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Home , Ben Curtis (golfer), Bill Rogers (golfer), Darren Clarke, Greg Norman, Louis Oosthuizen, Reg Whitcombe

www.dailypostathenian.com WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 | SPORTS DAILY POST-ATHENIAN | B3

THE 149 TH OPEN AT ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S THE OPEN FACTS & FIGURES RETURN TO Event: 149th Open Championship Dates: July 15-18 Site: Royal St. George’s Length: 7,189 : 70 The course: Royal St. George’s is located in south- east about 15 miles from the Strait of Dover. TRADITION It was founded in 1887 by William Laidlaw Purves, and it was the rst links in England to host the British s tradition goes at the British Open, it all feels will be presented to him by someone wearing gloves. Open. This will be the 15th time it has held the British the same. , a popular winner at Open. ARoyal , returns the silver upon THE COURSE Field: 156 players his arrival at Royal St. George’s for a ceremonial start to Royal St. George’s was the rst course in England to Playo (if necessary): 3 holes, aggregate score the 149th edition of golf’s oldest championship. It’s like host the British Open in 1894. is will be the 15th time Prize money: $11.5 million clockwork, with one exception. it has the Open, fourth on the list behind St. Andrews Winner’s share: $2,070,000 e British Open is one year behind. (29), Prestwick (24) and Muireld (16). It is famous for Defending champion: Shane Lowry Strange as it was for the Masters to be played amid terrain so lumpy that once referred to it as Last year: The British Open was canceled for the autumn hues of November and the U.S. Open to be held “almost playing on the surface of the moon.” Tee shots rst time since World War II because of the COVID-19 in September for the rst time in nearly a century, the down the middle can bounce to the le or the right on pandemic. biggest fallout in golf from the COVID-19 pandemic several holes. “You just pack your patience and under- Last time: Shane Lowry of captured his was the British Open not being played at all last year. rst major at Royal Portrush in the rst British Open stand that it’s the same for everyone, and the good and in in 68 years. He closed with a Now it’s back, though not quite to normal. the bad bounces should all level out over 72 holes,” Rory e R&A is allowing 32,000 spectators a day at Royal 1-over 72 for a six-shot victory over Tommy Fleet- McIlroy said. St. George’s, located along the eastern English coast near wod. The nal round featured such rough weather the Strait of Dover. Major championship golf hasn’t seen that no one from the last 12 groups broke par. a crowd that large since Portrush two summers ago. GLOBAL GAME Last time at Royal St. George’s: , e players, meanwhile, will be conned to a strict of Japan won the Masters. Phil who had gone 10 years without even contending in bubble of no more than four people from their own Mickelson of the United States won the PGA Cham- the majors, closed with an even-par 70 for a three- support team. ey are to avoid mixing with the pionship. of Spain won the U.S. shot victory over and . general public, except for the 32,000 fans behind Open. at’s three majors won by play- British Open champions at Royal St. George’s: the ropes on the . at means Justin ers from three continents. Dating to the J.H. Taylor (1894), (1899, 1911), Jack omas can’t share a house with , creation of the Masters in 1934, there has White (1904), (1922, 1928), Henry as they oen do. And no trips to restaurants or never been a year when the four major Cotton (1934), (1938), the grocery store, much less a pub. champions came from four continents. (1949), (1981), (1985), Greg “I feel like a lot of the family restrictions, each Maybe it’s worth paying attention to some- Norman (1993), (2003), Darren Clarke player’s team restrictions, it’s a little too much,” U.S. one like (), Joaquin (2011). Open champion Jon Rahm said. “But I understand Niemann (Chile) or (South COVID-19 restrictions: The R&A is limiting players to a “buddy bubble” of no more than four people why they want us to stay at home and why they Africa). want to keep the players as safe as possible. ... It’s and they cannot share houses with other players or the rules they put up, and we just have to deal mix with the general public. The R&A also is allowing OLYMPIC IMPACT 32,000 fans a day, the most of any major. with it and follow them.” Men’s golf in the Tokyo Olympics start Olympic conict: Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim of It’s a big change from players on the PGA 11 days aer the British Open ends, and 29 Tour, where testing is no longer required for South Korea and Juvic Pagunsan of The Philippines players at Royal St. George’s will he headed to have withdrawn to concentrate on the Tokyo Olympics, vaccinated players and restrictions have been Japan. e list was a little longer until Sungjae loosened considerably. which start 11 days after the British Open ends. Im and Si Woo Kim of South Korea, and Juvic Key statistic: Bryson DeChambeau is the only e cancellation allowed Lowry to keep the Pagunsan of e Philippines, withdrew from claret jug for two years, the longest of any Brit- player from the top 10 in the world who has yet to the British Open so as not to detract from their nish in the top 20 at a major this year. ish Open champion since 1939 winner Richard preparations for the Olympics. Noteworthy: Major champions this year have Burton held it for seven years because of World come from Asia (Hideki Matsuyama), North America War II. He said it traveled well, poured well and (Phil Mickelson) and Europe (Jon Rahm). Dating to even picked up a few dings he had repaired. SILVER MEDALS Royal St. George’s has produced world-class the creation of the Masters in 1934, the four majors Now it’s up for grabs on a links with a repu- have never been won by players from four conti- tation of being the quirkiest of all, with so many winners from Harry Vardon and Walter Hagen to Bobby Locke and . Equally impressive nents in the same year. humps and hollows along the fairways that Royal Television (all times EDT): Thursday-Friday, 1:30 St. George’s is oen described as having a lunar is the recent list of players who nished second. Mickelson and Dustin Johnson tied for second a.m. to 4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 5 a.m. to 7 landscape. “ e world championship of a.m. (Golf Channel), 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, imagination,” Greg Norman called it when he in 2011, while was a runner-up in 2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. (Golf Channel), 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. won in 1993. 2003. Other runner-up nishes at Royal St. (NBC). No matter how many restrictions are in George’s belong to (1993), Payne place for tthe players, someone will be hold- Stewart (1985) and (1981) ing the claret jug on Sunday. It probably All are in the . “Look, it’s one week. It’s a major championship and let’s just do what it takes to be able to compete.” — Phil Mickelson, on the COVID-19 protocols in place for players at Royal St. George’s

149TH BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER CAPSULES

JON RAHM LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN JORDAN SPIETH Age: 26 Age: 31 Age: 38 Age: 27 Country: Spain Country: Country: Country: World ranking: 1 United States United States Worldwide wins: 12 World ranking: 7 World ranking: 13 World ranking: 22 Majors: US Open Worldwide wins: 11 Worldwide wins: Worldwide wins: 15 (2021) Majors: PGA Cham- 12 Majors: Masters 2021 Majors: Mas- pionship (2018, 2019), Majors: British Open (2015), US Open (2015), ters-T5, PGA Champion- US Open (2017, 2018) (2010) British Open (2017) ship-T8, US Open-1 2021 Majors: Mas- 2021 Majors: Masters-T26, 2021 Majors: Masters-T3, British Open moment: Made his profes- ters-Cut, PGA Championship-T2, US Open-T4 PGA Championship-T2, US Open-2 PGA Championship-T30, US Open-T19 sional debut at the Quicken Loans National in British Open moment: Standing his British Open moment: Winning at St. British Open moment: His birdie-eagle-bird- 2016, and his tie for third earned him a spot in ground at St. Andrews in 2015 when an Andrews in 2010. That remains his lone PGA ie-birdie stretch on the back nine at Royal the British Open at Royal Troon (tie for 59th). ocial told him to keep playing and Koepka Tour title. Birkdale to win in 2017. Backspin: Not since has a refused because the wind kept moving his Backspin: He already has the career Backspin: He has six nishes in the top 5 this player won golf’s two oldest championships ball on the 11th green. Play was suspended. silver slam with runner-up nishes in all year, including his rst victory since Birkdale in in the same year, and the six players who Backspin: When he’s not roasting Bryson four majors. Another silver medal at Royal 2017, and is back in the conversation at the ma- have won the U.S. Open and British Open is DeChambeau, Koepka is contending in ma- St. George’s would make him the rst player jors. Spieth goes into the British Open having not as elite as it gets -- Woods, , Lee jors, as always. His right knee injury no longer since in 2000 to be runner-up in played in the three weeks since the U.S. Open. Trevino, , and Bobby appears to be an issue. Of greater concern three straight majors. The fact he keeps con- Jones (twice). Rahm has nished top 10 in all might be some of his nishes in the majors tending bodes well for him to break through. PHIL MICKELSON three majors this year. where he was contending on Sunday. Age: 51 BRYSON Country: XANDER DECHAMBEAU United States Age: 28 SCHAUFFELE Age: 27 World ranking: 31 Country: Age: 27 Country: Worldwide wins: United States Country: United States 48 World ranking: 3 United States World ranking: 6 Majors: Masters Worldwide wins: 14 World ranking: 5 Worldwide wins: 9 (2004, 2006, 2010), Majors: PGA Cham- Worldwide wins: 4 Majors: US Open PGA Championship (2005, pionship (2017) Majors: None (2020) 2021), British Open (2013) 2021 Majors: Mas- 2021 Majors: 2021 Majors: Masters-T46, 2021 Majors: Masters-T21, PGA Champi- ters-T21, PGA Champion- Masters-T3, PGA Champion- PGA Championship-T38, US Open-T26 onship-1, US Open-T62 ship-Cut, US Open-T19 ship-Cut, US Open-T7 British Open moment: His emotional British Open moment: Winning at Muir- British Open moment: Two behind after British Open moment: Sharing the 54- meltdown on the range at Carnoustie after his eld in 2013 with a 66, considered one of the the opening round at Royal Birkdale in 2017, hole lead at Carnoustie in 2018 and was one rst-round 75. He shot 70 the next day to make great closing rounds in championship history. he tried three times to hack out of thick grass shot out of the lead until a bogey on the 17th the cut on the number. That’s the only time he Backspin: Mickelson has nished in the on the sixth hole and couldn’t nd the ball hole ended his hopes. has played the weekend at the British Open. top 20 only once in 15 starts this year, but after the third try. He made a 9 and went on Backspin: Schauele has a performance in Backspin: Going from a share of the lead to that was a big one. He won the PGA Champi- to shoot 80 to miss the cut. the majors that rivals Brooks Koepka, minus a 44 on the back nine Sunday at the U.S. Open, onship at age 50 to become the oldest major Backspin: A rough start to the year, a big the victories. He had a chance at the Masters DeChambeau’s outlook did not improve when champion. He was runner-up the last time at win at , and then until hitting into the water on the 16th hole, his caddie left him on the eve of the Rocket Mort- Royal St. George’s. A good week might make mediocrity. Since winning at the TPC Saw- and he was among those who had a chance gage Classic and he missed the cut. He is the only him a viable candidate. grass, he has gone eight consecutive starts Sunday on the back nine at the U.S. Open. But player in the top 10 in the world who has not without a top 10, including three majors. he now has gone 53 starts since his last trophy. nished in the top 20 at a major this year. CONTENT BY THE English delivery driver brings perspective to his rst British Open BY STEVE DOUGLAS rolling fairways of Roy- stage. “It was just nice to to work in one of the hast- — one day you are deal- He got a feel for what the AP Sports Writer al St. George’s in his first watch them go about their ily constructed emergen- ing with a kid who is in Open and its crowds will be appearance at the British business.” cy hospitals — called the remission or having a can- like by going round Mon- SANDWICH, England — Open. Indeed he already has Indeed, for Poppleton, “Nightingales” — set up for cer scan, the next you are day with Mickelson and Any other week, Nick Pop- been lucky enough to play it’s just nice to be on a golf COVID-19 patients. dealing with someone who DeChambeau, by far the pleton would be working his first practice round in course. Her working hours were is fighting for their life.” biggest names he has ever as a supermarket delivery Sandwich in the company of The pandemic didn’t just long. The stress was huge. It’s why Poppleton is giv- played alongside. driver to supplement his Phil Mickelson and Bryson result in his nascent golf Golf, suddenly, took a back ing short shrift to any player They knew who he was, modest income as a player DeChambeau. career, and therefore his seat for Poppleton. at this week’s British Open and how he got to the Brit- on the third tier of Euro- “I wasn’t really interested earning potential, grind- “My role wasn’t a golfer,” grumbling about operat- ish Open, when they intro- pean golf. in their golf game or how ing to a halt in 2020. It also he said, “it became a sup- ing under strict COVID-19 duced themselves on the Maybe even fitting win- they were playing, because gave him some perspective. port for her. That’s what it restrictions implemented first tee. That impressed dows with a good friend, it was all a bit too much for His partner, Amber, is a had to be. by the R&A. Poppleton. just for a bit of extra cash. me,” said Poppleton, tak- radiographer at a children’s “I was there if she need- “You hear players com- “They were just on it Not this week. ing a break from the prac- hospital. As the coronavi- ed someone to talk to, to plaining about the bubble straightaway. Profession- Instead, the 27-year-old tice green to talk about his rus raged through Britain get anything off her chest. malarkey,” he said, “but it’s a al. Proper dialed in,” he Englishman is walking the first time on golf’s biggest in April 2020, she offered It’s not a great job already piece of cake in comparison.” recalled.