The Open Championship’s final-round schedule is currently on hold. Whether there will be changes or not depends on England’s semifinal at the FIFA World Cup.

England is set to face Argentina in the semifinal on Wednesday. The final match, on Sunday, could possibly clash with the Open’s final round, but R&A’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, points out that it matters only if England makes it to the last stage.

“As an England football fan, it would be a great problem to have,” Darbon said in his pre-tournament press conference. “But also, because I’m an England football fan, we should probably wait and see how the semi-final goes before we get too far ahead.”

The final of the FIFA WC will take place on Sunday, July 19, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It has been scheduled to start at 8 p.m. UK time. 

On the other hand, the final putt at Royal Birkdale is scheduled at around 6.40 pm (BST) on Sunday, as Darbon said on Sky Sports' video. A possible playoff could last an hour longer. That raises the concern of a possible clash. 

“As we approach the championship, we’ll ensure we try and avoid that clash wherever possible,” Darbon said in April. “Of course, some things are out of our control in terms of playoffs and the like, but we will attempt to avoid a clash.” 

Spain is already in the final, and on Wednesday night, the other finalist will be decided. The R&A will make its final decision following the second semi-final.

Darbon also had his say on the new fan code of conduct set to be implemented at the Open.

Mark Darbon on the fan code of conduct policy

Ahead of the 154th Open, the R&A has decided to put into practice “The Open Commitment” to keep crowd behavior in check.

“We’ve got a great staffing model across our venue that involves R&A staff, volunteers, marshals, officials,” he said at the same press conference.

“Those people are briefed on keeping an eye on this behaviour in line with our code of conduct, so we’re very confident in our ability to identify any folks that step over the line that we’ve drawn, and we’ll monitor that through the week.”

Rather than fines, the R&A has taken the stern step of expulsion to penalize misconduct. As part of the initiative, the spectators will have to respect players, fellow fans, and the golf course.

The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills turned out to be hostile. This initiative of the R&A comes on the back of that to create a neutral playing ground for the players at the 154th Open.

Do you think the R&A should reschedule its final round? Share your opinions in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason