It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that no news is good news when it comes tournament organizers formally speaking with the media at major championships. (Just ask the USGA and Mike Davis how it worked out last week at the U.S. Women’s Open).

Not an Open-and-shut case for naming a major championshipSo is it The Open or the British Open? ESPN.com's Jason Sobel surveyed competitors this week at Royal Birkdale, including Englishman Paul Casey, and the answers are as varied as where a player is from — or who they are even speaking to about the topic. Steve Flynn-USA TODAY SportsFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcomment10:26 AM ETJason SobelESPN Senior Writer Close Covered golf since 2004
Former writer at Golf Channel
Winner of four Emmys while at ESPNFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmailprintcommentSOUTHPORT, England — In the moments after their ceremonial opening tee shots at Augusta National this year, while regaling with tales of the good ol' days, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player each did it. A month later, speaking about his schedule, Rory McIlroy did it. They're hardly alone. Tiger Woods has done it, too. Even — gasp! — Tom Watson has done it.
Each of these men, each of them who's held..

Doubts persist over McIlroy's game on eve of The OpenplayMcIlroy: I'd back myself to win The Open (0:32)Rory McIlroy believes it's a good time to back him to win The Open, after bookies rated his chances of victory at 20-1. (0:32)
FacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcomment12:31 PM ETBob HarigESPN Senior Writer Close Senior golf writer for ESPN.com
Covered golf for more than 20 years
Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana UniversityFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmailprintcommentSOUTHPORT, England — The ball was not going where he wanted it to, and clearly the sound and the feel did not jibe with what Rory McIlroy hoped to accomplish.
It was earlier this week on the driving range at Royal Birkdale, as McIlroy tried to put together the pieces of what for now is turning into a lost season. Having missed the cut last week at the Scottish Open, he showed up early to The Open venue, hoping to put in place the process of turning around his year.
There is ti..

On the eve of the 146th British Open, I took a walk around Royal Birkdale’s closing four-hole stretch. Here’s what I saw:
The 15th hole, the first par 5 on the card this week, was playing very short with the wind at the players’ backs.

Day not getting ahead of himself prior to The OpenplayDay hopes hard work pays off (0:27)Jason Day spoke ahead of the 146th Open Championship. (0:27)
FacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcomment1:53 PM ETMatt CooperSpecial to ESPN.com CloseMatt Cooper is a golf writer from the United Kingdom who has worked for SkySports.com and SportingLife.com. He is a writer for Golf365.com and a number of print magazines.FacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmailprintcommentSOUTHPORT, England — Jason Day's golf game is a work in progress on the eve of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“You need really good balance in this game,” he said Wednesday, and the simple fact is that in 2017 life hasn't allowed the 29-year-old to find any sort of harmony whatsoever.
Burnt out by the success of 2015 and 2016, he then had to deal with his mother's cancer scare early this year.
Previously a ferociously hard worker, he now lacked the inclination to hit the driving range; all he..

Brandt Snedeker not playing in The Open this weekFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcomment5:33 AM ETBob HarigESPN Senior Writer Close Senior golf writer for ESPN.com
Covered golf for more than 20 years
Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana UniversityFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmailprintcommentSOUTHPORT, England — Brandt Snedeker, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, withdrew from The Open on Wednesday because of injury.
In a tweet, Snedeker said that he had a “rib issue pop up last week and it didn't respond to treatment as I had hoped. The Open Championship is one of my favorite tournaments and Birkdale is such a great test. I am gutted I won't be able to compete and look forward to getting healthy as quick as possible.
“I will reevaluate with my doctors when I get back to Nashville and hopefully some rest will do the trick. Thanks for all the support and wish all the players a great Open!!”
He was replaced in the field by James Hahn, who flew fro..

Brandt Snedeker not playing in The Open this weekFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcomment11:46 AM ETBob HarigESPN Senior Writer Close Senior golf writer for ESPN.com
Covered golf for more than 20 years
Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana UniversityFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmailprintcommentSOUTHPORT, England — Brandt Snedeker, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, withdrew from The Open on Wednesday because of injury.
In a tweet, Snedeker said that he had a “rib issue pop up last week and it didn't respond to treatment as I had hoped. The Open Championship is one of my favorite tournaments and Birkdale is such a great test. I am gutted I won't be able to compete and look forward to getting healthy as quick as possible.
“I will reevaluate with my doctors when I get back to Nashville and hopefully some rest will do the trick. Thanks for all the support and wish all the players a great Open!!”
He was replaced in the field by James Hahn, who flew fr..