The British Open gets underway on Thursday, July 15th, and the field of golfers playing in this year’s tournament is impressive—as always. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Ben Crane, and Angel Cabrera are all there. So are Sean O’Hair, KJ Choi, John Daly, Eduardo Molinari, and Sir Nick Faldo along with a host of other professional golfers. Golf handicaps don’t go low enough for this group. But they’ll all find this year’s Open a challenge thanks to the course.
The Old Course at St. Andrews is the venue for this year’s tournament. Among golf’s most revered courses, The Old Course is hosting the game’s longest running major for the 28th time since The Open was first played in 1860. Tiger Woods won the last two Championships at St. Andrews, setting a record score of 19-under-par to win by eight shots in 2000. But as pretty as St. Andrews is, this links course is bound to provide the field with some golf lessons and golf tips on playing a links course. The question is: What are the keys to winning the Open?
Length Not A Factor
Course length won’t be a factor at St. Andrews. The Old Course is long, but not overly so. St. Andrews is a par 72 that plays at 7305 yards—3584 yards on the front and 3721 yards on the back. The longest hole is the 14th at 613 yards. The next longest hole is the 5th at 568 yards. These are the only two par 5s on the course. The two par-3s on the course are just over 170 yards and the remaining par-4s are about average pro length. Golfers that can hit the ball long won’t have as much of an edge as at other pro tournaments.
Course design will be a factor at St. Andrews. The course’s design has withstood the test of time. Players have gotten bigger and stronger over the years and the equipment they use has changed dramatically in the 600 years golf has been played there. Yet St. Andrews remains a challenge because golfers must often hit from difficult angles at The Old Course.
The wind will be another factor. It can blow really hard at times. On a calm day, golfers can shoot 65. But on a windy day, they can shoot 80. Sometimes, the wind blows so hard you see golfers hitting wedges 20, 30, or even 40 feet. So if the wind picks up during a round, players will have to deal with it.
Good Shotmaking Is Key
Given these factors, what will be the keys to success at the Old Course? Good shotmaking is one. Controlling trajectory is a must at St. Andrews—probably more so than at any other venue on the pro circuit. So is placement. Players must determine not only where to place the ball, but also how it will run once it hits. They will also have to play shots they don’t normally play, making creativity imperative at St. Andrews, as it is with many links courses.
Another key at St. Andrews is putting. This year’s winner must putt well. Wet weather in the build-up to the Championship has kept the greens at around 10 on the stimpmeter, rather than usual 14. This means the greens will be much slower than normal. The pros usually do better on faster greens. Golfers in this year’s field will need to adjust quickly to the slower speed when putting.
Greens Are Large
St. Andrews’ greens are also large. How large are they? Let’s just say that you can hit a par-4 in two and still make bogey. In other words, the players are going to have a lot of long putts no matter how accurate their shots, so lag putting will be key. Then, of course, there’s the wind, which could also affect putting. The wind will influence strategy and execution dramatically.
Good shotmaking, creativity, and accurate lag putting are keys at the British Open this year. They’re also keys to achieving low golf handicaps on local courses. Weekend golfers able to see this year’s tournament should look for golf tips that will help them sharpen their skills. Golf lessons can provide the basics of how to hit a draw or a fade, but they can’t always provide the finer points or teach you things like creativity. Watching other golfers can.
