​SOUTHPORT, England — Each of the men overseeing golf’s major championships has a distinctive mien. Fred Ridley carries himself like a genteel, pompadoured Southern attorney whose idea of casual Fridays extends no further than Prada loafers. Terry Clark, newly installed at the PGA of America, projects the smooth competence of a corporate operator skilled in resurrecting an enterprise whose stock has tanked. Mike Whan has the practiced patter of a salesman eager to meet his target for selling snow to Eskimos.Today was the turn of Mark Darbon, who has the owlish look of a young(ish) college professor gamely trying to retain the last vestiges of hipness while occupying a tragically unhip job running the R&A, golf’s oldest governing entity. His state-of-the-game press conference at Royal Birkdale on the eve of the 154th Open offered plenty of reminders that were apt, sharp and overdue.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore: Will World Cup impact Open tee times? 5 things we learned from R&A presserSOUTHPORT, ENGLAND – JULY 15: Mark Darbon, CEO of The R&A speaks to the media during a press conference during a practice round, prior to The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 15, 2026 in Southport, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Not least that all things golf move at a quicker pace over here. The entire press briefing lasted 24 minutes, or two-thirds of the 36 minutes required just for self-indulgent opening remarks by the USGA leadership last month at Shinnecock Hills before a single question was fielded.Darbon himself is a reminder of how rapidly things are changing in the sport’s corridors of power. He’s only been in charge now for two Opens, but already has more tenure in the gig than the heads of the PGA of America, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and LIV Golf. The questions he faced were an equally jarring reminder of how much the golf landscape has altered, or settled.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNot a single inquiry involved LIV, which wasn’t mentioned at all. Somewhere, Martin Slumbers rolled his eyes at his successor’s good timing. The league’s bots and bootlickers (but I repeat myself) might imagine collusion given yesterday’s press conference for Jon Rahm. The Spaniard answered 22 questions, about the PGA Tour, scheduling, changes at Birkdale, course strategy, wind direction and his mental process, but none about the prospects or relevance of the circuit on which he competes — itself a commentary on its prospects and relevance.More: Our hub for The Open: Stories, video and moreThe issues Darbon did address were a welcome reminder of the banality of bureaucracy — innovations like the Last Chance qualifier, improvements to the Open app, enhancements to the broadcast and streaming experience, the handicap system, and the Open’s Kids Go Free program, which offers no-cost admission to under-16s (commendable in this era of price-gouging banditry). He even announced a new Spirit of Go