This week would have marked the 149th Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. To help fill the void of the tournament’s absence, the R&A has produced a groundbreaking event called The Open for The Ages. Hours of past footage has been painstakingly pieced together to create a “virtual tournament” that includes countless greats from the last 50 years, all competing at The Old Course at St. Andrews.
So far, the event has been an absolute joy to watch. Two minutes of footage might include Tiger pitching over the Swilcan Burn on the first hole, followed by Jack driving the 18th green, followed still by a mighty lash from Seve over the railroad sheds on the Road Hole. And, perhaps most surprisingly, after a while it all starts to feel like a real tournament.
The final round will air at 6am EST on the Golf Channel as well as The Open’s web and social media platforms. All of which will culminate in the traditional awarding of the Claret Jug. The victor was chosen by survey of fans which received over 10,000 responses.
The Open for The Ages is a stroke of brilliance both in concept and production. For all of us who are missing both links golf across the pond and The Open Championship, it may not exactly be the real thing, but it’s an exceptional substitute.