Stadium hole mayhem or serene slice of golfing heaven? Both on offer at Genesis Scottish Open
Grand Slam winner McIlroy draws huge crowds and heartfelt cheers
Way out at the furthest reaches of the course here at The Renaissance Club, where the cooling breeze feels like the breath of heaven itself, golfing purists and scenery nuts alike bask in a scene straight out of the tourist’s guide to paradise. Just a few thousand yards away, but half a world removed, a hot and sweaty audience of thrill seekers gather in a cranked-up stadium setting built for televised thrills.
One golf tournament, two entirely contrasting experiences. Therein lies the beauty - the almost universal appeal, even - of the Genesis Scottish Open so firmly rooted in its East Lothian home.
It's often said that as much as 90 per cent of elite sport is just positioning. Put yourself in the right place, and the action will come to you. The thousands flocking to this glorious little corner of Scotland for a gathering of the game’s greatest players should take that coaching point on board.
Today’s action was as spectacular as the sunshine baking this perfect stretch of coastline to a crispy golden brown. And there’s plenty to be said for latching yourself onto a group and following the leaders/local heroes/perennial favourites.
Finding the ideal viewing point in stunning scenery
But sometimes you have to stop and smell the burger stalls. Or find a sweet spot to settle down, bask in the glory of a Scottish summer – and watch the world’s very best golfers go by.
Where to start? It’s the same question asked by thousands upon thousands attending golf events every year.
For every Road Hole ghoul who just can’t get enough of the 17th at St Andrews, the most bloodthirsty not even attempting to hide their hope of witnessing a complete meltdown by some global superstar, there are at least as many Postage Stamp fan boys/girls who can’t get enough of Troon’s signature hole. Life would be very dull, indeed, if everyone had their same favourite spot.
On arrival at the course neatly nestled between the traditional links meccas of Muirfield and North Berwick this morning, though, there was only one obvious choice. Slap on the sunscreen, top up the refillable water bottle – and shuffle on out to the back nine hugging the coast line.
This is golf country. Especially the little nook where you can watch both the 12th and 14th holes, their greens separated by a few yards and three quarters of an ancient wall. There’s a reason why Visit Scotland put their gigantic sign in the background of this area; it’s one big advertorial for the home of golf.
On a day when the Forth was as still as a mill pond and Fife seemed to shimmer in the sunshine, there was a small but eminently manageable crowd congregating here. Not just because the food and drink outlets are nearby, although the presence of a viewing platform branded in honour of a distillery was an attraction.
Walk a little further on – OK, a lot further on, given the conditions – and you reach the end of the earth, at least in terms of this tournament. Honestly, spending a little while just chilling by the 15th green is a pastime that should be prescribed on the NHS as an alternative to blood pressure medication.
No beer-throwing antics for Scots galleries
The same cannot be said, of course, of the alternative experience provided by tournament organisers in and around the sixth hole. The stadium hole, as it’s now known.
This is not the 16th at TPC Sawgrass. You won’t see any of the beer-throwing antics that make the Phoenix Open’s own stadium hole such an experience; at these prices, we Scots aren’t going to spill a drop, never mind chuck a perfectly good pint away in a moment of madness.
But the polite nature of galleries, at least before the happy hour kicked in, felt like a nice mix of the modern and traditional. Even if they did employ a genuinely funny hype man to get the crowd going, there was a feeling that the locals were there for the golf, first and foremost.
Now, granted, taking a seat in one of the stands at about half a smidgen after noon wasn’t smart. Hot? Aye, definitely on the warm side of brutal.
But the seats are great, the atmosphere is belting. Helped by Matt Fitzpatrick and Brian Harman stiffing a couple of tee shots and rolling in their birdie putts – the cue for a T-shirt giveaway with a twist, as an XL gent was cajoled into puling a medium-sized freebie over his substantial frame in a bit of good-humoured tomfoolery.
Most were gathered in the heat of the midday sun to see just one man, of course. There wasn’t much need for anyone to gee up the galleries when Rory McIlroy, having just birdied the fifth hole to get himself to eight under for the tournament, strode onto the tee of this tricky par-three.
He didn’t actually do much on the hole. Came up short with his tee shot, then got up and down from the fringe for a bog-standard three. Nothing to write home about.
But he was applauded with genuine warmth and affection as he left the arena. Not for what he’d done in a morning of impressive golf. Or even in deference to his status as a past champion here, Ryder Cup legend and all-round entertainer.
For most of the people in the stands, this was the first time they’ve had a chance to show McIlroy the respect and adulation due a man who completed the career Grand Slam with his Masters victory back in April. One of only half a dozen men ever to complete the clean sweep of Major titles, he’s an all-time great – and deserved to be roared along on his way here.
Plenty chose to jump out of their seats and follow McIlroy. Others opted for a strategic drinks break before regrouping to support Scotland’s own Bob MacIntyre, the biggest draw in the afternoon starters.
And a few just plonked themselves down in a favourite spot – the 17th and 18th are always popular, for obvious reasons – and absorb the action in a more passive manner. Pick the right spot, and you never know what you might see.