• Thank you all very much for sharing your time with us in 2025. We hope you all have a safe and happy 2026!

The Open 2018

Was out photographing practice yesterday, Tiger looks relaxed and happy. Phil was a bit erratic but was having a laugh with the fans. DJ was bombing it - my first look at him live and he's a machine. Tommy Fleetwood impressed me again, he's very decent.

Weather was excellent with just a bit of wind when Tiger was out - he teed off just before World Cup final kicked off and played eight holes - finishing as the football went into stoppage time at the end - so I saw three minutes of the final.

I'm probably not back photographing it until the weekend when it will be very different crowd wise - looking forward to it a lot.
 
I'm there on wednesday & thursday - can't wait.

It's not a course I remember from watching previous Opens, except for the 18th of course (poor JVdV).

Any recommendations of good places/holes to watch?
Normally my preference is about 100-50 yds from the front of par 5's, or behind the tee on par 3's.
 
Some good groupings in the tee times

It’s great that they just do rolling tee times and none of the morning and afternoon groups the US do which is purely for telly and also they haven’t falsely created marquee groups

Always look forward to the Open - like waiting for Xmas
 
Was out photographing practice yesterday, Tiger looks relaxed and happy. Phil was a bit erratic but was having a laugh with the fans. DJ was bombing it - my first look at him live and he's a machine. Tommy Fleetwood impressed me again, he's very decent.

Weather was excellent with just a bit of wind when Tiger was out - he teed off just before World Cup final kicked off and played eight holes - finishing as the football went into stoppage time at the end - so I saw three minutes of the final.

I'm probably not back photographing it until the weekend when it will be very different crowd wise - looking forward to it a lot.

Are you photographing as a member of the media or the public?

Only asking as I'm up there for Friday and Saturday and if I could take my camera in I may be tempted.
 
I'm photographing it as part of the media - there are notices forbidding cameras for the public I'm afraid.

Shame, I used to like going to the Touring car events, but I never did get a media bib to get onto the other side of the fence, as it were. Same with the golf I could quite fancy wandering the course with my camera.
 
Paddy Power are paying out top 10 places on e/w bets, with Tommy Fleetwood at 25/1. Thats got to be worth a punt I'm not sure the Americans are going to handle a baked dry links
 
Paddy Power are paying out top 10 places on e/w bets, with Tommy Fleetwood at 25/1. Thats got to be worth a punt I'm not sure the Americans are going to handle a baked dry links
Sky Bet are also paying 10 places, and their odds seems to be better than Paddy's on nine out of ten golfers. Just to let people know. Make sure you compare though, a few are better value on Paddy.
 
How do they stop folk taking pics with their phones ?

If they spot someone doing it, they'll ask them to stop. They could expel you from the event if they catch you repeatedly.

But I imagine the sheer difficulty in policing it means very little will be done in reality.
 
Top