The Open Championship - Royal Troon, July 14th to 17th

Boycey · July 15, 2016, 08:09:55 PM

Ridiculously hard conditions this afternoon. If was definitely a day boys like us would have gladly retired to the 19th

gawa316 · July 17, 2016, 03:30:23 PM

Good start by the final pairing

Gabriel_Hurl · July 17, 2016, 03:39:30 PM

These 2 lads are putting on a show

laoislad · July 17, 2016, 06:31:22 PM

-20 some score.
Fair play to Stenson.

screenexile · July 17, 2016, 06:34:28 PM

Phenomenal last day! Hard luck Phil it was just Henrik's day.

Throw ball · July 17, 2016, 06:36:36 PM

Sport as good as it gets.

Minder · July 17, 2016, 09:53:07 PM

Don't think I have seen a better final round than that in a Major, he was like a machine.

Rois · July 17, 2016, 10:01:45 PM

Did you see Jim McGuinness walking around with Paul McGinley? Obviously preferable to the Ulster Final.

screenexile · July 17, 2016, 10:26:12 PM

Quote from: Rois on July 17, 2016, 10:01:45 PM
Did you see Jim McGuinness walking around with Paul McGinley? Obviously preferable to the Ulster Final.

I know which event had more quality on show that's for sure!!

Jim made a good choice!

Rois · July 17, 2016, 11:05:13 PM

Quote from: screenexile on July 17, 2016, 10:26:12 PM
Quote from: Rois on July 17, 2016, 10:01:45 PM
Did you see Jim McGuinness walking around with Paul McGinley? Obviously preferable to the Ulster Final.

I know which event had more quality on show that's for sure!!

Jim made a good choice!

Can't argue with that. Though Stenson got $1.5 million for his performance. Be a bit disappointing if there wasn't some top quality on show to earn it.
Rory pulled it back well to finish in 5th.

Olly · July 18, 2016, 11:54:20 AM

A fried of mine said that Darren Clarkey has hired Jimmy to train the ryder cup team and during the week he has them all running up and down fields in Glasgow with a rope threaded through them all so there are no slackers. He says theyre vomiting like mad and McGuinness is making them tr**p through the vomit and has another Donegal man hosing the vomit off them as they run. He says Jiminez is threatening to pull out.

Declan · July 19, 2016, 09:01:25 AM

The peak television audience for the final round of the Open Championship suffered a drop of around 75% on last year in the first broadcasting by Sky Sports of the oldest major.

The top viewing figure for the epic Royal Troon shootout between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson, combined between Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 4, was 1.1m.

Last year, when the Open concluded on Monday because of severe weather disruption, that peak figure on the BBC reached 4.7m. In 2014, as Rory McIlroy won the Open at Royal Liverpool, the BBC's peak Sunday figure was even higher at 5.5m.

Notably BBC's two-hour highlights show on Sunday evening reached a higher peak – 1.5m – than Sky's live coverage. Such statistics will cast inevitable doubt on golf's ability to grow using a non-terrestrial platform.

Sky decided not to offer comment on Sunday's viewing figures. The satellite broadcaster is believed to be citing a reach of 8m over four days of the Open.

The R&A has consistently defended its shift of the Open from terrestrial television, linked to what it claims will bring a younger audience towards golf. The Sky deal for the Open was originally due to begin in 2017 but the BBC chose to surrender their live coverage one year early. Golf's governing body did not respond to the Guardian's request for comment on Monday.

AZOffaly · July 19, 2016, 10:52:51 AM

Just like the GAA. Why are people surprised, or find it newsworthy, when a subscription based channel has less viewers than a free to air one? Surely that's a no brainer?

JohnDenver · July 19, 2016, 10:58:28 AM

I would guess it is probably more the bullshit arguments of catering for a wider audience, instead of just coming out and admitting they it's all about the money.