John McHenry
ASK any professional golfer in the world which golf championship they would most like to win and they would invariably say the British Open.
It is coveted by the players not just for the fact that it is golf’s oldest majo with a list of winners second to none, but also because it is probably the most open of all the major championships in terms of its qualification criteria. As if that were not enough, the fact that the British Open is always contested on links courses, makes length off the tee, the modern prerequisite to winning, less of an issue being replaced instead by strategy, patience and shot-making skills.
The winner this week will be the player who can demonstrate the required variety of putting skills necessary to negotiate the heavily contoured greens of Royal St George’s, who can control the trajectory of the ball in the windy conditions and most especially the person who can avoid the penal bunkers while also executing a variety of different shots from tight lies especially those around the greens.
As with all links courses the changing weather conditions throughout the day can have an enormous affect on how the course plays, even affecting the final outcome of the event. Thankfully there are only moderate winds forecast for the week, but with dry bouncy conditions and temperatures forecast to be below average we can still expect a stern examination of the players’ ability. The fairways have proven in the past to be difficult to hit and the greens which are difficult to read as is evident by the four winning scores at Royal St George’s since 1981 of four under, two over, 13 under and one under.
In fact, the only player to break par over the 72 holes of the 2003 Open was Ben Curtis who holed a putt of decent length on the 72nd to post a score that nobody could match.
Experience will also count for much this week. For those fortunate to have competed in many British Opens they will understand that they will simply have to roll with the throw of the dice and accept that it is near impossible to legislate as to where the ball may end up.
Just ask Tom Watson who so nearly won the event at the age of 59 two years ago. As a five-time winner of the event he holds no grudges. In fact he is probably grateful that at his age links golf provides him with the only realistic opportunity to remain competitive in major championships with the younger players of today.
Attitude counts. Links golf courses are great equalisers. There is no premium placed on distance. Instead the premium is placed on being more precise with your shot making because on links courses you can not get away with all kinds of missed shots you might normally do at most tournament venues.
This week Ireland has four players competing in the British Open, all of whom are consummate shot makers of the highest calibre with a proven pedigree on links golf courses. Three of them are major champions and one is Darren Clarke, a man who has won two world championship events and who could easily have won at least one British Open championship. It was he who for so long set the pace for many of his European Tour colleagues around the world and who now, in the twilight of his career, finds himself once again with the opportunity to compete with the very best.
While Darren still has few peers who can strike the ball better much of this week’s performance will rest on a good start, a good attitude and most importantly a consistently good week on the greens. There is no doubt in my mind that Darren still has the ability to win a major championship, especially the British Open, but it remains to be seen if he still has that self belief in himself and has the consistency to compete at the very top for all four days. If he can start well, then I would not be too surprised to see him up around the top of the leader board come the close of play on Sunday.
Padraig Harrington is once again beginning to show some consistent form coming into this week. He will already understand that there will not be as high a premium placed on bombing a drive down every fairway and that will suit him. That said, this year he has not been competing at the closing stages of tournaments and once again I feel that this inconsistency in his game may well lead to further frustrations this week.
We all know that he is a great competitor. The problem unfortunately is that at the moment he seems to be using most of that energy just to finish in the middle of the pack. However, this is the Open championship and as a two-time champion he has more than proved his pedigree in this event. Unfortunately, as far as this week is concerned, I find myself wishing for him more than believing in him.
Graeme McDowell has had a very curious year. But for some seriously high numbers on certain holes, usually in the final round, he may well have found himself in the winner’s enclosure on more that one occasion. He defended his US Open title admirably in my opinion and just last week at the Scottish Open he demonstrated once again that he could well be a force this week. He has everything in his arsenal to win this week and I for one expect to see him there or thereabouts come the close of play on Sunday.
Rory McIlroy is now a major champion. His hugely impressive victory at the US Open just three weeks ago sent out a statement to the world that he fully expects to be around picking up major championships for many years to come, and who could argue with that assessment.
However, I would urge an element of restraint in all that euphoria. The fact that Rory has elected not to compete since that victory may well compromise his competitive sharpness this week. What we do know for a fact is that if Rory is to succeed this week then he will have to demonstrate even more of his game’s arsenal, especially his shot making on or around the greens.
History tells us that only Tiger Woods since Mark O’Meara in 1998 has won more than one major throughout any one season but records are there to be broken and in McIlroy, Ireland truly possesses a golfer capable over time of rewriting many of the games records. Right now he is the darling of golf’s media throughout the world. He is a sponsor’s dream in that he is articulate and he is responsible.
I just hope that everyone continues to understand that he is still in many ways a novice rapidly learning his trade. If he plays to 85% of his full ability this week he will probably win. That’s how good this young man is!
Of the others this week, watch out for Lee Westwood (five top three finishes in last ten major championships) Retief Goosen, KJ Choi and especially Sergio Garcia provided his attitude is right. All are big time players and all would love to put their name on the famous claret jug come the end of the week.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/xoCf3CSuPng/post.aspx
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