The Open: 'Voice of Golf' Ewen Murray expects another Troon classic

Will world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler prove himself to be just that at Royal Troon?

It will be back to where it all started for Ewen Murray when he sits behind the microphone at Royal Troon this week.

Sky Sports’ “Voice of Golf” will be commentating from the venue where he first played in The Open as an 18-year-old in 1973.

The game has changed immeasurably in the intervening years, but the demands of golf’s oldest championship have not.

It is why Murray cannot wait to see how the stars of today cope with the famous Ayrshire links in a refreshing change from the diet currently being served up on the PGA Tour.

And with 250,000 fans due to descend upon Troon, the 152nd Open promises to be another special week.

Troon memories for Ewen Murray

“It’s fantastic for the game and fantastic for the area,” Murray told The Sunday Post.

“Troon is always a test from the first to the 18th and the back nine is probably the hardest of all on The Open rota.

“I remember the first day in 1973 when I was out in 35 and back in 44. That’s the type of round you can have at Troon.

“If the wind’s blowing in and off the left at 10 and 11, you’ve got a devil’s own job to get back in level or one-over.

“That week in 1973, there was nearly 20 shots difference between my front nines and my back nines. That shows you how hard it is.

“It’s a great exam. The back nine demands top shots. Half-decent ones won’t do.

“At the moment, the courses are too easy and the scores are too low on the PGA Tour. We saw at Pinehurst for the US Open how the course brought shot-making into play and what a difficult, exacting test that was.

“Golf needs to be tougher and while Troon needs a bit of wind, this will be one of the toughest tests of the year, especially the finish.”

This will be the 10th time that The Open has visited the course, 101 years after it was first invited to host the event.

With the wet summer, the course will not display some of those hard-running brown fairways of a classic links.

While Murray does not think anyone will be able to match the standard set by champion Henrik Stenson and closest pursuer Phil Mickelson when The Open was last at Troon eight years ago. “Not a chance,” he said. “The quality of golf from those two happens every half century.

“The golf was unbelievable. Henrik had 10 birdies in his last round 63, including four of the last five holes. Phil had a 65 with no bogeys.

“To put it in perspective, JB Holmes in third, was 11 shots behind Mickelson. That gives an indication of how good the golf was.

“The Duel In The Sun in 1977 at Turnberry was a great battle and especially for the finish, but Troon last time was one of the best-ever final rounds in a Major.”

Until Stenson’s triumph, Troon had been a happy hunting ground for the Americans, with the previous seven Opens there all won by the Stars and Stripes.

They will again flock over in large numbers led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Murray is keen to stress that the PGA Tour is not as strong as it was with the number of defections to LIV, but six wins in 2024 indicates how Scheffler has been playing.

American Tom Weiskopf lifted the Claret Jug at Troon in 1973, when the young Ewen Murray finished in a tie for 30th spot.

“The PGA Tour is weaker, but the figures say that Scottie is head and shoulders above the rest,” said the Sky Sports commentator.

“At one point this year, he topped all 32 categories on the statistics list – that is Tiger Woods-like – and he still tops all the important stats.

“I don’t see a weakness in his game, so I would expect him to challenge.

“If he continues doing what he’s doing, nobody else can match him at the moment.

“But you do need a bit of luck in The Open. You have to be fortunate to be on the right side of the draw on the first couple of days if the weather is bad.

“You can get it like Louis Oosthuizen in 2010 when he caught the right side, got five ahead and was never caught.”

Home favourites

While the Scottish galleries will delight at seeing the world’s best players gathered in the same place for the final time in 2024, there will be particular focus on home favourite Bob MacIntyre.

A recent winner on the PGA Tour in the Canadian Open, Murray believes the man from Oban is ready to get into Major contention.

“The way Bob’s career has progressed is very impressive,” he admitted.

“That win in Canada was a big step-up, career wise. He gets a two-year exemption in America and he can pick and choose where to play.

“The next step up is to challenge for a Major. He’s already finished in the top 10 in The Open at Royal Portrush and Royal St George’s.

“He’ll come to Troon six or seven inches taller than a few months ago. He knows he belongs in this company. From a mental point of view, his win was huge. He’s not a different player, but he’s a different competitor.”