THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Open
Hopefuls
Set Forth Up North
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h i s y e a r ’s e v e n t w i l l b e t h e e i g h t h t i me Ca r nou st ie ha s hosted t he Open Cha mpionsh ip. T he l i n k s, n ick na med , ‘C a r na st y ’ when t he w i nd blows a nd , ‘Ca rn icet y,’ when cond it ions a re more benign has proved what many modernday players believe, that the Old Tom Morris, James Braid, Allan Robertson-designed course is the most challenging of all the Open venues. Tommy Armour, the so-called, ‘Silver Scot,’ won the inaugural Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1931 with a score of 12-over-par. The weather, according to records, all-but rendering the links unplayable, and it is said to have been not a great deal better six years later when Englishman Henry Cotton won the second of his three Open Championships, carding plussix for his72-hole aggregate. Carnoustie has invariably thrown up pedigree Open champions, Armour, Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Pádraig Harrington and its unlikely to be any makeweight or journeyman pro who will lift the Claret Jug there this month. The 147th Open Championship enjoyed a huge shot-in-thearm recently with the news that Tiger Woods is to play in search of a 15th Major, which, if successful would be his first in a decade and a fourth Claret Jug. ‘I won two of my Open Championships in Scotland, so let’s try and add in another one there,’ said Woods, who first experienced Carnoustie as a rookie 20-year-old at the 1995 Scottish Open. ‘I got introduced to links golf by playing the 36
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hardest links golf course there is – Carnoustie.’ The 42-year-old is getting back to his best following three years of injury, surgery and controversy, contending again in regular PGA TOUR events. But winning a 15th Major, especially over a course as tough as Carnoustie will require a Herculean effort, greater accuracy off the tee, hitting as many bunkers as he did in winning record style at St. Andrews in 2000 and getting his putter not just hot, but red hot. But his more recent utterances on Carnoustie could be interpreted as him being in awe of the golf course and its fearsome reputation, saying, ‘there are so many holes where you’re forced to hit long irons into the greens. Obviously, if you miss the ball in any of the pot bunkers off the tee, you have to go sideways, if you can. You can’t advance it forward. ‘Yes, it’s extremely fair, it’s probably a little more difficult than it was in the Scottish Opens I played and if we have wind, any kind of wind on this golf course, it just becomes a lot more difficult than you think. ‘You really do have to hit the ball well [and] the greens are extremely subtle, just like all links courses, they’re hard to read,’ could it be that the Great Man has talked himself out of contention by viewing golf courses nowadays as threats rather than opportunities? Defending champion Jordan Spieth has the game – and crucially the game management skills to mount a successful defence. But he got lucky – very lucky going down the stretch at Royal Birkdale last year, and, with only six successful defences in the post-war era, especially if he faces ‘Carnasty,’ a back-to-back HKGOLFER.COM
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With this month’s Open Championship heading for Carnoustie, the most northerly venue on the R&A roster, and with Tiger Woods in the field for the first time since 2015, Mike Wilson predicts a rollercoaster ride as any one of a dozen world stars seek to get their hands on the Claret Jug.
Who will claim the Claret Jug at Carnoustie this year? HKGOLFER.COM
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win for the world number-five is unlikely. Of the world’s Top-10, Justin Rose looks to have a decent chance of adding a British Open to his 2013 U.S. Open triumph. Although, intriguingly, 20-yearson from announcing himself on the world stage with a fourth-place finish as an amateur on debut at Royal Birkdale in 2008. World number-two Dustin Johnson certainly has the brawn – if not the brain – to overpower Carnoustie should the event become a ‘slugfest.’ But his game, one suspects does not have the subtlety to cope with the intrigue and intricacies of a golf course much more strategic than it is credited. Question marks remain over DJ’s temperament when under the extremes of pressure Open Championships exert on both mind and body. Rory McIlroy’s single Open Championship title to date is scant return for the man who was the natural heir-apparent to Tiger Woods. A commanding threestroke halfway lead at the recent BMW PGA Championship, which he failed to convert into that all-important ‘W,’ a third round 64 at the Memorial only good enough for a Top-10 finish, victory in the Arnold Palmer evidence however that the Irishman still knows how to win. But Carnoustie is an unforgiving place. His record in the Dunhill Links Championship is patchy, at best, and with a tendency to be wayward off the tee, ‘Carnasty’ is not the place to be. With that said, tied fifth and fourth at Troon in 2016 and Birkdale last year would suggest he’s still a realistic contender, of not a champion-in-waiting. Henrik Stenson and Alex Norén offer a small country like Sweden a dual cause for hope. Stenson having broken the Scandinavian duck at Royal Troon in 2016. Whilst, at 4th and 14th respectively on the OWGR, Sergio García and John Rahm could point to a first Spanish victory in the Open Championship since the late, great Seve’s last of three titles at Royal Lytham two-score-year ago. 38
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García, however, who never plays the Dunhill Links event due to a tax dispute with the UK authorities and therefore has never had the opportunity to exorcise his demons after snatching defeat from the jaws of Open Championship victory there 11 years ago. Despite the Major monkey off his back following his 2016 Masters win, be considered second to compatriot Rahm, who has the game to contend with – if not tame, Carnoustie. Once again, the brunt of the Asian challenge will come from Japanese youngster Hideki Matsuyama. But after a fine tied-sixth place on debut at Muirfield in 2013 has flattered to deceive when playing links golf. Whilst, Chinese protégé, Li Haotong, whose final round 63 brought him just short at Birkdale last year, a creditable third place. But, despite two prestigious European Tour titles to his name in a fledgeling career, will lightning strike twice in the space of 12 months? But, if you are looking for a steer after a golfing equivalent of reading the tea-leaves, for that fragment of synergy, a single spark of inspiration, then look no further than charismat ic you ng English ma n Tommy Fleetwood. 87 years have passed since another Tommy, Tommy Armour, won the Open Championship at Carnoustie. 43 years since ‘Tommy’ Watson lifted the Claret Jug there in 1975, and, don’t forget, Fleetwood smashed the 23-year-old Carnoustie course record at last year’s Dunhill Links Championship. A flawless nine-under-par 63, beating the previous record held by, amongst others, eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie, 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie and the ever-dangerous Norén. ‘’Carnoustie course record holder – it sounds good, doesn’t it? It was a good day’s work by any standards.’ asked the 2017 Race to Dubai winner. ‘When you consider all the great players who have played here, in Opens and this tournament, it is very special to have the lowest score ever recorded on this course,’ reflected the 27-yearold, admitting. W hichever Carnoustie, ‘Carnasty,’ or ‘Carnicety’ turn up for the 147th Open Championship this month is likely to determine which of 20-plus credible candidates will have the game to cope with this most punishing of links layouts. But one thing is for certain, hold onto your hats for a rollercoaster ride, and, if history is to believe, it will be a true thoroughbred who will claim the Claret Jug, the approximate US$2m champion’s cheque and the most coveted crown in world golf. HKGOLFER.COM
The links, nicknamed, ‘Carnasty’ when the wind blows and, ‘Carnicety,’ when conditions are more benign is the most challenging of all the Open Championship venues
CARNOUSTIE’S HOLY TRINITY Stretched to almost 7,500 yards, Par 72, Carnoustie is and of itself, one of the great tests of world golf and worldclass golfers, but there it boasts three momentous challenges which must be overcome by the man who will ultimately claim the Claret Jug this month. 1. ‘Hogan’s Alley’, a 578-yards Par-5, invariably played into the teeth of the wind, boasts one of the narrowest fairways in Open Championship golf. A mere 25-yards in the landing area, squeezed between the out-of-bounds fence running ominously down the left and a clutch of deep, dangerous bunkers set to the right. The hole is where Carnoustie starts to turn up the heat - the optimum line is between the bunkers and the out of bounds fence. But it requires a brave player to aim for that narrow piece of fairway. The second shot is no less perilous with a ditch angling across the fairway, and the out of bounds is continuing to be a threat. ‘Hogan’s Alley’ was christened after the American star flighted his ball well to the left, beyond the outof-bounds fence, before drawing it back into safety on all four rounds of his epic Open Championship victory there in 1953. 2. ‘Spectacles’, the 14th hole, a 514-yards Par-5, named after a pair of deep, dangerous pot bunkers lying sideby-side in wait just 65-yards short of the green. Any miscued or over-ambitious attempt to reach the green in two can end up in a sandy grave, bunkers with sheet,
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12ft-high revetted faces from which the only escape is sideways or backwards. Gary Player struck what he considers having been the finest shot of his life en route to his famous Open Championship victory in 1968. Making Eagle-3 by successfully navigating the ‘Spectacles’ to just a few feet, driving a lethal dagger into the hearts of his two chasing rivals, Jack Nicklaus and Bob Charles to win by two. 3. ‘Home’, the 18th at Carnoustie, one-yard short of 500, Par-4, one of the most demanding finishing holes in Major championship golf. The infamous Barry Burn is in play for the drive to the right and left of the hole and also short, with fairway bunkers cut into the right-hand side and it was here that Johnny Miller lost the 1975 Championship when he took two shots to get out of the bunker. It was here that the hopes of Jean Van De Velde inexplicably capitulated in 1999. Losing a 3-shot lead on the final tee, putting his drive in a watery grave he took three to extricate himself from, leaving the door ajar for local hero Paul Lawrie slip through to take the title. And history almost repeated itself in 2007 when Irishman Pádraig Harrington twice dumped his ball into the Barry Burn on the 72nd hole when locked in battle with Spaniard Sergio García. But a superb pitch by the Irishman to five feet saved a double bogey, got him into a playoff which he subsequently won to lift his first Major title.
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Image courtesy of Carnoustie Links Trust
Tiger Woods first became Champion Golfer of the Year in 2000 at St Andrews and did so again, at the Home of Golf, in 2005
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