The crucial difference between 'open week' and 'Open week'

Calendar confusion creates an unfortunate clash

Ben Martin and his wife Kelly have experienced a mid-July mix-up (Getty Images)

Ben Martin’s wife learned the hard way that maybe it’s a good idea to declare all summer activities not related to golf off limits.

Kelly Martin consulted the family’s calendar while conferring with her sister about her sibling’s possible wedding dates and was excited to see “Open week” written on July 18. Alert the band, the caterers, the venue and the preacher — we had a date! Book it!

Oops.

Ben Martin arrived home and noted the potential problem immediately. “That doesn’t sound like a very good weekend,” he said, according to Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan.

“No, it was in my calendar,” Kelly replied. “It was open.”

“Yeah,” he said. “The Open Championship. The British Open.”

It was too late to change the wedding and, besides, it wasn’t a certainty that Martin would qualify for the Open that begins Thursday at St. Andrews. He did, though, and he’ll miss his sister-in-law’s nuptials. Kelly Martin will miss his tournament. Don’t ask what happens if he wins.

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