sort of rivalry and competition. We went over there in the early 2000s, late 90s we were winning for Europe, you see that with the LIV players they all congratulate eachother when they come back. They have a chip on their shoulder and a point to prove when they come out and it adds to the majors in golf.”
Once the Claret Jug is raised in victory on Sunday, players from both tours will go their separate ways and tournament fields will go back to being diluted and fans and players alike will have to wait until the Masters next April for the full fat version again.
The PGA TOUR and PIF remain at an impasse as far as merger negotiations go and Harrington can’t see a merger between the two tours happening and stressed the importance of finding a compromise to allow players from both tours to compete alongside each other regularly.
“They are never going to merge those two tours there’s not enough time for two tours like that. Players don’t necessarily want to play that much or play outside the States it’s not going to happen an actual merger.
“What they need is an agreement where they can have a crossover between the two tours a bit like the old days with the PGA Tour and European Tour when there was a bit of a rivalry.”