Week to week on the PGA Tour or European Tour trying to pin down who might be the next winner is usually not a needle in a haystack situation. It can be fairly easy to see who is playing well and has both the confidence and ability to secure their next victory.
Majors though, they are another ball game altogether. The on-the-edge circumstances of course setup, major championship pressure and the spotlight of the world glaring down on you means just about anything can happen, and it usually does.
The 150th Anniversary of The Open Championship again presents those tumultuous circumstances. The return the Old Course at St. Andrews always makes for a particularly special week and given the past winners of Opens at the site, Tiger Woods having won the last two, it sets the table of expectations for another monumental finish.
Part of those expectations is because of the course itself. Unlike some courses that place high demand on certain parts of a players game The Old Course nourishes and respects a golfer’s ability to manage their way around its links in any number of fashions. The weather often dictates the order of play and with wet weather expected early on in the week and heavy winds for the latter it could be a chaotic championship. As always your tee time draw may protect or you or simply kill your chances of stealing away the Claret Jug from the possession of 2009 Champion Golfer of The Year Stewart Cink.
It has been said by many but Tiger Woods assertion that, “to win at St. Andrews is the ultimate” does not fall on deaf ears. Golfers ‘round the world want to win The Open Championship and to do that at The Old Course makes your mark on the history of golf a permanent win.
Tiger himself will be looking to make history this week but winning three consecutive Open Championships held at St. Andrews. Despite his recent woes few in modern times have shown the ability needed to hit just about every shot possible, and necessary to win on The Old Course. Tiger’s record score of 19 under par in 2000 is testament to that. Armed with the knowledge gained from those wins and in an inspired setting it just might make the perfect setting for a return to major-winning form for Tiger. In interesting news he may have a new weapon to employ this week on the monstrous green surfaces of the Old Course that average some 20,000 square feet. Dating back to mid-November of last year Tiger got a Nike Method putter dialled in during a visit to the company’s R&D facility and that stick might just be in play this week. Of late, the short stick has been Tiger’s nemesis and based on use during practice rounds it looks like he might be ready to put a new wand into play.
World #2 Phil Mickelson would love to add a third different major to his resume and while his creativity plays into his favour at St. Andrews he will need to plot his way off the tee at the Old Course if he is to have any success. Mickelson says he finds St. Andrews “the most spiritual” of all the Open courses and believes it gives him the best opportunity to win an Open Championship. “You need to be able to hit the ball far to be able to take a lot of bunkers out of play. And hit it far to be able to go down opposite fairways and create an angle,” he is quoted as saying by Alan Fraser of the Daily Mail. That said weather conditions change so frequently in Scotland that those options might not be available each day. Unless Phil can show some flexibility in a game play (highly possible) that he might struggle as he has in past Old Course Open Championships. His best finish of an 11th there in 2000 does not make up for the 40th placing in 1995 and the 60th place showing in 2005.
My sleeper pick this week is Miguel Angel Jimenez. Opportunities for “The Mechanic” to win The Open grow slimmer each year and with his quality play of late and ability to hit the ball predictably off the tee he is a sure threat.
The only thing that may work against the older crowd this week, especially as rain and wind come into play; will be the course changes in play this year. Now playing to 7305 yards and to a par of 72 all players will have to take advantage of “The Loop” in the middle of the round before facing holes 13-17. Hole #14 now plays some 618 yards long while the balance of chatter will be sure to fall on The Road Hole, #17. A new tee both further back and on a sharper angle make an already tough hole and turn it into something of a meaner variety. Players will be best advised to find a way to traverse its 495 yards in no more than a bogey each day or they might see their Open dreams dashed on the spot.
There are few guarantees in The Open Championship; both the course and the weather can be hard to predict. One thing is certain though, just as in every year past when the championship has been held at St. Andrews, we are sure to have a compelling story lay out before us.
One that draws our eternal respect and appreciation.
This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)
