Open Diary: How Wyndham Clark fell in love with links golf in Ireland

No question that Wyndham Clark has enjoyed a meteoric rise: this time last year, he was ranked 216th in the world; now he is riding high at number 10 and is a Major champion to boot, having won last month’s US Open.

As for his experience of links? This is only his second appearance in the Open, having played at St Andrews last year (tied-76th) but he has history going back to a bucket-list trip to play links golf in Ireland in 2013 when he was a college student.

“I played the Amateur Championship in Portrush and then I spent another six, seven days in Ireland, played a bunch of links courses and that’s where I was first exposed to it. I just fell in love, I think it’s the purest test of golf. It’s more fun than I think any other golf that we have around the world just because every day is different. I love the variety and the imagination.”

Clark’s breakthrough Major win in Los Angeles was life-changing. “It’s great being here as a Major champion, a PGA Tour winner, and someone that people are now thinking can win multiple. It’s kind of a fun feeling, that’s for sure.”

Treat for spectators as world’s top amateurs turn on the style at Portmarnock

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Golfer makes back-to-back holes-in-one at the US Senior Open

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Pádraig Harrington makes a solid start to US Senior Open

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Ireland predicted to win a record nine Olympic medals in Paris

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Thumbs up for the new par-three

The newest hole on the links is the par-three 17th which has been specially created for the return of the championship to Royal Liverpool.

It measures 136 yards and plays to an infinity green, with the putting surface framed by the Dee estuary.

Brooks Koepka is a fan. “I’m a big believer in the short par threes. Make it difficult, exactly like that. I’m not a huge fan of 260, 250 [yards par threes]. It kind of takes, I don’t want to say the excitement out of it, but it’s kind of boring. You know it’s a three-iron and everybody is hitting to the same spot, where I think all the best par-threes in the world have ever been designed are 165 yards or shorter. The 12th at Augusta, Sawgrass [17th]. The Postage Stamp [at Troon]. There’s a bunch of them.”

McIlroy puts his best foot forward

Rory McIlroy might expect some slagging for being a Man United fan during his time on Merseyside, but he is getting into the spirit of things at Hoylake this week by wearing special edition shoes that pay homage to the Beatles.

McIlroy’s Nike Air Zoom Infitity Tour NXT NRG shoes – to be exact – are sporting some of the lyrics of the famed Liverpool band with Live to Play on one and Play to Live on the other along with wildly coloured psychedelic patterns.

African golf on the rise

Part of the R&A’s remit is to develop golf around the world and the inaugural African Amateur Championship – scheduled to take place next February at Leopard Creek in South Africa – will extend that global footprint.

The new men’s event will feature 72 players from all over Africa with the winner getting an exemption into next year’s 152nd Open at Royal Troon and follows the introduction of similar championships in Asia-Pacific and South America in recent years.

“It’s a hugely exciting initiative for African golf. It’s the last continent around the world where we don’t have our own championships. We now do,” said Martin Slumbers, the R&A chief executive.

Number: 6

There are six amateurs in the field – among them Laytown & Bettystown’s Alex Maguire, who earned his exemption after topping the R&A’s Amateur Open series order of merit – all with designs on the silver medal.

Quote

“I’ve imagined it about a million times probably. Winning a Major is a dream, or winning the Open is a huge, huge dream” – Tommy Fleetwood on carrying so many of the home hopes.