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green but then three-putted. Ernie’s victory, his first in America, was worth $320 000. Johnson won $1.8 million 22 years later. Such is the sudden escala- tion of prizemoney in recent years that in 2024 Bryson DeChambeau banked $4.3 million. Royal Portrush was a welcome addi- tion to the modern Open roster in 2019, and Shane Lowry’s triumph the icing on the cake of a terrific championship. The Irishman’s golf was on another level despite the huge pressure he was under playing in front of expectant home fans. A course record 63 on the Saturday saw him break the 54-hole record for the championship with a score of 197, which was 16-under. IRISH TRIUMPH AT PORTRUSH He had a four-shot lead going into the final round and handled his emo- tions well on Sunday to win by six from Tommy Fleetwood. Interestingly, Lowry had a similar 4-shot lead after 54 holes three years earlier in the US Open at Oakmont, but his inexperience in that situation told on Sunday when he had a final round 76. Portrush was a hugely successful championship in 2019 in terms of the attendance (240 000) and economic impact – it was the first Open to sell out with advance bookings – and that encouraged The R&A to return there as soon as possible, particularly in an era when Scottish venues Muirfield and
“Nobody was willing to make a deci- sion,” said Johnson’s playing partner Lee Westwood. Everyone agreed it was unfair added pressure on Johnson not knowing what the outcome would be. However, Johnson has that rare laid- back equanimity on the course that suggests he didn’t worry about it at all. He shot 69 that Sunday, even with the penalty, and won by three shots. Ernie, who led the field at Oakmont in greens hit in regulation, got a good break on the opening hole on Sunday. With a two-shot lead over Kiwi playing partner Frank Nobilo, now a TV com- mentator, he hooked his tee shot into thickish rough. The rules official with the final pairing back then was tradi- tionally the USGA president, in this case Trey Holland, rather than a pro- fessional referee. Els had a TV crane on his line to the green, and Holland judged it to be a temporary immov- able obstruction (TIO). He gave Els free relief to a trampled down area closer to the fairway (the ball was dropped from shoulder height in that era with an out- stretched right arm). However, it was quickly shown to have been an incorrect ruling. The crane was atop a forklift truck that could have been easily moved. The next day, in the playoff, the crane was lowered when Els drove into a similar spot on the first. In any event, Els did bogey the hole on Sunday, otherwise the ruling might have overshadowed his triumph. He put his second on the
FAMILIARITY AT QUAIL HOLLOW Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Caro- lina again hosts a US PGA Champion- ship, and it’s disappointing for TV viewers to have a major at a course which is a regular stop on the PGA Tour, rather than something new to the eye. It’s all too familiar. Quail Hol- low – ranked 119th by Golf Digest – has had the Wells Fargo tournament every year since 2003, other than 2017, when Justin Thomas won the PGA there, and 2022, when the club put on the Presidents Cup match. However, it is a sound major venue in terms of being a strong test. Tom Fazio reworked the layout before the 2017 PGA, and Thomas won on 8-under 276. New grass was planted on the greens, Champion G-12 ultradwarf Bermuda, which Johann Rupert then introduced successfully at Leopard Creek. Quail Hollow has a tremendous run of finish- ing holes around a large lake – dubbed The Green Mile – where fortunes can quickly change. SCOTTIE V RORY World No 1 Scottie Scheffler has two green jackets; will 2025 see him win one of the other majors? Since 2020 he has played in 18 and had 12 top-10s. He was second in 2022 US Open and 2023 PGA. Scheffler qualified for the 2016 US Open at Oakmont as a 19-year- old amateur and was on the leaderboard on day one following a 69. But a subsequent 78 saw him miss the cut. Leading amateur was Jon Rahm on 287. Scheffler did finish one ahead of Rory McIlroy (77-71). Head-to-head since 2020, Scheffler is up 12-5 on McIlroy in majors with one tie. Rory had 11 top-10s in that stretch. Turnberry are no longer being consid- ered for the Open. Such is the “Irish effect” that there is talk of a future Open going to Portmarnock in Dublin for the first time, potentially as early as 2030. Adverse weather plays a big part in deciding an Open championship, as we saw at Royal Troon in 2024, and there’s every chance of rough conditions at Portrush.
The par-5 seventh hole in the dunes at Royal Portrush.
30 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
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