The Open Championship: What You Need To Know
INTRO
What: The Open Championship
When: July 18 – 21
Where: Muirfield Golf Links, East Lothian, Scotland
Purse: $8 million
Winning Share: $1.43 million
FedExCup Winner’s Points: 600
Par: 71
Yardage: 7,034
Course Designer: Old Tom Morris in 1891, Harry Colt has also contributed to the modern design
Champion: Ernie Els, 2012
Website: http://www.theopen.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_Open
What It Online: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/type/upcoming/startDate/20130718/
Live Leaderboard: http://www.majorschampionships.com/open-championship/leaderboard.html
TV Schedule (Initial Airings/all times Eastern)
Thursday’s first round live coverage
Television coverage:
4 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN
Online streams
4 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN3
Radio coverage:
7 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN Radio
Friday’s second round live coverage
Television coverage:
4 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN
Online streams
4 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN3
Radio coverage:
7 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN Radio
Saturday’s third round live coverage
Television coverage:
7 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN
Online streams
7 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN3
Radio coverage:
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN Radio
Sunday’s final round live coverage
Television coverage:
6 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN
Online streams
6 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN3
Radio coverage:
8 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Live coverage on ESPN Radio
Great Links
The Open’s Interactive Course Guide
Tee Times
What Makes Links Courses Different?
Scratch’s Thoughts:
This links course demands both luck and skill; even small mistakes can make or break a winner as we saw last year with Adam Scott. Ernie Els, last year’s winner and the last to win the British Open at Muirfield knows what it takes to win. “Your memory serves you well,” he said, as reported by USA Today. “Experience … is to know the way to miss it, especially on links courses, where there are certain places where you just cannot go.” Where are those places? Those dreaded links bunkers of course.
The early headlines are pretty predictable: “Can Tiger break his 5-year major drought? “Could Els win the Open a third time?” “What about Mickleson?” Ultimately, those who survive until Sunday will be those who’ve had the skill to play away from the bunkers and the luck to avoid bad weather. Staying in the fairway and maintaining composure through weather related hiccups will be the keys to winning.
Even with the famed British Open unpredictability, the odds-on favorite to win is extremely predictable: Tiger Woods
Want more? Get pumped for a great weekend of golf with these preview videos from SB Nation and The Bleacher Report!
