Seve remembered at Royal St George

All the players at this week's Open Championship in Sandwich have signed a book of remembrance for the late Seve Ballesteros.

Three-time winner Ballesteros, the most charismatic European golfer in history, died in May at the age of just 54 after a two-and-a-half-year battle with a brain tumour.

A number of other tributes will be made during the week, with an article in the official programme and numerous photos of the Spaniard around the site, while his image will appear on the drawsheets each day, with the proceeds from those being donated to his charitable foundation.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said: "We placed a book of remembrance at the registration for all the players to sign, and all of them have done so, and some of them have chosen - in fact the majority - to write a message in that book.

"That book will be passed on to Seve's family as a memento of this year's championship, of course, but more particularly of Seve's connection with The Open.

"The players were invited to give their messages in private and I don't think it would be right for me to publish them without a particular player's consent, but the thrust of all the messages was what a wonderful inspiration Seve had been to golfers the world over and particularly in Europe, and many of them actually said that Seve was their own inspiration to playing golf.

"He was the guy they all watched when they were kids and so on, and that he was going to be greatly missed. That was the general thrust of what everyone had to say."

Ballesteros won the first of his five Majors at Royal Lytham in 1979. He was 22 at the time and just a month older than new US Open Champion Rory McIlroy is now.

St Andrews in 1984 was the scene for his greatest triumph, his closing birdie denying Tom Watson the chance for a record-equalling sixth victory, and it was back at Lytham four years later that he shot a closing 65 to win again.

Seve wins 1985 Carrolls Irish Open

2015 Earliest for an Open at Portrush

Four years after effectively ruling it out, championship organisers the Royal and Ancient have vowed to re-examine the possibility of Northern Ireland staging the British Open.

The US Open victories of Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy have prompted calls for the Open to return to their home country for the first time since Max Faulkner triumphed at Royal Portrush in 1951.

And while R&A chief executive Peter Dawson stressed such a move was not "in any way imminent", he did concede the possibility would be revisited.

"Obviously there's much emotion about Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy's victories and why don't we go back to Northern Ireland and perhaps Portrush in particular, and I understand that," Dawson said in the R&A's pre-tournament press conference at Royal St George's.

"You can't, however, base where you hold The Open on where players come from. I think that should be obvious to anyone.

"Portrush is a terrific golf course (and) may well be strong enough for an Open, but as we all know, there are other issues of infrastructure, accommodation, roads, what would the commercial success or otherwise of the championship be, that need consideration.

"(We are) not ruling it out by any stretch of the imagination, but it would have to meet all those criteria, and I don't think it's something that's going to be in any way imminent, but it's certainly something we'll have a look at again in view of the success of the golfers from that part of the world."

In 2007, then R&A director of championships David Hill admitted it would require an "amazing amount" of investment to consider taking the Open back to Portrush.

"Royal Portrush is a fantastic course and I looked at it in great detail about five or six years ago," Hill said at the time. "It would be a fantastic venue, but only for about 15,000 people a day.

"The Seniors Open was at Portrush and with 6,000 people we were struggling - it's jammed with normal holidaymakers as it is."

Other Open venues have overcome infrastructure problems to get back on the Open roster - before 2006, Hoylake's last Open was in 1967 - and Dawson added: "We're obviously not immune to what people are saying, and it clearly would have a lot of local support.

"Whether that, whilst being very intense, would be sufficient in quantity to make it a successful championship is something that would need to be judged.

"At Hoylake it was actually lack of land at the golf course to accommodate everything we would need to put on the golf course.

At Royal Portrush there is the second course, so there's not a land issue on site. It's more road access, quantity of hotels, what would the level of corporate support be, what would the crowd size be, things of that nature."

After this week’s championship at the Kent venue, the season’s third Major moves to Royal Lytham (2012), Muirfield (2013) and Hoylake (2014) so 2015 would be the earliest possible date.

Kartel Official Partner Irish Open

Irish golf clothing brand Kartel, was today announced as the Official Clothing Suppliers to this year's Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland.

The family owned clothing company has been a major player in the Irish clothing market since 1947, and continue to be the number one choice of Champion golfer Padraig Harrington.

Taking place in Killarney for the second consecutive year, the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland from July 28-31 has a strong international field, together with all of Ireland’s heroic multi-Major winners. And with three time Major winner, and former Irish Open champion Padraig Harrington recently finding form again, the second place finisher at last year's Irish Open is sure again to be of the fancied players at this years’ event.

As well as being the preferred brand of Padraig Harrington and several other players at this year's event, as part of their association with the Irish Open, Kartel will be kitting out all marshals and event staff.

Kartel managing director Karl Swan said “As an Irish brand, we are delighted and proud to once again be involved in what I would consider to be Ireland’s greatest sporting event. 

"The Killarney lakeside venue is one of the most spectacular settings in golf. The relaxed, fun family atmosphere that the event created last year was phenomenal, and with the strongest possible Irish field playing at this year's event, it is sure to be another spectacular and fun filled weekend.”

Lefty Takes New Open Approach

Bones, Lefty and Butch

Phil Mickelson is making a fresh start in his approach to links golf after 17 attempts have yielded one third place at Royal Troon in 2004 and a host of lowly and disappointing finishes. “I’m entering this year kind of like a fresh start. I’m not going to worry about past performances and I’m going to try to learn and enjoy the challenge of playing links golf. I don’t want to look back on past performances that haven’t been what I expect. But I feel excited and kind of reinvigorated to try to learn this style of golf and play it effectively.” He admitted that during today’s practice round he had played terribly. “But I really enjoyed it,” he insisted.

With a strong wind scouring the course he hit a driver at the 243-yard par-three 11th hole. “I busted a driver and came up short,” he said. “It was interesting to see a drive on 17 go 380 yards and a drive on 11 go 210. The air is so thick and the wind is so strong and it shows the importance of trajectory and flight. I think it’s a fun challenge whether I play well or not.”

After the thick rough and narrow fairways of 2003 he believes the course is now a much fairer test. “I’m very excited about the way the course is playing and the way it’s set up. It was really fun today. I wouldn’t say there’s an absence of rough, but it’s certainly not the wedge-out thick rough that we had in ‘03.

“To me the subtleties of this golf course come through now that we’re able to keep playing and not having to wedge back to the fairway. The first hole is a great example of what I see throughout the rest of the golf course. There are three bunkers in front of the green that you have to clear and the front of the green is pitched away pretty severely so you have to be in the fairway to get the ball stopped. If you’re coming out of the rough and it doesn’t have any spin, there’s no way you’ll stop the ball on the green.

“In 2003 the rough was so thick that you didn’t have a shot if you missed the fairway. You had to wedge back to the fairway so everyone was hitting from the fairway essentially even though only a third of the field managed to hit the fairway. Because of that the subtleties and the nuances and what really makes this course strategic didn’t come through the way they are this week and now its starting to really shine. I know the guys are really starting to enjoy it. I know I am and I’m starting to appreciate the golf course now.”

The man who has won three Masters and a USPGA Championship has no concerns over the lack of American success in the Majors over the past two years — five have now passed without the Stars and Stripes being raised — and he puts it down to the depth of talent that is now so evident internationally. “The quality of play now on the international circuit is some of the best I’ve seen. That probably explains it.”

Tee times

Golf Loses the Voice of Alex Hay

Alex Hay, who has died, aged 78, was a much respected Scottish PGA professional who rose from Club Professional to Managing Director at Woburn Golf and Country Club and also forged one of the most recognisable commentary partnerships in sport alongside Peter Alliss as part of the BBC golf team.

Hay was born in Edinburgh and educated at Musselburgh Grammar School. He joined Ben Sayers as an apprentice golf club maker and then became assistant to Bill Shankland, with whom Tony Jacklin, the 1969 Open Champion and 1970 US Open champion, started his career, at Potters Bar in Hertfordshire.

Hay, who qualified as a PGA in 1952, enjoyed spells as club professional at East Herts and Dunham Forest before moving to Ashridge Golf Club where he held a similar position for 13 years. In 1977 he joined Woburn Golf and Country Club as head PGA club professional and later became Managing Director.

George O’Grady CBE, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “We were very sad to learn that Alex had passed away. Alex was a true trail-blazer in that he made the move from club professional to Managing Director at Woburn Golf Club which hosted no fewer than 16 times the British Masters on The European Tour International Schedule. We will remember him for his passion, desire and dedication and on behalf of everyone at The European Tour, I offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Ann, and their sons, Graham and David.”

Hay was co-presenter with his great friend Peter Alliss of BBC’s coverage of golf, including The Open Championship and The Ryder Cup, between 1978 and 2004. Together they enjoyed a special rapport and brought humour and emotion to the commentary box in addition to a deep knowledge of the game for which they were much respected.

Alliss said: “It is a very sad day. I’ve known Alex some 35 years. I first met him before he was at Dunham Forest and have watched him develop, both as a teacher, as an artist – he was also a very good drawer and painter. I watched him as a professional at Woburn which he made into a really fantastic club.

“I greatly enjoyed working with Alex on television – he had a great sense of humour and we complemented each other well.

“Alex will be sorely missed by the golf community. He had a wonderful life – he said to me ‘Peter I’m 78, I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve been round the world three or four times without ever having to put my hand in pocket, I’ve met vagabonds and princes, now I’m not going to lose my hair and my good looks.’

“He went out with the greatest dignity. I shall miss him enormously.”

Hay, who was also a Ryder Cup referee and an entertaining after-dinner speaker, wrote several golf instruction books, many concentrating on the techniques of the swing, and he played a key role in the drawings used in the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland’s training manual. He died on July 11 after a short illness and leaves a wife, Ann, and two sons, Graham and David.

Ian Poulter, who is attached to the Woburn Golf and Country Club, commented: “This is a very sad day. Alex Hay was the voice of golf for decades and our thoughts are with his family at this time.”