The first round of The Open Championship at Royal Troon has come and gone and, as always, it delivered from a number of standpoints. Great golf course? Check. Challenging conditions? Check. Bad and lucky breaks and exciting links shots? Check. A variety and narrative-rich leaderboard? You guessed it.
This last point is pertinent. The Open Championship is genuinely ‘open’ and there are multiple routes to a place in the field. It’s the same situation with the US Open. Not only does this bring drama before the Major in question, but it really enhances the tournament proper.
