GETTING THE MONKEY OFF HIS BACK.
It takes something special for a player to get the nod to hit the opening tee shot in The Open. In recent years we’ve I had Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara, Sandy Lyle and Darren Clarke, players who either have lifelong connections with the links hosting The Open that year or are Major winners signing off at the Championship. This year Richard Bland was handed the honour of getting The Open underway at Royal St George’s, a 48-year-old with just two previous Open appearances who has always had the word ‘journeyman’ next to his name. But these days Bland is also a winner, having finally got over the line on his 478th European Tour start in one of the most memorable victories in recent years.
Over the course of the four days at The Belfry, on a course measuring 7,300
