The Open Championship this year has ended with the worthy victory of Scottie Scheffler – the world’s No. 1 golfer showing a stable performance and steel bravery. But amid the celebrating atmosphere of fans and experts, a remarkable action that attracted great attention: Rory Mcilroy – the symbol of the modern golf village – immediately sent a strong message to The Open Organizing Committee, calling for a change in the way they were running and setting up the rules of play in the tournament.
Not choosing a long speech or a public criticism in the media, Mcilroy left only a single but symbolic message: “Let the glory be sublime. Don’t force the champions with outdated rules.” Although brief, but that words wrapped in fullness, expectations and beliefs of a leading athletes into the future of the sport he was pursuing.
This message is not only aimed at the organization of The Open but also as a common voice that reflects the thoughts of many professional golfers. In recent years, regulations related to the yard conditions, time of competition, even scoring and handling technical situations are gradually becoming a barrier for the natural and emotional development of the matches. The critical voices appeared scattered, but it was not until a person who had a voice like Mcilroy spoke out that the public would really explode.
Scottie Scheffler – who just won the championship with impressive performance – did not stand out. After receiving the cup and making a brief speech, Scheffler had a private moment with Mcilroy. The media recorded the image of the two exchanges in the backstage, and Scheffler just gently said a sentence: “We need to play with the heart, not papers.” Ten simple words but have the power of spreading, making Mcilroy himself fall into pensive for a few seconds.
The story between Mcilroy and Scheffler quickly spread on social networks. Golf fans around the world are constantly sharing Mcilroy’s message as a cheer for innovation and desire to preserve the true spirit of this aristocratic sport. Hashtag #LETGOLFBREEHE (Let Golf breathe) begun to emerge as an informal campaign that requires major tournaments, especially The Open and PGA Tour, to listen to opinions from top golfers instead of imposing from technical perspectives and merely trade.
This is not the first time Mcilroy spoke out about the administration of major tournaments. He once shared the dissatisfaction about the delayed speed of the competition due to the strict ball broadcast, or the fact that some holes were changed, the difficulty was unreasonable to “beautify” the television image. However, this time, the combination of Mcilroy’s words and gentle but meaningful agreement from the Scheffler champion created a stronger wave.
Experts say that this move can create a certain wave of adjustment in the tournament organization. When both young and veteran golfers agree in a direction, the pressure from the audience, sponsors and insiders can make the organizers unable to ignore.
The Open this year has a worthy champion. But what makes people remember as possible is not the decisive blow of Scheffler, but the silent but profound solidarity between the top two golfers – those who not only play golf to win, but also to protect the soul of the sport they love.
