A funny thing happens to the body and the mind 12 hours into binging the British Open from a couch more than 4,000 miles away from the iconic coastline. The deep grooves created from atrophy turn from friend to foe, providing resistance in the fight to get up and do anything more productive. The sharp mind fueled by early morning coffee is nowhere to be found and it’s tough to even remember the optimism that version of yourself had to gorge on major action. It's not dissimilar to what happens at the end of a long football weekend—with one crucial difference.
Whereas all the Saturdays and Sundays bring exhaustion from overstimulation, this particular Thursday sapped the energy away from what can only be described as lack of stimulation. And to be clear, it would be unfair to blame Peacock or the USA Network because the opening round of the Open Championship failed to create any signature, or even memorable, moments. Everyone competing at Royal Portrush tried their level best to create something special and manufacture intrigue. Even the unpredictable weather, that loyal imaginary friend that makes this tournament different than all the rest, reared its head and forced constant recalibration and focus.
There is nothing particularly wrong with the way Thursday’s action was presented. No amount of complaining will do anything about the necessary commercial load. No one is out of their depth when tasked with describing or analyzing the action. It’s just so docile.
Which, obviously, golf is meant to be. This may be only a personal problem but through one day of what is always my favorite event of the year, I’m not desperately thirsty for more.
Now, don’t get it twisted. Friday will bring another pre-dawn rise and grind. Things will feel new again, the slate blank. But in a rare circumstance, it might be worth wondering if simply checking the leaderboard after dinner might have been better.
A quintet of players, including former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, crowd the top at 4 under. Scottie Scheffler lurks a shot behind, along with Tyrrell Hatton. Justin Rose and Brian Harman are two back. Rory McIlroy remains very much in the hunt. Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia both turned back the clock to find red numbers.
Got it.
On the bright side, the marathon day of coverage provides the perfect vehicle to get just the facts and become up to speed with efficiency. On another positive note, it’s the best part of the presentation as Mike Tirico expertly interjects a summary from time to time. In fact, his carefully doled-out minutes are the best part of the whole show. Which is great, yet also cause for concern.
Tirico is not Dick Vitale or some other ball of energy. Yet he surpasses the whispers that all blend into each other when he’s not on the microphone with relative ease. It means that, yes, he’s great at what he does. But that shouldn’t be the highlight and the disparity shouldn’t be as noticeable.
Here’s the thing, though. Just as one works through the feelings of wondering if perhaps making sure to not miss a single aired shot wasn’t entirely necessary, the broadcast closed strong. Dan Hicks, much like he did for the U.S. Open, narrated the closing steps of McIlroy and Justin Thomas, making them feel bigger than they were to serve a reminder.
Golf’s magic is that a storyline always emerges and there’s intrigue lurking in every Sunday tee time. Better times are ahead. Not being beat over the head with twists and turns and thrills from the jump will soon be forgetten. A forgettable—and perhaps regrettable—stint on the couch will serve as subtext and context for the chapters to come.
There will be satisfaction in turning every single page, even if it’s worth arguing those who skip ahead to the resolution didn't miss all that much.
More British Open on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Perhaps We Didn’t Need to Watch 12 Hours of First-Round British Open Coverage.
