The Open Championship updates at Royal Portrush, Australians, Ryan Peake

The British Open is now underway, however Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner already supplied leisure after one wayward shot on Royal Portrush’s most notorious gap.

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Royal Portrush’s lengthy par-3 sixteenth gap, higher generally known as Calamity Nook, can be essential in deciding the destiny of many contenders for the Claret Jug at this week’s Open Championship.

With that in thoughts, Wagner tried to elucidate the hazards gamers will face on the outlet by taking followers watching at dwelling on a tour throughout his ‘Dwell From’ phase on Wednesday.

Wagner defined that misses brief may funnel in the direction of hazard on the appropriate. A small miss gained’t show too expensive, however greater misses deliver into play thick fescue grass whereas the hill turns into steeper. Such misses will result in a troublesome, huge uphill pitch to the inexperienced.

That’s when Johnson threw a ball down the hill, stepped as much as the shot and ready to reveal it.

“Such a extreme upslope,” Wagner stated. “All you’re attempting to do right here is get it on the inexperienced.”

The outcome was hilarious however, fortunately, not critical.

“Oh God,” stated Wagner as the gang screamed.

“I feel I hit it within the grandstand.”

Wagner later known as it “one is essentially the most embarrassing” photographs of his profession.

“I lastly had a crowd and I bodily scolded it into the grandstand,” he added.

Fortunately the grandstand was solely half full, however it is going to be packed in a while Thursday afternoon when the 153rd instalment of the Open will get underway as Rory McIlroy is roared on in his homeland.

McIlroy returns to Northern Eire because the Masters champion however decided to make amends for his disastrous begin at Portrush six years in the past when a quadruple bogey on the opening gap on his option to a first-round 79 noticed him miss the reduce.

The world quantity two is the star attraction for the near 280,000 spectators set to attend the 4 days of play on the ultimate main of the yr.

Scottie Scheffler, although, is the favorite regardless of having by no means gained the British Open earlier than, whereas defending champion Xander Schauffele is aiming to place a irritating yr behind him.

McIlroy, who tees off at 15.10 native time (12.10am AEST) alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and American rival Justin Thomas, might need to battle the worst of blustery climate for the opening spherical with thunderstorms forecast early night.

However the man who introduced himself as a star of the longer term by breaking the course document at Portrush with a 61 as a 16-year-old 20 years in the past, is assured after ending his 11-year main drought on the Masters in April.

“Once I was trying on the calendar for 2025, this was the event that was in all probability circled much more so than the Masters for various causes,” stated McIlroy, who completed second on the Scottish Open final week.

“It’s pretty to be coming in right here already with a significant and all the pieces else that’s occurred this yr. I’m excited with the place my sport is.”

Schauffele, in the meantime, is craving that profitable feeling after failing to hit the heights of his two main wins in 2024.

Play formally will get underway on Thursday at 3.35pm AEST, with Cameron Smith the primary of the Australians to tee off at 3.57pm.

For Smith, who gained the a hundred and fiftieth British Open, this yr’s Championship can be an opportunity to seek out his groove once more having entered in a disaster of confidence.

There are many different fascinating Australian tales to comply with on the Open, together with ex-bikie Ryan Peake’s main debut and Curtis Luck’s return to the massive stage.

In the meantime, Adam Scott tees it up in his 97th consecutive main, trying to grow to be solely the second participant to play 100 in a row.

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Thursday, July 17