Morikawa is victorious, but there was so much more
There was an amazing atmosphere in Sandwich, Kent for the 149th Open Championship at Royal St George’s tucked away in the south east corner of England. After a disappointing year in 2020 without the final Major due to COVID-19 safety regulations, the event was a blissful reminder of just how exciting four rounds of golf can be. Even with less spectators than normal, but with exceptional weather, the Open is a must for every golf fan. Here is a short summary of some of the extra fun we experienced at Sandwich.
First tee fame: England’s Richard Bland, who surprised the world with his exciting play in the US Open in June, had the honour of teeing off first at 6.35 on the first day of the Open in Kent. He was accompanied by two other Englishmen: Andy Sullivan and Marcus Armitage.
Hole-in-one for tallest player in the field: At 6 feet 9 inches, the lengthy Englishman Jonathan Thomson was delighted to hole his tee-shot at the par-3 16th hole on day two. The 25-year old had dreamed of playing in the Open since he was a child and qualified this year through the special championship golfing system.
South African leads 36-hole qualifying in the Open: Louis Oosthuizen, who led the Open from day one before being overtaken by Collin Morikawa, set a new halfway course record at Royal St George’s when he secured a terrific score of 11-under par after 36 holes.
High-fives German golfer Marcel Siem had a super tournament in Sandwich. So good, in fact, that he could well be back on the European Tour after losing his player’s card.
Seven years without a Major victory? Unbelievable, but it is true. He is Irish and his name is Rory McIlroy. He made the cut but had to settle for a share of 46th spot on level par.
Who is in and who is out? The halfway cut to play at the weekend came at 1-over par. A total of 77 players teed-off on Saturday. So who fell outside the cut line? There was a host of players on 2-over par – 20 in fact – including Tyrell Hatton (England), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Francesco Molinari (Italy), Jimmy Walker, Keegan Bradley and Russell Henley (America), and Jorge Campillo (Spain).
The toughest hole on the course? The toughest hole at Royal St George’s is the 8th called ‘Hades’. Originally a par-3, it was remodelled in 1981 for the return of the Open at Sandwich. It’s now a par 4 which measures 450 yards. How many birdies were scored there in the 149th Open? Oh, guess we’ll have to pass on that one!
A final look at the top of the scoreboard: So how did the top players line-up in the Open Championship at Royal St George’s? I’ll give you a clue. There were six Americans, two South Africans, one Canadian, one Spaniard and a Scot. If you go down to the top 12 then you can add in a Swede, Argentinian and an Irishman. Indeed, who were they all? There were some big names on the list like Major winners and the current and former Official World Number One in the golf rankings: Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth. Yes, all American and all the sort of names you expect at the top of a Major. But there were also some rather unexpected players who journeyed the rolling fairways of a beautiful links course down on the south east coast in Kent, England. Here is the final scoreboard of the Open Championship at Royal St George’s for your perusal.
Top of the Open 2021 scoreboard:
Tie 12th Viktor Hofland (Sweden), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) and defending Open Champion Shane Lowry (Irish) 6-under; tie 8th Dustin Johnson, Daniel Berger, Scottie Scheffler (USA) and Robert Macintyre (Scotland) 7-under; tie 6th Brooks Koepka (USA) and Mackenzie Hughes (Canada) 8-under; 5th Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 9-under; tie 3rd Jon Rahm (Spain) and Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 11-under; 2nd Jordan Spieth (USA) 13-under.
Winner and 2021 Champion Golfer of the Year: Collin Morikawa USA on 15-under par, 265.
Next year’s Open – one for the diary! The 150th Open Championship will be held at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland from 14th to 17th July 2022. Until then, play good golf and stay safe. See you there!
Wendy Hoad
MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: Thousands of fans enjoy Collin Morikawa’s putt at the 18th in the Open at Royal St George’s. MINIS (l-r): Jordan Spieth, Louis Oosthuizen, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.