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The Open 2019 Preview

The Open makes an historic return to Northern Ireland in 2019. Golf’s oldest and most international championship returns after 68 years with the world’s greatest golfers battling it out for the Claret Jug over 4 days at the Dunluce Links at Portrush. The 148th edition of The Open is being dubbed the greatest sporting event in Northern Ireland’s history.

History of The Open

The Open Championship or known as the British Open by Americans—has been played since the year 1860, when Willie Park Sr. won the inaugural event.  Little did he, or the other seven golfers who competed, know that the tournament that year at Prestwick would grow to become golf’s oldest and arguably most prestigious major championship.

All The Open Championship winners since 1970

2019 Open

The competition runs from Thursday 8th – 11th July. You can watch the championship live on Sky Sports Golf, whose coverage begins at 6.30am on Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday the show starts at 9am on Sky Sports Golf and will be on Sky Sports Main Event from 2.30pm.

The 10 greatest golfers of all time

5 names to watch

Tiger Watch

He’s the one everyone wants to win but has had a slow year since winning his 15th major – the Masters in April. Woods has made only three starts since his big win. Tiger Woods has won The Open three times, most recently at Royal Liverpool in 2006 and will be nice and relaxed as he’s just back from a months holidays.

Brooks Koepka

One of the big favourites, in fact thee favourite at the time of writing and our pick of the bunch to win, Noepka has won four of the past 10 majors and finished runner-up twice. And his big advantage this year is much talked about caddie – Ricky Elliott, who’s a native of Portrush and played the old Dunluce course as a junior.

Rory McIlroy 

Again one of the favourites as he seems to be going into every major, even though he hasn’t won one in nearly five years. But Rory is a native and know this course like the back of his hand, add this to the home crowd support and he’s most definitely a contender.

Francesco Molinari

The defending champion deserves a mention. Molinari beat Tiger Woods by 2 shots at Carnoustie last year. He hasn’t played great since Augusta but still a threat.

John Rham

Rham seems to be comfortable on Irish soil, the Spaniard just won the Irish Open for the second time in three years and has played great in two of the three previous majors this season, including a tied third at the U.S. Open. He is the bookies 2nd favourite to win.

The Nick View

Here’s what our chief golf and rugby pundit Nicholas Furlong had to say about the 2019 Open:
“A value bet is Harrington 1st round leader, like the look of Rose, Lowry and I feel Eddie Pepperell will be there or thereabouts. We also can’t discount Tommy Fleetwood.
A European (British or Irish) will win this you’d imagine as the Americans are not used to playing such courses back home”

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