Stuart FranklinCARNOUSTIE, Scotland — On Sunday, the best golfers in the world battled Carnoustie one final time at the 147th Open Championship. On Monday, a six-handicapper will take on the treacherous Scottish track. And I don’t expect to bring it to its knees.
I’m one of the fortunate few who will play Carnoustie the day after the Open. The grandstands — albeit, empty — will still be standing, the Sunday pins will still be in the ground, and the weather is supposed to be similar to that on Sunday. Also in Monday's forecast? A lot of bogeys for me. Well, hopefully.
After all, this is a place where the claret jug was lost with a triple bogey on the final hole in 1999 and then won by someone who made double bogey there in 2007. The course's nickname is Car-NASTY for crying out loud. So I didn’t need any reminders that I was in for a tough go, but I got a couple anyway from two guys named Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey. Looking for any help I could get, I asked them what would ..

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) Rory McIlory spun around and let out a roar after making a 35-foot eagle putt. Justin Rose clenched his fist after taming the 18th hole for a fourth straight day. Xander Schauffele kept his composure amid the chaos of an ever-changing leaderboard.

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) All around him on a windy summer day on the links of Carnoustie, the leaders were imploding as Tiger Woods moved into the lead at the turn. It felt like old times at the British Open, as familiar as his Sunday red shirt and the swarm of fans that cheered his every shot.

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) A brief look at the final round Sunday at the British Open:

Stuart FranklinPlaying golf for a living is a great gig, especially when you are as good at it as Francesco Molinari. Even before what's become a career year in 2018 for the 35-year-old from Italy, he had already amassed over $7 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour. Add in his earnings from a European Tour career that's included five wins and it's a pretty decent chunk of change, apparently decent enough for Molinari to consider early retirement, according to a fellow tour pro.
RELATED: A “hungover” Eddie Pepperell nearly won the claret jug
When it was clear Italian was going to be hoisting the claret jug, Wesley Bryan tweeted out some notes he had been sitting on for some time regarding Molinari's early retirement plans. According to Bryan, these are direct quotes from the new Champion Golfer of the Year from when the two played together at an event in China earlier this season, and they are so hilariously mundane we can't help but respect them:
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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) ��� The key hole in the final round Sunday of the British Open at Carnoustie:

David CannonCARNOUSTIE, Scotland — British Open winners are expected to throw back a few celebratory beverages. Heck, the trophy is a freaking wine jug. But while the drinking is supposed to come after the completion of the final round, one man's choice to booze the night before nearly resulted in a first major title.
RELATED: British Open fan celebrates Tiger's Saturday charge a bit too hard
Eddie Pepperell wound up finishing tied for sixth at the 147th Open Championship, but for awhile, his five under par total looked pretty good with just about everyone other than Francesco Molinari struggling at Carnoustie on Sunday. So how did the Brit explain his final-round 67 to climb into claret jug contention?
“I was a little hungover,” said Pepperell, who still wound up with the best major championship finish of his career. “I won't lie. I had too much to drink last night. And I was so frustrated yesterday, that today was really, I wouldn't say a write-off, but I didn&#0..

On the penultimate hole of the Open, Xander Schauffele faced a delicate pitch from off the green needing to save par to remain a stroke behind leader Francesco Molinari. It was another tense moment in an afternoon full of them, and Schauffele was ringed by the gallery—which, it turns out, included a mother and a young child in a stroller.
FacebookPinterestNow, before we go any further, the goal here is to not sound like some crusty golf crank lamenting the presence of unruly kids in the gallery. It didn't help that minutes earlier Tiger Woods' tee shot on 18 was interrupted by some yahoo barking in his backswing. But even then, the presence of young fans—either of the beer-swilling or baby formula-sucking variety—should be considered a good thing for a game that needs all sorts of injections of fresh air.
Unless, of course, it's the 71st hole of a major championship. And a guy is in contention for the first time. And the baby won't stop crying or talking. And the mo..

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) Francesco Molinari played a steady hand amid another crazy ending at Carnoustie and won the British Open to become Italy's first major champion.

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) Francesco Molinari wins the British Open, the first major golf championship ever for an Italian.