The eve of The Open

In our wrap of day two at The Open, Tom Irwin is rejoined by Tour Editor Matt Chivers, fresh and excited from following Rory McIlroy inside the ropes in the second round at Portrush. The pair talk about the prospect of Rory contending on the weekend at a home major, the absolutely vast crowds that follow his every movement, how Bryson might have cracked the links code and what we can expect from the weekend, as the leaderboard is stacked with world-class quality

Tom Irwin is joined by Dan Murphy, veteran of 27 Open Championships, to reflect on a monumental day one of The Open. They discuss how big is too big, a very ‘Rory’ Rory, how long is too long and the overarching sense of relief that The Open is delivering once again.

Tom Irwin is at The Open, he is missing Steve but the excitement has got too much and he had to Pod. He has roped in Tour Editor Matt Chivers to join him for an eve of the Open bonus episode of the NCG Golf Podcast. They run through 6 things you will be sure to see this week:   An Open ruined at the 1st A real challenge from the LIV players Hyperbolic Americans. Rory revelling in the attention Ludicrous Irish crowds cheering on the home favourites. The joyous cliché of Sky’s coverage.   Tune in, if only for the Alan Shipnuk /  Swilcan Bridge analogy.

It’s the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and we’ve got an unmatched preview to get you into the spirit for the final men’s major of the year. Tom Irwin recounts his memories of playing the Dunluce course that will host the championship this week, as well as giving us a behind the scenes tour of some of the town’s highlights. Co-host Steve Carroll passionately argues for the removal of the internal out of bounds that did for Rory McIlroy’s chances in 2019 and tests Tom on his Open rules knowledge. And, of course, we tell you who we think can lift the Claret Jug on Sunday night. Get your Open week off to the best possible start by giving it a listen! Website: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/ X: https://x.com/NCG_com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalClubGolfer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalclubgolfer/?hl=en

We’ve reached the halfway point of our run down of the best golf holes on The Open rota courses. Now, Tom Irwin joins Steve Carroll once more to discuss the back 9 of his favourite holes from the 10 courses that have hosted the Claret Jug. What will he pick? Be warned, there are some pretty famous holes that don’t make the cut. What do you think about his selections, and what would you choose? Tom Irwin is getting in the Open spirit. He’s somehow managed to blag his way round most of the courses on The Open rota over the last few months. In honour of the journey, he runs down his favourite holes from the 10 courses that have regularly hosted the Claret Jug. It’s an eclectic – so the 1st hole on Tom’s list must also be the 1st hole at one of the venues – and so on. It’s a meaty task so this week, Tom and host Steve Carroll run through his front nine. We’ll tackle the homeward stretch in the next episode. What do you make of his selections? What mistakes has he made and what did he miss? Website: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/ X: https://x.com/NCG_com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalClubGolfer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalclubgolfer/?hl=en  

Tom Irwin is getting in the Open spirit. He’s somehow managed to blag his way round most of the courses on The Open rota over the last few months. In honour of the journey, he runs down his favourite holes from the 10 courses that have regularly hosted the Claret Jug. It’s an eclectic – so the 1st hole on Tom’s list must also be the 1st hole at one of the venues – and so on. It’s a meaty task so this week, Tom and host Steve Carroll run through his front nine. We’ll tackle the homeward stretch in the next episode. What do you make of his selections? What mistakes has he made and what did he miss? Website: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/ X: https://x.com/NCG_com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalClubGolfer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalclubgolfer/?hl=en

A new report says golf is a big turn off for plenty of kids – and huge numbers of parents don’t even try to get their children into the sport. The findings, from American Golf, say the Covid boom hasn’t been reflected in interest from Under-18s and we risk “losing an entire generation” without action. Is the future of our game in trouble? Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll, both parents of young children, ask if we need to do more to get our offspring away from YouTube and onto the course. Elsewhere, Tom recounts his mammoth 108-hole marathon as he took part in The Big Golf Race to raise cash for Prostate Cancer, Steve laments a disappointing club championship and we ask whether Lottie Woad should have been given her prize money after the amateur sensationally won the Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour. Are the Rules of Amateur Status fit for purpose? You can donate to NCG’s Big Golf Race here: https://biggolfrace.prostatecanceruk.org/fundraising/toms-big-golf-race395 Website: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/ X: https://x.com/NCG_com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalClubGolfer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalclubgolfer/?hl=en

Podcast co-host Tom Irwin has had a through-the-bag fitting with TaylorMade at The Belfry. With clubs costing what they do, it's essential you buy something that suits. Custom fitting can really help. So if you're in the market for a new set of sticks, Tom has got eight tips to make the experience worthwhile.  Tom also reveals how he has fallen foul of England Golf's Championship Entry policy when trying to enter the English Amateur Championship. But why? He reveals all.  We discuss if the policy is working as it should, and we circle round to the thorny issue of whether a handicap system that’s designed for lots of scores is, in this case, having the opposite effect for players. And rules corner is back! Website: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/ X: https://x.com/NCG_com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalClubGolfer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalclubgolfer/?hl=en

Steve and Tom have been playing golf. A lot of golf. Yes, we get a rundown of Captain’s Days and Team Championships but there is a deeper message too. Steve reveals the curious WHS situation he encountered where he could play a competition round under his Course Handicap and see his Index still rise. Is it just a quirk of averaging or – for those of us used to being cut for a good score – is it part of the reason WHS has been getting such a hard time? That leaves the duo to delve into general play vs competition scores, whether scores should be time limited, and whether education really is the answer to preventing manipulation of the system. Check out these pieces referred to in the podcast: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/whs/whs-increase-after-good-round/ https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/rules/stroke-and-distance-rule-change/ https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/whs/could-weighting-general-play-scores-solve-manipulation/

Record rounds, record scores submitted – the picture for golf looks rosy. The post Covid boom seems alive and well. So why are some in the golf industry gloomy? Why are clubs closing and why, in particular, does it seem like there is a sustained assault on municipal golf? In this week’s pod, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll look behind the numbers to see what’s going on in our golf clubs. Elsewhere, Tom explains why he found the US Open at Oakmont a turn-off, and not just metaphorically, the pair try to work out what’s up with Rory McIlroy, and Steve explains why he has been bitten with the golf bug once more. Website: https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/ X: https://x.com/NCG_com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalClubGolfer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalclubgolfer/?hl=en