He’s not blaming everything on the LIV Golf schedule, but Smith does think a links event on the circuit’s 2025 calendar heading into The Open at Royal Portrush might be the perfect addition to the fledgling league.
At The Open, the task is navigating whatever happens to be in front of you that week, that day, that hour. It’s rarely fair, and never easy. They each reflect the culture they exist within, and the types of champions they produce.
To see Xander and Stefan Schauffele embrace – Xander holding on tight, Stefan’s sunglasses unable to conceal the tears that flowed from behind – was a reminder of the spell this beautifully dumb game has on so many of us.
For all that the former US Open champion performed with notable distinction en route to a tie for second place in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, there is certainty that he is nearer the end of his career than the beginning.
Xander Schauffele’s second major championship of 2024 suddenly, maybe has started an unexpected debate for who the PGA Tour Player of the Year is. But there’s no debate who was the best player in the year’s four major championships.
The book on Xander Schauffele heading into this year’s major season said he couldn’t close after finished in a tie for second at The Players. After his performance Sunday at Royal Troon, Schauffele clearly is in the midst of a major rewrite.
The biggest locks at the major championships in 2024? Hideki Matsuyama making the cut and Jason Day’s Malbon outfits getting the internet all sorts of riled up.
The Open is a heck of a place for a first-timer to find his patience, but Brown appeared sanguine throughout his round, never panicking even when he dropped two shots on the front nine in the second round.