For the first time in 40 years, the iconic voice of Ivor Robson will not be heard introducing players at The Open Championship.
Robson, the voice of the European Tour and the Open Championship, retired after last year’s Open at St. Andrews. He was one of golf’s most well-liked personalities and it took two men to replace him.
The most amazing thing about Robson is that he NEVER took a break from announcing the groups. Now consider this — at the Open Championship, ALL groups go off the first tee. That is 52 threesomes. On Thursday they will start at 6:36 a.m., Royal Troon time and the final “game” as they refer to them, will not go off until 4:16 in the afternoon. That’s nearly 10 hours that the starter spends there on the first tee.
Robson NEVER took a break, not even a restroom break.
He was simply the “iron man” of all first tee starters. He had that high-pitched voice that you could recognize instantly.
“There is a time to go and it was my time,” Robson said last year after he announced it would be his last Open.
Here’s the new deal: it took TWO men to replace him.
The new “official starter” is David Lancaster, age 58, a former officer in the Royal Navy. And there’s a “relief starter” who is Matt Corker.
Not surprising. It was an still is mind-boggling how Robson never left his station.
Robson will be missed.
