The Open means sleepless nights

Next week, the last major of the year will commence at Royal Troon in Scotland. The Open Championship was last held there in 2016 and was the site of the final round duel between eventual champion Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson.

I remember vividly how they traded birdies on the final day. It was one of the more thrilling Open Championships in recent memory, especially due to the unbelievable display of quality golf from both Stenson and Mickelson.

Majors are usually decided by unfortunate bogeys, collapses or stellar play in the closing holes. But at Troon in 2016, it seems that the leading duo were at an exhibition match, peppering the flagsticks and exchanging birdies.

It was Stenson who prevailed for his first and only major. He famously used his 3-wood off the tees at Troon, choosing to keep the ball in play rather than going for more distance. He also used an older set of JDM Callaway irons if I remember correctly.

This year, Royal Troon will once again host golf’s oldest major. If the Masters offers prestige, the US Open is known as the toughest test.

The PGA Championship is popular for its “people’s championship” image, with normal club professionals included in the field. The Open however remains revered as the keeper of tradition, being the oldest. It is also popular for the links-type courses that is common in Open venues.

Winds, lucky bounces, pot bunkers and slick greens are what Open Championships are normally about. This year, Scottie Scheffler has been dominant in the US. But on links courses, he hasn’t really been tested yet.

While world-ranking leaders are expected to do well at Open Championships, it has also had a good share of unexpected winners. Last year, relatively unknown Brian Harman prevailed in difficult conditions.

Looking at Open champions in the last 25 years, quite a number of them were either unknowns or weren’t very dominant players. Examples would be players like Stewart Cink, Todd Hamilton, Ben Curtis and Paul Lawrie. While there are favorites like Woods, Spieth, Mickelson and Els, the Open always has surprises up its sleeve.

It’ll once again be a sleepless weekend come next week. For major golf fans, the Open brings to a close another year’s major season. The recent change in major golf schedules resulted in the Open being the last major and I think it is better.

The PGA is really the least prestigious so it feels anti-climactic to end with it. I have no favorite or fearless forecast for the Open this year. Let’s all just enjoy the year’s last major!