🎙 Royal Portrush COURSE PREVIEW | The Open Podcasts

🎙 Royal Portrush COURSE PREVIEW | The Open Podcasts

Hello and welcome to this very special episode of the Open podcast presented by Lachlman Whisies, the spirit of the Open. We’re here at Royalport Rush ahead of the 153rd Open Championship. Delighted to be joined by a gentleman who played in six opens and will be commentating for the Open Radio, Robert Lee. And great to see you, Ionis Steven, Sky Sports broadcaster and fellow Lachloman whisies ambassador. We have played 18 holes today. It’s been absolutely incredible. Before we reminisce, in fact, while I pour a special edition whiskey for us, it’s right next to the course collection whiskey, which will both be on offer at the open. Rob, how was today? I’ve never played Port Rush before. I was super impressed with the place, I got to say. Driver off the deck. You know what I mean? First of all, the welcome that we’ve had here has been amazing. Hi. And the open this July is going to be amazing. and the golf course because okay, let’s let’s was I was I talking too much there or thank you just cheer cheering your golf which was actually pretty sensational today. I wouldn’t say that but the course was sensational. I I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think we played it today with the prevailing wind which helps you off the first but the holes into the wind. My goodness me. If um if it kicks up in July it’s it’s going to cause havoc with the players. There was some magic moments just like a magic moment we’re having right now. This is sublime. Iona, how was your day? Well, listen. I think there’s something very special about coming to the island of Ireland for golf, isn’t there? Let’s look at the coastline. And then the Giants causeway is all the way down there, isn’t it? All the way up there somewhere. Yeah. It’s something to do with the the warm welcome that you get and the kind hearts of the people that that live here and the banter, you know, and the Irish love their golf. I mean, they really love their golf. You feel it when you’re out there big time. Yeah. I mean, we had four seasons in one day in one hole, I would say. We would often get four seasons in one hole. We saw it all and you wouldn’t want it any other way. I think you would be disappointed if you came to Ireland and it didn’t rain a wee bit. And if you certainly if you had no wind, you’d be pretty sad. So we had it in probably the perfect condition today. Guaranteed weather, whatever that means. It’s well, it’s a Harry Colult design course um established the back end of the 19th century. Quite a few changes made to the course in 2019. Not many changes for 2025. Rob. Yeah, this golf course is a very fair test. You can play it on a really horrible rough day and there is a way around it and and sometimes the fairways look quite generous and sometimes now it’s only my first time you don’t realize the nuances of h how the fairways turn and actually what looks like a wide bit of fairway isn’t a wide bit of fairway. So local knowledge around here is very very important. What makes it such an intriguing challenge? I think that, you know, one of the great things about Royal Port Rush is the change in elevation. You know, we we visited with the open recently some venues where they’re they’re quite flat and the challenge is different. You know, and visually sometimes you’re trying to find something on the on the horizon and on the ey line to pull out to aim at. Here you’ve got plenty to aim at, but it’s the change in elevations that you have to consider. As if the wind wasn’t tough enough, today we had it gusting up to 35 miles an hour. That makes it challenging. But the the the opening hole, hole number one, you know, you’re hit with these changes in elevation with a bang because that second shot, the T-shot’s intimidating enough with the out of bounds down the right and the left, but going in to that sec into the green that is so elevated gives you a flavor of what’s to come and down wind and down wind. I would not want to play Royal Port Rush in my preparation for this open without having played it with the opposite wind. Got you. Because the contrast in the holes that we play today, if it spun around the other way, would be oh, massive. Absolutely. To be able to deal with that. Well, whoever is champion golfer of the year come the Sunday of the Open Championship. Their journey does begin on the first tea. And that’s where we began a few hours ago. And my goodness, what a what a journey it’s been for us today. But let’s take us back to that first te. [Music] So, here we are at Royal Port Rush walking to the first team. What’s your first impression, Iona? Well, it’s a good one. I will tell you that. It’s a cracking day. We couldn’t ask for any more really with the weather. Bit of sunshine, bit of wind, bit of wind. Rob, prevailing wind helping you down. Gent the gentle first few holes, seconds of par five. Chance to make a move in the golf course before you turn in and face hell. The wrap of Port Rush. Oh my goodness. But look at this. And behind us is the grand stand, the like mini amphitheater. Rob, you’ve played in six opens. Yeah. What’s the feeling like on this first? The feeling’s always special on the first T because you’re desperate to get off to a good start and this hole particularly, even though it’s playing short, there’s out of bounds both sides. We know what happened to Rory Maroy back before the 2020s. You were here in 2019. I was. Yeah. Yeah, I was. The atmosphere was incredible. And I mean, there’s nothing quite like an Irish crowd. You know, the the island of Ireland, they all come out and they they’re a knowledgeable bunch. So, they don’t just clap for any old thing. You know, you’ve got to hit good shots to get the applause. And that’s why they’re not here today. That’s right. The stand is completely empty. Completely empty. And I have to say, I’m glad it is. Yeah. Well, I I remember in 2019 with Bo Martin saying that the crowd basically were helping the bull go in the hole for Shane Lowry. I mean, they were insane, weren’t they? It will be like an antill when we get to July and the open kicks off here. It will be like an antill. But I can’t wait for that and I can’t wait for this round today. I’m I’m really excited. First tea action. Here we go. Who’s off first? Uh, to be decided. Ladies first. Ladies first. Okay. All right. Oh, it’s looking very good. It’s a good blow. Solid. Excellent. Well played. Nice little draw off the right. Thank you. It sounds like hollow words, but thank you. We’ve also got a gallery watching us from the balcony. Thank you, D. Oh, it’s down the left hand side. That’s good. It’s in bounds. Yeah, it’s in bounds. Nervous D. Can’t nervous. Can’t actually feel my legs right now. Come on, D. You got it. To say I’m nervous is an understatement. Okay, let it go. Yes. Oh, beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you. How about that? All right. All right. All right. Hi. It’s just the family turned up after the forecast last night. This we we’ve been blessed. We’ve been blessed. This is a dream. This is kind of perfect. This if you come to Ireland, you know, you’d be disappointed if there wasn’t any wind. Yeah, they were praying for rain here in Northern Ireland cuz they had a very dry May and they’ve had some rain in the last few weeks. It’s greened up now. It’s beautiful. It’s looking green and and they really needed that to get the rough growing. Right. Okay. dies in a good spot back down the right half of the fairway. She’s got quite a long approach shot. Oh, it’s a be. Did you see the second? No. Thank god. I’m cutting for birdie. Just want to highlight it. Let them know. So, I didn’t hit a bad T-OT there, but there was a little bit of right to left wind. And I’m only 1 2 3 4 five six seven paces away from this out of bounds line. And of course D this is where it all came down for M at the beginning. It was a tough start. [Music] [Applause] That’s the face of a tugged pull to the left. Oh, there’s a line over there too. There’s out of bounds over there. Now I remember seeing Maroyy’s face on that first team. My goodness. Then his second his second drive his lie was not much pressure. Maroy from this part of the world playing in Port you know Port Rush. Not much pressure. How do you feel your body right? How far have you got here? I’ve got 108. Okay. Playing 112. But that breeze is very significant today down and off the right. So I’m going to play it like a little I’d say 105. Okay. Off the up slope which is quite helpful. Sit down. Whoa. It’s okay. It’s very hard at the back. Front pin, elevated green, downwind. It’s a bad combo. Very tough shot, but that came out like a bat out of hell. Yeah, good shot, Rob. That’s about as good as you can play that. I think we’ve all done well there to all be on the green. We’re just all going through this together, aren’t we? So, yeah, we are so lovely. Welcome to the female experience. So, I’m the furthest away from this whole location, which is very tough today. Playing a a wedge into a green that’s elevated and straight down breeze. It’s a very difficult thing to judge and you’re always fearing this false front because to be honest, the first 10 pieces of this green are useless. Ha, right lip soft. Just to be clear, it’s not right lip. I know, Rob. Okay. I know you well enough to know that most of what comes out your mouth is total nonsense. Correct. And right. Uhoh. That’s off the green. Oravoir. Oravoir. Say goodbye. Say goodbye. That’s exactly what we were talking about. That is the touch of a drunk elephant. Come on. Sit. Right, Rob. Over to you. Okay, I just going to try and keep mine on the green here. Yeah, not bad. Not bad to give you that one, unfortunately. Thank you. Here you go, Rob. Nice four. Go on, Dy. Knock it in. Oh. Woo! Hello, Mr. Birdie. Hello. Come on, the girls. In case you didn’t tell at the start, today we’re playing the girls versus the boy. So, that’s a win for the girls. Poor rush. What’s all the brought it to knees? Yeah. Well, I’d quite like to highlight. Let’s start with you, D. That was a I’ll take over here. I buried the opening hole and it’s it was such an intimidating moment because we had a big gallery out there watching you die. You smoked one down the right hand side. You had quite a long approach but didn’t daunt you. Up you went and knocked the putt in for a three. Yeah. No, it’s it was the highlight of my day. It all went downhill from there which I know Rob’s about to highlight. No, I don’t think so. But it was a great start. Amazing start. There won’t be many that start with a three. I will say that. die. I don’t think that with the weight of the clar jo the pros would take that, wouldn’t they? I’ll have a chat with Rory about it when I see him and say, you know, you could have my three. But in terms of to what club to take off the first if it’s downwind eye, it’s a very gentle start. It’s an iron. The lads are going to hit an iron an iron and a wedge. And it it’s a very gentle start, but you better take full advantage. If the wind is as it was today, westerly of holes one, two, three, four, even, you got to make birdies. Five. Yeah. You better be two under at least by the time you get through the end of the fifth. I’m going to play devil’s advocate here, Rob. You say it’s a gentle start. Yes, if you look at the whole on paper, it’s a gentle start, but there’s never a gentle start at the open because there’s so much buildup. This is the final men’s major of the year and there has just been so much anticipation for this moment. And you feel that weight standing there. We saw there’s going to be a gallery there. That’s not how they think either. And you’ve got out of bounds down the left and down the right with a forearm in your hand. It’s I mean the fact that Rory went out of bounds there that’s infamous. I mean that is infamous testament that that is how they think sometimes. R well that no I think for Rory the weight of being back on the island of Ireland the talisman but for the players owner I can I can tell you they will want to be it’s get when he was teeing up he was the first to tea off here in 2019 he said everything was shaking I couldn’t breathe. Yeah, because again he’s from here. He’s a he’s he’s a Port Rush guy, so he’s got that local. No, no, it’s not. Cuz he’s he’s unique. He’s got local pressure here. Rory and Shane Larry, they got Irish pressure. It’s not the same. The pros with that westerly wind, we want to get at the golf course through the first five holes. Trust me, you know, that second shot though, if you drive, you you hit your iron down. What What kind of challenges that second shot? Well, like why I was mentioning a few moments ago, immediately this change in elevation and if it is down the breeze, then it is it does become very quickly a tricky shot because as soon as the ball gets in the air, you know, it’s it’s it’s off. And as we saw, there’s a huge false front at the start of that green. If you’re coming out the rough, as I was, you see the way it just chased to the back of the green. And if it’s a front pin position, that putt back, I mean, I actually puted entirely off the green. So, as I said, it was, you know, the touch of a drunken elephant. But you need the yardage. Well, I hit mine with force and it was it was either going in the hole or it was going off the other side of the green. So, I was fortunate to make birdie. Moving on to the second hole, Giants Grave, the par five. Rob, what do you remember from playing that hole? Uh, the thing about this golf course is you whatever your strategy is, it has to be avoid the fairway bunkers. It’s an easy pick up a shot. Second easiest in 2019. It’s 100% birdie hole. If if any player with the wind we had today, if they walk off there with a five, they’re borderline distraught. Okay. Yeah. Moving on to the third hole which is called Isa. I love the name names of these golf holes and par three. Iona, you hit a good shot on that hole. Yeah. Well, it’s an example of, you know, the the the quality of ball striking around a links test like this is is absolutely on a premium. You have to hit the ball well. I didn’t strike it perfectly and I left myself short right. I’d say short’s a better miss than long. Unfortunately, D, you found out why because lurking behind that green, I lost my ball. Big old gore. Straight through. You can see so much of the landscape here, can’t you? And looking at North Atlantic. And as we come on to four and five, the visuals are just so impressive. Oh, they are. I mean, it just starts to really ramp up. The Royal Port Rush is coming to its coming into its own through holes number four. Off the tea, it’s it’s wonderful. And actually down the right hand side, there’s some lovely houses and one of them we were staying in last night. Um, the Dunley. The only time we’ll probably ever stay there. It was amazing. I don’t know. I reckon I’ll come back on a we family holiday. Going to give Nigel behind the bar a shout out there. Nigel was great for me. Yeah. Yeah. So, so you’re thinking, okay, you you’ve also got some out of bounds down the right hand side there, but on the left hand side, there’s two bunkers that are very much in play. So, you’re kind of flirting with a line through the middle. You’re trying to thread the needle between what’s happening down the right hand side, the bunkers in the rough. That’s pretty juicy over there on that left hand side, and it’s often playing sort of tricks on your mind. So, you laced one down the right there, Rob, but unfortunately Oh, it pitched on top of the pines out of bounds. Flew out of bounds. Yeah. um to which I heard you two were absolutely thrilled selection is so important. So what I will say now the course wasn’t playing that fast today. If we get a dry spell between now and when we come back here in July and that course is is running firm and fast like a links course can that will be there’ll be iron they’ll be hitting irons irons off that fourth. Yeah, you don’t need a driver there if it’s downwind really. I obviously the guys when they come here in July, they they hit it so far. I could throw I could hit one as hard as I had because I knew I wasn’t going to get to the two bunkers that are a little further down, but the last time I was here playing at Royal Port Rush, which was just a few weeks ago, I had a 3-wood into this green because it was into the wind and today I had a nine iron. So, it’s testament to how quick change. So, Fred Daly, the fourth hole is named after Ireland’s first open champion. He’s to your right hand side, Rob. Behind us are Irish major winners. Podrick Harrington, Gray McDow, Darren Clark. To my left hand side, we’ve got Rory Macaron and of course Shane Larry 2019. There is space on the wall for another Irish major winner. Could it be this summer? It could it could easily be. It could easily be good. And so from Fred Daly’s fourth hole, the players head to a truly spectacular number five. So these are the steps up to one of the most iconic holes here at Royal Port Rush. The view is insane. White Rocks number five. Risk and reward in 2019. Some of the players went for it. The likes of Brooks Kepka. Rob. Hiona. Hi D. Hi. Hey Kate. Welcome. Are you going to go for the green, Rob? I’m just going to go for the fairway. Go for it. Go on. D is actually our honor cuz we’re one up in the match. Oh, that’s true. It’s a heavy left to right breeze. Die. Just giving you a tip. I went right. Ah, go ball. Yeah. Oh, it’s it’s borderline. I’m not sure. I love the faith. I think our starting line is that bunker and the wind will just take it pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. But don’t help it. Don’t help it go left. My draw should hold it a little bit. Of course. That’s a lovely shot. Great shot. Lovely shot. Do you know I got I did something that Robert McIntyre taught me to do there. Tell me. He said that sometimes he deliberately hits it off the toe if he wants to if he wants to play a little hookie one and I did a little Bob McIntyre off the toe there. Oh, I love it. Thank you, Bob. Oh, he’s gone for it. It’s a good shot. He’s belted it. Is that right? Is that right? The green. I’m not seeing it land. My eyes don’t go that far, but it was well struck. So you got you kind of got two and five real birdie chances. Yeah. The front pin the front pin at one down breeze heavy. That’s that’s that’s hard to get close to. Yes. Hey guys, wait for me. Come on girl. You’re gliding. You’re gliding down the fairway. Thank you. Like a gazelle. This is what a beautiful hall, isn’t it? Oh my goodness. Look at the coastline. And then the giant causeway is all the way down there, isn’t it? All the way up there somewhere. Yeah. And you’ve got the white rocks that come in on this side. Got you. I can see mine. Yeah. I think I’m in that bunker. Oh dear. Not good. Get down. Firm greens, aren’t they? It’s clinging on. It’s clinging on. I’m on the fairway. Rob’s in the rough. Rob’s probably got a slightly better angle and he will get a bit of release back into the wind there. So, see how he plays this one. Okay, I’ll take that. I will take that. I’ve got a huge foot here. Pretty close to the narrow out of bounds to the beach down here. Gosh, that wind off the North Atlantic. Oh, yes. Literally all the elements so far today. Go, go, go. Keep going. Good. That’s not bad. Pretty pleased with that one. Very good. What a pot. Good. I’ll take that. Brilliant. Happy with that. Quite a good part. Oh, I think we’re going to have to give it. Just take note of that, Rob. We’re going to give you that. Thank you. Right. A three at the fifth will be something we see quite a lot during the week of the Open. Plenty of players will grab the opportunity to get one. And I’d quite like to do that now. Come on. Oh, yes. It’s birdie time. No, you cheeky. Well done, my love. You got the half in links golf because they have to keep the greens a little longer. It’s very easy to over read the brake, but they tend to go a bit straighter because the grass is a little bit longer. Then, you know, some courses they have to keep the greens a little bit longer. I’m just saying, Rob, because the high winds and sometimes you can overread the putts, but they don’t break as much as you think. No, you can be a bit more direct. Nice half. Nice half. Still one up to the girls. from the fifth green which is one of the most spectacular parts of the course going on to the 6T. This is a truly a truly fun stretch isn’t it Rob? Uh no because you’ve now had the easy holes if you’re playing in the open now you’re starting to turn into the wind and every hole that’s facing the clubhouse from the far point the golf course uh is a really tough a really tough hole including six par three depends on the strength of the wind. Oh, it’s not easy. Yeah. Uh, no bunkers. The only protection is is a false front and deep swells either side of the green. Visually, how did you find it? Well, it’s a tough hole because as Rob said, the wind switches and I remember we had a little chat with one another, didn’t we, Rob said, “Oh, this is it now. We’ve turned back into it.” But it was also kind of off the right and for for Rob and I both drawers of the ball. That is a very tough wind because if you just overturn it a little bit, especially with a flag that’s on the left hand side, you’re in big trouble. You’ve got to be able to start it out to the right and bring it back to the left and start it out to the left and bring it back to the right. You’ve got to hit the high one, the low one. You’ve got to have it all. And it’s really test you in a way that’s so fun. It’s very playful. It’s very creative. Yeah, it creates your imagination and use that creativity, but also it’s mentally exhausting, isn’t it? But a feature of the golf course is that a lot of the fronts of the greens are up. So they’re up. So you’re not chasing in, let’s say, you can you can back foot a long iron and and just, you know, get it scuttling along the ground. It’s it’s not going to make it up. A lot of the time you you kind of need to pitch it on the green. That’s right. And so that makes it very very difficult. You’ve got to be able to somehow get it in the air and and still have control of what the ball is doing. And unfortunately, we were caught out a few times with this right to left wind. And if there’s any right to left spin on that ball at all, you can you can kiss goodbye to the to the par or the birdie. You know, you’re battling really hard for the par from then on in, but you’re certainly not picking up a shot. So, from the sixth green, we head to the seventh and it’s back out onto the course to take a look at two of the newer holes. Seven first. [Music] So, we’re on the seventh T, guys. Seven and eight. two new holes for 2019 when the open was here. And for those watching, the drone’s going to take you down and see the most magical view. It’s a fabulous looking par five, especially with the Junecape on the right and that massive bunker that from the back tease is going to be a part of what the players have to avoid. It’s a sort of salamander all the way down to a raised up green. That bunker you mentioned on the right, that’s big Nelly. Yeah. Move from the 17th hole to here. There we are. Yeah. And it’s certainly staring at you if you’re you say Rob off that back tea. It’s going to be a feature. We’re off a slightly forward tea today and we’re going to have to thread the needle between Big Nelly on the right and what looks like we Nelly on the left. We Nelly. I love it. Good drive. Great drive. Thank you. No Nelly. No Nelly there. Yep. You’re great. Thank you. Shark dive. Yeah. Nice one. Very good. That’s better. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. It’s a be Rob. And the wind’s disappeared. It feels like you could really get some distance on this hole depending on whether you know if the wind’s behind. But I love that for my eye. It really suits my eye. This it’s a very inviting T-shot and you you almost feel like you you have a little bit of shelter from this massive dune on the right hand side of you. That is huge. But it today it’s blowing up to 25 30 mph and you can still feel it very much on that tea. Do you want to know a funny story, D? Yeah, I do. One time several months ago, I was at a golf club that I’ll keep anonymous and somebody came up to me and said, “Can I uh can I have your autograph?” And I was like, “Yeah, yeah, no problem.” She gets So I signed my name and then as I’m giving it back, he said, “Thank you so much, Nelly. I’m such a big fan.” And they’ve got corner. Nelly quarter that I just got. I take that. They’ve obviously never seen my golf swing. So, no. That’s brilliant. There you go. No, I came over it. It’s a good strike. It’s fine. Yeah. Die. Fine. Fine. You can get there. Bank on the right. Bank on the left. Is it 300 from here? Yeah. 297. Okay. Can hit it as hard as you want, basically. Basically. Yeah. And that is exactly what I’m going to do. Shot. Thank you. Sit. Oh, no. What? It’s fine. Oh, nonsense. Absolute nonsense. It’s a bit bony. I’m I’m 275. Yeah. I’m tempted to try and hit the driver, but it’s it’s it’s down. Oh, you’ve got that all day, Rob. I know you’d love me to hit that. You got the driver. So I shall. So I shall. But it’s it’s a bit um there’s a lot of club and not much ball there. Well struck. Just a hair. Draw a hair. Good shot. That was pretty good. Yeah, very well struck. Driver off the deck. You know what I mean? They say this modern stuff is easy to hit. It is. How about that for a shot? Very good. Very good. The lie was as bold as your head. Oh, and it was you. Good try, D. That doesn’t look up to me, but it might be. Oh, yeah, it is. Well done. Sit. It’s up. Yeah, we’re home. And by that, I mean we’re plotting. Whoa. Cool. Go. Go. Oh dear. That is a Is that on the green? No, it’s it Well, yes, but it’s over the hump. Rob missed that in a really tricky spot because this whole location has got a little ridge and a hump to the right hand side of it and he’s gone long and over that hump. So although it was quite a good shot, had he done the same shot and missed it on the left, he’d be absolutely laughing having a chance at two putt, maybe even a one putt. But from there, it’s going to be a very tough up and down. Oh, you’ve done well. You’ve done really well. As good as I can hit that. Easy. Whoa. Get up. Go. On your way there, lovely ball. This looks good. Good shot, D. Good shot. Yeah, there was more to give there. Nicely done. Oh, lick. Not not easy. Gave it a go. Oh, it’s be Where’s mine going? I say right lip soft. No, it’s left of center. Ignore him. But yeah, don’t don’t blast it. left of center. Okay. And it’s all yours. [Music] Started it outside the hole. That’s right. Don’t worry, Dy. It’s okay. Don’t worry. Don’t worry. No, I will. I won’t sleep. No, Steven’s got this. Don’t worry. She’s going to go like that. Great pass. Yes. It’s just one open. Come on. You come on, partner. Come on, AB. Thank you. It’s a half. It’s a half. Well guys, that was the hardest par five in 2019. 11 eagles though. Yeah, it depends on the wind of course. Like to just thank my partner for getting the par there and making a half with have to say that it’s Don’t you think it’s great guys when you get a tough par five because in this modern era it’s difficult to actually challenge these players when you’re giving them five shots. So to get a tough par five can be very entertaining into the wind off that very back tea. It’s five is not a card wrecker here by and most pros will not admit that. They’ll not walk off a par five and go, you know what, that’s actually okay. They’ll never say that, but they might do here with a strong breeze into their face. Yeah, definitely agreed. Good hole. Good hole. Moving on to the eighth hole done loose. The second new hole back in 2019. What do you make of this new hole? It was a bit like the blind leading the blind out there. And you know, it was misleading off the tea because both Rob and I got caught out here again with that right to left wind. It was helping a little bit, but we thought there was more room down the left than there actually was. The wind just wicked it off and before we knew it, we’re in that rough down the left hand side. And visually off the tea, you need to know where you’re going on this hole, I would say. Can you spell hicked? Uh, no. We’re going to get it in the dictionary though. We love it. But my second shot again, you alluded to the fact that if you’re through the green, you really are penalized. It was in the back and it was in heavy, heavy rough. Managed to chip on a two put for a puff five, but you are seriously penalized. Do you think there’ll be a lot of birdies in 2025 in the open? I think the downwind holes are the birdie holes. Yeah, essentially you you have to make hay on those because you know when you turn back in towards the clubhouse from any point in the golf course, if the breeze is I I reckon today at times it was blowing beyond 20 mph. Yeah, it was it was a two three club win. Absolutely. It was serious 100%. And and sometimes we watched the weather coming in in stages. When the squall was coming towards us, the wind speed picked up and then it could happen mid-flight. Y you get completely bamboozled by the whole thing. So you got to be on your toes. So then we turned to the ninth hole tavern where well they’ve renamed it. A few problems. Darren Clarks. They’ve renamed it now. Well, you were speaking to the locals, weren’t you? And in the halfway hut after the ninth and they they said it’s Darren Clark’s hole. I found it so so tricky. We were right into the wind where we this is the drive I hit where I actually saw the ball coming back towards me in the sky. I sent it off and it was coming back like a boomerang and that’s how strong the wind was. I hit then a 3-wood. Probably the worst shot of the day but thankfully the rough down the right there is not actually too thick. Then you were on. Then you I was speaking to one of the locals here earlier and he said there is sorry can we just can we just not gloss over how the third shot finished on the green I think we bit standing in the rough down the right hand side and I thought to my last thought before I struck that ball was better long than short well and it turned out to be true it was cuz it went careering through the green and then you’re going to have what we talked about that the downhill downwind to a down grain you’ve got no chance of getting up and down except kept Lady Steven clattered into the the the separator the fencing at the back and it bounced back just graveled out the rough down the hill to about six feet. Yeah, it was brilliant. Not a glint of guilt. Not I was a bit felt a bit guilty about that. I was so embarrassed I I actually intentionally missed the pot. Oh, good on you. Thank you. But it is a complete change of feeling though, isn’t it? Going on to that 19 and suddenly going, “Wow, that wind is so strong into your face.” And we did have four seasons just on that one hole. The weather changed completely. Our umbrellas were going inside out and we needed to get into the tavern. We met Harry, gave us some drinks and we stayed there for 10 minutes for everything to blow through. Blow through cuz we needed to. Pleasure to pour you a we drram eye. Oh, I love it. You’ve done that before. Hey, she’s got a steady hand there. Cheers. Well, I think the front nine, honestly, it’s been a test of character for me. a test of every part of our skill level. And you two have been brilliant. The main thing is the girls are two up at the turn. Cheers, Rob. Let’s go play. Let’s go play. Well done. [Music] So, the 10th hole, Himalayas. The players are faced with a a big dog leg to the right. It’s a cheeky little hole, Iona. It’s a sneaky one, isn’t it? Yeah, it’s sneaky because it really starts to pinch in the landing area and I you know depending again wind will determine what club they take off the tea. It might not be driver because it does get very narrow the further you hit it on this hole. So you know maybe a 280 shot something like that off the tea leaves you with a very nice shot into the green from there. I was lucky because I managed just to hang on down the left hand side. A bit like Shane Larry in 2019. He was on the sand hill on the left wasn’t he managed to make birdie using all the unulations there. You cut the corner completely. I think the Shane scenario is a bit better though on the left. Well, I went down the left. You cut the corner and you obviously got a nice kick forward. You were in a great spot. Rob, where were you? I I was looking for my ball on my own. On my own for three minutes. No more than three minutes. And I lost it. You didn’t look for any of my balls today. But it’s great. I really enjoyed playing the 10th hole. And then going from number 10, Himalayas. I mean, it looks the the distance of it. you feel like you should be getting birdie, but it’s tricky with all the undilations around the green and it’s it’s a really tight visual. Yeah, an incredibly long green. It’s 44 from front to back, but not particularly wide. So, there’s a back pin there and a very a little nuke. There is. And you’ve got a whole different You got a whole, you know, um variety of options when it comes to the pin position during the week of the Open. I’d love to see what they do on that green. Yeah. So, going from the 10th hole, walking on to the 11th T. And the next hole, this next hole, the 11th, played the toughest in 2019. You’ll see why. [Music] On the 11th T, battling the elements in 2019, there were four times as many bogeies as there were birdies. Tough hole into wind. I don’t know where the green is. Looks like it’s over the hill and far away. I’d say over the hill and then ease to the right. To the right, I would say slight dog leg. Yeah. Okay. And the girls are three up. I’m going to hit something down the middle. Let the wind just finish it left half and hopefully open up the green a little. Sounds good. Okay. She’s done just that. Safe. Safe. You could almost lean into that wind now and it would almost hold you. Oh, I got a bit of Kate Winslet there when you did that. I got a little bit of Kate Winslet. Where’s Leonardo? Easy breezy. Oh no, that’s on the other fairway. Oh no, Rob. She’s gone. Don’t worry. Came over. Don’t worry. Pressure’s on Rob really cuz he’s three down and running out of holes. I’m on a different fairway there. Come on, Rob. Woo! It’s windy now. Windy now. Oh, you absolute wagon. There’s one. Gone the same as me. Yeah, that’s I can see that though. It’s so easy to do. That was brutal. Brutal. So, this has got to be one of the toughest holes. And it will be a clincher. It will be definitely a key protagonist. I don’t like standing on that tea. I don’t like what I’m looking at. Everything about that was uncomfortable. Standing over a hole that dog legs. I can’t see the pin though. When I can’t see the pin, it really makes me feel in a vulnerable spot. Oh yeah. Well out of that one. That’s pretty good. Yeah. Well done. Well done. That’s okay. Didn’t want to risk too much there because you see the girls, we’ve really got this match in hand right now. I’m happy with that. What do you got? Six on nine. Go. It’s quite good. D go. Oh, the false front has gobbled you up. What did you play? I played a nine blooded nine. Slight difference. It’s coming down. Rob, same as me. It’s got hit by that. It It hit that. Go away. Woohoo! Come on, Rob. Hurry up. Sit. Sit. Sit. Go. He’s all right. Oh jeez. Oh, I really faed that because I felt like a four at this hole would feel fantastic. No. Right. This feels like you’re going to have to make this, Rob, because I’m going to hold mine. Good. Should I give it to you now then? Yeah. Oh, so annoying. So, I think we can say that in these elements, this is definitely one of the toughest holes on the course. Right when we played it there, that’s as hard as it gets. Yeah. cross to right to left wind off the te straight into the teeth for the approach and then on the putting surface it doesn’t get any easier putting into the breeze then you’re down the breeze it will test every aspect of your game and your metal even putting down when and and the putt that you said you would hold I know I know it’s I know 12’s quick I’m over already I’m over it I’m over it let’s go so that really was a tricky hole the 11th my goodness a a test of everything but on to The 12th hole, Duvar in par five. Iona. Yeah, it’s got to be one of the most inviting T- shots because you’re slightly elevated and it’s great, isn’t it? Hitting an elevated T- shot. You just want to wind the shoulders up and let rip. You’ve got to stay down the left hand side off the tea on this hole cuz all the trouble lurks on the right. There’s three bunkers over there. Do you know what I don’t like? What is an elevated T-shot straight into the guts of the wind. Yes. Because you feel that you’re high and you want to you want to get the ball the ball flight down as quick as possible. drive it and get it down so it doesn’t balloon and float. Yeah, there are bunkers down the right hand side that you have to avoid at all costs. Okay, onto the 13th hole, feather bed, the par three, which we all enjoyed playing. I think there were three pars on that hole. Can I just remind you in 2019 on the 13th hole, Ameliano Glo had a hole in one on day one of the It’s a very inviting little par three. This is where the art of Lynx golf comes in. It’s so playful and you’ve got to produce the shots. You know, you Yes, you could take it on and go for the hole, but straightforward though, doesn’t it? Yeah. So, we eventually made it onto the 14th T, but Rob, you had a bit of an incident with your trolley in the 13th bunker with the head green keeper. So, I had a putt for a par and I looked at Iona’s face and she’s giggling and I thought, what are you laughing at? She said, you just carry on, carry on. Uh, and I hold the putt and my trolley had made its own way into the green side bunker in front of the green keeper who is not very impressed. Rob should really just savor the moment today because you certainly are not getting an invite back to Royal Port Rush. Right. Hole 14 causeway caused a few problems. But Causeway, should we be getting a a par on on this par four? Definitely. Definitely. Yeah, we had wedges in there. Get your drive away. You got a wedge in. But I will say just the way the green falls off on both sides. It’s a bit like an upturn saucer and it’s very difficult to judge your wedge shot in there. You need pinpoint accuracy and you need to strike it well so that it holds the green. Unfortunately, I did not manage to do that and I hit the most miserable wedge you’ve ever seen in your life. However, however, managed to get up and down. Well described pretty miserable. Half the hole with two pars. Well, this is the start of a spectacular finish to the open championship that starts with the very next hole, the 15th. [Music] It’s almost Calamity Corner, but we’re on the scaries number 15. 370 yards. We’re playing it par four. Yeah. Got the wind behind. Thoughts on this hole? Well, I’ve heard this is Rory Maroyy’s favorite hole on the hole of the golf course. It’s up and over the hill as you can see. It’s a semi-blind T-shot. It dog legs from right to left and it’s a beautiful view once you get up there, right out to the water. So, if you do push it a little bit right, there’s a couple of bunkers over there, but you’ll generally be long of them. So, we can we can take it past those bunkers. We’re going to see the scaries when we get up there. Scariest islands. Scary Mary. Okay. Yeah. Bit too towy that one. Actually, it’s okay. I think there’s room up there. But do you think Do you think there’s room up there? It might It’ll be in the rough. All right. Okay. But it should be okay. It’s not It’s not position A, I’ll tell you that. Is that okay? Should be fine there mentioned. Yep. Oh, it’s just to the right. It’s okay. Yeah, that’s actually quite a good angle in. Oh, good one, Rob. Shot, Rob. Yeah, that’s really nice. He’s still got fight. You’ll have a good shot in from here. I’ll have a I’ll have a five iron or maybe a hybrid. D. It’s 150 to the front from here. 150 from here. Okay. Where’s the wind in? Oh no. D’s got a bit of Scotsy Sheffler in her game. It’s a runner. I want to play it again. I’m blind from this position. This is not where you want to be. If you’re playing in the open, you want to be down the right half so that you open up the green 60. But there’s a lot of hurt there. Oh no, the wind’s got it. The wind’s got it. Oh, it’s such a tough shot. I’m going to be chipping. It’s a brilliant hole though. The way it curves and the view that you get for the first time, we see the scary islands. And a lot of people say that they protect this coastline a little bit. And that’s why you have these big dunes because they’ve not been so eroded because the scaries they take quite a bit of a hit from the crashing waves. Oh. Oh, Rob. It’s coming in again. Wind picks up. Armageddon goes away. Sun comes out. Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat. Oh no. Go. Oh, I hit the dead patch. No, I want to do it again. Can I do it again? No, please not again. No. Shot. Go. Oh, let me just get mine out the way there. You can see where my ball pitched just here with that five iron, but it just got swept away. It’s another one of these tricky false fronts, and if you don’t get the carry, you’re in you’re in trouble. Sit, sit, sit. Good effort from down there. Good effort. Give me that. It’s okay. It’s hideous cuz you’ve back to two. Well done, Rob. Thank you very much. The way the wind you you had you had to allow for the wind. That’s it. I was try I was allowing for the wind. Rob, we played 15. Three holes to go and we’ve been speaking about the fact that we’re going to be into win. Calamity corner next 16 17 18. It could undo a scorecard. Rob, no help coming in from here. You better have a score established when you get here with this wind direction down off the first cuz the closing three holes are going to be torturous. Feeling scary. Little bit scary. See what you did there, D. I like that. There are scaries in the background. Well, let’s not forget that on the next tea, we’ve got a bottle of Lmen on the line and the closest to the pin. To the green. Yeah, let’s say closest to the pin. Including if we don’t hit the green. Oh, okay. We’re going there. Let’s do that. In reality, we might not hit the green. You mean it’s a tough school. You can stop talking now. Tough school. Okay. Okay. We’ve reached Calamity Corner. My goodness, it’s imposing to look at. Shane Larry got a birdie here on the Saturday when he shot that 63 in 2019. We are playing for a bottle of special edition Loan whiskey. Nearest the pin. Is it Iona? Yeah, I think nearest the pin. And we’ve decided because this is such a special bottle, you’ve got to hit the green. So, if you’re closest but you’ve not hit the green, I’m afraid this is going to go to somebody else. But let me tell you, it’s 193 yards of sheer terror. It’s blowing like you can’t believe into our face. Quartering off the right a little bit. 193 y. And anything pushed a smidge is histto. Big trouble. Can I give you a little bit of inside knowledge? I’ve only played this hole once before. But what I did learn is that if you miss it right, but only a little bit right. There is actually a little ledge. The the members they call it the ledge. And if you land on the ledge, you you got a very good chance of getting up and down. But if you miss the ledge alto together, then you can say hello to Bogisville. It’s big trouble. This is our moment. Come on. Come on then, Rob. You go first. You’ve actually got the honor. Can we have a drum before we play? Cut. Go. He’s gone left. He’s gone so far left. It’s in a different post code. I’m really scared. It’s all right, Dy. Come on. You b two children. You can do this. This is so hard. That’s a little dramatic, but I’ve gone left. Way left. Wow. There’s a there’s a ledge over there. There’s a ledge over there. Yes. Great shot, Anna. Oh, some shot. Yay. Thank you. Thank you. She’s on the green. That’s a great shot. Thank you. That’s a great shot. Well done. Thank you very much. I’d like to present you with a bottle of special edition from Pianti Wine Casks. Thank you. There you go. Thank you. Can you share it? Thank you so much. Yeah, we can share it. Quick. Quick. God. Die. I think it’s right by the pin. Oh my god. Oh my god. It is. That has got to be up there with one of the best shots I’ve ever hit in my life. Wow. Went that way. I thought the wind would move it that way. That one. Thanks, Dye. Go on. Make your three. Well done. Well done. Yes. My three at Calamity. One of the best shots in golf I’ve ever seen. It was amazing. Amazing. Top tip for amateurs playing in the wind. Putting in the wind. All these greens are exposed. You’re up high. You better allow for the wind. But that comes that Well, that comes down to feel and how you see it, but you have to allow for it almost. Forget the break and play the wind. Yeah. Yeah. All right. On to 17. Oh gosh. Shot of the day has to be your T-shot on 16 on Calamity. It was incredible and I you have already won a bottle of this special edition. I’m going to give you another though. You can take that because you deserve it and anyone in the open would take that T-shot, Rob. It was the best shot I’ve ever seen I own hit. And that’s not No. And I’m not putting her down in that way. I’m just saying of all the good shots here, that was the best shot of my life. I got goosebumps and I want to see the replay. It’s going to go global. It really is. But that’s a brutal par three. The miss right the miss right. The miss shorten right if it stalls and you know it’s not going to make the carry. It’s brutal down there. That moment on Sunday of the open, you know that you just know whoever’s got the lead standing on the 16th T. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve got the lead by. If it’s if it’s two shots, if it’s four shots, there’s going to be a real tense moment standing on that 16th T and we’re all going to be watching wondering what they’re going to do. I can’t wait. Moving on to the 17th hole and one of my favorite named holes. Purgatory, Rob. Purgatory. Purgatory. It’s the par four just coming off the back of uh Calamity. It is Calamity corner. It can inflict hell on some of the players. Well, I mean, you are now once you get off the back of the 15th green turning into the breeze to try and finish your round or your tournament off or your chances of winning the clar jug off. If you make fourth or what’s equivalent to four threes on that hole for the week, I’m going to say you’re two up on the field. Okay. Purgatory was downhill, wasn’t it? Yeah. Another huge change in elevation. You’re dropping back into the valley. This the approach on 17 is a tough shot. It’s it’s pinched at the front of the screen. So, you know, we might see some hole locations at the front section of the screen. And that is no easy easy question to be asked as a golfer. You’ve got bunkers either side and you need again, you need to have a very accurate second shot in there. And you don’t want to be giving one away just before you get to the final hole. The opposite wind though with the way the hole is shaped, the 400 plus whatever they’ll be getting, they’ll reach that. Okay. They’ll reach that with their T-shots if you get the if they’re downwind there. Yeah. Yeah. So from 17, we go from purgatory to possibly does heaven await after that purgatory hole. It’s on to the final hole, the 18th. [Music] Well, it’s all down to this. We’re finally on the 18th. It’s been a brilliant round. Can you imagine though, Shane Larry back in 2019 stood on this team. He was leading by quite a few and he started to well up, didn’t he, when he was getting to the green. Saw his daughter at the back with the she had a yellow jack. He said, “I could see my daughter and his wife.” I mean, such a magic moment, an Irishman winning in Northern Ireland. How are we going to get on on this hole? Oh, well, it was tough to match that. And it will be tough to match that come July. I remember diet when I was, as I say, I was here covering up sky and I came out here and I I couldn’t get anywhere because there was just people everywhere. And I was trying to squeeze in there, you know, and and have a quick word with some of the fans and they were all just through the roof with excitement and happiness. And it was a brilliant open. It was a brilliant open here for for Larry to win the way he did and Tommy Fleetwood pushing him in. You know, it was a bit nip and tuck halfway through the round, but to come out on top with just a ground swell down this hole with people, you know, wishing him out just to be there to say I saw it. We’re on the island of Ireland and you know Shane Lowry wins and he just pulled away didn’t he in these final few holes calamity corner and then what 17th we’ve just played we all made par and now Babington 18 come on Shane Lowry is a great feely handsy Irish player and he would love tough conditions. Yeah, great stuff when we get there in July. Sit. Sit. Perfect. Thank you. Is that good? It was heading for the bunker, but it might be shorter. I think I think I think you’re good there, Rob. I think it’s good. Nice strike. Yeah. I don’t know where it’s gone, though. It’s It’s edge of the fairway, edge of the rough. The greatest thing about the Open is the manual yellow scoreboards. Yes, the manual yellow scoreboards cannot be beaten by the biggest Blu-ray highde 95,000 in screen. None of that compares to the yellow scoreboards at the open and then this is going to be deafening the noise. It will be deafening. Yeah. That is an incredible amphitheater, isn’t it? It is. It’s amazing. And you’ve got to have the hospitality to our right hand side. Local whiskey is going to be over there. And that’s where we’ll be, won’t we? We drum. Nice. Good shot. Diana, how far you got? 188. This approach shot. It’s framed by the grandstand. Tell you what, looks good. I know. Just imagining how it must feel for these guys. They’re like gladiators when they come into a scene like this. Everybody chanting and cheering their name and how they handle the pressure, but they’re used to the pressure because they do it week after week. But there there’s something extra special about the open. The oldest of them all. And right here, this is where history will be made. Oh, I’ve done it again. Go. Don’t worry, Dye. Can I play one more? No sand. Whoa. Oh, that’s disappointing. So, I’ve left myself short and left with a little bump and run. Oh, it needs to go. Lucky go. Thank you. Definitely some left to right here, but D, as you say, I mean, they’re really close to you when you get down here on the green. You see all of their faces. You could hear anyone like chatting. Oh, see that in? No, it was two to win the open. It was two. This has got to go in. Come on, Anna. You can bury a ghost here. Come on. Yeah, well done. Thank you. She is champion golfer of the year. Thanks so much, Rob. Thank you. Really enjoyed that. Totally great fun. It was so good. So great. I mean that 18th hole though. What kind of test is that coming in? Oh, I mean straight into the teeth of it like that. I had I had all of you know best part of 200 into that hole and it’s just going to be such an exciting finish to the open championship here this year. I think it depends what you need up this last hole to be honest when you get on it. If you got a three shot lead, you can play it very conservatively. But if you need something par or better and you’re pushing, that’s when you can come unstuck here. Yeah, cuz it’s a long second shot likely to be into the wind. Just the way this green falls off on both sides. It’s semi-lind. You don’t see much of the green from down there. You kind of got to trust it’s there, but you don’t see everything you want to see. And that bunker is just short of the green as well. But my goodness, you got to play four rounds of golf. I’m absolutely exhausted just playing one. We had four seasons in one day. We did actually, didn’t we? And it’s it’s a test of everything. It’s amazing. This place is super special. I have to say it’s right up there. One of my favorites links courses, one of my favorite open championship venues. Would you agree? So, it’s my first time to Royal Port Rush that I’ve ever played the golf course. And I know you’re tired and it was a tough day and all that. I would be happy to go at the first and teed up again. I’d like to go now and play it again. Now I’ve seen the sightelines and stuff. I would really like to go and play it again. It’s certainly a course that invites you back and first. Yeah, I think. Well, maybe I was thinking a weed drram. What about you? Let’s do that. Definitely. We drram lockman. Yeah, let’s do. Okay, let’s do that. Let’s do that. Yeah, Rob, what is so extraordinary about this golf course? Um, the thing that struck me when I was out there is for the spectators because it’s a dunescape, you you can actually get up you can get up in a lot the sides of the holes and get a great view of what you’re watching. You’re you’re going to see a lot of top quality golf with a great view. Yeah. And that’s a thing. Sometimes on the flatter open courses, sometimes it’s quite hard to jump up and go, I can’t really see Rory or whatever. Here, more than more often than not, you can find a spot where you can see the best players as well. So, I think as a spectator track, yeah, uh this place is pretty epic. Absolutely brilliant. So, Rob, your pick for the open. Who’s it going to be? These are hazardous, aren’t they? You got to pick a name. Scotty Sheffller. You’re going Scotty. Yeah, you’ve gone Bob McIntyre. Yeah, I’ve got to go with my heart and I’m sorry to say it lies in open with Robert McIntyre. I know he’s not had a great season so far, but he’s got definitely the RDER Cup on his mind. He needs to do something quite big to make sure he’s cemented in that team. And I know how much he wants to get his hands on the Clar Jug. And I just feel like this golf course is a shot makers course. And he’s got all the shots. Does Bob. Okay. I think it’s going to be a showdown between Scotty Sheffller and Rory Maroy. Really sticking my neck out there, aren’t I? you haven’t given us who you want or think. Rory, can I go Rory? Absolutely. Of course you can. I want to go with my heart. I think everyone’s heart is Rory. You know, we all saw what happened at the Masters in April and the relief that has melted off Mroyy’s shoulders. I feel like he’s coming back to Royal Port Rush in 2025. A very different man to who came and teed up here in 2019. And it feels like a bit of a homecoming, a bit of a victory lap that he’s going to have all the support. Yes, they’ll still be kind of celebrating him winning the Grand Slam because it is such an achievement that we will all be celebrating for a long time. But of course, to win an open championship here for Maroy does come with its own pressure and how he handles that through the week. However, he has to get past Scotty Sheffller who’s looking in fine form right now and is going to be very very tough to beat even around a windy a windy links test like Royal Port Rash. So, Maroy, you no doubt we’re going to see his name lurking on the leaderboard. What’s going to be hard for Rory is to banish what happened at Augusta. The euphoria of what he did in the final round was just through the roof. He’s got to just That’s gone. Forget that. Gone, gone, gone, gone. Counts for nothing. I’m now starting and trying to win another open here in Northern Ireland. Iona Rob, great to play with you today and I’m looking forward to be back here for the 153rd Open. look forward to your company and if you are at the open do visit the Lloman whisies stand you’ll get a very warm reception a great place to take in all the action cheers to you launcher cheers

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Presented by Loch Lomond Whiskies

With The 153rd Open just around the corner, Iona Stephen, Rob Lee, and Di Stewart head to Royal Portrush to play the course in testing conditions and find out what this year’s field will be up against.
From battling the elements on the iconic Dunluce Links to sitting down in the clubhouse to reflect on their round over a dram, the trio dive deep into what makes Portrush such a demanding Open venue. Expect insight, laughs, and plenty of debate as they preview the storylines, players to watch, and how the course could shape this year’s Champion Golfer.

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