Portrush's 1951 Open Championship: So Much To Savor In Reading About Max Faulkner's Win

Carve out a few minutes to read John Fischer’s look back at Max Faulkner and the 1951 Open win at Royal Portrush. Fischer covers so much of note about a fascinating character from the past who was rightlyfully remembered as an eccentric who lived an extraordinary existence.

Here is just one of many tidbits of note:

Faulkner had a major weakness: putting. His idol, Locke, seemed to make every putt, but Faulkner missed too many, and he continually changed putters, sometimes even making his own. His most unusual putter had a shaft made from a billiard cue and a head made from a piece of driftwood that Faulkner had found on the beach. He got good press about the odd putter, but it wasn’t that often in his bag.

Here is the official Open site’s write-up of the ‘51 event where hometown man Fred Daly was the favorite son.

There is also this cartoon—yes—recreating the greatest shot final round playing partner Frank Stranahan had ever seen, documented in Fisher’s piece.

Peter Alliss on Faulkner and the 1951 Open. He’s a bit more frail and yet as elegant as ever.

And the old film:

New 3M Open Takes A Ratings Dip Over Comparable Week, Perhaps Fueled By AT&T Dispute

It was an auspicious kick off to the new 3M Open with a thrilling final round headlined by Matthew Wolff’s last hole eagle to top Bryson DeChambeau’s last hole eagle, but some reported affiliates signing off as the event ran long. Others noted an AT&T satellite dispute with that meant coverage on at all for many.

Paulsen at Sports Media Watch compares ratings with last year’s 2018 Greenbrier Classic, now a fall event. He also notes pretty steady early round numbers and a nice increase over the 2019 Rocket Mortgage event’s ratings.

Video: Royal Portrush's Eleventh And Twelfth Holes

The 475-yard par-4 11th—viewable in this flyover by clicking on the link—poses the most daunting drive if the wind is up. A left-to-right shaped shot is called for but some of the trickiest dunes and vegetation await the wayward. Another green complex with only one bunker and a fall-off to the side.

The hole is named for the club’s first professional.

The par-5 12th plays straight away with pits off the tee to easily catch a slight miss. The par-5 narrows gradually as it plays through dunes and finishes at a small green fronted by a deep swale and fall-offs on all sides. Dhu Varren is the local railway station.

Coverage Reminder: Scottish Open From East Lothian

I’m overseas now and seeing some Sky coverage, but for those in the U.S. the Scottish Open accelerates the run-up to The Open. This year from the Renaissance Club, where architect Tom Doak and Sam Torrance are scheduled to make booth visits today.

Martin Dempster sets the table for The Scotsman, where the focus is understandably on Rory McIlroy. He’s kind of big over here in Ireland too, just based on the 14 questions I’ve gotten at customs, the taxi, the bartender, the…

Anyway, your Golf Channel Scottish Open coverage details that include network coverage on NBC during the weekend…

Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open

Dates: July 11-14

Venue: The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         5:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday              5:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday          10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live) 

Sunday            10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)  

Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern)

Saturday          12:30-3 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            12:30-3 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

New venue: The Renaissance Club is hosting the event for the first time, and also will stage next month’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

Final opportunity to earn a spot in The 148TH Open: The event will present the final opportunity (for those not already in the field) to gain entry into next week’s 148TH Open. The top-three finishers inside the top-10 (not already qualified) will earn a spot into the field.

Stone defends: Brandon Stone finished four shots ahead of Eddie Pepperell to claim his third European Tour victory.

Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Graeme McDowell, Si Woo Kim, Martin Kaymer, Matt Wallace, Henrik Stenson and Ernie Els.

NBC Sports Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Rich Lerner

Analyst: David Feherty

Tower: Curt Byrum / Tom Abbott / Matt Adams

On-Course: Jim “Bones” Mackay / Warren Humphreys

Interviews: Damon Hack

Video: Royal Portrush's Ninth and Tenth Holes

The ninth at Royal Portrush will be a brute with any wind at all, as a right-to-left tee shot is needed with firm ground to offset the ground tilt and small bunkers awaiting drives not turned over. But turn it over too much and the trouble left appears to be of the pitch-out variety.

Playing through a beautiful dunescape, the 432-yard par-4 finishes with an uphill second shot to a deep, bunkerless green with a fall-off to the right, sideboard left. With two bunkers well short of the green, judging distance may be tricky here.

After a distinctive right-to-left bend to the previous par-4’s, the 10th turns things around and asks for a left-to-right shot shape to shorten its 456 yards. Maybe.

Playing through the Himalaya-like dunescape for which the 10th is named, the optimum view of this long, slender green set amidst dunes comes from the left side of the fairway, otherwise the sightline into the green is likely to be obstructed.

Will Tiger Woods Be Open Ready?

It’s the question on many minds as Tiger returns to the major he nearly won last year and where his creativity, shot shaping and wind-management give him an edge over less-seasoned players.

But as he goes from Pebble Beach to The Open without a start, it’s reasonable to wonder if just waking up at 1 am is enough to get ready. David Feherty thinks so, sort of. Pat Ralph at Golf.com with Feherty’s comments.

“He sticks to a plan,” Feherty said. “I think a good deal of it will depend upon the weather, which I suspect being from there may not be great. We may get some real Open Championship weather. Personally, I kind of hope we do. There’s something traditional or special about playing golf in bad weather. And Tiger typically is not renowned as a bad weather player. I don’t know what sort of shape his back is in for that kind of thing, but I know Freddy [Couples] suffered with it over the years. But the only mistake I’ve ever made about Tiger Woods is underestimating him. He’s an unknown quantity at the moment.”

Bob Harig takes a deeper look into the numbers and considers Tiger’s chances at Portrush for ESPN.com, noting that Woods has never played the week before The Open as a professional. There was this headline-grabber last week from Padraig Harrington:

"I personally think if you're serious about winning The Open, you've got to be playing tournament golf at least before it," two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington said before last week's Irish Open. "You'd rather be playing links golf and being in a tournament than just [playing] on your own, so if you're serious about trying to win the Open, you should be playing at least one, if not two, of the events running into it.

"I was always mightily impressed when Tiger Woods would play in a major without playing the week before. I'd be a basket case if I didn't play the week before."

It should be noted that even when Woods went over early and hung out in Ireland, he was usually playing golf at an inland course and not on a links buddies trip.

Video: Royal Portrush's Seventh And Eighth Holes; Rory McIlroy Explains How To Play Them

We’ve arrived at the two new holes created to make this Open a reality. You’ll see much coverage on this, including a Golf Channel feature I hope you’ll enjoy early in the week, with a special emphasis on architect Martin Ebert. (As with the previous flyovers, I can’t embed, so hit the links and enjoy.)

The new par-5 7th measures 590 yards and features a tribute to Nellie (hit link to see the flyover), the huge fairway bunker at the old 17th hole where the tented village will sit this year. What will be done with the old 17th has yet to be officially announced. But in the meantime, we will see if Ebert’s fairway bunker poses the same risk/reward threat as Nellie. From there the 7th winds through steep dunes that used to be part of Valley course holes before a fairly simple looking green, with some fall off left and in front. Note the exposure of sand in the dunes.

From there Ebert created a dogleg left par-4 8th that looks pretty stunning. The tees sit atop dunes and the 430-yarder bends around a ridge line except for one open sand pit that still looks a bit raw and new in this flyover. There are two small bunkers on the outside of the dogleg to catch drives not turning the corner.

This green complex looks much livelier than the 7th and similar to many at Portrush, with plenty of trouble for the missed approach.

Here are two R&A-produced videos with Rory McIlroy playing the new holes and giving his endorsement.

Geography Based: R&A Goes To Three-Hole Aggregate At Portrush

Good to see the R&A is simply looking at the holes before them at Royal Portrush to reduce their normal four-hole aggregate Open playoff to three, as Doug Ferguson reports here.

The mind immediately goes to (A) St. Andrews and its perfect four-hole rotation of 1-2-17-18 and (B) a possible caving to the demands of other majors to shorten the Open Championship playoff. (The Masters is silly sudden death, while the U.S. Open is two holes and the PGA Championship three holes).

Life Under Par: PGA Tour Issues Take Down Threat To Funnyman Instagram Influencer Bob Menery

I’m at a loss to understand why a Matthew Wolff winning putt put into the Menery mode was worthy of a takedown notice, but the under-par living Instagram influencer was ordered to take down his exuberant post.

He’s already posted a replacement thanks to an under-par living spectator.

Gary Trock presents the almost-full story of Menery and the takedown message his received via Twitter.

He was shocked Monday when the golf organization sent him a direct message that read, "We will issue a takedown on this video by this evening if we don't hear back from you."

The video in question had to do with pro golfer Matthew Wolff sinking a 26-foot eagle putt to win the 3M Open tournament last weekend.

Menery thinks the PGA may not appreciate his use of comedic vulgarity in his videos, but believes the "world is shifting" and people just want an outlet to laugh, which he provides.

He also points out that he does not monetize any of his videos from the PGA, and believes he played a big part in getting "kids to be interested in the game of golf."

Surely there is more to the story from the Tour’s perspective—maybe player or broadcast partner complaints—but that part of this story is uncertain. But what is certain? The idea of Living Under Par, the Tour’s silly slogan cooked up by marketing executives seeking authenticity and younger audiences, has never sounded more insincere.

First Look: Renaissance Club, Host Of The ASI Scottish Open

The UK Golf Guy gives a nice review and details about playing The Renaissance Club, Jerry Sarvadi and friends’ upscale course and club next to Muirfield and host to this week’s Scottish Open.

As for going to a private club in the grand East Lothian region, Martin Dempster explains that options are limited in the area due mostly to yardage and space.

Here is a good teaser clip on the club’s backstory from the European Tour’s social account.

#MeetRenaissance 🎬 | Episode 3

In our penultimate episode, we hear from Jerry Sarvadi, the Co-founder of The Renaissance Club.

He tells us what makes The Renaissance Club a truly world class venue for this year’s #ASIScottishOpen 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/aQYmORzK1g

— Scottish Open (@ScottishOpen) June 30, 2019

About That Sound Of Drums You'll Hear Saturday At The Open

Ewan Murray explains the “celebration of marching bands” concert to take place Saturday of The Open at Portrush. You may hear drum sounds as the last groups are playing and depending on who you believe, there may be an Orange Order appearance (here’s a different view than Murray’s).

As the third round of the final major of the year concludes, spectators will exit Royal Portrush to the sound of flutes and drums. The R&A wants us to cast our minds dreamily back to 1951, when Max Faulkner triumphed on Antrim’s north coast; Saturday evening will instead catapult us back to 1690 and the Battle of the Boyne.

In what has been billed as a “celebration of marching bands”, a three-hour concert will take place from 6.30pm in the centre of the town. The performers are listed on social media as if it were as natural as Glastonbury (which, in respect of Northern Ireland, you can make the reasonable case it is).

The William King Memorial band start proceedings, followed in half‑hour slots by the Derryloran Boyne Defenders, Dunloy Accordion, Ballykeel Loyal Sons of Ulster and Moneyslane Flute Band. The Drumderg Loyalists will round things off from 9pm. The Sons of Ulster will then march to an Orange hall. There is naturally a comedic, ludicrous undertone to this in 2019 but when placed on the Open’s doorstep it is a horrendously embarrassing look.

Lovely!

Video: Royal Portrush's Fifth And Sixth Holes

The land has gradually grown more interesting with each hole and for many the par-4 fifth is the front nine’s best hole, a dogleg right over and around rumpled grounds rewards a left-to-right play. A deep green abuts the sea and White Rocks nearby and is generally the course’s most photographed spot, affording incredible views in all directions.

The 189-yard sixth sets up for a left-to-right shaped shot, depending on wind, and gradually narrows to a back peninsula featuring a steep falloff to the rear. Shots that are not shaped into the back third of the green will likely bound through into trouble.

Will AT&T's Debt Slashing Ways Preclude A Lucrative PGA Tour Bid?

That’s the question on some minds as the PGA Tour nears the end of its current television contracts in 2021 and looks to potentially line up suitors for both broadcast and cable rights.

AT&T, with golf-loving CEO Randall Stephenson, who also sits on the PGA Tour Policy Board, is believed to have an interest in a major investment, even potentially turning a current channel acquired from Time Warner into a standalone sports or golf network.

But Nabila Ahmed, Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Moritz write for Bloomberg, a sale of its regional sports networks appears all about reducing debt after $180 billion in acquisitions of DirecTV and Time Warner.

A sale of the regional sports networks -- known as must-see content for avid fans -- highlights AT&T’s ongoing struggle to fix a debt-heavy balance sheet. The company, which has to spend money on a number of priorities, including an expansion of its 5G wireless network, has been financially handcuffed after amassing more than $180 billion in debt with the acquisitions of DirecTV and Time Warner Inc.

Despite a steady decline in TV subscribers, AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson has said the company’s top priority this year is to reduce debt. As part of that plan, he has been raising cash by selling holdings, including its stake in Hulu and its New York offices. The two deals fetched $3.6 billion in proceeds.

Ryder Cup, PGA Championship Digital Moves From Turner To NBC Sports

Turner Sports really mailed in the final PGA Championship this year apparently with no plans to renew their deal handling the May majors’ website and after losing the first rounds on TNT to ESPN.

NBC Sports will now handle both Ryder Cup sites (let’s hope we end the silly separate sites) and the PGA Championship’s digital “activations”.

Coverage of the PGA Championship moves to ESPN and remains on CBS starting next year, while the Ryder Cup is on NBC and Golf Channel for the foreseeable future.

For Immediate Release:

PGA OF AMERICA & EUROPEAN TOUR JOIN FORCES WITH NBC SPORTS FOR GLOBAL RYDER CUP DIGITAL PLATFORMS

PGA of America and NBC Sports Partnership Also Includes Marquee PGA Championship Events

ORLANDO, Fla., (July 8, 2019) – A new, global Ryder Cup digital-media relationship has been formed by the PGA of America, European Tour and NBC Sports Group. NBC Sports will develop a multi-platform Ryder Cup presence, including a comprehensive website that serves fans of both the U.S. and European teams and a new app that will enhance both the onsite and overall viewing experience. The long-term relationship begins in advance of the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin (Sept 25-27, 2020). The announcement was made today by Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America; Rufus Hack, Chief Content Officer, European Tour; and Will McIntosh, Executive Vice President, Digital & Sports Consumer Businesses, NBC Sports Group.

The PGA of America and the European Tour will lead the sales process through their Global Partner Program, and NBC Sports will develop and execute customized digital activations for partners. Digital content for these Ryder Cup platforms will be provided by all three organizations, as well as NBC Sports’ colleagues at Sky Sports, which is owned by Comcast.

“This is an important next step in expanding the global reach of the Ryder Cup,” said Price. “This relationship will allow us to deliver the best possible digital, social and emerging technology experiences to fans around the globe. It will also add significant value for global brands that want to participate in this iconic sporting event as part of their marketing mix.”

“The 2018 Ryder Cup in France saw more than 22 billion social media impressions across the week – the highest in the event’s history – and this exciting partnership with two of our key partners will allow us to expand the reach of our award-winning social and digital content to even greater numbers,” said Hack. “It is fantastic news for fans who follow the contest avidly and also for the many global brands who are associated with one of the world’s greatest sporting occasions.”

“As one of the biggest events on the global stage, the Ryder Cup inspires great pride and is a highlight every two years of NBC Sports’ golf calendar,” said McIntosh. “Building upon our comprehensive news and event coverage, NBC Sports Digital now will super-serve fans with engaging content and interactivity across multiple digital platforms, tapping into the passion NBC Sports and Sky Sports have for this unique event.” 

The Europeans were victorious in 2018 outside Paris with a decisive victory against the United States, extending their dominance on European soil for nearly three decades. The U.S. team, which has won two of the past three Ryder Cups hosted on U.S. soil, will be led in 2020 by Wisconsin native Steve Stricker as U.S. Captain, while Ireland’s Padraig Harrington will captain Europe. Next year’s Ryder Cup will be held at Whistling Straits (Straits Course) in Kohler, Wisconsin from September 25-27, 2020. Upcoming host sites include Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, Italy in 2022 and Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, New York in 2024. 

PGA OF AMERICA CHAMPIONSHIPS’ DIGITAL PLATFORMS:

Starting in 2020, NBC Sports Digital also will develop, power and operate the back-end service to three of the PGA of America’s championship branded websites, including for the PGA Championship, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Professional Championship. Future PGA branded sites and their related products include:

• 102nd PGA Championship, TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, May 10-17, 2020

• KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Mich., May 18-24, 2020

• 53rd PGA Professional Championship, Barton Creek Golf Resort, Austin, April 26-29, 2020

Reminder: "Tom At Turnberry" Doc Debuts At 9 PM ET

It’s been a decade since a true geezer almost pulled off the unthinkable: winning The Open at 59. I get goosebumps still thinking of how close Tom Watson came to winning at Turnberry, and how silly the Golf Gods were to let him come so close without winning.

Anyway, Golf Channel’s GolfFilms division has produced an hour documentary looking back with all sorts of fun cameos from Watson to playing partner Mat Goggin.

The full description and a trailer is embedded below.

GOLF FILMS’ TOM AT TURNBERRY PREMIERES 

MONDAY, JULY 8 AT 9 P.M. ET ON GOLF CHANNEL

Film to Commemorate 10-Year Anniversary of One of the Most Improbable

Moments in Recent Sports Memory in Tom Watson’s Near Victory at 2009 Open 

ORLANDO, Fla. (July 2, 2019) – On Monday (July 8) at 9 p.m. ET, GOLF Channel will debut its next GOLF Films project, Tom at Turnberry, commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Tom Watson’s inconceivable run (at age 59) at winning The 2009 Open. In one of the most improbable sports moments in recent memory, the film – featuring commentary from Watson along with other key individuals from the week – will detail the circumstances that led to a magical week that no one could have anticipated. 

The film also weaves in flashbacks to Watson’s moments of triumph from his wins at The Open during the peak of his career, earning the “Champion Golfer of the Year” distinction a remarkable five times in the span of nine years (1975-’83). It also touches on Watson’s relationship with links golf, which he initially loathed early in his career for its penal nature, and later learned to embrace and ultimately thrive in. Tom at Turnberry is produced for GOLF Films by 13-time Emmy Award winner Israel DeHerrera and Emmy-Award winning producer Erik Rozentals. 

“We live in a day where we feel like we have to compare everything. There’s

nothing that compares to this. It stands on its own merits.” – Mike Tirico 

THE ULTIMATE LONGSHOT: Despite having won The Open on five previous occasions, Watson was unmistakably a longshot to be in contention – let alone win – in 2009, as the oldest man in the field who was less than a year removed from having his hip replaced. Yet despite the odds stacked against him, Watson (26 years removed from his last victory at The Open) casually alluded to the notion of wrapping his arms around the Claret Jug for the sixth time during his pre-tournament press conference saying, “Now that’d be a story, wouldn’t it?” 

While it isn’t plausible that anyone would have predicted Watson’s fate, in many respects, the stars for the World Golf Hall of Fame member were aligned. His vast experience competing on links golf venues offered an advantage on a field that included only 21 players that competed in the most recent Open at Turnberry in 1994. Watson also was returning to the site of the most-celebrated of his five Open titles, where he masterfully outlasted Jack Nicklaus in The 1977 Open in what is famously known as the “Duel in the Sun”. Above all, early in the week Watson implemented a slight change to his shoulder positioning with his putter that helped him hit putts more solidly. It led to Watson mentioning to his wife on the eve of the opening round that “he could win this tournament.” 

“If Arnold [Palmer] put The Open back on the map, Tom [Watson] really was the

person who took it into the living rooms of America.” – Ron Sirak, Golf Writer

 TURNING BACK THE CLOCK: Thursday’s opening round saw Watson take advantage of calm conditions that were ideal for scoring, with an opening round 65 (5-under) that put him in a tie for second place. Beginning Friday’s second round at 5-over par through 7 holes, it looked as though Watson might fall out of contention, but he rallied to finish even-par for the round, and was tied for the lead going into Saturday. 

Watson’s third round (1-over par, 71), put him in position to enter Sunday’s final round as the solo leader at 4-under for the week, as Saturday saw only five players with an under-par round. In the film, Neil Oxman (Watson’s caddie for the week) speaks to Watson’s self-contained nature helping him to stay in contention, essentially blocking the outside noise and the magnitude of what he was attempting to accomplish by ignoring the totality of the situation. 

“THIS AIN’T A FUNERAL YOU KNOW”: Watson’s two bogeys through 3 holes on Sunday helped contribute to five different men holding at least a share of the lead at one point during the final round. However, when Watson birdied the 17th hole, he walked to the tee on the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead, needing only a par to shatter the record as the oldest major champion ever. 

Following an ideal drive in the fairway, Watson’s 8-iron rolled over the green and when he failed to get up-and-down, his bogey led to a four-hole playoff that Stewart Cink went on to win. In trying to make light of the situation during a post-round press center visit, Watson declared, “This ain’t a funeral you know,” in acknowledging the disappointment of coming up just short of the historic victory. “It would have been a hell of a story, wouldn’t it?”