Matthew Baldwin of England tees off the 1st during day one of The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, Thursday July 16, 2026. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
British Open: Baldwin hits ‘terrifying’ opening shot after missing World Cup semi due to early start
Jul 16, 2026 | 7:05 AM
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SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Matthew Baldwin had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot of the British Open at Royal Birkdale, where the Englishman has been a member for 23 years after growing up in the area.
It meant needing a 3:30 a.m. alarm.
It also meant missing one of his country’s biggest ever soccer matches.
Baldwin said he didn’t watch England’s agonizing 2-1 loss to Argentina in the men’s World Cup semifinals, a match that started at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. He was dozing until waking up 55 minutes into the game and discovering England was leading 1-0. He fell asleep and woke up again around midnight, to be informed by his wife that England lost.
