Royal Portrush a ‘challenging but fair’ Open Championship test | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Royal Portrush a ‘challenging but fair’ Open Championship test | Golf Central | Golf Channel

IRELAND SET TO HOST THE 153rd CHAMPION HELP, AND NOW, TODD LEWIS IS THERE WITH HE STORYLINES. >>> THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THE OPEN WAS HELD HERE AT ROYAL PORTRUSH, THE MOST RECENT IN 2019 WHEN SHANE LOWRY WON. HE IS BACK TO DEFEND. AS A MATTER OF FACT, ABOUT A THIRD OF THE FIELD THAT COMPETED IN 2019 WILL COMPETE IN THE OPEN THIS WEEK. SO FAR, ONLY A COUPLE DOZEN HAVE REGISTERED TO PLAY ON THE GOLF COURSE. FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY STARTED TO PREP, THEY SAY THAT THE LAYOUT IS CHALLENGING BUT FAIR. >> SAW IT IN 2019 AS WELL. PORTRUSH IS A SOLID COURSE OF GOLF. AND IT DEPENDS ON WHICH WAY THE WIND IS BLOWING AND WE ARE HOPING NOT TO GET THE AMOUNT OF RAIN LAST TIME WE WERE HERE BUT YOU GET A LOT OF HOLES, CROSSWINDS, YOU KNOW, INTO OFF LEFT, OFF RIGHT. IT KIND OF WORKS ITS WAY AROUND. AND YOU CAN’T GO AND HIT A SHOT THAT IS MOVING IN ONE DIRECTION. THERE WILL BE SITUATION WHERES YOU HAVE TO WORK IT BOTH WAYS NOT, YOU WILL BE HANDCUFFED. >> YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU GET OUT HERE AND WHAT I MEAN IS KIND OF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS WITH RESPECT TO THE GOLF COURSE, YOU WILL GET SOME BOUNCES BUT IT’S NOT LIKE PLAYING THE OTHER GOLF COURSES WHERE YOU GET REAL FUNKY BOUNCES AND THEY END UP IN A BUNKER. AND THEY DON’T DO THAT, BUT I KIND OF FEEL LIKE GETTING IN THERE EARLY AND PREPARING, KIND OF FEELING WHAT I NEED TO DO, I HAVEN’T SEEN A BALL BOUNCE 20 PLUS ON A LOB WEDGE IN A LONG TIME. SO THAT’S SOMETHING THAT I, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO GET USED TO PRETTY QUICK ESPECIALLY BEING OUT HERE AND HAVING TO PLAY THIS STYLE OF GOLF THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE STYLE OF GOLF THAT WE PLAY IN AMERICA. IT WAS MINUTE TO COME OUT HERE AND PLAY HOLES. >> A LOT OF CROSS WINDS. AND WE PLAY IN THE WIND OR DOWNWIND. SO IT’S JUST GETTING USED TO CONTROLLING YOUR GOLF BALL AND HOW MUCH YOU ARE AIMING FOR IN THE WIND AND IT’S PRETTY FIRM RIGHT NOW WHICH IS FUN. THE BALL’S GOING AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO CONTROL THE NUMBER. THERE ARE DEFINITELY SPOTS YOU CAN HIT IT WHICH IS NICE ON A GOLF COURSE LIKE THIS AND OFF THE TEE, THERE IS NOT TOO MANY PENALIZING BUNKERS, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THE MISSES. YOU KNOW, WITH THE WEATHER TODAY, IT WAS PLAYING AMAZING. I KNOW WE ARE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN. I AM SURE IT WILL GET TOUGHER AS THE DAY GOES ON. >> TODAY WAS BEAUTIFUL IN ROYAL PORTRUSH WITH A DAY IN THE 70s, BUT A DAY LIKE THIS IS IN THE MINORITY AROUND THESE PARTS. STARTING TOMORROW, MORE TYPICAL WEATHER AND WIND THE CONTINUE WITH RAIN IN THE FORECAST EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND IF THERE IS A LOT OF RAIN ON THE GOLF COURSE, IT WILL NOT BECOME VERY SOFT BECAUSE OF THE SANDY-BASED SOIL BUT IT WILL BECOME LONGER MAKING IT A TOUGHER TEST. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF FANS WATCHING THE ACTION. AN AVERAGE OF 40,000 ON SITE MAKING IT THE LARGEST EVER OPEN. >> THANK YOU, TODD

Todd Lewis reports from Royal Portrush just before Open Championship week. Rickie Fowler, Jason Day and Akshay Bhatia share their early thoughts on the course, which is shaping up to be tough but fair. #Golf #GolfChannel #TheOpen #Portrush
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Royal Portrush a ‘challenging but fair’ Open Championship test | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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