The Open Championship is golf's greatest test

I first started watching golf when I was around eight years old, tuning into the Masters Tournament and Open Championship when it used to be broadcast on the BBC.

We never had the premium sports subscription in our house when I was a youngster, so it was the two tournaments a year for me and I certainly wasn’t an avid fan, but it certainly peaked my interest.

It wasn’t until two years later in 2010 when the game really caught my attention, and it was down to one course and one champion – Louis Oosthuizen lifting the Claret Jug at St Andrews.

I can’t even pinpoint the exact reason why the sweet swinging South African made me fall in love in with the game that week, but I do vividly remember being blown away by watching him strut up the beautiful 18th in front of the packed galleries – I may have only been ten, but those images still play through my head when watching the tournament each year.

I followed his progress for many years after that famous win and was lucky enough to interview him over Zoom during lockdown a couple of years ago. He was as genuine as they come and very open in talking about a range of subjects, from that famous to win to being labelled the nearly man following his string of runner-up finishes at every single Major Championship.

Since the day Oosthuizen secured his place in Major history, I like many others eagerly await the Open Championship each summer and for good reason.

There is no other tournament quite like it – the links style courses, the grandeur of the Claret Jug, the weather causing absolute chaos, the fact that literally anybody can qualify and how easily a player can go from hero to zero in the matter of seconds – Jean van de Velde springs to mind in 1999 at Carnoustie! The latter two points mentioned could ring true for a few tournaments across the globe, but The Open just hits differently.

In just 17 days, the eyes of the world will once again be on golf’s original championship, with Royal Troon hosting the 152nd edition of the final Major Championship of the season.

The 156-man field will begin their pursuit for the prestigious Claret Jug with a gentle opening through some of the most striking links land to be found at any of the Open venues before concluding with a back nine as tough as any finish in the world.

The late, great Seve Ballesteros once said, “The Open Championship is golf’s greatest stage, where the drama unfolds on nature’s terms.”

He is spot on. This is nature’s timeless test. Whoever etches their name into Open Championship history later this month will be the player who tames the treacherous terrain and adapts their game to the ever-changing weather.

Scottie Scheffler will be the resounding favourite having already won six tournaments, including The Masters, this season, but a bucket-load of stars will have something to say about the American securing a third Major Championship.

Rory McIlroy will lead the chasing pack as he looks to bounce back from his nightmare final round at the U.S. Open, where he bogeyed three of his final four holes to practically hand the trophy to Bryson DeChambeau.

There’s also the possibility we could have a player representing the UAE competing, with the country’s No.1 professional golfer, Joshua Grenville-Wood, hoping to secure his place through Final Qualifying tomorrow.

The 26-year-old will be one of the 288 golfers competing across four venues in Final Qualifying, with a minimum of 16 places available into The 152nd Open. If he is to play his way into the tournament, he’ll have to fend off a host of star names including former World No.1 Justin Rose and LIV Golf’s Abraham Ancer.