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THEOPEN
ROYAL ST GEORGE // 10-17 JULY 2011
JULY 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 1
FEATURE SANDWICH
SANDWICH
KILLERS
ROYAL ST GEORGE’S: TALES OF HEROES & ZEROS Home to the Maiden, Corsets, Kitchen and Suez Canal, Royal St George’s has some of the most colourful landmarks on the Open rota along with a rich legacy of tournament dramas. Selecting his favourite Sandwich trivia, Dominic Pedler brings you an alternative hole-by-hole guide to the geographical and historical highlights.
With its rollercoaster fairway and plateau green guarded by a false front and deep bunkers, the 17th is part of a notably testing finishing stretch at Royal St George’s. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
62 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
THEOPEN
ROYAL ST GEORGE’S // 10-17 JULY 2011
JULY 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 63
FEATURE SANDWICH
The American Bill Rogers triumphed in the 1981 Open at Royal St George’s but only after nearly missing his tee time on the opening morning.
“Sandwich, with its towering sandhills and spacious fairways, is a course for heroes,” wrote Peter Lawless in the 1937 edition of Golfers Companion. From St George himself to Ian Fleming’s James Bond, Royal St George’s has indeed been associated with some iconic names led, of course, by a checklist of golf’s greatest heroes. Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Greg Norman are just some of the legends who have won prestigious tournaments here, while others – from Tony Jacklin to
shouldn’t bother the pros. This challenging opener is also fa-
Tiger Woods have made dramatic headlines for a variety of
mous for the right-hand rough at the 300-yard mark where
reasons.
Tiger Woods lost his ball with his opening drive at the 2003
But – appropriately given the legend of St George – the course has also seen its fair share of upsets and underdogs
Open. Tiger would rue the resulting triple bogey seven (he made
prevailing against all odds, from Don Moe’s extraordinary re-
five with the reload) when eventually finishing two shots be-
covery in the Walker Match of 1930 to Ben Curtis’ 2003 Open
hind the winner. The ball itself (a Nike One TW newly launched
victory as the 396th ranked player in the world on his first visit
in the UK that week) was later found by a volunteer marshall
to a seaside links.
who sold it to The Sun.
Our trivia tour starts on the practice putting green where, on
with which Reg Whitcombe opened his final round in the terri-
the opening day of the 1981 Open, eventual winner Bill Rogers
ble conditions of 1938 – though he still went on to win.
Among the earlier historical highlights here is the four-putt
was fortuitously alerted to his imminent tee time by a circumspect journalist checking the Order Of Play. The Texan de-
Hole 2. While those same 60 mph winds at the 1938 Open de-
camped swiftly to join Manuel Pinero and Maurice Bembridge
stroyed the tented village they also allowed competitors to
just in time for their 9.24 slot before going on to shoot an
drive the green if they cut the corner on a hole that measured
opening two-over par 72.
370-yards via the dogleg.
The journalist would later be rewarded with a magnum of
Henry Cotton did just that and holed the putt for an eagle 2,
champagne as Rogers strode to a four-shot victory on the Sun-
as did Alf Padgham who would prove even a more of a factor
day afternoon.
on that final day. Of course, it was the 1.62 ball in those days.
Hole 1. The pronounced dip in the middle of the fairway,
land on the right of the fairway that forms a natural habitat for
known affectionately as the Kitchen, is the scourge of the
geese, waterfowl, goldfinch and various owls – including the
members but, at around 240 yards from the back tee,
rare pale buff coloured barn owl.
Visitors today should look out for the eco-friendly marsh-
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTIMAGES.COM
The 1st fairway proved hard to hit in 2003 as Tiger Woods illustrated when losing a ball with his very first shot of the championship. Three over par after one hole, he would eventually finish just two shots behind Ben Curtis.
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FEATURE THE COURSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
The daunting bunkers on the right at the 4th hole should pose no problem for the pros - but Mike Harwood’s travails in the 1993 Open are captured graphically on YouTube.
Hole 3. The old 240-yard, blind par three, nicknamed Sahara
after the amateur who tumbled (literally, head over heels) out
for the huge sandy wastes that had to be carried in the early
of the 1979 English Amateur Championship when trying to
days, is sadly no more – even if the new 2011 back tee matches
play his ball embedded near the same sandy summit in a sud-
the yardage.
den-death playoff.
The original was famous for Henry Cotton’s heroics at the
Even if you avoid the sand there’s still the Out of Bounds to
1934 Open, starting with a virtually flawless 66 in qualifying
contend with at the back of the green: as the final-round leader
where his longest putt was a 15-footer here for a birdie two.
in 1922, Jock Hutchinson, found when running up a seven.
Ironically, Sahara would be replaced (in the Frank Pennick
In 1938, Henry Cotton, having played an astonishing 57
changes of 1975) by the only bunkerless hole on the course -
holes at St George’s without a five on his card, finally suc-
but it’s awkward armchair green is one of the hardest to negoti-
cumbed when he failed to get up and down. More recently, an
ate. Christy O’Connor Jnr.’s three-putts here in 1985 was one of
exceptional final-day three here from Ben Curtis in 2003 served
the few blemishes in his record breaking 64, but spurred him
notice that the rank outsider was very much a contender.
to play the next nine holes in ‘level 3s’. Hole 5. The short Sea Hole of the original 1887 layout has long Hole 4. The site of one the tallest and deepest bunkers in the
since evolved into a dogleg par four featuring one of the
UK on the right of the ‘Elysian Fields’ – St George’s answer to
course’s most attractive approach shots over bunkers and
the safe stretch on the 14th on the Old Course at St Andrews.
through a valley between high sand dunes.
In the 1993 Open Mike Harwood’s ball managed to lodge itself at the very top, prompting a punishing excursion to the summit that is captured for posterity on YouTube. “The new ride we’ll see at Disney World,” says the American commentator as Harwood plays a “pool shot off the railroad
Not that John Daly played it that way at the 1993 Open, instead going straight for the green over the corner of the huge Maiden dune, prompting some impromptu trigonometry in the tabloids. Many more went for it in 2003 as will, no doubt, players
ties” to the bottom of the bunker before eventually playing out
such as Bubba Watson and Alvaro Quiros this year even though
sideways.
the stats consistently suggest that more birdies are yielded
Yet the trap is usually referred to as Reg Glading’s Bunker 66 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
from a conservative lay-up.
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FEATURE SANDWICH
Harry Bradshaw’s famous beer bottle shot at the 5th hole in the 1949 Open led to a bogey that saw him tie with Bobby Locke, before losing in a playoff.
Driving heroics aside, the hole is most famous for Harry Bradshaw’s ‘beer bottle shot’ that cost him the 1949 Open. His tee shot in the final round came to rest among the broken glass from which he elected to play when probably entitled to a free drop. The resulting bogey cost him dearly as he eventually tied with Bobby Locke who went on to prevail in the play-off. Incidentally, the hollow just short of the right hand side of the fairway was known as Lady Astor’s Fairway or Nancy’s Parlour after Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in parliament. A keen golfer who sometimes played here with the Prince of Wales (who himself became captain of Royal St George’s), Lady Astor would often start her round at this tee PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTIMAGES.COM
which adjoins the Sandwich Bay estate where she built her country retreat, Rest Harrow, in 1911. Hole 6. Christened The Maiden after the breathtaking 40-foot dune of the same name that appears on maps of Sandwich dating back to the 17th century. Sandwich member, Ian Fleming, famously referred to it as The Virgin in the eponymous Goldfinger golf match, with both names presumably inspired by early photographs depicting twin sandy mounds. One theory is that the landmark was named after the German translation of
Hole 8. Another of the holes totally redesigned by Frank Pen-
Jungfrau, the mountain above Interlaken which, with its neigh-
nick in the extensive 1975 changes. The club pro, Andrew
bour, Monch (The Monk), bears a credible resemblance to the
Brooks, suggests it now has “the most technically demanding
double-breasted Maiden of earlier eras when golfers played di-
and aesthetically pleasing second shot on the course” often
rectly over the summit of the dune.
into the prevailing wind to a delightfully sited green nestled in
One player apparently chalked up a 45 here on the earliest
the sandhills.
layout while, even from an easier tee in the 1934 Open, a Ger-
Golfing historians will remember the hole as a dramatic par
man pro took 11.
three, Hades, named after the now abandoned 30-yard long Jack Nicklaus aced this superb
NO SCORE DRAW The R&A scorer’s hut at Sandwich may not sound too exciting a reference point but is has featured in a few Opens here. Most recently during the Mark Roe heartbreak of 2003 when, after shooting a superb third round 67, the Englishman had been found to have forgotten to exchange scorecards with playing partner Jesper Parnevik (see Roe story p78). But the inevitable calls for streamlining the scoring process were also heard here back at the 1981 Open here when James Heggarty and Philip Clark were DQ’d – this time for forgetting to sign their cards on the Friday when both had made the cut. Finally, the scorers at Sandwich at the 1899 Open were under rather less pressure when appalling weather conditions forced almost half the field of 100 (a record entry) to withdraw after 36 holes, while only 28 competitors completed all four rounds.
bunker 150 yards out from the tee. In the 1890s, the editor of
par 3 in his final practice round
Golf Illustrated, Garden G. Smith, referred to the hazard as
for the 1985 Open (a 4-iron from
“Downhanging, terrible and vast,” with shades of Milton’s Para-
156 yards into a strong wind) be-
dise Lost. Henry Cotton dropped his only shot there in his
fore missing his first ever cut in
defining 65 at the 1934 Open, with one famous photograph
the championship.
finding him playing precariously from that same sand.
Hole 7. As you ponder this impos-
Hole 9. Originally called Corsets “because of the fascinating un-
ing blind drive, pause for a mo-
dulations and constricted spaces at the two sets of hazards,” as
ment to consider Roe’s Run – the
the club handbook colourfully describes it. The hole is much
six consecutive threes with which
changed today but traces of the deep cross bunkers that
Mark Roe started his second
trapped drives on the old fairway which ran parallel down the
round at the 2003 Open – knock-
right can still be seen.
ing two shots off Henry Cotton’s
The green with a plunging dip on the right is particularly
20 for the same stretch in 1934
hard to hold, though Greg Norman had no problem with 9-iron
qualifying. Scary stuff.
approach to six inches in his final-round 64 at the 1993 Open –
Back in 1919, Bernard Darwin waxed lyrical over the view that
another to watch on YouTube. Reg Whitcombe will be grateful he predated that technology
greets us as we reach the crest of
given the four putts he took here in his 3rd round in 1938
the hill: “The sun shining on the
(making him surely the only player to four-putt twice on the
waters of Pegwell Bay, lighting up
final day and still lift the claret jug).
the white cliffs…this is as nearly my idea of Heaven as is to be attained on any earthly links”. This par-five has seen some dramas down the years. When
Also missed by the cameras (we believe) is the sand save recovery Ben Curtis made when plugged treacherously under the lip of the greenside bunker in the second round of the 2003
seemingly cruising at the 1981 Open, Bill Rogers ran up a final
Open. On his visit to Royal St George’s in May earlier this year,
round seven that cut his lead to just one shot. A duffed chip
the American told Gi it remains one of the three most memo-
here in 1993 was one of the few flaws in Greg Norman’s phe-
rable shots he played that week. Did any readers see it?!
nomenal 64; while in 2003, an eagle by Nick Faldo on Sunday took him briefly to within one shot of the lead and the chance
Hole 10. Played up to an imposing plateau this is described as
of emulating Jack Nicklaus with a major victory at aged 46. He
the toughest hole by Ian Fleming in Goldfinger, where he re-
bogeyed the next three and finished 8th.
counts the 14 recorded here in “the Gold Bowl” by Philip Scrut-
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FEATURE SANDWICH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
The stunning contouring at the 9th green with views of Pegwell Bay beyond. Both Greg Norman and Ben Curtis played pivotal shots here in their Open victories of 1993 and 2003, respectively.
ton (the real life winner of the Brabazon in 1954 and ’55)
course. It’s certainly yielded its fair share of brilliant birdies –
The same “ping pong shots from one bunker to another” are
like Norman’s in the 1993 Open and Christy O’Connor’s during
easily done here, as Tom Kite will testify. Leading the 1985
his opening 64 in 1985 which completed a run of eight birdies
Open by two on the final day and having hit a fine drive, the
in nine holes (he’d lipped out for a two at the 11th).
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTIMAGES.COM
American visited both of the deep traps carved menacingly into the slope on the left of the green. While the traps have become known as Kite’s Grave, his sec-
But with six bunkers to avoid on your approach it’s certainly no pushover: in 2003, Ben Curtis came to the tee six-under for the final round –nonly to drop his first shot of the day.
ond recovery was blasted over the equally daunting precipice at the back of the green. Although he got up-and-down from
Hole 13. The imposing first-leg of Trinity, named after the
there, the double bogey cost him dear as he went on to finish
near-perfect equilateral triangle formed by the 13th, 14th and
three shots behind Sandy Lyle.
15th fairways. There’s also a trinity of bunkers, en echelon, to catch your second shot – or in the case of Darren Clarke in
Hole 11. This used to be a par four, famous
round two of the 2003 Open, your 370-yard drive.
for Alf Padgham’s eagle two after driving
This hole also proved the highlight of Mark Roe’s ill-fated third
the green (reported variously as 383 and
round when he holed a sand iron to move to four under the
392 yards downwind) in the 1938 Open.
card (or should that be Jesper’s card?) for his round (see ‘Keep
Though when playing into the same 60 mph
Calm & Carry On’, page 78).
wind at the 14th that day, Padgham was
Ten years previously, Greg Norman’s 18-footer here was the
still short after four wood shots, letting in
start of five consecutive birdies in an opening 66, in which he
Reg Whitcombe to win.
only used his putter five times in the last six holes.
Today’s long par three has seen its fair
Further back, it was here that Henry Cotton’s challenge at
share of highlights, including Nick Faldo’s
the 1938 Open faltered when, having been 3-under for the day
tee shot that hit the stick playing in the
(incredibly, given the conditions briefly captured on footage on
group ahead of Greg Norman in 1993; and
the R&A’s website) he made bogey.
Ben Curtis’ birdie putt in 2003 which he
WINNERS Year
Winner
1894
J.H. Taylor
Score
nominated to Gi as one of the other two piv-
Hole 14. Given the prevailing left-to-right wind pushing you to-
otal points in his triumph, along with the
wards the Out of Bounds on the boundary with Princes, the
final 10-footer on the 18th.
drive at Suez is among the most daunting on the course, while
326
the hole was lengthened by moving the green 40 yards for the
1899
Harry Vardon
310
1904
Jack White
296
Hole 12. The antique map of the 1887 lay-
2003 Open. In between is the transverse canal to negotiate with
1911
Harry Vardon (after play-off)
303
out (reproduced in super-size on the locker
your second shot.
1922
Walter Hagen
300
room wall back in the clubhouse) includes
1928
Walter Hagen
292
the ‘Ginger Beer’ moniker at this point, per-
1934
Henry Cotton
283
1938
Reg Whitcombe
295
haps in affectionate tribute to the Old
1949
Bobby Locke (after play-off)
283
Course – if only in name.
1981
Bill Rogers
276
1985
Sandy Lyle
282
1993
Greg Norman
267
2003
Ben Curtis
283
A brilliant example of a short par-four,
There was also a defining three-shot swing in the Bobby Locke/Harry Bradshaw playoff in 1949 as the South African powered a 4-iron 200 yards for a tap-in eagle; while Arnold
this tantalizing dogleg often plays as
Palmer hit a ‘stinger’ 3-iron to six feet setting up a final-round
driver/wedge for the pros, making it (at
eagle when winning the 1975 Penfold PGA Championship.
least in theory) one the easiest holes on the 70 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
It was here that Gene Sarazen took a fatal double-bogey that let in Walter Hagan at the 1928 Open.
The casualty rate here at the 1993 Open was severe, with 22
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FEATURE SANDWICH
Named after the huge dune (over which the hole was played on early layouts), The Maiden is one of the most attrractive par 3s in links golf. The landmark forms an exceptional viewing point for spectators at the 6th hole. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
72 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
THEOPEN
ROYAL ST GEORGE’S // 10-17 JULY 2011
Lowest First Round 64: 1985 Christy O’Connor Jr Lowest Second Round 1993 Nick Faldo 63: Lowest Third Round 1993 Wayne Grady 64:
Lowest First 54 Hole Total 1993 Corey Pavin 202: 1993 Nick Faldo
Lowest Fourth Round 63: 1993 Payne Stewart
Lowest Final 54 Hole Total 200: 1993 Nick Faldo
Lowest First 36 Hole Total 1934 Henry Cotton 132: 1993 Nick Faldo
Statistically Most Difficult Hole at Royal St George’s Since 1982 1985 Par 4 18th
Lowest Middle 36 Hole Total 132: 1993 Wayne Grady
First Champion To Score Under 70 By Round Since 1892 Royal St George’s Round Score Name Year 1st 67 Henry Cotton 1934 65 Henry Cotton 1934 2nd 68 Bobby Locke 1949 3rd 69 Jack White 1904 4th
Lowest Final 36 Hole Total 133: 1993 Wayne Grady 1993 Greg Norman 1993 Payne Stewart
4.62
First Players To Break 70 At Royal St George’s Round Score Name Year Ist 67 Henry Cotton 1934 65 Henry Cotton 1934 2nd William H. Davies Joe Kirkwood 69 James Braid 1904 3rd 4th 68 J.H. Taylor 1904 69 Jack White Winners’ Lowest Final Round Score Year Score Name 1993 64 Greg Norman
JULY 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 73
FEATURE SANDWICH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
A trio of bunkers threaten the drive at the tough 13th hole (above) played towards the clubhouse at Princes. (Right) The out of bounds border adds to the perils at ‘Suez’, the long 14th.
Sandwich is famously associated with Ian Fleming, who was a member here when writing his 1959 classic, Goldfinger, with its thrilling golf match between 007 and the villain.
players scoring double bogey or worse – among them Bernhard
ing on the typical distances of 250 yards and the longest of 277
Langer who carved it OB on the final day when battling Greg
yards by A. Easterbrook.
Norman in the final group.
Sandy Lyle would top that with a final round birdie in 1985 after a huge tee shot and monster putt from the fringe.
Hole 15. Those overwhelmed by Sandwich thus far may find
It is also here in Goldfinger that James Bond hits what his cad-
comfort in the fact that Jack Nicklaus was 11-over-par for the
die calls “one of the finest shots I’ve seen in 30 years”, a driver
previous seven holes when he arrived on this tee in the first
off the deck that “mounted gracefully to carry the distant surf
round of the 1981 Open.
of the bunkers,” finishing two inches from the cup.
Older club members still refer to the bunkers at on the right
Dane in pain. Thomas Bjorn took three shots to escape from the greenside bunker at the short 16th when leading the 2003 Open by two shots on the final day.
driving distance as The Marmalade Bunkers, named after the
Hole 16. This pretty par-three made national headlines at the
Hartley brothers behind the famous jam empire. The traps
1967 Dunlop Masters when Tony Jacklin holed a 7-iron for the
were installed to thwart this 1930s Walker Cup pair (Rex and
first televised ace on his way to a course record 64 on the old
Lister) who would invariably fade their drives up this side.
(pre-Pennink) layout. His card hangs in the clubhouse.
This fairway was the venue for the Long Driving Champi-
When the Open returned to St George’s in 1981 there were
onships which preceded the 1922 Open, with The Field report-
two aces here: one by Roger Chapman and the other by Gordon Brand Jnr. on his way to the first 65 here in the Open since Henry Cotton in 1934. (Marking Brand’s card that day was AnPHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTIMAGES.COM
drew Chandler – better known as Chubby – chief of ISM that
74 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
manages many of today’s top stars on the European Tour). This hole was also the site of a pair of thrilling twos that Neil Coles and Eamonn Darcy delivered in the aforementioned sudden-death playoff at the 1976 Penfold PGA. Of course, the surprisingly shallow greenside trap on the right is better known as Bjorn’s Bunker after the luckless Dane took three to get out (misjudging the unforgiving slope of the green on this side) when leading the 2003 Open by two shots.
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The stunning par-3 6th hole is one of five holes at Royal St George’s with new championship tees for the 2011 Open.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
FEATURE SANDWICH
Hole 17. Another classic hole with rugged undulations that epitomize the driving challenge of Royal St George’s. Into the prevailing wind it’s easy to balloon the ball into the right rough where Goldfinger’s caddie miraculously ‘finds’ the cheating villain’s ball in Ian Fleming’s story (though note the 2011 changes – see sidebar). Real life highlights here include Paul Lawrie’s second shot in
THE 2011 TEST
the final round of the 1993 Open, that pitched and rolled at
Royal St George’s has been given only a minor makeover for the
perfect speed into the cup for an exceptional eagle two (now on
2011 Championship, this July, with some moderate extra
YouTube) – apparently causing panic among TV commentators
yardage and a few toughening measures balanced by generous
searching for background on the then relatively unknown Scot.
widening of fairways in key places.
Bernhard Langer’s approach hit the same stick later that day when chasing Greg Norman right to the end. Another that failed
As Tiger Woods will be the first to testify, pros in 2003 found the 1st fairway particularly hard to find and the recent widening of
to drop was Henry Cotton’s birdie putt in 1934 that hit the back
some five yards down the left at driving distance will be wel-
of the hole and stayed out when he so narrowly failed to beat
comed. ‘Tiger’s Rough’ on the right has also been considerably
Sarazen’s 72-hole record Open aggregate.
hacked backed, with the thick ‘Yorkshire fog grass’ replaced with finely flowing fescue in which the American will be unlikely to lose
Hole 18. Many a cup has been “dashed from the lips” here
his ball this time.
down the years. Sandy Herd took six when a four would have
The even more unforgiving 17th fairway now has some 10
won the 1911 Open, while George Duncan’s plight at the 1922
yards of extra width down the right hand side with a similar con-
Open is immortalized by Duncan’s Hollow, the greenside dip
cession at the 18th, thereby improving three of the statistically
from where he failed to make a par to match Walter Hagen.
hardest driving holes in 2003.
Over the years the story has been embellished to suggest that Duncan’s ball rolled back to his feet – as happened in 1985 to
There are five new tees for 2011, including at the 3rd, stretching this already tough par 3 to a mighty 240 yards making it al-
Sandy Lyle, who collapsed ruefully to the turf thinking it had
most as daunting as the 6th at Turnberry. The blind tee shot at
cost him the title.
the 7th now requires a 285-yard drive to clear the ridge, while
But the Golf Illustrated report of 1922 clearly describes Dun-
ultra long par 4s at the 4th and 15th explain the taxing par of 70.
can leaving his 30-yard chip some five yards short from where his par putt pulled up within inches of the cup. Payne Stewart narrowly missed a 20-footer here for a Open record 62 in his final round in 1993 (though he was well out of contention at the time). Perhaps the finest shot ever hit here saw the American ama-
Elsewhere, there are newly fashioned bumps and hollows around the 5th green, designed mainly to challenge those attempting the carry of some 300 yards over the corner of The Maiden. The deep trap next to Bjorn’s Bunker on the short 16th has been decommissioned due to constant maintenance problems and replaced with a grassy swale.
teur, Don Moe, complete one of golf’s greatest comebacks in the 1930 Walker Cup against J.A. Stout (a.k.a ‘The Bridlington DenWith a green guarded by an encroaching bunker on the right, and Duncan’s Hollow on the left, the18th at Royal St George’s is one of the toughest finishing holes on the Open rota.
Most interesting are the changes at the 18th where two new bunkers have been installed down the left at around 265 yards
tist’). Four down at lunch, Moe was soon seven down as his op-
and 285 yards from the tee. But those opting for the sanctity of
ponent resumed with three threes. Yet Moe clawed it back to
the widened fairway down the right will be faced with the tough-
all-square going down the last from where he struck a 200-yard
est approach over the famous front-right bunker while the sup-
4-iron from a divot mark to within inches of the flag.
posedly safer line, left, still flirts precariously with Duncan’s
Stout’s post-match reaction lives long in Royal St George’s folk-
Hollow from this angle.
lore: “That was not golf, that was a visitation from the Lord”.
Of course the weather is a factor at every Open and notably so at Sandwich over the last three championships. In both 1981
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC HEPWORTH
and 2003 the fast running, windy conditions ensured only the winner broke par while, in 1993, the consensus at the start of the week was of similarly high scoring given parched conditions and blustery winds. And yet two days of rain transformed the links and opened the door for record scoring that included 63s from Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart, and Greg Norman’s majestic 64.
OFFICIAL CARD OF THE 2011 COURSE
76 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
Hole
Yards
Par
Hole
Yards
Par
1
444
4
10
415
4
2
417
4
11
243
3
3
240
3
12
381
4
4
495
4
13
459
4
5
419
4
14
547
5
6
178
3
15
496
4
7
564
5
16
163
3
8
453
4
17
426
4
9
412
4
18
459
OUT
3622
35
IN
3589
35
OUT
3622
35
TOTAL
7211
70
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