ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER
Two long, weary years after the merry mayhem that wrapped itself around Shane Lowry’s Portrush victory, the 149th Open Championship is scheduled to get underway at Royal St George’s at last. With a thin sliver of luck, fans will be there to cheer on the men competing for the old game’s most significant title. Exactly how many will be roaming the links and adding their voices to the scene remains to be seen.
We need the luck because, at the time of writing, no one can be certain what the situation will be in July. Will we be free to roam or once again restricted in our movements? Either way, with or without spectators, there will be an Open, though The R&A has had to plan for at least three ‘different’ Opens, catering for 25, 50 or 75 per cent of predicted capacity.
In round figures this equates to 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 people and, in simple terms,
