– Nacho Elvira is not arriving at his best to the Open at Royal Troon, let’s be honest. Even though the 2024 season is being the best of his career to date. The most consistent. And with a victory included in Belgium. However, his latest results have not been as expected. Nor the sensations. It’s as if something had slightly twisted. Today he played 18 practice holes at Royal Troon alongside Jorge Campillo and suffered, above all, the rigours of the second nine holes of the Scottish course, which can become a real torment when the prevailing wind blows, which usually comes from the north. The fact is that his expression is not exactly cheerful or serene, let’s put it that way. Afterwards, once the round was over, he spoke to TenGolf and he himself ended up prescribing the perfect remedy almost without realising it (WATCH VIDEO): “I couldn’t be doing better in life, I’m calm, I have two wonderful daughters, a wonderful wife, a healthy family… But you know how we golfers are, always wanting to do better and that can lead to winding paths”. And while he was saying all this he seemed to be realising at the same time that, indeed, frustration ‘over trifles’ (damn golf…) usually doesn’t bring anything positive.
– Jorge Campillo is going to play his fifth Open and his eighth Major this week. To date, he has never made the cut in these events and, as he says with that sarcasm that characterises him, “at least now I have the statistics in my favour”. There is more than just statistics, surely. For example, some good sensations and excellent shots that he brought from the Scottish Open last week. And the excellent attitude and desire to break the curse that he shows this week at Royal Troon. The time has come, and not only to make the cut… (WATCH VIDEO).
– Paul McGinley has spoken at length with GolfMagic.com about Jon Rahm, among other topics. And the Irishman, permanent advisor to the European Ryder team, believes that Jon’s results in the Majors this year reveal that he is not comfortable in his new environment, LIV Golf, and that the Spaniard is eager for the agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi fund to take place. “Jon Rahm is simply not at the forefront as before, and his performances in the majors this year have shown it. I don’t think he’s in a happy place, he doesn’t seem happy on the course. When he focuses on him as he did last year, in that strong streak, you could see that he was savouring and enjoying the challenge. He just doesn’t seem to be at ease. Jon is a great player, but he makes a lot of bad shots. The intensity, that positive intensity that he normally brings, just doesn’t seem to be there. I would say he is one of those guys at LIV who really hopes for a deal. I think he would have liked to play in Scotland last week instead of Valderrama by his own choice”, says McGinley.
And Jon is simply with the idea of turning this week around like a sock after his grey passage through the Majors this season. He doesn’t promise anything in advance, as is logical, nor does he aspire to build a wall of expectations. But he trusts that a good start on the first day will help him approach the week in a different way and really get into the fight. He knows that, in his current dynamics, he needs even more patience.
– Scottie Scheffler has given an explanation today about his absence at the Scottish Open last week. The world Number One assures that he preferred to arrive earlier at Royal Troon and not so much to compete on a different links. He preferred to get used to the greens of Troon, the grass of Troon, the prevailing wind of Troon… And he has a point (although we hope that the example does not spread and we can continue to have excellent rosters of American players in the Scottish).
– Tiger seems absolutely convinced of one thing: if he is able to fine-tune his short game these days, adapting it to the hardness of the terrain and the type of local grass, which cannot be replicated in Florida, he is still going to be able to give a scare. That is exactly what millions of fans also hope for. And the Royal & Ancient, of course. Can we even imagine the reach of the audiences with the Tiger involved in the mix at the weekend? Anyway, the last Majors invite us not to dream… But dreaming is still free.
