Open Championship Preview: Rain & Course Conditions at Portrush

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00:00What is the early look here for Portrush as we get set for the 153rd?

00:05Well, Mike, you know, leading up into this,

00:07they have been very dry over there in the United Kingdom.

00:09We saw it last week over there at the Scottish Open.

00:12You know, the Renaissance Club had a lot of bounce to it,

00:15a lot of dust at impact when those guys were hitting the ball.

00:18And you know what?

00:18It looks pretty green over there in Ireland,

00:21but the surfaces and the reports that we're getting already

00:23is that it's definitely firm and fast.

00:26The problem is, is that we expect a bunch of rain coming in this week.

00:30They've already suspended play on the first day of the week.

00:33That was Monday in the afternoon.

00:34They had to clear out the crowds and the guys because a storm came through.

00:38We're going to keep getting these pocket storms all week.

00:40It looks like Thursday through Sunday,

00:42they predict somewhere in the ballpark of about an inch of rain total.

00:46It's going to be tough to figure out those waves.

00:48Remember, it's not really an AM PM here.

00:50They just run all the guys off the first hole, you know,

00:52from start to finish each day.

00:54But there is going to be some consideration like we had last year in Troon.

00:58But right now, the weather, mid-60s, which over there is like a heat wave.

01:04And then we're definitely looking at some damp conditions.

01:07The good news is for everybody is that the wind is somewhere in the mid-teens,

01:11even along the northern coastline there, the Giants Causeway.

01:14It's going to be somewhat tame, but the guys are going to get wet.

01:17Rain suits are coming out.

01:19Well, that's a good thing because I prefer that there's lots of lashing rain.

01:22It's not the Open Championship without a little bit of wet weather,

01:25a little bit of conditions.

01:26You've got to have some of that.

01:28Brady, let's talk about maybe some comparisons here.

01:31Of course, we know that the Open Championship moves around.

01:35You know, we have a – at this point, I guess you could say,

01:38with a few that have been knocked off,

01:39a five- to seven-course rotation that they use for this.

01:42As far as Royal Portrush goes, we haven't been here since the Irish Bear

01:45took it down back in 19.

01:48What would you say, Brady, maybe, of the other Open Courses,

01:51would you compare most to Portrush if at all?

01:55Yeah, you know, I think Portrush is actually fairly unique.

01:58It's a Harry Colt design, designed it in 1932.

02:02The course has been around for a long time before that,

02:05but he came in and really tweaked it.

02:07They call this his masterpiece.

02:08A lot of people say he's maybe the greatest golf designer, you know, in history.

02:12Did Hamilton up near Cam there, north of the border.

02:16You can look at maybe some comps with that one.

02:192019 and 2024, host to the Canadian Open.

02:23Also did Royal Liverpool, where we just were a couple years ago.

02:272017, Martine Ebert comes in, you know, kind of the Open doctor,

02:32kind of the Tom Doak or the, you know, who's the guy that –

02:36Gil Hance, you know, the guy that comes in and does all these redesigns.

02:39Martine Ebert is kind of the guy that does that across the pond,

02:43and he put his hands on this one as well.

02:46Also Liverpool, Troon.

02:48So, you know, there are some similarities as far as designers.

02:51Harry Colt also did Wentworth, which, you know,

02:54we see the BMW PGA Championship every year as a part of the DP World Tour.

02:59But Portrush really kind of stands alone.

03:02You know, you talked about it, Cam, the Texas wedge.

03:04A lot of these greens are elevated at Portrush,

03:07so there's not as much bump and run possibility.

03:10Certainly there are some, but not on every single hole.

03:14Very small greens.

03:15You know, you look at St. Andrews and you have these double greens.

03:18This is really kind of a polar opposite, I think, of St. Andrews.

03:22As far as comps, I think, you know, again,

03:24with the design and the Ebert influence, you've got Liverpool.

03:29Royal St. George's with a lot of the mounding.

03:31We've got big dunes at Royal Portrush.

03:34As far as, you know, some American courses that may be similar,

03:38I think maybe Pebble Beach, you know,

03:40with the wind and the rain and the small greens.

03:43And then also Sawgrass with all the mounding and uneven lies.

03:47So I don't know if there's great matches,

03:49but I think you can probably draw from about a handful

03:52that make some sense this week.

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