The 2011 Open reviewed

Wasn’t it wonderful to see Ulster’s Darren Clarke, who practises his fine running game around the Royal Portrush Links, win The Open?   The first Northern Ireland win since Fred Daly in 1947.

Pro golf these days seems focused on maximising income around a somewhat manufactured modern celebrity culture in the hope that this is what is needed to create interest.

There is certainly a great commercial golf industry ( on which a lot of jobs depend) reliant around golf pros but a bit like David Cameron, those in charge need to be careful to remember not to allow the tail to wag the dog, with those who commercially gain creating the rules.

Darren in the Daily Telegraph after round 2

The reception that Darren Clarke received coming up the eighteenth, one would like to think, is a reflection of the public’s feeling for a man of mature attitude who has gone back to live with his family and hone his fine running game. It is a reminder that this game of ours needs to rely on the traditional fine values and not just run after the money for money’s sake.

Although Phil Mickelson’s putting touch gave him momentum there was an inevitability about Mickelson’s and McIlroy’s much heralded challenges coming up short. They hit the ball too high(!) though Mickelson’s wizardry did adopt some great running shots, but as McIlroy said, the professionals only play on running courses one week of the year (not totally accurate now the Scottish Open and Dunhill Links are played on fine running  courses) and so he is not going to change his game!

Well, even with all his enormous talent, Rory won’t become the Master Golfer unless he does get his head around the running game. Bobby Jones hated links golf when he first came over from America and it took him a while to appreciate its subtlety but within a few years he had grown to love it, his talent winning the Grand Slam of both amateur and professional Opens in America and the British Isles in 1930.

The gods did seem to want Clarke to win, giving him advantageous tee times on the first two days but the low running game he favours, using the natural contours of the firm ground, created for him the luck on a fine course, hopping over bunkers at nine and fifteen in the last round. These same hazards might have caught “through the air” golfers.

Nobody likes rain but the way these golfers who love the predictability of distance control, were pandered-to by the BBC commentators was frustratingly ignorant. The speed and difficulty of the wind, which was no more than  20-25 mph for most of the time,  a level the members hereabouts would call ‘a nicely testing two to three clubber’, was over-emphasised.

BBC golf commentary never used to talk down to its audience whereas now they seem to have been told they have to explain the entertainment to us, rather than just adding knowledgeable comment and amusing anecdotes etc.  Having said that, I was pleased to hear some comment on the ghastly nature of some shots, in contrast to, say, Sky coverage, where every excuse is made for incompetent play.

Somebody was saying that pin positions should be easy on the shorter easier holes and tucked away on the longer holes to obtain more contrast for birdies and bogeys. A par on any of Royal St George’s holes is good and the knowledgeable British golfing public don’t need to be spoon-fed their excitement.

However, it does seem that the game would benefit from those shouting ‘get in the hole’ (whom the enjoyable Wayne Grady felt were only to be found in the USA) being escorted off the field of play!

FineGolf heartily congratulates Darren Clarke, The R&A Championship Committee and Royal St George’s Golf Club for giving us some wonderful entertainment.