The British (Wide) Open
Tiger Woods this, Phil Mickelson that.
Yes, the two most famous golfers in the world (Jack Nicholson notwithstanding) have an excellent chance of winning this week?s British Open. But forgive me if I?m not so enthusiastic about laying down my hard-earned shillings on either man this time around. There are far too many unknowns going into this event to make me reach for my wallet for Woods at +500 or even Mickelson at +1000.
The site of the 135th Open Championship is the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, a seaside links course just on the other side of the River Mersey from the birthplace of the Beatles. Hoylake is not part of the usual nine-course rotation favored by Open officials; the last time Hoylake played host to this prestigious event was 1967. Consequently, the only Open golfer of note who has played competitive golf there is Paddy Harrington (+2500).
The decision to return to Hoylake has rattled some golf enthusiasts stateside. Golf Digest was especially nasty, claiming the venue ?isn?t a blast from the past, it?s a thing of the past.? The magazine?s Ron Whitten says Hoylake remains too short for modern players despite adding another 263 yards to become a 7,258-yard, par-72 course. He may be right; Woods has already suggested he may leave his driver at home, and Hoylake manager Craig Gilholm believes Woods? record 19-under finish in 2000 is going to be under siege this week.
Weather, as usual, will play a huge role at the Open. But it apparently won?t play the same role we?re used to seeing. Instead of the usual miserable Merseyside conditions, it?s been a beautiful summer thus far for Liverpudlians. Golfers participating in Monday?s practice round were greeted by clear blue skies and temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Woods? 2000 record was set in similarly beautiful weather at St Andrews. ?This course relies on its bunkering, rough and the weather,? Gilholm told the BBC. ?Without wind, you?re looking at a winning score of about 18 under.?
Adding to the mayhem is the fact that the Open has seen 14 different winners over the past 15 years ? Woods is the only man to bag two Opens during that span. If this event were at St Andrews again, or even a course like it, he might be a good bet to complete the trifecta. But the Old Course was the site of last year?s festivities. Hoylake is closer in composition to Royal St George?s, where Ben Curtis won in 2003 with a final score of 1-under. That was a dog?s breakfast of an Open ? Curtis survived despite bogeying four holes on the back nine. He?s part of the betting field this year at +600.
Woods was one of the men pushing Curtis in 2003, but bad putting contributed to a fourth-place finish for Tiger. Such is life on the links-style courses in Britain. The greens there are generally harder and slower than the ones PGA Tour players are familiar with. Even if the weather stays good, and even though modern golf balls are much better at cutting through blustery winds should conditions revert back to normal, putting will remain a challenge for most non-Europeans.
Having said that, Americans have taken the famous Claret Jug in nine of the last 11 Opens. That?s in stark contrast to the odds list, which, beyond Woods and Mickelson, is populated by international golfers: South Africa?s Ernie Els (+1400), Fiji?s Vijay Singh (+1600), South Africa?s Retief Goosen (+1800), Ireland?s aforementioned Harrington, and Scotland?s Colin Montgomerie (+2800). Of these men, only Els has won the Open before, at Muirfield Golf Links in 2002.
So, who?s good to go at Hoylake? How about Geoff Ogilvy at +4000? You may remember the Aussie as the man who just won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, thanks in part to late collapses by both Mickelson and Montgomerie. Ogilvy?s name is being whispered at 19th holes across the golfing world. He finished in a tie for fifth at last year?s event, and says he?s a fan of the links-style courses. Which makes sense, based on his experiences as a young up-and-comer on the European Tour in 1999 and 2000. Ogilvy is too good to be just a one-hit wonder; he probably won?t have this kind of value for much longer.
TNT has extensive coverage of the first two rounds starting Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time; for the last two rounds, TNT has the first two hours of broadcast time before ABC jumps in.
---Perry
BetWWTS
Tiger Woods this, Phil Mickelson that.
Yes, the two most famous golfers in the world (Jack Nicholson notwithstanding) have an excellent chance of winning this week?s British Open. But forgive me if I?m not so enthusiastic about laying down my hard-earned shillings on either man this time around. There are far too many unknowns going into this event to make me reach for my wallet for Woods at +500 or even Mickelson at +1000.
The site of the 135th Open Championship is the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, a seaside links course just on the other side of the River Mersey from the birthplace of the Beatles. Hoylake is not part of the usual nine-course rotation favored by Open officials; the last time Hoylake played host to this prestigious event was 1967. Consequently, the only Open golfer of note who has played competitive golf there is Paddy Harrington (+2500).
The decision to return to Hoylake has rattled some golf enthusiasts stateside. Golf Digest was especially nasty, claiming the venue ?isn?t a blast from the past, it?s a thing of the past.? The magazine?s Ron Whitten says Hoylake remains too short for modern players despite adding another 263 yards to become a 7,258-yard, par-72 course. He may be right; Woods has already suggested he may leave his driver at home, and Hoylake manager Craig Gilholm believes Woods? record 19-under finish in 2000 is going to be under siege this week.
Weather, as usual, will play a huge role at the Open. But it apparently won?t play the same role we?re used to seeing. Instead of the usual miserable Merseyside conditions, it?s been a beautiful summer thus far for Liverpudlians. Golfers participating in Monday?s practice round were greeted by clear blue skies and temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Woods? 2000 record was set in similarly beautiful weather at St Andrews. ?This course relies on its bunkering, rough and the weather,? Gilholm told the BBC. ?Without wind, you?re looking at a winning score of about 18 under.?
Adding to the mayhem is the fact that the Open has seen 14 different winners over the past 15 years ? Woods is the only man to bag two Opens during that span. If this event were at St Andrews again, or even a course like it, he might be a good bet to complete the trifecta. But the Old Course was the site of last year?s festivities. Hoylake is closer in composition to Royal St George?s, where Ben Curtis won in 2003 with a final score of 1-under. That was a dog?s breakfast of an Open ? Curtis survived despite bogeying four holes on the back nine. He?s part of the betting field this year at +600.
Woods was one of the men pushing Curtis in 2003, but bad putting contributed to a fourth-place finish for Tiger. Such is life on the links-style courses in Britain. The greens there are generally harder and slower than the ones PGA Tour players are familiar with. Even if the weather stays good, and even though modern golf balls are much better at cutting through blustery winds should conditions revert back to normal, putting will remain a challenge for most non-Europeans.
Having said that, Americans have taken the famous Claret Jug in nine of the last 11 Opens. That?s in stark contrast to the odds list, which, beyond Woods and Mickelson, is populated by international golfers: South Africa?s Ernie Els (+1400), Fiji?s Vijay Singh (+1600), South Africa?s Retief Goosen (+1800), Ireland?s aforementioned Harrington, and Scotland?s Colin Montgomerie (+2800). Of these men, only Els has won the Open before, at Muirfield Golf Links in 2002.
So, who?s good to go at Hoylake? How about Geoff Ogilvy at +4000? You may remember the Aussie as the man who just won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, thanks in part to late collapses by both Mickelson and Montgomerie. Ogilvy?s name is being whispered at 19th holes across the golfing world. He finished in a tie for fifth at last year?s event, and says he?s a fan of the links-style courses. Which makes sense, based on his experiences as a young up-and-comer on the European Tour in 1999 and 2000. Ogilvy is too good to be just a one-hit wonder; he probably won?t have this kind of value for much longer.
TNT has extensive coverage of the first two rounds starting Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time; for the last two rounds, TNT has the first two hours of broadcast time before ABC jumps in.
---Perry
BetWWTS
