Welcome to GOLF.com’s “Seen & Heard” video series, in which we give you an inside look at golf’s biggest events through the eyes and ears of our onsite crew. On deck this week: the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.

ICYMI: Tiger talks, Rory’s confession | Seen & Heard at the Open Championship Day 1
ICYMI: Scheffler’s rust, MacIntyre’s wild celebration | Seen & Heard at the Open Championship Day 2

If you’ve watched any coverage of the Open Championship this week, you’ve most certainly seen the Scotrail line that runs along the 11th hole at Royal Troon. That railway is exactly how our GOLF team of Sean Zak and James Colgan arrive to the Open each day.

“This is how you need to arrive at a major championship,” Zak said. “Among the people.”

Friday at the Open means cut day, and once again, Tiger Woods is heading home early at a major, his third straight missed cut. Colgan noted that Woods doesn’t look like he’s anywhere near contending again, but he doesn’t want to stop either.

“I loved it. I’ve always loved playing major championships,” Woods said. “I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors. Obviously it tests you mentally, physically, and emotionally. And I just wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be and I was hoping I would find it somehow, I just never did. Consequently, my results and scores were really high.”

Woods did commit to playing next year’s Open at Royal Portrush.

As the 15-time major winner exited stage left, the winds began picking up at Troon, proving that those who played in the late-early wave for the opening rounds got the better side of the draw.

Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open champ, was among that group in the late-early wave — and he took advantage with an opening 36 holes of seven under to take the lead at the midway point. Two shots back is his Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, who had to qualify for this Open.

Zak wondered which of the two players is having a more unsustainable week: Can Lowry keep up his insane putting? Or can Rose keep up his consistency?

“I put myself there in a few big tournaments, and I’ve managed to knock them off,” Lowry said when asked if he was a good front-runner. “So I’ve done it a few times. I don’t know. It’s hard to win tournaments. We’ll see. I’ll tell you Sunday evening.”

You can check out the GOLF’s team full Friday experience at the Open in the video above, or check it out on YouTube here.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.