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Open champion Scottie Scheffler does dominance his way

Open champion Scottie Scheffler does dominance his way

Your correspondent's general mood was not helped by an ailing laptop that had been showing signs of giving up the ghost.
Over the weekend, for example, the R and the T buttons on the keyboard were only working intermittently.
That, as you can imagine, caused a bit of an issue for a spell as we started feverishly typing away like Angela Lansbury during the opening credits of an episode of Murder She Wrote.
Scottie Scheffler would often appear on my word document as Scoie Scheffle, Portrush came out as Poush and Robert MacIntyre was diminished to obe MacInye.
To be fair, it probably made more sense than the cobblers I usually type but the computer caper became a right old pain in the a***. And even that came out as ase.
We got there in the end, though. Another Open is done and dusted. Perhaps I should've just flung the laptop on the media centre pyre too?
Scheffler was a brilliant champion at a brilliant venue. I also thought he dealt brilliantly with the inevitable and wearisome comparisons to Tiger Woods too.
'I think they're a bit silly,' he said about the prospects of emulating the 15 major titles that Woods racked up.
In this game, we are never done with premature anointments and coronations as we seek a new golfing hero for the ages.
Rory McIlroy, for instance, was tagged with that burdensome 'next Tiger' label when he won a quartet of major championships between 2011 and 2014.
We all know what happened after that. He didn't win another until this year's Masters during a prolonged drought that just about led to a hose pipe ban.
Jordan Spieth had the Tiger sticker slapped on his back when he won three majors between 2015 and 2017 while Brooks Koepka had it pinned on him for a spell when he reeled off four in a two-year blitz.
The magnitude of Woods' accomplishments, of course, continue to dwarf all that the new generation have achieved.
In an era of relative parity in the men's game, Scheffler, who became the 12th successive first-time winner of The Open, has emerged as its dominant force but it's important to enjoy the present and savour watching him pen his own success story instead of obsessing about him re-writing Tiger's tale.
Establishing a Tiger-like tyranny on the global game would require Scheffler to continue his sustained excellence over a ridiculous period of time.
While all and sundry work themselves into a fankle about the prospect of Scheffler doing this, that and the other in the weeks, months and years to come, the man himself retains a wonderful sense of reason.
Never too up, never too down, just serene, level-headed middle ground. He seems to be at total peace with himself.
As men's professional golf in its upper echelons descended into a civil war over the past couple of years with the emergence of the LIV rebellion, it's perhaps no coincidence that the calmest man in the room has prevailed and prospered.
In this fractured time, when egos, greed and entitlement have grabbed much of the attention, the grounded Scheffler is just the right man to be on top of the golfing world.
He is largely unaffected by fame and fortune, and all the talk of greatness tends to be greeted with a nonchalant shrug.
'I don't identify myself by winning tournaments, chasing trophies, being famous or whatever it is,' he said.
'There are two Chipotles (a restaurant chain) that I eat at when I'm home. If I was to go to the one near to where I grew up and try to eat nowadays, it would be very difficult for me.
'But there's another one in a different part of town and if I go there, nobody recognises me ever.'
In the post-Tiger age, Scheffler's relative anonymity can highlight golf's place in the wider scheme of global sports.
With the exception of Woods and McIlroy, golf's stars can't really hold a candle to the shining lights in other pursuits
Have a meander into the remote jungles of Sarawak and you'll probably stumble upon a village elder wearing a Lionel Messi football shirt, a Ronaldo top or a Steph Curry basketball vest.
I'm being slightly outlandish here, but you get the idea. These sportsmen, and these sports, have a reach across cultures and continents.
Scheffler, on the other hand, could walk down just about any high street, or into a Chipotle diner, and most folk wouldn't bat an eyelid.
That's not Scheffler's fault, of course. In these hark-at-me-times, he'd probably have a higher profile if he was prone to headline-grabbing comments or lively antics on or off the course.
But that ain't Scheffler. And that's absolutely fine. His talent and achievements alone should be enough to attract acclaim.
Many, though, still view his persona as more day at the office than box office. Undervalued? Perhaps. But unrivalled? There's no doubt.
The magnificent Scheffler will continue to do his dominance his way.
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The Donald and the art of golf diplomacy
The Donald and the art of golf diplomacy

Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Spectator

The Donald and the art of golf diplomacy

In 1969, one of the great acts of sportsmanship occurred at Royal Birkdale golf club in Southport, when the Ryder Cup came down to the last green. Britain's Tony Jacklin had a three-foot putt to halve the final match with Jack Nicklaus and make the score 16-16, but the American picked up Jacklin's marker and said he was happy to share the spoils. 'I don't think you would have missed,' he said, 'but I didn't want to give you the chance.' The gesture was immortalised in the naming of a Florida golf course, the Concession, which has just been awarded the next three senior PGA Championships, one of the majors. I suspect that Donald Trump, who owns three courses in that state, might regard Nicklaus as a loser. The coat of arms for Trump's latest course in Scotland has the motto Numquam Concedere ('never let them have a gimme', to paraphrase) and the emblem of an eagle clutching two balls. Subtle. Police and protestors are ready for Trump's visit to Aberdeenshire this weekend, where he will open the course at Menie, which is due to be named the MacLeod after his mother and has, the family boasts, 'the largest sand dunes in Scotland'. That might trigger environmentalists, since the ancient links has lost its Site of Special Scientific Interest status as a result of Trump's development. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to travel north during the visit to bend a knee and watch Trump drive, since the way to the President's heart is by admiring his swing. One of the things Trump would most like the Prime Minister to bring as a gift is the right to host the Open Championship, which was held last week at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. When Trump bought the Turnberry course in Ayrshire in 2014, it was with the expectation that the Open would follow. The R&A, which organises the Open, initially made positive noises and it is believed the course had been earmarked to host the tournament in 2020. Turnberry is undeniably a magnificent course, rated the eighth finest outside the US by Golf Digest, and it has hosted four excellent Opens including in 1977, when Nicklaus slugged it out for four days with Tom Watson, and the Open in 2009, when Watson almost won again at the age of 59. It would be a more than worthy venue. Then Trump decided to become president, and his controversial comments made people feel uneasy. In 2015, Peter Dawson, the outgoing chief executive of the R&A, said that a bit of time should pass before returning to Turnberry. His successor, Martin Slumbers, took a harder line, saying it could not be held there because the focus would be on the course's owner rather than the golfers. This came after the PGA of America removed the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump's Bedminster course in New Jersey following the attack on the Capitol in 2021. Since then, the position against giving Trump an Open has become more nuanced. Mark Darbon, the new R&A chief executive, says he would 'love' the Open to return to Turnberry but while he has discussed it recently with Eric Trump, Donald's son, there are 'logistical challenges'. The course is in the middle of nowhere and the transport links and hotel accommodation can't cope. Only 120,000 could attend Turnberry in 2009, while 280,000 came to Portrush. Sorry Donald, nothing personal. A feasibility study, that old favourite for kicking things into the long grass (and the rough can be very long at the Open), has been commissioned to ease the political pressure. If that fails, they can fall back on Sir Humphrey's 'in the fullness of time' tactic. The next two Opens have been allocated – Birkdale in 2026 and St Andrews in 2027 – and it is believed that Muirfield in East Lothian, which last hosted an Open in 2013, will be given 2028 as the reward for agreeing to allow women members. The last time three successive Opens were held in Scotland was 1893, so that means we're looking at 2030, when Trump will be 84 and (presumably) no longer in the White House. This may be nudged back even further if there are difficult scenes at the Ryder Cup in late September, to be held in Bethpage, New York, where the fans are notoriously raucous. Trump will surely be there on the tee, a week after his state visit to Britain, having missed the chance to host a Ryder Cup in his first term. It was to be at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, in 2020, a few weeks before he fought re-election, but was postponed by the pandemic. A US win might have swayed the election for him. He will not miss this Ryder Cup but if it is a rowdy one – expect no sporting concessions this time – the R&A may find a new reason to delay a decision. One thing that is certain about Trump's visit to Aberdeenshire is that he will have a GREAT opening round. He is a more than decent golfer to judge by footage (though his declared handicap of 2.8 raises eyebrows), but he has never knowingly played badly, certainly not at a club he owns. Two weeks ago, he won the members' championship at Bedminster yet again, while in 2023 he won a two-day competition at his West Palm Beach course, despite being 600 miles away on the first day. Trump explained that he'd had a brilliant practice round two days before and so submitted that as his Saturday scorecard in absentia, meaning the field began Sunday five strokes behind. This performance, Trump declared, proved that he had the 'strength and stamina' to deserve a second term. He certainly has the sneakiness and chutzpah, though he falls a long way behind Kim Jong-il, the Eternal Scratch Champion of Pyong-yang, who famously once had five holes-in-one during a round that was 38 under par. Trump and Kim's sporting prowess matches that of Vladimir Putin, who has scored eight goals in an ice hockey match three times, and Mao Zedong, who was said to have swum ten miles of the Yangtze in just over an hour. It was ever thus with vain leaders, whose sporting boasts are rarely challenged. The Emperor Nero competed at the Olympics in the race for four-horse chariots, steering a vehicle pulled by ten horses. The excessive horsepower meant Nero crashed at the first corner, but he successfully persuaded the judges to award him the laurels since he should have won. Trump's latest visit to Bedminster put him within sight of Barack Obama in the list of golf-mad presidents. Obama played 306 rounds while in office, and Trump is now up to 304 after six months of his second term. During the 2016 election, Trump claimed he would be too busy to play golf as president. He then squeezed in 11 rounds in his first eight weeks. This term, he was back on the course on Day 6. And again on Day 7. Trump is also not far behind Bill Clinton, the only president whose handicap went down in the White House – but he has some way to go to beat the top two. Dwight Eisenhower notched up 800 rounds in office, some quite iffy. Bob Hope quipped: 'If Eisenhower slices the budget like he slices a golf ball, the nation has nothing to worry about.' Way out in front is Woodrow Wilson, who played every other day during the first world war, including at the Versailles peace conference, but he remained mediocre. As a presidential duffer, he comes behind William Taft, who once recorded a 27 on one hole, including 17 to get out of a bunker, but believed that it was gentlemanly to be honest. 'There is nothing which furnishes a greater test of character and self-restraint than golf,' Taft said. Trump takes a different view, which is why it is unsurprising that world leaders now see golf as a tool of diplomacy. Shinzo Abe, the deceased former prime minister of Japan, played five rounds with Trump and in 2016 gave him a $3,700 golden driver. Abe did so well out of this that Yoon Suk Yeol, the President of South Korea, took up the sport to help his own diplomatic game. Nigel Farage's close friendship with Trump may in part be due to this shared interest – the Reform UK leader says he almost took up a US college golf scholarship – though Farage's bad back doesn't allow him to play any more. When Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House in May, the South African President took with him a pair of major-winning golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, in the hope that it would impress Trump. Alexander Stubb, the Finnish President and a former college golfer in South Carolina, negotiated the purchase by the US of some Finnish icebreakers after he played (and won) a tournament in Palm Beach with Trump as his partner in March. That will be the challenge for Starmer when he pays homage. Unlike David Cameron, who rewarded Obama for his Brexit intervention in 2016 with a round at the Grove in Hertfordshire, Starmer can't fake an interest in golf. He was the first prime minister to reject honorary membership of the Ellesborough golf club near Chequers. Perhaps he will bring a star golfer like Sir Nick Faldo with him to swing for Britain. Starmer did have a professional golfer on his backbenches in Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, but the Socialist Campaign Group member, who recently lost the whip for rebelling, will surely not play ball. How about the Paymaster General? Nick Thomas-Symonds's skill with a mashie niblick is unknown, but he was named Nicklaus by a golf-mad father. For diplomatic reasons, Starmer may want to allow Trump to say that his course was blessed by a British Nicklaus. Just don't expect the President to concede any short putts.

LIV Golf stars slam world ranking mockery big names weigh in on major flaw that allows players to 'finesse' the system
LIV Golf stars slam world ranking mockery big names weigh in on major flaw that allows players to 'finesse' the system

Daily Record

time4 hours ago

  • Daily Record

LIV Golf stars slam world ranking mockery big names weigh in on major flaw that allows players to 'finesse' the system

Ryder Cup heroes past and present have strong say on the set-up which is causing disruption to the world order Lee Westwood says he's proof the system's a mockery as LIV Gol f heroes waded into the world-rankings debate. ‌ The stars of the Saudi-backed series are in Staffordshire this week for the UK event at JCB Golf and County Club. ‌ Westwood and the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm made their way straight from The Open at Royal Portrush to England with the discussions reignited at The Championship after a latest application for OWGR. ‌ The former World No.1 performed superbly in Northern Ireland, but says the boost he got in the rankings from the showing uncovers the flaws in the current system. Westwood tie for 34th at The Open rocketed him 3,759 spots in the OWGR and he said: 'I moved back above my son in the world rankings, which is nice. I think that just proves that without world ranking points it makes a bit of a mockery of the system. It's good that an application has gone back in. 'I think mainly it relates back to wanting the best players in the major championships, not wanting this conversation where there's a few people missing out because we don't get world ranking points on LIV. We either start to get world ranking points on LIV or the major championships have to revise their qualification system, which, some of them seem to want to do, but some seem reluctant to do and they'd have to have a separate qualification system for LIV players, which I don't think anybody particularly wants. You want it all to be based off the same system. 'It has to be looked at carefully, I don't know if they're going to back-date it or what, but we're all starting from a low position. I've only got one tournament counting on the world rankings I think and finishing mid 30s last week moved me up like 3,000 spots, which shows that there's something wrong with the system as it stands.' Hatton had his say as he added: 'I think there's a lot of guys out here that you certainly want to be playing in majors. If there's a better pathway for that for us, then that's brilliant. There's a lot of guys out here, their current world ranking doesn't really reflect the type of golfer that they are and I think everyone would like to think everyone sitting here would agree with that statement. I guess the sooner the world rankings can become a little bit more realistic again, the better it is for golf.' Hatton's LIV team-mate Jon Rahm continued: 'I'm going to start off this by saying that I have my disagreements with the world ranking system before I ever joined LIV. I already thought it was flawed before I ever came, and I was vocal about it. ‌ 'So I think the last few years, even the world ranking itself and both Data Golf do a strokes gained ranking, and I think that much more reflects who truly is playing the best because the actual points being a two-year ranking, you can have a poor week or a poor three weeks and that will hold you down for two whole years. 'It's crazy how you can actually finesse a little bit of the system by playing certain weeks and not playing certain weeks and things like that. It's always going to be somewhat accurate but not the most, and I think strokes gained usually is going to be the better representation of how truly everybody is playing. 'In Data Golf and world ranking, they both have their own version. I think they're somewhat similar for the most part, give and take certain players. But if you're top 10 in one, you're most likely going to be top 10 in the other one. The order might change a little bit, but I think it's a fair representation of where everybody is at.' LIV CEO SCott O'Neil gave an update on the application, but said: 'It's still a bit premature. We have filed an application and I'm in pretty good contact with [OWGR Board chairman] Trevor Immelman. We have a call later this week. He's been a good source of encouragement, push-back, debate, and we've both agreed to keep those conversations between the two of us until we take another step forward. That's what we agreed to.'

Rory McIlroy's caddie outearns two Masters winners this year with hefty paycheck
Rory McIlroy's caddie outearns two Masters winners this year with hefty paycheck

Daily Mirror

time7 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

Rory McIlroy's caddie outearns two Masters winners this year with hefty paycheck

Harry Diamond has been Rory McIlroy's caddie for the best part of a decade and was the first person to embrace the Northern Irishman after he won the Masters Rory McIlroy's childhood mate and long-standing caddie, Harry Diamond, has been by his side through thick and thin. The 41-year-old was the first to congratulate McIlroy after the world No. 2 clinched the Masters, completing the Grand Slam and ending an agonising 11-year wait for a major. ‌ The Holywood duo first crossed paths on the putting greens of their local golf club. Although Diamond isn't a professional golfer himself, he's raked in more cash than many top players in recent years. ‌ In 2025 alone, it's estimated that McIlroy's right-hand man has pocketed around £1.2million. This figure is based on McIlroy's winnings of roughly £12.2m, as it is standard practice for a caddie to receive about 10% of their player's prize money. ‌ Diamond's projected 2025 earnings exceed those of former Masters champions Zach Johnson and Danny Willett, who have bagged around £651,000 and £397,000 this year, respectively. However, it's also possible that Diamond receives a weekly wage topped up with a bonus of around 7-10 percent. Naturally, only Diamond and McIlroy can confirm or refute the specifics of their arrangement, but the above is generally accepted as the norm in the sport. One thing's for sure; McIlroy would find it very odd to compete in a major without his mate by his side. The five-time major champion didn't hold back on his appreciation for Diamond after clinching the Masters title. In a heartfelt interview at Augusta, McIlroy recalled a pivotal moment shared with his close confidant during the tense play-off hole against Justin Rose. McIlroy had just missed what could have been the winning putt on the 18th when he and Diamond prepared for the additional challenge. Recounting the experience, McIlroy said: "After scoring, Harry and I were walking to the golf cart to bring us back to the 18th tee. "He said to me, 'Well, pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning.' I'm like, 'Yeah, absolutely we would have.' That was an easy reset. He basically said to me, 'Look, you would have given your right arm to be in a playoff at the start of the week.' So that sort of reframed it a little bit for me." ‌ In the aftermath of his victory, McIlroy was quick to acknowledge Diamond's role in his success. He added: "I've known Harry since I was seven years old. "I met him on the putting green at Holywood Golf Club. We've had so many good times together. He's been like a big brother to me the whole way through my life. "To be able to share this with him after all the close calls that we've had, all the c**p that he's had to take from people that don't know anything about the game, yeah, this one is just as much his as it is mine. "He's a massive part of what I do, and I couldn't think of anyone better to share it with than him."

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