Open Championship diary day five: Matt Cooper reports from Royal Troon

Open Links

Yesterday’s diary included the story of the Kiwi Michael Hendry who had leukaemia last year but has recovered to take his place in this week’s field (although, alas, he didn’t make the cut). By coincidence the comedian Dominic Holland (also the father of actor Tom Holland) has republished his novel Open Links which redirects all profits to the Anthony Nolan charity which works with leukaemia and stem cell transplantation.

“I hope the novel will strike a chord with anyone who believes in the kindness of strangers and the potential every single one of us has to wake up one morning and do something extraordinary,” Holland told me today.

The novel tells the story of the final day of the Open when storm-clouds are gathering over the host Muirfield. Fighting his way into the elite world of millionaire golfers, frenzied journalists, and stuffy officials, a long-in-the-tooth journeyman player finds himself without a caddie, without a pair of trousers and without a chance. The odds are against him. The course is fighting him. And he’s got nobody to back him up apart from the world’s most unlikely toilet attendant, a sports reporter hoping for an underdog story, and one young fan in desperate need of a miracle.

It’s great fun for golf fans, there’s some great nostalgia thrown in, and it’s a great cause. Go find yourself a copy.

Dune bashing

To the right of the sixth hole is a huge dune that was once one of the finest spots to view the action from at Royal Troon. No longer, however, because coastal erosion has been battering away at the sand banks and the sea-side of this dune is now hollow making the entire site unsafe.

The threat from climate change extends beyond that one hole. Long term protection of the course is likely to cost well over £1 million and the club has it in mind to raise the first three holes because the sea will become an ever-increasing threat to them.

How tough was it in the second round?

Matthew Southgate has played a lot of links golf and finished T12 here at Royal Troon in 2016 and T6 at Royal Birkdale a year later. After his Friday 78 he said: “I need to lie down in a dark room. It’s brutal out there. That’s one of the toughest experiences I’ve had on a golf course. It was cross-winds everywhere and pins on the same side where the wind was coming from. It’s just so, so difficult. It was like survival golf really.

“It’s so difficult just to make a par. The first nine holes you’re sort of making the best-educated guess you possibly can as to what club you need and where to aim. It was so tough.

“It’s definitely probably the toughest round I’ve ever played in an Open, but I don’t think that necessarily has anything to do with Troon as a golf course. You just had a brutal day of weather.”

Now use those words to put Justin Rose’s rise into contention into perspective because he played in the group ahead of Southgate. Rose himself said: “Yesterday I felt like it was playable, a fair fight. Today just kind of was a bit more like survival.”

Dan Brown’s code

There were many folk wondering how the heck Daniel Brown could have turned six missed cuts in seven starts (with not one top 60 finish) into a first round lead at the Open.

But he did finish third at La Reserve in Mauritius earlier this season which is a links track recently designed by Louis Oosthuizen. He was also the three-shot halfway leader when fourth at St Francis Links in South Africa. And he carded a first round 65 last week in Scotland. I asked him about this links form and he admitted he didn’t like that form of the game when he was an amateur but has missed it since joining the pro ranks and enjoyed playing it.

Having followed up his opening 65 with a 72 he remains on course for a life-changing cheque and possibly something even more special than that. He’s been admirably cautious when answering the questions from the tabloids who want a story, but whose desires often run counter to the hopes of a surprise contender. Can he hang about at the weekend?!

DJ spinning a tune

The 2024 major championships have been somewhat, well, rubbish for Dustin Johnson. He shot 78-79 at the Masters, made the cut at the PGA Championship and then went 74-75 at the US Open.

But back in 2016 only Henrik Stenson found more greens in regulation than DJ. The problem was an ice cold putter. A second round 69 in this year’s second round got him to 1-over for the tournament and he’s not discounting himself.

When chatting to the media Johnson didn’t avoid his major record this year and said: “I haven’t played great in them, but I feel like I’m playing better golf than my scores, if that makes any sense. I feel like I’m swinging well, I’m doing a lot of things really well. I’m just not getting the scores out of it.”

Moreover, this week he reports: “I’m swinging the irons good, rolling it good. I gave myself a lot of chances. With a good weekend, you never know.” Is he too far back or not?!

His wife won’t be around however. “Her and a couple of friends are in Saint-Tropez,” he said. “I’ll meet her on Sunday.” Not a fan of Scottish weather? “I don’t blame her,” he said.

Beware the draw

Billy Horschel has played nine Opens and has just one top 25 finish. But he heads into the weekend in a tie for fourth and he made a point that we ought to note with regard to linksland log books.

“I’ve been unfortunate enough to be on the bad side of some draws like Hoylake in 2014,” he said. “Remember, here in 2016 I shot 4-under the first round, and then I proceeded to shoot 85, but if everyone remembers, the weather was pretty nasty. I got to No. 9, and the weather to that point was the nastiest weather I've ever played in. It was blowing 30mph, raining sideways. It was a brute that day.

“So the record can be a little deceiving. I played Dunhill Links Championship the last few years and now feel more comfortable playing this form of the game.”