The 153rd Open: Practice notebook

At Major championships, there is often a lot that goes unseen, and in some cases unheard.

With four official practice days ahead of the Open Championship, the world's best have been busy fine-tuning their preparations at Royal Portrush.

Here is the best of the pre-tournament action and some things you might have missed from Sunday to Wednesday in Northern Ireland.

Who can forget 2019?

Royal Portrush is this week hosting The Open for the third time, six years after golf’s oldest championship made its return to the Country Antrim venue for the first time since 1951.

In 2019, Shane Lowry was the toast of the island of Ireland as he romped to a six-shot victory to claim his maiden Major victory.

After playing a slew of the best courses in Ireland – including Portmarnock and Waterville – over the past two weeks, the Irishman was among the first on site on Sunday as he returned to the scene of his greatest triumph.

This week he has the opportunity to become the first player to win consecutive Opens at the same course since Tiger Woods at St. Andrews in 2000 and 2005.

“Sometimes when everything is going really well, I get complacent,” he said at his pre-tournament press conference. "I feel like when things are not going well is when I’m at my best.

“Go back to 2019 here, I had a meltdown on the Wednesday because I thought I wasn’t going to go out and play well, but then that focused me in a little bit more.”

The Claret Jug returns

On Monday, defending champion Xander Schauffele handed back the Claret Jug to R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, who is overseeing his first Open Championship,

The question remains who will be the player to take it back home with them?

V-Easy putting

On Monday, the DP World Tour captured footage of Tony Finau using a new putting drill. It’s interesting to say the least,

Well, back in 2019, the American finished in third place as he registered his career-best finish at a Major can he a mount a title bid for a first Major title this week?

Using the V-Easy as an aiming device, the training aid is placed on the ground and Finau stands between the arms. When positioning the V-Easy, the alignment markings (white dots) are aimed on a parallel line to the intended target line.

Pin high with a putter from 100 yards

Despite the increased scrutiny on players ahead of the final men’s Major of the season, the atmosphere is generally relaxed as the field get accustomed to the course and its challenges.

A the 409-yard par-four seventeenth, three-time DP World Tour winner Antoine Rozner was amused as he used a putter for his approach from the highest point of the fairway and finished pin high.

It’s one thing doing it in practice, without the pressures of any negative consequences, but it would be quite something to see it being replicated in tournament play.

Record representation on Open stage

There are players from 31 countries in the field for The 153rd Open including one amateur each from Czech Republic and Estonia for the first time.

Worth highlighting is that both France and Denmark have their strongest representation, with six players teeing it up for both nations.

Among those are Major debutants Martin Couvra and John Axelsen, of France and Denmark respectively.

Scheffler struggles to find meaning in his success

He may be the undisputed World Number One and a three-time Major champion, but Scottie Scheffler is still seeking fulfillment beyond those triumphs.

In a revealing answer around how he savours success, the American said golf "is not a fulfilling life".

His wife Meredith gave birth to their son Bennett last year and Scheffler - a three-time winner this year - said if golf started to impact his family he would quit the sport.

"I'm blessed to be able play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that's going to be the last day that I play out here for a living," he added.

"This is not the be-all and end-all. This is not the most important thing in my life. That's why I wrestle with, why is this so important to me?

"Because I'd much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer. That's what's more important to me."

Award presentation for Rory

It may have been in December that Rory McIlroy was announced as the recipient of the Association of Golf Writers' Trophy for 2004, but it was at Royal Portrush that he was presented with the trophy on Tuesday.

The Northern Irishman sported a famous piece of attire for the presentation too.

On Monday at his pre-tournament press conference, he spoke of wanting to embrace the expectation levels that surround the home favourite this week, unlike in 2019 when he believes he tried to "isolate".

“It’s nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times," he added.

"But it’s also nice for the person that is seeing you for the first time in a few years. It just makes for a better interaction and not trying to hide away from it."

Spidercam to debut in world-first for golf

In a world-first for golf, Spidercam technology will bring millions of TV viewers closer to the world’s best golfers than ever before this week.

The four-point wire-cam system will provide immersive experiences of play unlike any seen before in a live TV production for golf.

Suspended above the 18th green, spectacular aerial views and unique angles will bring to life the natural undulations of the hole and short shots around the green before the greatest walk in golf is captured as the Champion Golfer of the Year is crowned on Sunday 20 July.

The Open offers 48 hours of main coverage over the four rounds of the Championship making it the longest single feed in golf, providing world-class action via broadcast partners worldwide.