🏌🏻The Open: All You Need To Know

Good morning! Rory McIlroy’s meltdown at the end of the US Open is the talk of the town as he gears up for another Major Championship.

While he faced the scrutiny of the media and the fans following his devastating loss at Pinehurst - guess who were the first ones to comfort him?

Ahead of The Open, McIlroy revealed that his ‘friends’ Michael Jordan and Rafael Nadal helped him get past his US Open disappointment.

Today’s Trivia: Who was the last non-American to win The Open Championship?Answer at the end of the email.

⛳ This day in history: One of the greatest and most confounding results in major championship history occurred on this date in 1938 when diminutive Paul Runyan defeated Sam Snead, 8 and 7, in the final of the PGA Championship at Shawnee Country Club.

NEXT ON THE TEE
Tournaments This Week

Major: The Open Championship

📍 When and Where: July 18-21, Royal Troon Golf Club
💰 Purse: $17 million
🏌🏻 Headliners: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa

LPGA Tour: Dana Open

📍When and Where: July 18-21, Highland Meadows Golf Club
💰 Purse: $1.75 million
🏌🏻 Headliners: Sarah Schmelzel, Linn Grant, Maja Stark

ALBATROSS
The Open: Royal Troon Set For An Epic Showdown

The 152nd Open Championship is the final men's Major of the year - with the world’s best heading to Royal Troon in Scotland. 158 players will compete in the tournament this week, making it the largest at this major since 1995, when 159 players teed it up at St. Andrews.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler returns to action after his playoff triumph at the Travelers Championship while Tiger Woods is set to compete in Royal Troon after twenty years.

Rory McIlroy is looking to put the heartbreak of the US Open behind him at another major championship and Xander Schauffele comes to the event as one of only two players to finish inside the top 10 at each major championship this season.

💰Prize Money Increased: Competitors will play this week for a total prize fund of $17 million with the champion receiving $3.1 million of the purse. Those are increases of $500,000 and $100,000, respectively, as The Open remains behind the game’s other three majors, which all at least cleared $18.5 million and $3.33 million, respectively, this year.

If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Players who miss the cut will earn anywhere from $8,750 to $12,350.

🌦️Weather Watch: The R&A is expecting “unsettled conditions" at Royal Troon this week. While the forecast past Thursday remains uncertain, the first round looks like it will be marked by “heavy bursts of rain and strengthening winds.

The high temperature isn’t expected to clear 70 degrees.

🚩Cutline: After 36 holes, the low 70 players and ties will advance to compete in the final two rounds. There is no secondary cut after the third round.

There is no 10-shot rule either. It’s just a flat top 70 finishers and ties.

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TWEET
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
Tiger Returns After 20 Years

Tiger Woods has returned to Royal Troon, the venue for this week's Open Championship, for the first time in 20 years. Woods was injured in 2016 and missed that event, but finished T-9 back in 2004 when Todd Hamilton won at the seaside links.

📌Rusty Wedges: Woods’ wedges were caught on camera they were so covered in rust that it appeared they might have been in his bag back in 2004, too. Tiger, like many tour pros, opts to use wedges that are made completely with raw steel.

While it’s unclear whether the wedges Tiger is using at Royal Troon are prototypes or not, marking on the hosel clearly show they were manufacturerd for him about within the last few months. Given the level of rust, if they were wrapped up and sealed, it wasn’t for very long because the salt air of Woods’s home state of Florida has done a number on them.

If anything, the layer of rust covering Woods’ wedges confirms he doesn’t mind the worn look. He prefers it.

⛳️Plays Practice Round: After playing 18 holes on Sunday, Woods got another look Troon's back nine alongside good friends Justin Thomas and Max Homa. He was spotted moving with a slightly awkward gait and looking stiff as he bent over to tie his shoelace.

Woods also appeared to be consciously avoiding the bunkers when it came to getting in practice shots.There were glimpses of Woods' greatness sprinkled across the nine holes, but what was more apparent were the physical challenges and the inescapable reality of sport.

All good things come to an end, and if this is not Woods' final Open, the next one probably will be.

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LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news 

PGA Tour: The PGA Tour has confirmed the eight official events on the 2024 FedEx Cup fall schedule. This is the second year of the FedEx Cup fall format, which begins in mid-September at the Napa Valley Golf Championship and ends with The RSM Classic in late November.

KFT: Cristobal Del Solar sets a new scoring record and earns a PGA Tour card after winning The Ascendant on the Korn Ferry Tour.

LPGA Tour: The 2024 Dana Open tees off this week - here are five things you need to know.

New Launch: Callaway unveils new Opus And Opus Platinum Wedges - click here to check them out.

NO to LIV: Viktor Hovland revealed that he turned down LIV Golf because the product wasn't appealing enough to move at this stage of his career, but at the back end of his career, playing in the league wouldn’t be too bad.

BIRDIE
These Moments From The Open Left Us Teary-Eyed

Golf’s oldest major has always provided the fans with the most memorable and gut-wrenching moments - we take a look at some that left us heart-broken and in tears.

🏌️Constantino Rocca's Loss (1995): In the 1995 Open Championship, Constantino Rocca needed a birdie on the 18th hole to tie John Daly and force a playoff. His first shot landed in the Valley of Sin, but from 65 feet away, Rocca miraculously made the shot.

Overcome with emotion, he lay on the ground and cried in disbelief. Rocca entered the four-hole playoff against Daly but eventually lost.

🏌️Sergio Garcia's Misfortune (2007): At the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links, Garcia led all three rounds and extended his lead by four strokes on the final day.

Needing a birdie putt at the final hole to win his first major, Garcia missed and entered a four-hole playoff against Padraig Harrington. Harrington birdied the first extra hole while Garcia bogeyed, losing the championship by one stroke and missing his chance to lift the Claret Jug.

🏌️Tom Watson's Tragic Loss (2009): Nine months after hip replacement surgery at age 59, Tom Watson led the field at the 2009 Open at Turnberry with a 54-hole score of 4 under 206. Despite his remarkable form, an 18th-hole bogey forced a four-hole playoff against Stewart Cink.

Watson lost by six shots, missing the chance to become the oldest major winner and a six-time Open champion, a record held by Harry Vardon.

🏌️Mark Roe's DQ: Mark Roe experienced a devastating moment at the 2003 Open when Ben Curtis lifted the Claret Jug, which could have been his. Roe, just two strokes off the leader, shot a third-round 67 at Royal St. George’s, while his partner Jesper Parnevik struggled with an 81.

After their rounds, they mistakenly signed each other's scorecards, violating rule 6-6D and leading to Roe’s immediate disqualification.

Roe never played in another major and retired in 2006 without a major win.

🏌️Tiger Woods Breaks Down (2006): Just two months before The Open at Royal Liverpool, Tiger Woods lost his father and mentor, Earl Woods, to prostate cancer. Throughout the final round, Woods maintained his composure.

Upon reaching the final hole and sinking the putt, he claimed his third Claret Jug. As the crowd roared, Woods, rarely emotional on the greens, hugged Steve Williams and cried, wishing his father could have seen it.

DRIVING RANGE
Keep the Lead Arm Straight

In today's video, we explain how to keep your left arm (or lead arm) straight in your golf swing.

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