British Open 2024: The R&A is honoring this Open folk hero with a touching tribute at Troon

TROON, Scotland — Gone but not forgotten. That’s the case with one of the legends associated with the British Open who passed away last October but is being remembered this week at Royal Troon.

Ivor Robson spent 41 years as the Open’s official first tee starter (while serving the same role on the DP World Tour), his Scottish lilt becoming both unmistakable and comforting to those who heard it. His retirement in 2015 garnered many tributes from players and fans alike. With his death at age 83, the R&A decided to once again honor Robson, this time with a tribute poster appropriately enough just off the first tee.

“He was popular and well respected among all golfers who played in The Open,” noted R&A CEO Martin Slumbers.

The R&A tribute notes that Robson never missed a championship or a tee time during his tenure, working more than 10-hour days during the opening rounds. But during his finale at St. Andrews in 2015, he debunked the myth that he never used the bathroom while on duty.

“You have to be careful drinking water or eating, if you stand on the tee that long,” he said. “Luckily at St. Andrews the clubhouse is just behind the first tee if you really need to go to the toilet. I don’t have big dinners, or go to the bar in the evening. You can’t. It’s too demanding a job. You wouldn’t last long if you did.”

The R&A claims Robson announced the names of 44 different past, present or future champions, from Bobby Locke to Brian Harman. And the BBC estimated he announced the names of 18,995 players during his Open career. Players appreciated his presence and grace, and enjoyed like thousands of golf fans, trying to mimic Robson’s distinct style of first-tee introductions as you can see from this fun video:

Robson isn’t the person the R&A is honoring this week. Tom Weiskopf, winner of the 1973 Open at Troon, also has a tribute poster beside the 17th green. This is the first Open at Troon since Weiskopf's death from pancreatic cancer in 2022.

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Is it the British Open or the Open Championship? The name of the final men’s major of the golf season is a subject of continued discussion. The event’s official name, as explained in this op-ed by former R&A chairman Ian Pattinson, is the Open Championship. But since many United States golf fans continue to refer to it as the British Open, and search news around the event accordingly, Golf Digest continues to utilize both names in its coverage.

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