On the eve of the 144th Open Championship at St Andrews, we take a look at six story lines to watch out for this week in Scotland...
The over 40s
They say sport is a young man’s game. Well try telling that to Darren Clarke, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, three of the last four Open Championship winners, who were all on the wrong side of 40 when they last lifted golf’s most prestigious prize - the Claret Jug. The trio are all in action at St Andrews this week, but they are far from being the only over 40s in with a chance at The Home of Golf.
The likes of Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington and Bernhard Langer are all still winning golf tournaments around the world, while who could forget five-time Open Champion Tom Watson’s sensational run at the 2009 title at Turnberry, when just weeks from his 60th birthday, the American was one putt away from a record-equalling sixth win, only to lose the subsequent play-off to Stewart Cink. With the test of St Andrews requiring plenty of guile, experience and know-how, we might see another ‘over 40s’ winner at the 144th Open Championship.
Jordan Spieth – World Number One?
Jordan Spieth might be nowhere near his 40th birthday, but the 21 year old has already written more headlines than most of his peers, thanks to the enormous success he has enjoyed of late. Although his talents were there for all to see at the start of this season, few could have predicted the young Texan would go on to win both the 2015 Masters Tournament, and the US Open at Chambers Bay.
Like all great champions before him, it is not just the fact that Spieth has won both of this year’s Majors to date that is so impressive, it is the manner in which he went about achieving those remarkable feats. The World Number Two displayed bundles of energy, skill, composure, confidence and a matureness well beyond his tender years, to put his name up in lights. Another title this week at the Home of Golf would see Spieth mania reach a whole new level and make him just the second man to win the first three Majors of the year - after Ben Hogan in 1953 - and the new number one ranked golfer in the world.
The evergreen Tom Watson
The aforementioned Watson is an Open Championship legend. That much is indisputable. Although it feels like the 65 year old could go on competing and playing high-quality golf forever, the 144th Open Championship looks like being the Missouri-native’s last at golf’s oldest championship. The five-time winner received a special exemption from the R&A to play this year, on the 40th anniversary of his first victory at Carnoustie.
However, if the career of Tom Watson at this prestigious event is anything to go by, you would not rule the 65 year old out from finishing inside the top ten, and as a past champion, thus becoming eligible for another five Opens. Perhaps this week will not be the last time Watson sees the famous Swilcan Bridge after all.
#62Watch
Nobody has ever shot a 62 in Major Championship history. Fact. 26 players have come agonisingly close to making history before though, shooting 63s. The last man to do so was Jason Dufner at the 2013 PGA Championship, while Rory McIlroy shot a sublime nine under par opening round 63 the last time the Open Championship was held at St Andrews in 2010 (the lowest opening round in the history of event.) Rory, who will be sitting this year’s event out through injury, was eight under par for his last ten holes five years ago!
One of the main contenders for this year’s title is Rickie Fowler, who warmed up in perfect fashion by winning last week’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. Ahead of Thursday’s start the young American has hinted that the illusive 62 is a real possibility this week, but only if the weather stays calm. Watch this space.
The Tiger Woods Story
The legendary Tiger Woods becomes a talking point at any event he enters. And when he tees it up at a tournament and venue where he has enjoyed plenty of success before, the inevitable happens. Pundits and fans alike show their belief in the 14-time Major Champion’s ability has not diminished, proclaiming that the American has it in him to win once again.
Tiger does have previous at the Home of Golf, having won two of his three Open Championship titles here, in 2000 and 2005. However, from spending a total of 683 weeks through his career ranked as the World Number One, Woods has now dropped to 241st in the rankings and has gone more than 18 months without a top-ten finish.
So the days of Tiger-domination, which in its prime saw the 39 year old complete a career Grand Slam with his 2000 triumph, look to be over, something which the great man himself might even admit, especially with the emergence of McIlroy, Spieth, Fowler et al. However, Woods has shown he can still compete, most notably at this year’s Masters Tournament, where he finished in 17th place. Few people saw that top twenty finish on the horizon, so perhaps everyone should err well on the side of caution when discounting Tiger from the running on a track he so dearly loves.
Can Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Success equate to Open Championship glory?
With two of the four Alfred Dunhill Links Championship rounds being played on the timeless fairways and greens of the Old Course at St Andrews, number crunching the scores there makes for some very interesting reading. For example, England’s Tommy Fleetwood is an amazing 26 under par for his last four rounds at the Home of Golf (65-67-62-68) during that tournament. In four appearances at the event, Fleetwood has finished inside the top five three times including a runner-up finish last October. He is not the only man who boasts a fine record around the Old Course, though.
Branden Grace, who came so close at this year’s US Open, has fond memories of the Old Course having won the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship here. His impressive performances at links events has seen him become known as a links specialist. David Howell is another who just loves this place. In 14 appearances at the Dunhill Links, Howell has five top tens, a win in 2013 and is 31 under par for his last seven rounds at the Old Course.
