If I had to pick a day when yet again I was being besieged with out-of-control insomnia, at least I picked one when there was live golf of consequence being telecast at 1:30 a.m. Pacific, more than two hours after tee time.
The British Open has always been one of my private joys as a sports fan, even back in the days when it was only an oddity as part of ABC Sports. In those days, the national broadcast began at 6 am Eastern, which was at the time before many of their affiliates signed on on Sunday mornings. And for those that did, it was nice to see something else more intriguing than an infomercial or a church service.
This year not only did Peacock and USA provide expanded coverage as part of NBC Sports’ new alliance with the now fourth and final major of the summer, they also got the benefit of a truly competitive field doing battle on the always picturesque and confounding grounds of a wonderful., even if controversially owned, venue, as CBS Sports’ Kyle Porter recapped in this morning’s preview:
The 2024 Open Championship enters its final 18 holes with one of the world’s best courses playing host to perhaps the most competitive major championship of the season. Royal Troon has proven to be a beast across the first three rounds, which has set the stage for what should be an undoubted tough test Sunday in Scotland. This as the grounds are filled to capacity with some of the top golfers in the game battling it out to claim the Claret Jug at the 152nd playing of the sport’s oldest tournament.
Billy Horschel grabbed the first end-of-round lead in his major career Saturday, scoring four birdies on his front nine and scrambling his butt off on the back nine to hold a one-stroke advantage. The former Florida Gators star only has two top-10 finishes in majors across his career, though one of them came earlier this year.
Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler are among a number of big hitters who will be chasing Horschel throughout the final round. All sit within two strokes of pole position, and they only make up some of the names who will be chasing at Royal Troon while hoping weather cooperates with their rounds.
And add to that list of contenders another “hometown” competitor in addition to Rose, whom Golfweek’s Adam Schupak waxed eloquently about in his own piece from last night:
No Englishman has won a British Open since Nick Faldo in 1992… Dan Brown, playing in his first major, have a chance to end that drought on Sunday. Rose and Brown both shot 2-over 73 on Saturday and are part of the six-way tie at 3-under 210.
Brown, 29, made bogey at the first and it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he vanished from the picture. But he responded with three birdies in the next five holes to get to 7 under and either held or shared the lead for most of the day. A bogey-double bogey finish knocked him out of the final group and left him one back of the lead.
“Proud of how I handled myself, but obviously a bit of a sting on them last two holes through not really hitting a bad golf shot. Links golf got the better of me on them two holes,” he said.
Brown didn’t let the moment get the best of him and could join Keegan Bradley and Ben Curtis as winners of majors in their major championship debut.
“I’ve treated it like a normal week on the DP World Tour,” he said. “I’ve not made it feel any bigger than what it is, and it is a lot bigger, obviously.”
As this musing is being composed, the leaders have just teed off on their fron nine, with Horschel and Rose each delivering a below-par hole to separate themselves just a bit more from the field. Scheffler has kept pace and remains within two strokes himself.
So for the second consecutive Sunday morning, there’s reason to be multitasking and at least something to stimulate me for the trying day ahead. And with three Olympic Sundays from Paris just ahead, there’s that much more relief and needed distraction on the horizon.
Sure hope you’re watching, and through less bloodshot eyes than am I.
Courage…