narrominded
Jake Narro, PGA professional, head golf coach at Southeastern Louisiana University and
Backspin publisher
The Open
4
I have many take aways from this year’s
Open Championship. The oldest golf
tournament in the world offi cially began in
October 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club.
Willie Park, Sr., defeated Old Tom Morris
by two shots to claim the title. At that time,
Prestwick was a 12-hole course, and the fi eld
of eight players went around three times in
one day to determine the winner.
Francesco Molinari won the 147th edition
of the Open, and the term “Champions
Golfer of the Year” is more precious than
the seven fi gure prize he received.
I wonder if Old Tom Morris would even
recognize the tournament today.
When the week began and we saw the
fi rm, dry, fast conditions of Carnoustie,
many so-called “experts,” including myself,
predicted the modern day golfer to have a
huge advantage – the 6’2” strong, athletic guy
who can easily fl y his driver 300+ through
the air. Think Dustin Johnson and his best
friend Brooks Koepka. Due to very little rain
in the UK leading up to the event, the usual
thick, long and penal rough was a bit thin.
The strategy for these type players would
be to take driver and fl y all the land mines
they call bunkers down the fairway even if it
means the ball ends up in the rough. A very
short approach into the greens would not be
as challenging as the drought had taken the
severity out of the rough.
I was happy to see this strategy did not play
out for most bomb and gaugers as the aerial
attack on the toughest links course in the
championship rotation had a few surprises
left up her sleeve. Despite easily escaping
some spots out from outside the fairways, the
challenge then became judging just how far
the ball would bounce and then roll.
Even the best and strongest players could
not predict what their ball was going to
do when it landed on the baked out turf
of Carnoustie. As the week went on, this
strategy caused many of top players to miss
the cut or not factor over the weekend.
Carnoustie lived up to its well deserved
reputation of being a great championship
course as the top 10 fi nisher list was
comprised of a diverse style of play. Steady,
Jake
straight and by modern day standards short
players like Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, and
of course champion Molinari were a big part
of the story all week. Rory McIlrory and
Tony Finau represented the bombers group
in the top 10. Then we had Justin Rose and
Tiger Woods who fall into the category of
technicians who have rock solid game plans.
Oh yeah, that guy Tiger Woods was there.
Whether you like Tiger or not, no one can
deny what he brings to golf viewership and
the overall excitement of the day. An example
of this would be the call I received when he
took the lead by himself as he made the turn
for his fi nal nine holes. My mother-in-law
calls me to say she was watching Tiger and
was cheering for him to win the tournament.
Just to clarify she is barely a casual sports
fan, much less golf fan. She may have never
watched one minute of golf, let alone hit a
ball, until Amber and I were together. Now
she has been forced to watch a bit of golf
as when they visit us on Sunday afternoons
for family day my TV is most of the time on
golf. I’m sure you were excited as well.
As we know, Tiger did not close out
the deal as he did on a routine basis in his
heyday. He actually spit the bit as a couple of
poor swings and one bad decision dropped
him out of the lead as quickly as he found
himself there. Another staple of Tiger’s
golfi ng dominance was the golfer paired with
him on such occasions would wilt under the
pressure of walking next to him. However,
not only did Molinari out play Tiger in the
fi nal round, his bogey free two-under 69 was
good enough for a two-stroke victory and
left no doubt who was the best player for the
week.
The Open Championship concludes the
best three week run in televised golf. Starting
with the Irish Open, then the Scottish Open,
I have never been so excited to get up at 3
am so I can watch golf. (Except for maybe
trout and redfi sh fi shing). By the time the
Open is fi nished, my internal clock is a
mess, and it takes a day or two to get back
on Ponchatoula time. I can’t wait to check a
box on my bucket list one day and attend an
Open. Until then I’ll just set my alarm.