Context
The Open (sometimes known in the United States as The British Open) is the oldest of the four Golf Majors (Masters, Open, U.S. Open, PGA) and was first played in 1860. The Open is often considered the most prestigious because it is played in the country which is the home of golf, although many golf fans and historians would argue that the Masters, a U.S. tournament founded by the legendary golfer Bobby Jones is the most prestigious. The tournament rotates from golf club to club throughout the U.K. and has been in England, Ireland, and, of course, Scotland. This year the tournament is being staged in Angus, Scotland, at Carnoustie, a links style course that has many difficult challenges, so much so that players often call it Carnasty. The challenges in 2018 have been made more difficult by the weather–the lack of rain in the area (a rarity) has made the links fairways as hard as the top of a pool table, so shots off the tee and long iron shots can hit and bounce and run for very long distances–often into trouble. Carnoustie was the scene of the famous Jean van de Velde meltdown on the 18th in 1999, when the French golfer–literally on the verge of winning the tournament–needing only a 6 on a par 4 hole to win–made a triple bogey 7, and ended up in a four hole playoff with Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie for the championship . Lawrie won the playoff by three strokes over the four holes. Notably, van de Velde handled the entire incident with a level of class and sense of humor seldom seen in any sport. The Open is always one of the most dramatic tournaments of the year and this year’s will be no exception; also–expect bad weather, because invariably there is at least one (and often more) day of bad weather. Use the Nightshift Resource links (below) to get the most from following this year’s tournament. You can see the tournament on the Golf Channel (early) and NBC (late). Streaming is available via TheOpen.com . See the resources below for details.
Resources
Direct Link to the Official Site of The Open
The Leaderboard
The Course
Direct Link to Official Site of Carnoustie Golf Links
How to Qualify for the British Open
Carnoustie, Hole by Hole
How to Watch The Open
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