In next month’s issue


The Open review


TGI feature with managing director Eddie Reid


Golf’s Man in the Rough The sports pages and our television


screens have recently been dominated by the FIFA World Cup, Test Match cricket and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Golf has had to take a bit of a back seat for these last few weeks. However, our turn is almost upon us


with the British Open at Hoylake (17-20 July), the US PGA at Valhalla (7-10 August) and then the icing on the cake, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles (26-28 September). Following back surgery in March this


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year, there had been real concerns that Tiger Woods would not be fit enough to participate in the British Open. The good news is that the great man played in the Quicken Loans National at the end of last month. Despite missing the cut, Woods told reporters: ‘I came back four weeks earlier than I thought I would. I had no setbacks. I got my feel for playing tournament golf.’ However, Woods also told those


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same reporters that ‘I’m very excited about getting back to Hoylake. I’m excited to play that course. I don’t know how it’s changed since we played it in 2006. It has been a bone dry winter in England.’ Really? A bone dry winter in England, Tiger? Try telling that to the thousands that


were flooded out over Christmas as the UK endured the wettest December to January period since records began. Either you’ve not been reading the newspapers or watching the television reports – or you should have gone to Specsavers, Tiger!


I’ve put a few bob on Justin Rose to


triumph at the Open this month. Victory in the aforementioned Quicken Loans National was Justin’s sixth US PGA tour win since 2010. The only player to win more US tournaments during that period is…? You’ve guessed it, Tiger Woods. Ironically, Rose’s best performance in the Open remains his fourth place at Royal Birkdale back in 1998 as a seventeen year old amateur. I feel it in my water that he will


improve on that this time around. And good luck to Scotland’s Bradley


Neil who won the Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush last month. Ranked seventh best amateur in the world, Young Bradley will be competing in the British Open hoping to emulate Justin Rose’s 1998 performances.


The summer months have often


been described as the ‘silly season’ for news reporting. I am therefore grateful to the BBC for


the following that appeared on 30 June: ‘Golf courses take up 1% of the land in the UK, but could be better used to provide homes, says a Green Party peer. Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, better known as Jenny Jones, reckoned developing golf courses could limit the building of homes on school playing fields.’ See you in the dole queues ladies and gentlemen!


Happy Hacking!


thelastword MULLIGAN


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