The Open Championship: It’s expected to be a thriller, both on and off the course

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

golf season is expected to produce a raw thriller later this week at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. The Open is far more than just the seaside links courses that test the finest golfers. It is the richest tradition in golf, but also one that evokes passionate debate.

Some prefer to call it just The Open, mainly those in the European camp; Others from across the Atlantic prefer to set their sails for the British Open. The annual musing over nouns is set to be relegated though, by the noise from the reconfiguration of power in the sport. The PGA TOUR chairman Ed Herlihy, board member Jimmy Dunne, and commissioner Jay Monahan plunged the sport into the laundry machine to dress up for a date with the men they called murderous villains.

Expect the golfers to walk a tightrope, navigating the turbulent winds at seaswept Hoylake just as much as they might make curious inquiries about the muddled weather in the world of golf. The famed Claret Jug will not be the only object of attention this week. Even before the 156 golfers set foot on the Hoylake course, a renewed setup, tricky bunkers, and a penal rough promise to present a stern test of skill and temperament.Rory McIlroy won his third of four majors when The Open was last played at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

If he manages to rekindle some of those fond memories from the height of his career, McIlroy will draw the loudest cheers. Cameron Smith, the defending champion, is flying hot too. He will hope to build on his success in London and emulate Padraig Harrington, the last man to defend an Open title.