McEwan’s Major Mailbag: The Open edition

You’ve got Qs. I’d like to think I’ve got As.

And in the absence of As, I’ve got plenty of Os (‘opinions’, duh!).

So, here we are. Another major championship, another mailbag.

I could continue to wax lyrical about how The 152nd Open is “shaping up to be another cracker” and such like but that’s not what you’re here for, so let’s just crack on, shall we?

To the questions!

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If you could take ANY course and put it on the rotation for The Open. Which one would it be?
Craig Meikle (@CraigMeikle30)

By ‘ANY course’, do you really mean ‘ANY course’ or ‘ANY course that could plausibly host it’? If it’s the latter, I’m going with Royal County Down. Unbelievable track. Every bit as good as the hype. But if you really do mean ‘ANY course’, then it’s going to be Royal Melbourne. Take The Open ‘Down Under’, stage it the week before Christmas and watch the establishment dissolve in a righteous puddle of rage.

Is the four-hole play-off the best way to settle the outcome?
David Haldane (@DavidHaldane)

Meh. Probably. There’s a time and a place for sudden-death but a major ain’t it. The stakes are too high for a quirky bounce or random ricochet to determine the outcome. And a full 18 is demonstrably unworkable. So, yeah, four is probably the right number. But I now realise you might not have been asking about the number of holes so much as the procedure for settling a tie, in which case I’d much prefer to see a WWF-style ‘Royal Rumble’ cage match on the 18th green. Imagine how much more entertaining the 2015 playoff at St Andrews would have been. Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman are about to get the extra holes under way when suddenly Peter Alliss (RIP) booms into the microphone: “Wait a minute… that’s The Warrior’s music!” You’re rolling your eyes, but face it, you’d forgotten Leish was in that playoff, so you know I’m right.

• The Open: Round 1 tee times in full

• The entire Open field… RANKED! 

Would the Open ever consider not playing a links? We have an abundance of superb heathland and parkland courses who could step up.
Paul (@Morethana6pack)

I’m not saying you’re wrong but there’s infinitely more chance of Rachel Stevens strutting into the media centre and declaring her undying love for me, the “man of her dreams”.

What will it take to get Turnberry back on the Open rota?
Paul Kerr (@KERRZZO)

The R&A has made no secret of the fact that Donald Trump is a distraction it has zero desire to engage with, so it’s hard to see the resort getting another shot for as long as he remains its owner. However, there will soon be a new man in charge of the organisation. Will Mark Darbon see things differently to Martin Slumbers? We’ll soon find out.

Is it an indictment on GB&I golf that, ten years after he last won it, Rory is still by far the best chance of a ‘home’ win? Or is it more a testament of just how great a player he is?
EatandSleepGolf (@EatandSleepGolf)

Unquestionably the latter. Tiger Woods was the USA’s best chance of a major win for 20 years and nobody ever thought that was a reflection on Mickelson, Duval, Furyk, Johnson. Based on the world rankings alone, only one golfer on the entire planet should fancy their chances of winning The Open more than Rory. So, no, I’m not having that.

Is Adam Scott ever going to stop wearing shades of brown?
Fiona Kirkwood (@FionaKirkwood1)

Surely the real question is, what would it take for Adam Scott to consider playing topless, the big dreamboat that he is.

• Meet the man with The Open’s most stressful job

• How far does £250 go in The Open Shop?

If Adam Scott wore a white belt would you think any less of him?
Michael Flucker (@micfluke)

Perhaps, but we’d hug it out. Love conquers all.

Greatest ever shot at an Open?
Sandy Reid (@Reid1Sandy)

Paul Lawrie’s 4-iron at Carnoustie takes a bit of beating. Goosebumps, every single time.

Is it coming home? Can a Scot finally win the Open on Scottish soil?
Gus Laurenson

First of all, I see what you did there, and me gusta mucho. Second of all, absolutely they can. Bob MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson have both won in the last couple of weeks against excellent fields. If anybody is going to end 25 years of hurt, it’s going to be one of them.

You can only pick one for this week: Bob Mac wins his first major, Rory finally wins his elusive fifth major, or Tiger wins his 16th major and announces his immediate retirement?
Andrew Hunter

I mean, they’re all good, right? But with absolutely zero disrespect intended to Bob and Tiger, I’m choosing Rory. In addition to being a sucker for a good redemption story – I can almost hear Jim Nantz saying “the wait is over!” – I’m also a huge McIlroy fan and firmly believe it would be good for the game were he to win. Imagine the build-up to Augusta next year!

Who is the current day Seve, in respect to the short game he had, his shot making and the buccaneering way he played when first on the tour?
Andrew Gilligan

There’s not much doubt that Mickelson is the closest thing we’ve had to Seve since Seve but, in terms of players who are likely to be competitive this week, probably Bryson? He might not have the same exquisite touch but, for all the focus on his method and data-driven approach, he’s a fabulously inventive player who has extraordinary instincts and a penchant for theatricality. It’s potentially a bit more contrived and self-aware that Seve but it’s absolutely compelling. Let me put it this way: if I was a punter at Troon this week, I’d follow him.

• For sale! ‘House on the course’ at Royal Troon hits the market

• R&A pays tribute to Ivor Robson at Royal Troon

Is the prize money now on offer too much?
Phillip Barrett

Funnily enough, you could make the case that it’s not enough. Now, yes, objectively, getting to play for your share of $17million is ridiculous. But The Open has the smallest purse of any of the four men’s majors and doesn’t even crack the top-20 most lucrative events in the game. That’s not a problem now, nor is likely to be a problem for at least a generation, but the more it loses pace, the more the championship is impacted. As LIV has demonstrated, some of the best players in the world don’t care a damn about legacy. They just want to be paid. At what point do they stop showing up for The Open because the money on offer isn’t “worth getting out of bed for”? I do admire and wholly support Martin Slumbers and, by extension, the R&A’s stance, that continuing to over-compensate the world’s top golfers isn’t something they’re prepared to do at the expense of (“grow the game” alert) growing the game. But financial insanity is golf’s reality right now and, probably, for a long time to come. Next time they battle it out for the Claret Jug at St Andrews, I’ll be stunned if they’re not playing for a minimum of $20million.

What year did Troon become Royal Troon? It was just Troon when Tom Weiskopf won in ‘73?
James Davies

Good grief, James. My name’s Michael, not Google. But to answer your question, Troon’s met with royal approval in 1978. Only seven have been granted the prefix since then, the most recent being Royal Homburger in Germany in 2013. Queen Elizabeth II gave the title to ten different clubs across her reign. There’s no sign (so far) of King Charles III picking up that particular baton. For more on all that, click here. Hope that helps!

If Royal Dornoch was located in Fife or East Lothian or Ayrshire, would it host an Open?
Julian Foot

Quite possibly, yes. But if my auntie had wheels, she’d be a bike, so…

Which is the best Open venue and why?
Gerry Kennedy

The boring – but honest – answer is St Andrews. The town, the history, the landmarks, the vibe… nowhere else comes close. But the best Open course? That’s a whole other matter. For me, it’s Muirfield. A simply exceptional track which deserves to be taken off the naughty step. Maybe 2027?

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Keep up-to-date with all of the latest news every day from Royal Troon with The bunkered Podcast’s Open Commute, available here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Head of Content