It’s extremely short and full of mischief. No, it’s not wee Jimmy Krankie. It is in fact, the Postage Stamp, that famous, perilous par-3 eighth hole at Royal Troon that will have more cameras around it at this year’s Open Championship than a celebrity tottering out of a nightclub.
At just 123 yards – it can potentially be played to just 99 yards – the Postage Stamp remains the shortest hole in Open Championship golf and Royal & Ancient officials yesterday unveiled plans to make sure all the triumphs or tragedies taking place around it will be covered in pin-sharp, high definition ghoulish-vision. For the first time in the Open, a wire camera suspended above the length of the hole will follow the track of the ball and give an aerial view of its journey while cameras will be plonked in each of its five bunkers. Whether they stay in there remains to be seen given that players have performed great archaeological digs in those sandtraps down the years. Back in 1950, the German amateur Herman Tissies took an eye-watering 15 shots to complete the hole. “I have been desperate to get a wire camera at the Open for years,” said Rhodri Price, the R&A’s director of championship operations.
While this all-singing, all-dancing technology will be a new arrival on the eighth, there will be two new additions on the first tee. Following the retirement of the Open’s official starter, Ivor Robson, after 40 years of service in 2015, the R&A have replaced him with David Lancaster, a former Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. Robson, famously, would never take a break during the 10 hours or so he stood on the first tee and just in case Lancaster has to answer the call of nature, he will be ably supported by Matt Corker, a former superintendent in the Royal Hong Kong police.
The Royal Troon links itself, which was getting almost a quarter of a million gallons of water pumped off it each week during the deluges of winter, will measure 7,190 yards, just 15 yards longer than the layout used when the Ayrshire links last hosted the Open in 2004 while the grandstand arena around the 18th hole will seat 7000 spectators.
Outside the grounds, meanwhile, the Open officials have brought a bit of ‘Carry on Camping’ to the world’s oldest major with a site for the under-25s and families with children under the age of 16 where free tents for up to 500 spectators will be available.
On the prickly issue of Troon’s all-male membership policy, it remains very much a case of nothing to report here. The club continues to be involved in on-going discussions about becoming a mixed club and following the lead of the Royal & Ancient and Royal St George’s, which both made the move in the last couple of years. As previously documented, there will be no announcement from Royal Troon before this year’s Open, though. The possibility of another hoo-ha during Open week, like the one that overshadowed the Muirfield showpiece of 2013, is considerable as certain factions sharpen the pitchforks. Royal Troon announced a membership review in January 2015, with numerous discussion groups taking place, and the results of those will be cobbled together in August with a decision expected at the “back end” of 2016.
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