The Open Conversation
- Alice Watson
- Jul 18, 2020
- 4 min read
Last week, Wimbledon. This week? The Open.
Golf's oldest championship and the major played on British soil.
We should have been pacing the links at Royal St George's for the 149th Open, but instead the fairways are quiet and the grandstands are empty. The first time the tournament has been cancelled since the Second World War.
Our appetite for golf, however, is being fed in new and innovative ways. Special commemorative programmes are on BBC Two this week, while The Open For The Ages is a magical re-imagining of golf's historic major at the home of golf. If you haven't yet tuned in, technology wizards have pieced together archival footage from championships at St Andrews since 1970 and stitched together highlights that pit the greatest players against one another: from Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to Seve Ballesteros and Rory McIlroy.
If you fancy watching effortless swings, smooth putting strokes and sweeping panoramas of St Andrews then this is the content for you.
Added to these visual delights are some great discussions over the airways brought to you in The Open Conversation: the tournament's official podcast hosted by George Harper Jnr - and occasionally the BBC's golf correspondent Iain Carter.
Harper Jnr sits down with some of the biggest names in golf and delves into their lives, experiences and memories of playing on the British links. There have been 10 episodes so far (plus a bonus round table released yesterday) and it's a treat to dive into the mindsets of those who've played at the highest level and on the biggest stages. Learning lessons from one of the all-time greats in Tom Watson to hearing Tommy Fleetwood's dreams of one day clinching the Claret Jug.
Kicking off this series is a conversation with Shane Lowry, last year's winner at Royal Portrush and the man at the epicentre of an incredible sporting story: when Ireland’s first Open in 68 years finished with an Irish champion.
This extended edition is a delight from start to finish. Lowry traces his Open journey from sitting today in lockdown with the Claret Jug in Florida; walking triumphantly up the 18th fairway with crowds lining the fairways; shooting a low round on Saturday and pacing out those closing holes on Sunday; and back to early memories of first picking up a club and learning the game in Clara, Ireland.
Golden nuggets are scattered throughout. Lowry recalls celebrating in Dublin on the night of winning The Open until 7am the following morning - still in his golf clothes. Fishing on the river outside his rented house each night of tournament play - mainly out of superstition, never once catching a fish, and only later realising it was illegal on that stretch of water. Admitting he didn't eat breakfast or lunch on Sunday due to nerves - and remained in constant dialogue with his caddie, Bo, throughout the round as he couldn't stop thinking about winning. How his grandmother resorted to two glasses of brandy - her first in 10 years! - amidst the stress of watching him win. And revealing his dad, Brendan, tried to get final day tickets from the R&A for friends, family and anyone who asked when he held a four shot lead and was on the cusp of golf's biggest prize.
There's a more profound message woven into this latter point too, as Lowry discusses how supportive the Irish people are of their own and how his victory brought the country together in celebration. He speaks eloquently about how people who'd never watched golf in their life came to support him and cheer him on to success. If you watched or heard the drama unfold, you'll remember the deafening noise of the crowds and incredible scenes of supporters pushing on the fences and chanting "There's only one Shane Lowry!".
They're pictures not often witnessed in or associated with golf. But The Open Conversation transports you back to the magic of that week and enables you to see the tournament through the player's eyes - immersing you in the heart of the action and giving you a glimpse of what it's like to win a major on the links.
If, like me, you've been feeling very nostalgic, this podcast hits all the right notes. It's a relaxing and comforting listen, evoking the history of the championship and bringing to life its most well-known characters. I'd love there to be a few archival clips thrown in of interviewees playing and lifting the trophy. Little audio dividers that could animate the narrative and further bring the story to life. But it's recorded in lockdown, so a minor quibble if ever there was one!
There are so many golf podcasts out there - and I'll be forever in mourning about the BBC's The Cut with Iain Carter and Andrew Cotter, which was axed out of the blue earlier this year - but if you're looking for interesting, in-depth and easy-on-the-ear player conversations, then this a great start.
Especially in Open week.
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