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SOUTHPORT, England — Each of the men overseeing golf’s major championships has a distinctive mien. Fred Ridley carries himself like a genteel, pompadoured Southern attorney whose idea of casual Fridays extends no further than Prada loafers. Terry Clark, newly installed at the PGA of America, projects the smooth competence of a corporate operator skilled in resurrecting an enterprise whose stock has tanked. Mike Whan has the practiced patter of a salesman eager to meet his target for selling snow to Eskimos.
Today was the turn of Mark Darbon, who has the owlish look of a young(ish) college professor gamely trying to retain the last vestiges of hipness while occupying a tragically unhip job running the R&A, golf’s oldest governing entity. His state-of-the-game press conference at Royal Birkdale on the eve of the 154th Open offered plenty of reminders that were apt, sharp and overdue.
More: Will World Cup impact Open tee times? 5 things we learned from R&A presser
Not least that all things golf move at a quicker pace over here. The entire press briefing lasted 24 minutes, or two-thirds of the 36 minutes required just for self-indulgent opening remarks by the USGA leadership last month at Shinnecock Hills before a single question was fielded.
Darbon himself is a reminder of how rapidly things are changing in the sport’s corridors of power. He’s only been in charge now for two Opens, but already has more tenure in the gig than the heads of the PGA of America, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and LIV Golf. The questions he faced were an equally jarring reminder of how much the golf landscape has altered, or settled.
Not a single inquiry involved LIV, which wasn’t mentioned at all. Somewhere, Martin Slumbers rolled his eyes at his successor’s good timing. The league’s bots and bootlickers (but I repeat myself) might imagine collusion given yesterday’s press conference for Jon Rahm. The Spaniard answered 22 questions, about the PGA Tour, scheduling, changes at Birkdale, course strategy, wind direction and his mental process, but none about the prospects or relevance of the circuit on which he competes — itself a commentary on its prospects and relevance.
More: Our hub for The Open: Stories, video and more
The issues Darbon did address were a welcome reminder of the banality of bureaucracy — innovations like the Last Chance qualifier, improvements to the Open app, enhancements to the broadcast and streaming experience, the handicap system, and the Open’s Kids Go Free program, which offers no-cost admission to under-16s (commendable in this era of price-gouging banditry). He even announced a new Spirit of Golf award “to recognize an individual who demonstrates the spirit of the game on a global scale and exemplifies the values, behaviors, and traditions of golf.” It’s another of the noble baubles golf loves to bestow upon the unsurprising, in this case, Adam Scott.
The first question the CEO heard wasn’t about rollbacks or bankrolls, nor even really about golf. Darbon was asked if tee times might be moved up for Sunday’s final round, which is scheduled to conclude not long before the World Cup final kicks off. He said it will be considered, especially if England advances. Hard to imagine a sharper reminder to guys who think they’re worth $20-plus million a week of where they really rank in the global sports ecosystem, even during their biggest events.
The players received another signal with the announcement of the prize fund, which was increased by just $750,000 for 2026. Darbon put that in context, noting that the R&A has obligations beyond paying pros and reinvests Open proceeds in its programs. (Lest Brian Rolapp march on Royal Birkdale to protest the shortchanging of his members, the purse when the championship was last here in ’17 was $10.25 million).
Darbon also reminded his elders that golf doesn’t need to heed the swarm of narcissistic grifters insisting that golf has low self-esteem and must desperately reach a new, younger audience — and that it can only do so by, well, accommodating and compensating the grifters. Asked about potential outreach to the social media-forward demographic, he delivered an unveiled dig at executives in Ponte Vedra who spend too much time catering to TikTokTube influencers.
“The activities we want to undertake at our Open Championship specifically have to remain true to their heritage and standing of this great event. We could, I guess, have chosen to stage a creator classic at thestart of this week,” he said. “We didn't do that.”
Golf ball distance was discussed, as it always is when governing bodies have housekeeping briefings. The material update on this issue was shared at last month’s U.S. Open, so Darbon’s message only differed from Whan’s in its accent and brevity, but otherwise had the usual talk about transparency, collaboration, dialogue, stakeholders and solutions, yet no impactful action.
The codes of conduct adopted for the first time at the 154th Open — for both spectators and players — serve as a reminder that even the game’s oldest and most cherished major is fighting a rearguard action against the encroaching incivility and lack of comportment evident in so many other precincts. But Darbon did stop shy of endorsing Nick Faldo’s call to fine hecklers $10,000.
“I think we feel that it's within our gift, if someone does step over the line, to ask them to leave the venue, and I think that's a pretty powerful display,” he replied. “That's the mechanism that we'll use rather than fining a spectator.”
Darbon day was a very British press conference, all in all, more function than fireworks. Last year, he was the new kid on the block. This year, he displayed a smidge more confidence. We’ll see what his third turn in the chair brings next year in St. Andrews. At the current rate of change, by then he might be the most senior figure among those leading the majors.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: R&A chief delivered sharp reminders to players and peers at the Open. They were welcome and overdue
Continue reading...
Today was the turn of Mark Darbon, who has the owlish look of a young(ish) college professor gamely trying to retain the last vestiges of hipness while occupying a tragically unhip job running the R&A, golf’s oldest governing entity. His state-of-the-game press conference at Royal Birkdale on the eve of the 154th Open offered plenty of reminders that were apt, sharp and overdue.
More: Will World Cup impact Open tee times? 5 things we learned from R&A presser
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Not least that all things golf move at a quicker pace over here. The entire press briefing lasted 24 minutes, or two-thirds of the 36 minutes required just for self-indulgent opening remarks by the USGA leadership last month at Shinnecock Hills before a single question was fielded.
Darbon himself is a reminder of how rapidly things are changing in the sport’s corridors of power. He’s only been in charge now for two Opens, but already has more tenure in the gig than the heads of the PGA of America, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and LIV Golf. The questions he faced were an equally jarring reminder of how much the golf landscape has altered, or settled.
Not a single inquiry involved LIV, which wasn’t mentioned at all. Somewhere, Martin Slumbers rolled his eyes at his successor’s good timing. The league’s bots and bootlickers (but I repeat myself) might imagine collusion given yesterday’s press conference for Jon Rahm. The Spaniard answered 22 questions, about the PGA Tour, scheduling, changes at Birkdale, course strategy, wind direction and his mental process, but none about the prospects or relevance of the circuit on which he competes — itself a commentary on its prospects and relevance.
More: Our hub for The Open: Stories, video and more
The issues Darbon did address were a welcome reminder of the banality of bureaucracy — innovations like the Last Chance qualifier, improvements to the Open app, enhancements to the broadcast and streaming experience, the handicap system, and the Open’s Kids Go Free program, which offers no-cost admission to under-16s (commendable in this era of price-gouging banditry). He even announced a new Spirit of Golf award “to recognize an individual who demonstrates the spirit of the game on a global scale and exemplifies the values, behaviors, and traditions of golf.” It’s another of the noble baubles golf loves to bestow upon the unsurprising, in this case, Adam Scott.
The first question the CEO heard wasn’t about rollbacks or bankrolls, nor even really about golf. Darbon was asked if tee times might be moved up for Sunday’s final round, which is scheduled to conclude not long before the World Cup final kicks off. He said it will be considered, especially if England advances. Hard to imagine a sharper reminder to guys who think they’re worth $20-plus million a week of where they really rank in the global sports ecosystem, even during their biggest events.
You must be registered for see images
The players received another signal with the announcement of the prize fund, which was increased by just $750,000 for 2026. Darbon put that in context, noting that the R&A has obligations beyond paying pros and reinvests Open proceeds in its programs. (Lest Brian Rolapp march on Royal Birkdale to protest the shortchanging of his members, the purse when the championship was last here in ’17 was $10.25 million).
Darbon also reminded his elders that golf doesn’t need to heed the swarm of narcissistic grifters insisting that golf has low self-esteem and must desperately reach a new, younger audience — and that it can only do so by, well, accommodating and compensating the grifters. Asked about potential outreach to the social media-forward demographic, he delivered an unveiled dig at executives in Ponte Vedra who spend too much time catering to TikTokTube influencers.
“The activities we want to undertake at our Open Championship specifically have to remain true to their heritage and standing of this great event. We could, I guess, have chosen to stage a creator classic at thestart of this week,” he said. “We didn't do that.”
Golf ball distance was discussed, as it always is when governing bodies have housekeeping briefings. The material update on this issue was shared at last month’s U.S. Open, so Darbon’s message only differed from Whan’s in its accent and brevity, but otherwise had the usual talk about transparency, collaboration, dialogue, stakeholders and solutions, yet no impactful action.
The codes of conduct adopted for the first time at the 154th Open — for both spectators and players — serve as a reminder that even the game’s oldest and most cherished major is fighting a rearguard action against the encroaching incivility and lack of comportment evident in so many other precincts. But Darbon did stop shy of endorsing Nick Faldo’s call to fine hecklers $10,000.
“I think we feel that it's within our gift, if someone does step over the line, to ask them to leave the venue, and I think that's a pretty powerful display,” he replied. “That's the mechanism that we'll use rather than fining a spectator.”
Darbon day was a very British press conference, all in all, more function than fireworks. Last year, he was the new kid on the block. This year, he displayed a smidge more confidence. We’ll see what his third turn in the chair brings next year in St. Andrews. At the current rate of change, by then he might be the most senior figure among those leading the majors.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: R&A chief delivered sharp reminders to players and peers at the Open. They were welcome and overdue
Continue reading...
