SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S ISSUE!
EXCLUSIVES WITH ALL SIX LIVING MUIRFIELD CHAMPIONS THE OPEN ISSUE 2013, ISSUE 8 VOL 54 |
ROSS FISHER MY 3 KEYS FOR POWER DRIVING
NICK FALDO | JACK NICKLAUS | LEE TREVINO | GARY PLAYER | TOM WATSON | ERNIE ELS | GUIDE TO MUIRFIELD | ROSS FISHER
LEGENDS IN CONVERSATION
OPEN PREVIEW
77-PAGE GUIDE TO THE WORLD’S GREATEST CHAMPIONSHIP
JACK NICKLAUS “Precision counts more than power at The Open"
LEE TREVINO “My four chip-ins broke Tony Jacklin’s heart”
HOLE-BY-HOLE GUIDE BY TOM WATSON HOW TO PLAY LINKS GOLF MASTERCLASS
GARY PLAYER “If I was American, I would have won more majors” THE OPEN ISSUE 2013
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EXCLUSIVE
NICK FALDO RE-LIVES HIS 1987 AND 1992 MUIRFIELD VICTORIES (And the Pringle sweater still fits!)
New York’s gold blend Design fusion has created a classic in 2013 US Women’s Open venue Sebonack GC.
t has often been said that the most incredible thing about the building of Sebonack Golf Club on Long Island’s South Shore is that the land was available in the first place. After all, what are the chances of stumbling across hundreds of acres of golfperfect dunes with more than a mile of unobstructed waterfront views on arguably the most valuable piece of real estate on the planet? Probably about the same as persuading Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak, two architects with polar opposite design viewpoints, to collaborate in harmony on a single project. American entrepreneur Michael Pascucci, who paid $46 million for the site back in 2001, somehow managed to achieve both.
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Although the relationship between Doak, a champion for natural-looking old-school design, and Nicklaus, the ultimate aerial game proponent, was apparently not without its tense moments, Sebonack is proof that a little creative friction can produce great work. The general idea was that Doak would take care of most of the routing and the overall look of the course, while Nicklaus would take care of the strategy and the risk/reward decision-making. Whatever the mixture was in reality, it worked. The course is spectacular, changing character several times as it takes you first along the waterfront, then inland into a light woodland, then through a patch of sandy scrubland and finally out onto a perched bluff overlooking the Great Peconic Bay. In keeping with Pascucci’s vision that the course should be challenging for all levels of player but not impossible for the higher handicap, Sebonack – like Merion, which hosts the men’s US Open this year – is a course where your next shot is invariably more difficult than your last. www.sebonackgolf.com
AGENDA
DISMAL BUT DEVASTATING Tom Doak’s new course at Dismal River, Nebraska could be the star of 2013. SEBONAK GOLF CLUB
Finding Sebonack Sandwiched between two historic US courses, Shinnecock Hills and National Golf Links of America, Sebonack GC is located on Long Island’s prestigious South Shore, a 90-minute drive from New York.
HOW IS DISMAL RIVER LIKELY TO COMPARE WITH THE OTHER COURSES IN YOUR PORTFOLIO? Well, I’ve built some courses that have been pretty highly ranked by people, and I feel that this new course belongs right up there with the best of them. Hopefully others will agree. THE LAND AT DISMAL RIVER HAS BEEN CALLED “ALMOST SPIRITUAL”. DO YOU FEEL THAT? Nebraska is a spiritual place. It’s quite isolated from the outside world and you’re often alone with your thoughts. You can quickly become exhausted from imagining all the great golf holes in the terrain out here. THE COURSE HAS TO CROSS A ROAD. WAS THAT A CONCERN? I thought the land below the road down by the river would add a change of scenery to the course, and I was determined to figure out a way to use that to our advantage. The
road itself was a nonfactor… it doesn’t receive nearly as much traffic as the roads which cross many other famous courses. Merion, Cypress Point, and Pebble Beach all cross a road. Even The Old Course at St Andrews crosses Granny Clark’s Wynd. WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE ABOUT CREATING DISMAL RIVER? When you have a piece of property that has the potential to be really great, you have to be that much more insistent on finding a routing with zero weak links, and that always takes time. Apart from digging the bunkers, the actual “shaping” of the course was ridiculously simple – there were only four fairways where we did any work at all, and there were a lot of greens that took an hour or less to shape. But getting irrigation installed and getting the grass planted in the sand and the windy conditions is never so easy, so that was a big challenge.
OF WHICH HOLE ARE YOU PROUDEST? I think the holes that everyone will remember are the two par 3s on the front nine [the 3rd and 5th, each of them over a dramatic valley] and the two finishing holes along the river. But I’m proudest of the short par-4 9th and the back-and-forth par 4s at the 14th and 15th, which we pretty much stumbled upon when we were walking the property on our two visits to figure out the routing of the course. IS THERE ANY OTHER COURSE YOU WOULD COMPARE THE LAYOUT TO? Many would say Sand Hills Golf Club, but to me the property and the feel of the routing are more comparable with Rock Creek in Montana, which is one of my favourite projects that we’ve done. Both courses feel like a real journey through the big terrain of the American West. Dismal River opens this summer. For details: wwwdismalriver.com
Open 2013 Golf World
MY GAME Driving
MY THREE KEY SECRETS TO CREATING POWER As I mentioned earlier, the old loop in my swing caused me a lot of problems. As a Tour Pro, you can play with a consistent miss, but when you don’t know if the ball is going to fly left or right, you have a big problem. This is how I got myself back on track.
DENIS SAYS
In terms of developing power, Ross’ action has three key qualities. Let’s look at them in turn.
1
WIDTH IN THE TAKEAWAY
Ross is 6ft 3in tall and has tremendously long arms. If you look at the distance from the top of his left arm to the clubhead at setup, you can see the capacity for a wide and powerful swing arc. This means any power he can generate through the way he moves his body is going to be magnified. I’ve always stressed the importance to Ross of making the best use of those long levers during the swing – and that means establishing a wide swing arc from the start. Just look at how far the clubhead is from the ball in the takeaway here – and this is with no lateral body movement whatsoever. This extension means the force that Ross is able to create with his body pivot is massively amplified, which means greater clubhead speed through impact.
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ROSS FISHER
2
THRUST AND BALANCE
As Ross starts the downswing, his pelvis works in, up and around at great speed. This pelvic thrust pulls the body up and away from the ground. Ross is not trying to retain his set-up posture here. In fact, his angles become a little more vertical through the ball. This downswing sequence is typical of the longest hitters in golf and Ross achieves it in perfect balance. Creating power is all about using your upper and lower “centres” – the chest and pelvis – to make space and time through impact. These centres are the points of balance we use everyday to stop us falling over. Using them correctly in the swing means creating the powerful thrust against the ground that Ross exhibits so well.
3
GREAT ARM AND BODY LINKAGE
The way Ross keeps his arms perfectly attached to his body – back and through – is one of the best moves I’ve ever seen. Ross always gets his left arm onto his body on the way down and just turns his upper body to complete his swing. At this stage there is no independent flash speed or whip of the arm. Watch Ross hit the ball so powerfully with such great arm speed and you’d be excused for thinking he’s whipped the arms through the ball but the speed is coming from the centre. Ross is using body positioning and power to fire the club into the ball, and at every position his arms are perfectly attached to that turn.
How you can copy Ross’ power moves Feel your left arm against the chest as you start down. There should be no great arm speed against body turn. Don’t think that you have to maintain your posture or force your rear end out through impact – that restricts power. There are very few powerful hitters who
genuinely retain their spine angle. Forget the notion that you hit the ball with a swish of the arms through impact. Your arm swing needs to be coordinated with the turning motion of your body. If you overdo the arm swing, your lower body will be too square to the target at impact and you’ll be
swishing away without creating real power. If they don’t contribute enough, the club will arrive late at impact and you’ll hit weak, choppy fades. This process involves trial and error so spend time on the range experimenting to find the right blend between the two extremes for your game.
142nd OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
FIELD OF DREAMS It is often said Tour pros rate Muirfield higher than any other Open venue. It’s not a myth – here, some of golf’s biggest names reveal their admiration.
These days, it is perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 Open venue of all, a links revered by the vast majority of the elite who this month will tee-up in the world’s oldest and most important championship. But it wasn’t always so for Muirfield. Back in 1892, when the game’s best players competed there for the first time, one noted professional, Andra’ Kirkcaldy, was moved to describe the then 5,203-yard layout as nothing more than “an auld water meadie” (old water meadow). Whether or not that was true, the championship managed to throw up a pretty good winner in amateur Harold Hilton. And that has – with maybe one exception – remained the case ever since. The roll-call of Open champions at Muirfield reads like a Who’s-Who of golf’s
THE OPEN
greatest: Harry Vardon, James Braid (twice), Ted Ray, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo (twice) and, last time in 2002, Ernie Els. Only the 1935 winner, Alf Perry, stands out as anything less than a titan of the sport. “Muirfield demands that its champions have a complete game,” concludes former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy. “You have to drive well at Muirfield. You need great iron play. You must have a good short game. And here’s the big key: you need to think well. Conclusion: You can’t win The Open this year with a weak aspect to your game that week. Muirfield will find you out.” The course, home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, even manages to rise above the unwelcoming and often downright rude image fostered and perpetrated by the host club over the years. “Even that part of the place is quite appealing to me,”
Golf World Open 2013
FALDO THE GOLF WORLD INTERVIEW
The six-time Major winner and double Muirfield champion talks about his 1987 and 1992 triumphs. By Peter Masters
It’s 26 years now since Sir Nick Faldo walked up the 18th hole on a grey, overcast Sunday afternoon at CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 Muirfield to collect his first Major title, and his memories today are not quite as defined in HD as they used to be. “I think Rodger Davis opened with a 64? (he did) But I don’t remember nipping back to the clubhouse in the second round to get a fresh towel (he did).” The good news is that Faldo has a selection of props close to hand, and the deeper we delve, the more he remembers. As we conduct this interview, Sir Nick is sitting in a small room at his home in Florida surrounded by all sorts of memorabilia associated with his three decades as a tournament professional. On a hanger in the corner is the famous yellow, diamond-patterned Pringle sweater he wore in the final round at Muirfield in 1987. Propped against the wall are the Tour bags he used in winning each of his six Major titles. Within easy reach are a handful of clubs that the most dominant player of his generation used during the most special moments of his career. Several times during the interview, he gets up to pull one out of a bag and give it a quick waggle. As his eyes glance around the room, Faldo seems pensive for a moment. “I need to get a painting done,” he says. “People often ask me if the 11th hole at Augusta, [the scene of his two Masters play-off victories], is my favourite spot in golf, but it’s the 18th at Muirfield. The Masters is always at Augusta, so that doesn’t really count. Muirfield is the only other place where I’ve won twice. And that final hole, well, it’s where I’ve holed winning putts and hit the greatest long-iron of my life. It has to be there.” This seems like an opportune time to start the interview. Having spent two years rebuilding his swing under the tutelage of David Leadbetter, Muirfield is where it all began for Faldo – a journey started in July 1987 that made him the most successful golfer ever from our shores.
© PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH GAMBLE
THE OPEN
Open 2013 Golf World
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Inside Muirfield you’ll find friendly, speed-loving golfers who love a good lunch. By Mark Alexander
THE OPEN
fluttering flags and traditionally-clad golfers striding across the links in jovial fashion. Pushing against the heavy iron gate, one enters Muirfield in hushed deference. The world’s great golf clubs evoke a unique blend of anticipation, excitement and a not insignificant dose of apprehension. This is, after all, where Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw were dutifully vilified for playing a couple of extra holes with hickories on a quiet Sunday evening. The fact that Watson had just won the 1980 Open Championship with Crenshaw coming third was of no interest to the club’s notorious secretary P.W.T. “Paddy” Hanmer, a retired Royal Navy captain. Indeed, there are tales of Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Payne Stewart all receiving similar treatment. But that was then and this is now according to Muirfield’s outgoing secretary Alastair Brown.
LEFT: The iconic gated entrance to Muirfield and the famous signage (below).
© PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK ALEXANDER AND GETTY IMAGES
As entrances go, Magnolia Lane is something special. The canopy of 61 CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 magnolias that frame the 330-yard approach between Augusta National’s gated entrance and its sumptuous colonial-style clubhouse perfectly define the beauty, majesty and reverance of one of golf’s most iconic amphitheatres. Yet some would argue that, for real golfers, the walk from the car park, along Duncur Road and then onwards to the imposing gates of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is as spine-tingling as it gets. With the sound of flight bags and spikes dragging across the tarmac and the wind whistling through the trees, the 200-yard pilgrimage offers tantalising glimpses through wrought iron lattice of Muirfield’s
By Alasdair Good Gullane head pro and Muirfield expert
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2013
HOW TO MASTER MUIRFIELD
What questions will the 2013 Open venue ask of the world’s top golfers? Alasdair Good, head pro at neighbouring Gullane, highlights four of the course’s key pressure points. Photography Mark Newcombe
Golf World Open 2013
HOLE 16
186 YARDS, PAR 3
THE CHALLENGE Avoiding long-range three-putts
Much like the 9th at Augusta, this green has a massive slope from back to front. Severe enough to cause Ernie Els to make a double-bogey here in 2002, the contours gather the ball from both sides and funnel them off the front of the putting surface. Muirfield’s tight aprons afford the chance to putt, but when the pin is cut towards the flatter, back portion of the green, the players will face a tough long-range putt from the front fringe, with only the first two-thirds of the green visible.
How the pros will play it The 16th usually plays downwind, so expect golfers to be hitting 6-irons to 8-irons into this green.
TECHNIQUE Master long lag putts
Feel the handle run up the middle of your top hand palm. This hold resists the forearm rotation you get with a longer stroke, helping a square face.
On long uphill putts you must get momentum into the putter head. Achieve this by feeling the butt of the club points at your navel throughout the stroke. This thought helps the head swing, giving you your most efficient stroke. The belly putter itself was originally a training aid. It taught you to ensure the head end moves the most during the stroke, and to release the putter correctly. But even without anchoring, you can use its principles. Bad putters move the hands before putterhead; good putters let the head swing.
Open 2013 Golf World
A CHANGED MAN
When Ernie Els arrived at Muirfield in 2002, he was expected to challenge for the Claret Jug. At Royal Lytham in 2012, he was largely a sentimental favourite. We examine the period between the South African’s two Open victories and discover a golfer changed by life, family, age and, of course, Tiger. By John Huggan
Lynx Golf Boom Boom 2 driver Lynx have re-emerged with a reworked version of the Boom Boom. The biggest change is the ditching of the battery-powered heated headcover, which was found to contravene a few equipment rules regarding outside agencies, and was banned from competitive use by the R&A. The headcover heated the mix of gases in the head to create more of a spring-like effect off the face. Lynx’s CEO Steve Elford says the Boom Boom 2 has even more of the pressurised gas, so there is no need for the head to be heated. The gaseous activity leads to perfectlyeven support across the face, for big distance gains even on mis-hits. The eye-catching 460cc titanium head comes in 7.5°, 9°, 10.5° and 12.5° lofts, with a high-grade 46inch Aldila Rip’d NV shaft in Regular, Stiff or X Stiff flexes. £299, lynxgolf.co.uk
Bushnell Tour v3 rangefinder While GPS systems are increasingly popular, a solid core of golfers prefer the minimal hassle of laser rangefinders. However, most seem to struggle with locking onto the correct target. We say ‘most’ because Bushnell is confident its new Tour v3 laser rangefinder with JOLT technology eliminates any doubt. According to Bushnell, when you aim at the flag, the handset will deliver short jolting bursts, akin to a mobile phone’s vibrate mode, to tell you its PinSeeker technology has isolated the target. Accurate to within one yard, in a five to 1,000-yard range, including 300-plus yards to flags. £279, bushnellgolf.co.uk
Callaway HEX Chrome+ ball A new addition to Callaway’s Hex Chrome range, the Tour-grade four-piece Chrome+ is designed for maximum distance with the driver for mid-tohigh swing speeds. A resilient core, thin inner and outer mantle, and soft cover sees the Chrome+ produce low spin off the tee, but Tour-level shortgame control. The feted hexagonal dimple pattern enhances aerodynamics by reducing drag, increasing lift, and promoting a stable, penetrating flight. The ball (in white and optical yellow) has been put in play by Tour players such as Gary Woodland and Pablo Larrazabal. £34.99 for 12, callawaygolf.com
Golf World Open 2013
Big Max Blade Trolley
Adams Golf Idea Super Hybrids Adams claim balls will fly off the face of its new power-packed Idea hybrids. Designed to replace longirons, the Super 9031 and Super DHy both feature a sizeable slot in the sole, which increases ball speed off the thin steel face for extra distance. The compact 80cc clubhead of the 9031 model (16˚, 18˚, 20˚, 23˚ lofts) is geared towards the better player while the Dhy (18˚, 21˚, 24˚, 27˚) is aimed at the higher handicapper. £159.99, adamsgolf.com
Fitting a trolley and a bulky bag into the back of a standard-sized car isn’t easy – even in a clutter-free boot. So the Blade trolley is most welcome, given it measures just 12.5cm deep when folded into its recovery position. The human-propelled three-wheeler also comes with its own carry case. For the price, you’d probably want it to be battery-powered, but then it wouldn’t be able to lie so flat with a 24-volt acid battery poking out the top. £299, bigmaxgolf.com
Titleist 712U Utility Iron
Ecco Golf Street
Used by Adam Scott in the Masters, it performs the role of a hybrid in a more precise package. Available in 18˚, 21˚ and 24˚ lofts, it is intended to replace the 2, 3 and 4-iron. The 712Us feature a hollow construction head made from forged highgrade steel with a deep centre of gravity for high-launching shots. A wide, cambered sole promotes clean turf interaction and makes it effective with a variety of attack angles. Available for custom orders only. £160, titleist.co.uk
The brand that began golf’s love of street-style footwear has launched a new range, all of which have an outsole with 100 moulded traction bars – so they are also suitable outside of the summer. Sport range has a new two-tone upper pattern – featuring raised leather embellishments – while the Luxe offers a lizard-effect leather design in brown. The Textile model displays patterned uppers and a breathable aero lining, and the use of camel leather gives the Camel its name. The Premier (Ecco’s first ‘street’ design) remains unchanged save some minor material and colour difference. All are treated with a water-repellent, breathable Hydromax coating. £115-£130, ecco.com/golf
Open 2013 Golf World
PATRON AND OFFICIAL OUTFITTER OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
“WHERE THE OPEN WILL BE WON AND LOST” Tom Watson says...
Hole 9
Par 5, 554 yards This hole plays a lot differently now to when I won here in 1980 and they’ve made some more changes for this year’s Open. The hole plays into the teeth of the prevailing wind and when it was shorter, you had to be careful off the tee to find a very narrow landing area. Today, you still have to land it in that narrow slot, but you’re playing from a lot further back, and they’ve brought the out-ofbounds fence down the left (and Bernard Darwin’s favourite stone wall) much closer to the line of play. Shorter hitters won’t have to worry about reaching the deadly Pinnacle bunker on the left, but they have put a new trap in down the right at about 275 yards. They have also tightened up the bunkering round the green so this is a much stronger par 5 now. But, it’s the fairway bunkers that can break your round at Muirfield. In 1980, I figured that much out in my first practice round.
Golf World The Open Course Guide 2013
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TRAVEL & COURSES
Golf World Open 2013
The glory of Brancaster
In a quaint corner of the Norfolk coast lies one of England’s most distinctive links. any dreamily wonder what is on the ‘other side’ when they’ve holed life’s final putt, and hope the passing through the pearly gates will lead to a golfing nirvana. There just might be the mortal equivalent in the small Norfolk seaside enclave of Brancaster. If the filigreed black wrought iron gate at Royal West Norfolk was to echo its heavenly sister, we need not fear death. A short sandy and sleepered path with cambered timber walls holding the
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dunes at bay, leads to this enticing entrance to the fairways beyond. Two granite gateposts bear the names of members that fell in the Great Wars, and are a poignant reminder what lies in wait for a golfer should not be taken too seriously. An undeniable sense of expectancy washes over those who clunk down on the handle and squeakily swing the heavy gate open. They have just stepped onto a most distinctive links and it is an experience to uplift the soul however cold the North Sea wind.
A clue as to the distinctive nature of Brancaster (the more common name for the club) can be evident as you journey along the drive, where puddles may lie even on sunny days. This is unlike virtually any other course in the world. Its geography defines it. The out and back links sits on an elongated spit of land shaped like a boney wrist and hand and is guarded on one side by shaggy dunes and a majestic sweep of north-facing beach, and on the other a tidal marsh full of squat salt-
Open 2013 Golf World