The attention of the golfing world turns to the final men's Major of the season this week, the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
This is the second time we have visited the Dunluce Links in the past six years, following Shane Lowry's emphatic 2019 win, and expectations are high for another incredible tournament in Northern Ireland.
With turbulent weather conditions at Portrush predicted, the ability to convert chances and save par with the putter will be crucial.
That's easier said than done on Open Championship putting surfaces, especially in terms of controlling speed, but just how fast are the greens at Royal Portrush on the stimpmeter?
How Fast Are The Greens At Royal Portrush On The Stimpmeter?
A report is sent every day sharing the speed of the greens at The Open Championship, including throughout the practice days.
On Tuesday, The Open reported the following:
"Greens double cut at 3.75mm. Average green speed 10ft 8in (1 inch increase on yesterday). Average green firmness 0.362 inches (0.001 inch firmer than yesterday)".
It was a very similar picture on Wednesday for the final practice session, with players utilising their final pre-tournament opportunities to get a feel for the greens.
As the tournament kicked off on Thursday morning, there was a marginal increase in speed reported by The Open:
"Greens double cut at 3.50mm. Average green speed 11 ft 0 in (2 inch increase on yesterday). Average green firmness 0.364 inches (0.005 inch firmer than yesterday)."
While not particularly different from the preparation days, the change in speed along with the pressure of tournament play could be a factor on the greens on Thursday.
When you compare the speed of the greens at Royal Portrush to those at 2025 US Open host venue last month - the difference is glaring.
Oakmont Country Club had the greens running at over 14 on the stimpmeter, during the third men's Major of the season, which caused havoc for certain players who struggled to get to grips with the pace.
The very nature of links golf, with the variability of the elements, means that those kinds of speeds are not appropriate for this type of test.
The challenge instead comes from the exposed, heavily-contoured surfaces and the strategically placed pin positions - which are all typically guarded by deep bunkers, run off areas and treacherous rough.
At Royal Troon, for the 152nd Open Championship, the greens ran at a similar pace - if not slightly slower. Speeds of between 10 and 11 were reported, so players who regularly participate at this Major should have a relatively good understanding of what to expect.
