Ivor Robson: I miss The Open enormously

For more than 40 years, Ivor Robson was the man who sent off the world’s best players in their bid to become the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’.

With his soft, soothing tones and calming (dare it be said, debonair) presence, he introduced almost 20,000 golfers to the galleries, from Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to Roger Wessels and Ryoken Kawagishi.

He hung up the mic at St Andrews in 2015 and so, ahead of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool, we tracked him down to see how he’s enjoying retirement and to reflect on an incredible career as the Open’s official starter…

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Ivor, how are you?

I’ve retired and am enjoying life. I still follow the golf, but I don’t go to tournaments. I had a good run, 41 Opens, it was a great honour to be the official starter for the greatest championship in the world.

Do you still watch The Open?

I don’t go anymore; I mean, what am I going to do? I won’t be seen standing around the first tee anymore, but I still watch it all the time.

Was it hard stepping away?

Yes, but it was time to go. I was diagnosed with diabetes, type two. So, I wasn’t allowed to do the PGA at Wentworth, but I got sorted out, and I’m okay now with a good diet. I wasn’t eating properly, and was eating the wrong things late at night.

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How did you manage not eating and drinking for hours?

I did it every week, so it wasn’t just The Open. I never took alcohol, and you got used to not having breakfast or lunch because you’re concentrating all the time. By the time you get players a card, pin placement, the local rules, and tell them who is up first and second, the next group is coming on to play. You had to keep your concentration, and you don’t realise the time until it was about the last game. It was mentally exhausting but good.

What do you do after the last tee time?

I went straight to my room and got room service, I wasn’t going into the bar, I’ve never been in a bar in my life. I’m not a member, so I had no right to be in there that’s how I always viewed it. I kept myself to myself, albeit as part of a team and my role was a starter.

What were the most challenging venues?

The likes of St Andrews, lovely course, but it’s a difficult one because you’ve got the road crossing and players coming up the 18th but coming up the first fairway, so you’ve got to dovetail them. You say to players, as soon as they’ve played their second, we go. You have to get them off before they start putting or the next group is coming up. It works fine if you concentrate, but you have to make the decision, the players know what I’m going to do then. If you lose a minute, it takes a long time to get that minute back. Conditions were not always ideal as well. At Turnberry and Muirfield, the rain and wind was horrendous, especially when Greg Norman won at Turnberry.

Favourite Open courses?

They all have different characteristics. Turnberry, for example, some of the big hitters are reaching the green, so I had to say, ‘are you going for the green’, instead of making the previous green mark and moving away, let them putt out. So, if you’re going for the green, I’ll let you go third. St Andrews is unique you know, but it was hard to operate with the road crossing. Royal Lytham was another one because it’s a par 3, so I said you can’t have the microphone because I can’t see the second tee. If a player is in the middle of their backswing and I start announcing the next game, I can’t see it.

Did the job involve a lot more than just announcing?

Nobody told me how to do it, I had to work it out for myself when I started in 1975. I thought, ‘What do I do here?’ Just keep it simple, where are they from, the name of the player and let them go. You don’t need a biography, the only time you had something different to announce was the defending champion? Years ago, when I went on the Tuesday, I would go out on the Wednesday morning with my starter sheet and walk down to the landing area on the first to see what the rough was like. If it was deep and you needed someone to hit a provisional, you can’t have them searching for a ball on the first hole, so it’s all this planning and observation you had to do.

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How much preparation went into calling tee times, and were there names you had to rehearse?

I was lucky to do events all over the world and so if there were any players’ names that looked tricky, I kept it on a card in my blazer pocket to remember how the player likes his name announced. I was doing it every week, so I knew a lot of the players very well and their mannerisms. Some wouldn’t come to the tee until the last minute, and I used to say ‘I’m on your side, don’t make it difficult’, if you’re not on the tee when the game is called, you’re deemed to be late.

What was your relationship like with players?

Absolutely brilliant. I’ve lost a lot of my friends recently, John Bland, Gordon Brand Jr, a lot of these guys were great lads, and we had a lot of laughs. The caddies were wonderful, too. I had a wonderful time.

Did you feel starstruck at any point announcing the big names?

No, I treated everyone the same. I felt if you do that, you won’t get any problems, I had the same procedure of welcoming them to the tee. I liked Tiger Woods and got on well with him, and you can’t forget Seve Ballesteros.

What was Tiger like on the tee?

He was absolutely spot on, a gentleman. It wasn’t Tiger, it was the entourage that was a nightmare. If Tiger was up first, as soon as he teed off, the camera crew would be up and moving, and the second player has no chance, but Tiger was fine. He didn’t arrive on the tee too early, plenty of time to get organised, but he was fine. Seve always called me ‘mi amigo’. He was an immense character – what an ambassador for the game. When we needed someone, along came this young, dashing Spaniard who was a breath of fresh air.

Were those interactions what made the job so satisfying?

Yeah, I think so. You knew something big was happening when the crowd started mingling around the first tee. You could tell who was coming up next, and Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, all these guys were gentlemen, absolutely super people. It was interesting at my last Open because Peter Dawson said I had to go to the champion’s dinner, I was the first man invited that wasn’t a past champion. I got a Claret Jug with all the names on, and what do you know, I’ve been fortunate I’ve announced the last 40 Open champions.

Where is your Claret Jug?

I have it in my room, carefully put in my house and inscribed on it is ‘outstanding performance for The Open Championship’. I was shocked and didn’t know what to say, getting a Claret Jug is beautiful.

How different was doing the Ryder Cup?

It was completely different, when you do The Open, you arrive there, and there are a few people in the stand, but it gradually builds up as the day goes on, but in the Ryder Cup it’s mayhem – there are thousands of people around the first tee chanting and it’s quite frightening. I was never comfortable with that but I had a job to do and I was concentrating on it.

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How did you find that experience?

It wasn’t one I particularly enjoyed, I liked doing the Open because the crowds build up over a period of time. At the Ryder Cup, it was mayhem with all the chanting and shouting, which was quite funny in a way, but certainly nerve-wracking.

Did you ever get used to that?

No, never. I used to dread it.

What was the emotion for your last Open?

I got a little bit nervous just knowing it was my last, but you have to remember what you are there for and keep your composure. You can’t let it get ahead of you, or you’ll make a mess, and I didn’t, it was a great honour. I was representing the R&A, Rolex, and the European Tour, so you had a bit of responsibility on your shoulders, and I was conscious of that. I never had a rain suit on or anything, I didn’t think it was right. I had the official blazer and tie on, and that was it.

Did you ever think you’d become one of golf’s most recognised voices?

No, absolutely not. I never had a plan. I got involved with my first Open at Carnoustie, and I went up a few weeks later to see Keith McKenzie, the secretary of the R&A, and he asked if he could retain my services for the foreseeable future. So I did every one after that, and it was incredible, I never thought it would turn out like it did.

Did the trademark ‘on the tee’ call need practice, or was it natural?

It just came out when I did it, and I thought I’ll stick with that, it’s easy, keep it simple. Rolex sent me all over the world, and I was able to meet all these different players, but I used the same trademark for all players.

Do you miss being a starter?

I miss it a lot, especially The Open, I miss that enormously.

Will we ever hear you announce again?

Before lockdown, I did a charity event which I really enjoyed, out in Buckinghamshire for the rugby legends. I got an email asking about a golf day at Royal Troon next year, so I’ll do that one again, but I’m moving away from it now.

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This interview first appeared in issue 203 of bunkered. Click here for our latest subscription offer and never miss another edition.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.