We'll return to the countdown of my top North County golf courses later in the month, but today we're focusing in on the final major of the golf season.
First, let's all agree to call it by its proper name, the Open Championship. Americans got used to calling it the British Open, but to be fair, the tournament isn't even being played on the island of Great Britain this week. It's at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, not Britain.
Second, I'll throw out an interesting golf wager for the week (and yes, this could look silly by the time you read this after the first round is over or almost over, but let's just go with it). If you had to make a $100 bet, and I told you to choose either Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka or the rest of the field, where do you put your money?
Normally, this is an easy call. There are dozens of other golfers capable of winning a major on a good week, and many choices are always better than two.
This week, though, McIlroy and Koepka come into the Open Championship with some huge advantages. Rory is a native of Northern Ireland, and incredibly familiar with Royal Portrush, where he shot a 61 to set the course record at age 16. No one in the field was even alive the last time Royal Portrush hosted the Open (1951), so the edge is a unique one for McIlroy.
The only golfer with a similar advantage is Brooks Koepka, who just happens to be the greatest major golfer in the world right now, having won four of the past nine big ones. Koepka's caddie, Ricky Elliot, grew up less than a mile away from Royal Portrush and says he's played the course at least 1,000 times. As if Brooks needed any extra help to win his 5th major.
I'm not 100 percent sure McIlroy or Koepka will walk away with the Claret Jug this week, but I hope you were able to snag at least one of them for your Open Championship pool at the office.