Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Ryan Fox’s dramatic Open win, Rory and Bryson’s feud and everything else from Royal Birkdale.
Ryan Fox birdied four of his last six holes to shoot 68 and win the Open Championship by one over Cameron Young and claim his first major title. How did Fox, who shot 62 on Saturday, rule the weekend and win the Claret Jug?
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): As in every Open, conditions mattered and Fox took advantage of some relatively benign ones on Saturday. More importantly, though, he stayed patient. The quirks of Royal Birkdale drove some guys crazy this week. Fox, by contrast, stayed cool even when he got a couple of terrible bunker breaks coming down the stretch. That was especially impressive, as was the way he stuck with his (wonderfully) brisk routine. A lot of guys get out of rhythm when they’re trying to close. Fox stayed in his rhythm.
Zephyr Melton, associate game-improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): While others wilted under the pressure, Fox thrived in it. On a day when seemingly every contender struggled to hit the shots when the lights got the brightest, Fox did not. It may seem overly simplistic, but the best golfers are the ones who can perform under pressure. No one was better than Fox in that regard on Sunday.
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): Agree with the great points from my colleagues here. Fox hung in impressively on Sunday — and he suffered some adversity too. That chip shot from behind the green on 9 that came right back to his feet could have really derailed him. But he managed to get the next shot up and down for bogey. That kind of mental fortitude is everything on a major championship Sunday.
Any issue with three 62s at Royal Birkdale? (And before this week, Branden Grace had the first major 62 ever at the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale.)
Sens: It’s hard to take issue with scores when everyone’s playing the same course. But I do wish they had found a way to keep some of the juice in the rough, despite the dry conditions. Ideally, I think, there should be more punishment for driving it wildly in an Open than there was this week.
Melton: I don’t have an issue with it. Despite the flurry of 62s, the winner still took 270 strokes, one less than at Aronimink, which got rave reviews from fans. While low scores were out there, they had to be earned. Good shots were rewarded and bad shots were punished. That’s all you can ask for.
Marksbury: No issues with the low scores. Sometimes the overseas weather bestows some gifts. And, as we witnessed, the course was still capable of baring some teeth.
Before Fox lifted the Claret Jug on Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau was the talk of the tournament with his Friday penalty and the dramatics that followed it. Opinions of the penalty (and how Bryson handled the situation) flooded in from fans, players and analysts. How would you sum up Bryson’s week? Was it a net positive or negative?
Sens: I would think it was a huge net positive in social-media followers, which is all that counts these days, right?
Melton: Positive for his YouTube channel, that’s for sure. I’m sure he’ll give us a breakdown of his thoughts on his channel. Be sure to smash that like button and hit subscribe to hear more.
Marksbury: Probably a net positive in terms of the general public and support from his fans, but if Rory McIlroy’s sentiments about the situation are any indication, it could be a possible net negative with his pro golf peers.
Rory McIlroy didn’t hold back when asked for his opinion on DeChambeau’s Friday drama, saying, “I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention.” There’s an obvious history between these two, but was this fair from McIlroy? Or crossing the line?
Sens: Fair game for McIlroy to share his thoughts when asked for them. I think the forthrightness was refreshing. I’d quibble with Rory’s assertion that DeChambeau was holding the tournament hostage. The uncertainty around tee times was overblown, I thought. You’re playing the weekend in the Open Championship. Do you really have other plans? Go to bed early, get up early and be ready to go. A grizzly old-timer might be left to conclude that not knowing whether you’re teeing off at 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. is what qualifies as adversity for today’s pros.
Melton: Is it fair to call the content king Bryson “performative?” Absolutely. Everything he does is for the cameras. I don’t take any issue with his behavior being called out.
Marksbury: I do think it’s a bit ungentlemanly to publicly air your dislike for another player like that. And I don’t understand how DeChambeau’s situation delayed the release of tee times. But for Rory and Bryson, there’s some history fueling the bad blood here. As for Bryson’s “performative” antics, well, the whole situation was fairly dramatic. I’m not sure how much was driven by heat-of-the-moment passion for an alleged injustice, or Bryson’s desire to milk the moment for his personal brand. Maybe a little of both.
Who won the Open Championship without winning the Open Championship?
Sens: On the one hand, hometown favoriteTommy Fleetwood had to be disappointed not to make a Sunday run. But he also spoke of the memories he made, the experiences you can’t buy, and how much they meant to him. Coming from another player, a cynic might read that as a crushed soul trying to rationalize. But I get the sense that Fleetwood was being entirely sincere.
Melton: How about Casey Jarvis with his first-career major top 10? This was his first Open start, and he performed well enough to qualify for next year at St. Andrews. I’d say that’s a pretty great week.
Marksbury: Both great picks. I’ll second Tommy. The hometown hero was in the conversation throughout and birdied his last two holes on Sunday. Not a win, of course, but that had to feel pretty good.
And who’s the most upset wondering what could have been leaving the final major of the season?
Josh Sens: Scottie Scheffler, the defending champ. With even a halfway decent week with the putter, he could have won by several shots.
Melton: Absolutely Scottie. He hit the ball well enough to put on a repeat performance of last year, but his putter was ice cold. Tough way to end the major season for the world No. 1.
Marksbury: Cameron Young. He bogeyed 18, then held the clubhouse lead for more than two hours, with a playoff looking imminent, before finally being crushed by the tournament’s very last putt. That makes eight career top-10s in the majors — and the pursuit of his first major continues.
