The Open Championship can encounter problems in years such as this. Even dedicated sports fans suffer exhaustion when a European Championship and Olympic Games bookend the summer. The Open - like Wimbledon or Test matches - can feel as if it is jammed somewhere in the middle of the frenzy.
Against this backdrop, Royal Troon comes under pressure to provide something special. A repeat of last year, when Brian Harman coasted to victory under ugly skies at Hoylake, will not do. History is on this wonderful Ayrshire venue's side; Henrik Stenson's epic joust with Phil Mickelson here, eight years ago, was the last properly compelling Open Sunday.
That the R&A wants no repeat of Stenson's 20-under-par aggregate is apparent with one glance at the rough. Players could lose their caddies in there, never mind their golf balls.
Scottie Scheffler's outstanding touch in 2024 renders him the man to beat. His dominance on the PGA Tour has conjured memories of Tiger Woods in his prime. Even a tie for eighth at the US PGA Championship in May was remarkable given Scheffler spent Friday morning in a police cell. He has won six times this year; the last player to do that by July was Arnold Palmer, who duly added the 1962 Troon Open to his CV.
The Open is, however, a code Scheffler has been unable to crack.
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