PORTRUSH, Northern Eire — Justin Leonard had 5 fundamental phrases for his first 18 holes on the 153rd Open. “It was actually enjoyable at this time,” he stated with an enormous smile. Emphasis on the enjoyable.
If that feels overly easy, that’s what this sport and course will do to you. Open Championship golf at Royal Portrush is a maze of complexities that reduces even the TV talkers to plainness. By the point Leonard was quick-walking his manner from the scoring space, that’s the glut of what he got here up with. It was actually enjoyable. Frankly, not rather more wanted to be stated. Aside from, That was spectacular, man!
Leonard is 53 years previous, which is true across the age this recreation begins to neglect about you. Gamers half your age hit it almost twice as lengthy. His continued presence at this event — an exemption till he’s 60 years previous, for successful the Open 28 years in the past — was questioned by most of the Web’s most ruthless commenters.
What’s he doing right here?
Leonard’s definitive reply arrived Thursday night — a one-under 70, three photographs again of the leaders. All at a event he’s not making an attempt to win.
“Look, it’s hyperlinks golf,” Leonard stated, nonetheless a bit reductive. “It’s a bit completely different. I can use the bottom. All the things doesn’t should be within the air. That actually helps.”
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Positive does. Distance is so irrelevant right here that even the subject of it — one of the crucial essential matters at each different main this season — doesn’t even squeeze into press conferences. Nobody is speaking about how far the ball flies. They’re speaking about how a lot the rain and wind and agency turf ship it offline. Leonard’s golf can play catchup so much simpler, so long as he’s hitting it straight.
For that, he’s grateful for a bit face time along with his coach, who he usually simply will get on FaceTime, as a result of his coach is Mike Thomas, who spends most of his weeks tailing a distinct Justin, his son. (His different consigliere is Randy Smith, who devotes most of his time to a man named Scottie Scheffler.) That is the primary time Leonard has been in a position to work with Mike Thomas in particular person in 4 months. On Tuesday and Wednesday they resolved Leonard’s tendency to close the clubface barely throughout his takeaway, and thru 18 holes it’s labored brilliantly. When these 18 holes push you squarely in place to make your first main championship reduce in 11 years, you don’t have any selection however to assume up some lofty targets.
“I take into consideration Greg Norman again at — what was it — Birkdale [in 2008, at age 53],” Leonard stated. “And clearly Tom [Watson] at Turnberry [at 59]. Look, I’m not making an attempt to match myself to these guys, but it surely does sort of offer you a bit, Okay! If I can have a very nice week with the putter, drive the ball properly, do the whole lot properly — look, I’m not making an attempt to win the golf event. However I can play properly.”
He’s proper about that. As a lot because the golf world is supposed to obsess in regards to the size of Bryson DeChambeau or prowess of Scheffler or significance of Rory McIlroy, there’s a renaissance of types taking place for gamers of their 40s. See: Justin Rose (-2), Sergio Garcia (-1), Adam Scott (+1). No less than one among them appears to pop up at each main nowadays.
However at this one particularly, you possibly can see a little bit of magic kicked up by the technology earlier than them. Fifty-five-year-old Phil Mickelson matched Leonard’s 70 on Thursday. Fifty-two-year-old Lee Westwood did them one higher, taking pictures two below. Leonard admitted that arriving at a significant championship after spending many of the 12 months on the Champions Tour feels a bit like diving into the deep finish of the pool. But additionally, why not? He had a tee time right here if he wished it. He loves the golf course. He’s enjoying the Senior Open subsequent week within the London space. It felt like the precise place for a good-golf layover.
“Look, it’s enjoyable,” he stated. “You bought to be artistic and generally you throw the quantity out the window. And simply — you recognize — I take pleasure in it.”
He began easy, he ended easy. It is likely to be that straightforward.
