I enjoy all of golf’s major tournaments for a variety of reasons.
The Masters has the sheer beauty of Augusta National, and the excitement of the Back 9 on Sunday; the U.S. Open has historic venues that often host the tournament; the PGA Championship has the excitement of being the final major of the year; and, finally, the British Open has a great TV schedule.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The British Open stands out in my mind because it comes on early in the morning. As a busy father of two, there is nothing better than being able to watch a top sporting event — with a cup of coffee — before the rest of the family has even woken up.
It’s much the same reason I enjoy watching Wimbledon, as well.
Living on the west coast, the starting times for our sporting events are much more favorable than those times on the east coast. Could you imagine having to wait until 1 p.m. for the first football game to start during the NFL season?
Not only that, try waiting until 8 p.m. for the night games to begin.
No, thank you.
The ability to watch golf’s oldest major before the sun even rises is a beautiful thing. I still remember back in 2007 setting my alarm for 5 a.m. to watch Sergio Garcia attempt to win his first major. Unfortunately, I woke up to discover a power outage had occurred, and I was left scrambling to find a working television to watch the tournament.
My problem was quickly averted as I found myself at a breakfast restaurant thirty minutes later that was showing the tournament. My experience improved because I was able to order bacon and eggs, a fresh cup of coffee and watch the tournament. Fortunately, power was restored at my house shortly after so I was not obligated to order ten cups of coffee to maintain my seat in the restaurant.
This year’s British Open is being played at Carnoustie. Many of you probably remember the debacle of Jean Van de Velde in the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. His triple bogey on the 72nd hole forced a playoff, which he would eventually lose to Paul Lawrie.
As you watch this year’s championship, enjoy the early morning golf coverage that we don’t normally get to see. I know I’ll be enjoying it with a fresh cup of coffee in my hands.
