Another championship is finally here! After a boring week in sports, I finally have something to look forward to again. Just like Wimbledon, this event is across the pond, but is still extremely exciting.
As we know from past years, and have seen again this season, golf is the toughest sport to predict. In fact, the past 15 majors have been won by different people. The last 9 have been first time winners. Will the trend continue?
Royal Lytham is a classic Open venue. The list of winners here is impressive, with David Duval winning in 2001 (the last time the Open was hosted there). As you can guess, the course will be defended by the wind... and bunkers.
There are 205 sand traps at Royal Lytham! Most of them are deep and very well will play like a one stroke penalty. There are in play off basically every tee and every approach. Even laying up will be tricky with bunkers in play there too.
Keeping the ball in the fairway will be key number one for every player. Only from the fairways will players be able to effectively judge the distance and give themselves reasonable looks at birdie. But it still may be all about the weather.
If the wind blows, I think the scores will be similar to what we saw at the US Open last month. If it is calm, scores will be much lower. The weather isn't looking good, so expect for par to be rewarded.
The course begins with a par 3, which most players will love. There are three par 3's on the front nine, including the breathtaking ninth hole. There is only one par 5, now that number six changed to a par 4. The entire front basically moves in the same direction (out), then they turn back the opposite way for the back.
The back is played at a par 36, containing one par 5 and one par 3. The last six holes are all par 4's though. In that finishing stretch, there are two shortish holes playing around 350 yards or less. On the flip side, there are multiple brutal holes, including 17, which is my favorite hole on the course. I do think 18 is fairly straightforward, although that's where the pressure is highest.
Like most links courses, there are plenty of ways to approach the course. Some will bash their drivers attempting to fly bunkers and target seldom used parts of the fairway. That will lead to plenty of birdies, but also tons of bogeys mixed in. Others will lay back with irons to control their tee shots a little more. That will lead to lengthy approaches making it difficult to achieve birdies, but it may keep the big scores off the card.
No matter the approach, players must take advantage of the two par 5's. I think playing the par 3's well is another key to shooting good scores. Obviously finishing strong will be important, and like we saw at the US Open, a good start on the first six holes is another goal. An obvious key is putting. And with the subtle, yet extreme nature of these greens, reading the putts and hitting it with good speed will be the most important part.
The number one thing to look for though is how players manage playing in the weather. I like the chances of players who plot their way around the course. I also look for players that have played well across the pond before.
Tiger Woods is the favorite and rightfully so. He has won three Opens, and has won three times this year. He was in position at the US Open before fading on the weekend. He will regroup after that experience and I don't expect that to happen this time.
There are plenty other contenders in the top 10 world rankings, including many who haven't won before. That list includes Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, and Hunter Mahan. You have to like all their chances too.
So who is going to drive it well and putt it even better? For Greg and my picks, check back Wednesday. Join us then to participate in the "Pick 5 Challenge". Until then, enjoy your summer!
Andrew
No comments:
Post a Comment