Liam Nolan, a 24-year-old amateur golfer from Galway, made use of his practice days to mingle with previous winners of the Claret Jug. The week began with the Walker Cup player seeking the wisdom of Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry.
His next interaction was with Todd Hamilton, who triumphed at Royal Troon in 2004, along with John Catlin, a past winner of the Irish Open, completing the three-ball. Nolan, who came second in this year’s Irish Amateur Open and qualified for the Open at Dundonald Links nearby, appreciated Hamilton’s openness in sharing insights from his 2004 victory.
“Being able to interact and inquire with Hamilton was an amazing experience,” Nolan mentioned.
Hamilton showed off his unique skills, demonstrating how he used a fairway wood to win his Open 20 years ago – a trick he couldn’t resist sharing. “He would drop three balls 30 feet short, take out his three wood and send them up to four feet. He was amazing,” Nolan quipped.
Nolan is preparing for a late start, similar to the start time Christy O’Connor Jr once used, defined as “out with the bin men”, sharing the green with New Zealander Kazu Kobori and Spain’s amateur golfer, Jaime Montojo Fernandez.
Expressing his anticipation for the game, Nolan stated his aim is to “take pleasure in the game, stay consistent in my strikes and see where I stand come Sunday evening!”
On the other hand, Robert MacIntyre may be starting to believe in fate or coincidences. The Scotsman became the first Scottish winner of the Scottish Open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999, with a fantastic victory at the Renaissance Club on Sunday. Intriguingly, the last Scottish winner of The Open was Paul Lawrie, also in 1999. Will MacIntyre be able to secure a win here as well?
“Undeniably, everyone has an equal shot. We’re all starting from the same position. Just as we did previous Thursday, my odds are parallel to every other player out there”, he commented. He talked about entering the Sunday competition and observing how the situation evolves. Last week, it just happened to turn out in his favour. His target is to give it his all, strive to the fullest, and hopefully manage to stand a chance.
“All I can do is to aim for a fighting chance. If I execute my shots well, accept the results they bring and continue performing at my best, then I could have an opportunity.” The regulatory body, R&A, typically aims for a complete player panel consisting of 156 players. But this time, it has increased to 158, owing to a number of former champions deciding to participate unexpectedly. The authorities persisted with their commitment of filling 16 seats through the final qualifying round despite going two players beyond their usual limit.
Quoting Tom Fleetwood discussing his efforts to get back to his winning streak, he honestly expressed, “I feel frustration and disappointment in myself just like anyone else would. I don’t achieve victory as often as I’d like to.’”. His last achievement traces back to the Dubai Invitational on the DP World Tour in the middle of January. He is yet to taste success in a major.