Каждый гольфист, играющий на Открытом чемпионате на этой неделе, будет рад увидеть орла. Так же, как и тысячи болельщиков.
Орлы в изобилии: Хищные птицы, нанятые Открытым чемпионатом для отпугивания проблемных чаек
Расположенный на восточном побережье Шотландии город Сент-Эндрюс, возможно, ласково называют «домом гольфа», но в нем живут весьма беспокойные соседи – чайки.
В то время как зрители вежливо наблюдают за знаками тишины, которые держат стюарды, пока игроки делают свои удары, морские птицы, которые кружатся над знаменитой желтой таблицей лидеров у 18‑й лунки, создают впечатляющий шум.
Пока они кружит в поисках еды, их постоянно беспокоит страх оказаться в неудачном месте приземления их отходов: несколько сотрудников и болельщиков уже попались на этом.
Однако в небе над близлежащим фуд-кортом и трибунами не видно ни одной чайки. Это результат ловкого подбора организаторами мероприятия четырех хищных птиц.
Болельщики, которые в течение недели будут перемещаться по Старому полю, привыкли видеть пару ястребов – красноклювого и Харриса, – индийского филина и орла-птицелова.
Охранники, которых назвали Энья, Нейлер, Сейдж и Фэрнли соответственно, сидят на перчатках своих кураторов и отгоняют чаек от зоны для пикников, а также от 1‑й и 18‑й трибун.
Птицы прилетели из расположенной неподалеку соколиной охоты Elite Falconry, нанятой для проведения мероприятия. Дрессировщик Джон дежурил в обеденное время на открытии раунда в четверг после шквала активности чаек в районе первого ти ранним утром.
«Без нас чайки буквально пикировали бы на людей, пытаясь украсть их еду», – сказал Джон в интервью CNN Sport.
Поскольку чайки не являются типичными представителями четырех хищных птиц, они не летают по полю, а спокойно сидят на перчатке своего дрессировщика в течение всего времени, пока те наблюдают за ними, и одного их присутствия достаточно, чтобы отпугнуть незваных гостей.
Гольф – не единственный вид спорта, в котором на соревнованиях используются хищные птицы. На Уимблдоне ястреб Руфус уже давно стал местным героем тенниса благодаря своей работе во Всеанглийском теннисном клубе.
the 1999 Open at Carnoustie. But after an errant tee shot, an overhit iron and a hack out of long grass, his ball had found the Barry Burn stream. Van de Velde waded into the Burn, trousers rolled up, contemplating playing his shot out of the water rather than take the penalty drop. He retrieved his ball in the end and took the penalty, only to chip into a bunker. His putt could only force a three-way playoff, which the Frenchman subsequently lost. The image of van de Velde's mirthless smile in the stream is so iconic, it's easy to forget the Frenchman never actually played the shot" caption="The mother of all golfing implosions, Frenchman Jean van de Velde led by three shots on the final tee of" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="60dfba43b3b175878edf41c33a16c3fe">at Royal Troon in 1989. Starting Sunday seven shots behind American Mark Calcavecchia, Norman stormed to parity with a course-record score of 64 to force a three-way, four-hole playoff. Two birdies and a bogey in the first three holes put Norman in contention. Then everything unraveled: the Australian found a bunker off the tee, then another bunker with his second shot. His ball went out of bounds with his third and that was that" caption="The Aussie known as "The Shark" was on blistering form on the final day" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="f4e7a5042d6c0941e01170db0ef60e33">at Turnberry in 2009. Watson needed par to win the Open and would have become the oldest golfer to do so. But the American caught a flier out of a tailwind and the ball raced through the green and into the long grass. A bogey meant Watson was suddenly in a four-hole playoff with compatriot Stewart Cink, where the older player ran out of steam. The incident is one of golf's great "what might have beens." caption="To this day, the American thinks he hit the "perfect" approach shot on the 18th" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="70e01f2c4e9640da3ae4be60e1389c0e">at Royal St George's in 2003, Thomas Bjorn had one hand on the Claret Jug. Then he took a trip to the beach -- more specifically, a bunker on the par-three 16th. It took the Dane three shots to escape the sand trap and he carded a double bogey. Another dropped shot on the 17th and the dream was over.
15th, 16th, 17th and Scott was suddenly tied with South African Ernie Els for the lead. But a missed seven-foot putt and yet another bogey led the Australian to watch on as Els lifted the Claret Jug -- Scott made slight amends by winning The Masters the following year" caption="Australian Adam Scott was in cruise control with a four-shot lead at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012. But the course well and truly ground the then 32-year-old down. Bogeys at the" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="1664a37e645b07c6014bbec7860cde95">Doug Sanders had two putts to win The Open. His first put him within three feet -- the kind of putt Sanders would sink blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back any other day. But the American cut short his pre-shot routine and missed not just by a little, but by a lot, the ball veering right of the hole. The error resulted in an 18-hole playoff the next day with Jack Nicklaus, who won by a single shot" caption="On the 18th green at St Andrews," creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="afe385186bfde4d118732c35f3705366">81 to leave him six over par for the tournament. It was the worst score of his professional career, but he was still able to find the funny side of a bad day, holing his first birdie of the round on the 17th and bowing to the crowd" caption="On a fair day at the Open, life is good. But when it gets wet and wild, the major is a different beast. Woods, who at the time was the reigning Masters and US Open winner, was aiming for a Grand Slam when he arrived at Muirfield in 2002. Then came the rain. In the third round, the world's greatest golfer endured one of the most torrid days of his career, carding an" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="fd441a3ae062bfb38eaeb4daf5d8a5ae">at Muirfield in 1992 is proof that an Open can pivot on the smallest of moments. The American had a two-shot lead with two holes to play, but after missing an eagle chance -- then missing a two-foot putt for birdie on the 17th -- he carded a bogey on the 18th. Nick Faldo, playing in the last pair of the day, was resurgent, capitalizing on Cook's miss and romping home to a one-shot victory" caption="What happen" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="978443fb454a7d8e482684605e3a4128">at Royal Birkdale in 1983, and Irwin needed a par on the 14th hole to keep up with the pace. He'd nearly holed out from 20 feet for a birdie and was inches away. Then, in a moment of casual carelessness, he went to tap in his next putt and ... missed. His putter hit the ground and bounced over the ball, costing him a stroke. The worst part? Irwin finished just one shot behind Watson. (Pictured: Irwin not making the same mistake at the Ryder Cup in 1981.)at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2001. He got off to a flier, nearly scoring a hole-in-one on the first hole. What would've become a birdie turned into a bogey, however, when it was discovered that he had 15 clubs in his bag -- one more than the legal limit. A two-stroke penalty was the result, and the offending wood was promptly hurled out of the bag by Woosnam. He never recovered his momentum and finished tied third" caption="Tied for the lead going into the final round, Welshman Woosnam was chasing a late career major" creditline="aussiedlerbote.de" ref="67a33d8d8cc1bb98d4fe4ab1fd36efc7">
Величайшие поражения Открытого чемпионата
Руфус стал местным героем на юго-западе Лондона, а один суперфанат нарядился в костюм ястреба на чемпионате 2017 года, чтобы избавить корты от голубей, которые могут помешать игре на Большом шлеме.
Если организаторы Open действительно захотят повысить свой уровень игры, то, по слухам, на этой неделе в городе появится Тигр, который сможет напугать и гольфистов, и чаек.
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Источник: edition.cnn.com
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