Open Championship 2024 Showdown Power Rankings and Course Preview at Royal Troon

This week at Royal Troon, The Open Championship will hold its 152nd edition. This is the tenth time the classic links layout has served as the host. The last time it changed was in 2016. You can find an image of it next to the definition of tradition when you look it up in a dictionary.

That, as well as difficult. You can also observe it when you switch to visceral responses like sighs and grimaces. However, it will also be displayed next to the phrase “reward for grit,” which belongs in a dictionary because the claret jug is the concrete award.

The rating of those expected to compete is below the details of what the 158-person expanded field will face, how it performed eight years ago, and much more.

If you believe that the field size indicated at the top is incorrect, reconsider. Although The Open’s field construct hasn’t changed significantly in recent years, some elasticity is still conceivable. Field size can expand because qualified past winners who take a temporary break are known to return to the location of their victories.

Todd Hamilton (2004) and Justin Leonard (1997), both former champions, have committed to Royal Troon this year. Since Royal Troon last hosted eight years ago, this is Leonard’s first major league start. The last time Hamilton appeared was in 2018. Therefore, until the field falls below 156, alternates will not be called.

Located southwest of Glasgow, right up against the Firth of Clyde, is Royal Troon. To put it in perspective, its latitude is roughly 12 miles north of Ketchikan, Alaska, an American cruise port. These days, it’s appropriate to consider traveling to a colder location, but you don’t go to Ketchikan to play golf. As a fan, you won’t be let down when The Open comes around because conditions are always in the forefront.

Also Read: Pierceson Coody Shoots Record Breaking 11-Under 61 to Lead ISCO Championship

Yes, the wind will blow, first and foremost, and then blow some more. For the most part, traditional Scottish summertime conditions are expected, with daily highs that approach and surpass 60 degrees. However, there can be a benefit to the breezes. The push will come from the south during the first two days, and possibly on the weekend as well, so it will be beneficial for most of the inward nine.

Royal Troon has corresponding nines of 36 and 35, making it a par 71. At 7,385 yards, it tips. With a length of 307 yards, the inner half played 2.009 strokes over par in 2016, making it the hardest second nine on the PGA TOUR that year in terms of par. The first nine were only 0.153 strokes over par on average. Therefore, most incoming holes will be successfully shortened by the wind. With all the difficulty that can arise on the property, it is not inconsequential if golfers are able to unwind.

The course has been extended by 195 yards from 2016. This features a 23-yard extension at the sixth hole, a par-5 that measures 623 yards, making it the longest hole in Open history. However, they are afraid to touch the par-3 eighth, also referred to as the “Postage Stamp,” and they didn’t. Even at 123 yards, it will most likely play under 100 in at least one round.

The past seven Royal Troon champions had all previously won a tournament in the same year. American citizens made up the first six. Three weeks after winning the BMW International Open, Henrik Stenson of Sweden continued the pattern by outlasting Phil Mickelson. Forty experts in this profession, including Stenson and Mickelson, made this prediction in 2016.

At The Open, there is a low-70 cut that ties after two rounds. The winner will be excluded from competition until the age of 55. That represents a change from the earlier 60-year-old cap. He will also receive 750 FedExCup points, a record $3.1 million, and a five-year exemption from the PGA TOUR, in addition to exemptions into the next five editions of each of the other three majors.