FACTS & FIGURES LAST YEAR 5 THINGS TO The...
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No. 12, 447 yards, par 4 » This was the hardest hole in 2006. The sloping fairway tends to throw the ball to the right toward two bunkers as the hole turns left toward a raised green, which is surrounded by mounds and hollows. The green slopes sharply to the front. 2006 ranking: 1 No. 14, 454 yards, par 4 » One of the toughest driving holes, this sharp dogleg to the left has bunkers on the inside of the dogleg and to the right side of the fairway. The green drops away into a hol- low on the right, and two bunkers are positioned some 30 yards to the left of the green. 2006 ranking: 2 No. 2, 454 yards, par 4 » A new tee has been added, extending the hole 18 yards from 2006. Four bunkers have been removed from the land- ing area and now features three bunkers. Three bunkers protect the green, which slopes away on both sides. This is the 18th hole for members, but it was deemed too weak for a closing hole for the Open. 2006 rank: 3 No. 17, 458 yards, par 4 » Bunkers to the left and right off the tee demand an accurate tee shot, and more bunkers guard the front of the two-tiered green, with wind likely coming into and from the left. This probably is the last chance a player will drop shots with the 18th being a par 5. 2006 ranking: 4 No. 7, 480 yards, par 4 » A new tee for 2014 will make this hole play 27 yards longer. The landing area is protected by bunkers and deep rough on both sides. The aggres- sive play is down the right side to leave the best angle to the green, which is slightly hidden. A tee shot too far left means the approach likely has to contend with two bun- kers. 2006 ranking: 5 HOYLAKE, England — Even for a major championship that goes back 154 years, the British Open is capable of providing a new experience. Attribute that to the weather. Returning to Royal Liverpool for the first time since 2006, two differences were immediately obvious. The flags above the grandstands surrounding the 18th green were rippling in a stiff breeze off the Irish Sea. There was hardly any wind eight years ago. And thanks to a wet spring, the grass was green and lush, compared with brown and wispy the last time. And then there’s Tiger Woods, playing his first major this year because of a back surgery and is sure to be a key figure. 1. TIGER’S BACK Woods had back surgery on March 31 to alleviate a pinched nerve, forcing him to miss the Masters for the first time in his career and then the U.S. Open. There was speculation he would return for the British Open, and it was a sur- prise when he came back three weeks ago for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional. He missed the cut, but said he was encouraged that he didn’t have back pain. As for his game? Still to be determined. His short game looked shoddy at Congressional. But at least it allowed him to shake off some of the rust from being out three months. 2. THE CLOSER Royal Liverpool is the only links course on the current British Open ro- tation that ends with a par 5. The 18th hole is 551 yards and should be able to be reached in two shots, allowing for a player to have a chance at an eagle. It also has big trouble — out-of-bounds to the right — that could lead to bogey or worse. The hole is capable of big swings that could determine the champion- ship. In the past 20 years, only five major championship venues ended with a par 5 — Liverpool, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Valhalla and Baltusrol. Woods won on four of them. 3. BROWN AND GREEN How a British Open links course plays often depends on the color — brown or green? A wet spring usually means the grass is green and lush, and thus the ball doesn’t roll as far and the course plays longer. A dry summer bakes the thin grass and makes it brown. That’s when the ball rolls forever and the course plays shorter, though it’s more difficult to control how far the ball goes. Liverpool was brown in 2006 and Woods hit driver only once in 72 holes. It is green this year, though recent sun- shine could make it firm and bouncy. 4. THE 40s HAVE IT Darren Clarke won The Open in 2011 for his first title of any kind in three years. Ernie Els won in 2012, a shocker considering that Adam Scott had a four-shot lead with four holes to play. Phil Mickelson won last year at a major not even he thought he would ever win. Mickelson didn’t have a good history in links golf. What do they have in com- mon besides their names on the claret jug? All of them were in their 40s. If the streak continues, that would bode well for the likes of Padraig Harrington and Justin Leonard, both 42. 5. GERMAN SLAM One of the strong favorites at Royal Liverpool would have to be Martin Kaymer. The 29-year-old German won The Players Championship (the strongest field in golf) and the U.S. Open (the toughest test in golf) from start to finish. He is among the hottest players in the game. And he is the best bet to complete what Kaymer jokingly referred to as the “German Slam.” He has won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Bernhard Langer won the Masters twice. The claret jug is all Germany is lacking. The Open » Phil Mickelson delivered one of the best closing rounds in major championship history at Muirfield. He made four birdies in the last six holes to win the major even he thought he would never win. Mickelson rallied from a five-shot deficit and won by three shots over Henrik Stenson. It was his fifth major, and left him only a U.S. Open away from the career Grand Slam. 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE OPEN THE FIVE TOUGHEST HOLES TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH LAST YEAR FACTS & FIGURES 143rd British » Television: Thursday and Friday, 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., ESPN. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., ESPN. Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., ESPN. » Prize money: $9.24 million » Winner’s share: $1.67 million » Field: 156 (152 professionals, 4 amateurs) » Last time at Royal Liverpool: One month after missing the cut in a major for the first time, Tiger Woods won his third claret jug in 2006 with a two-shot victory over Chris DiMarco. Woods hit only one driver all week on the brown, baked fairways — and that one went on the adjacent fairway. This major was memorable for the emotion. Woods broke down and sobbed on the 18th green. It was his first major since the death of his father. » Quoteworthy: “Doubt is a killer in the British Open. You play by feel and have to believe what you feel.” — Jim Furyk STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COURSE LENGTH: 7,312 yards • PAR: 35-37 — 72 Rory McIlroy » Age: 25 » Country: Northern Ireland » Worldwide wins: 12 » Majors: US Open (2011), PGA Championship (2012) » 2014 wins: BMW PGA Championship » 2014 majors: Masters-T8, US Open- T23 » Notable: Since opening with a 63 at St. Andrews in 2010, The Open is the major that has given McIlroy fits. McIlroy is a threat off the tee, though his putting can disappear at the worst of times. Holding him back this year has been the peculiar habit of blowing up over a nine-hole stretch, particularly on Fridays. If he can avoid that, he might find reason to love this championship again. WORLD RANKING 8 Jordan Spieth » Age: 20 » Country: United States » Worldwide wins: 1 » Majors: None » 2014 wins: None » 2014 majors: Masters-T2, US Open- T17 » Notable: His only victory remains the John Deere Classic a year ago when he holed a bunker shot on the final hole to get into a playoff. That he is No. 10 in the world speaks more to a body of work that includes everything but winning. He shared the 54-hole lead at the Masters and The Players Championship. Since that win at the John Deere, he has nine top 10s against strong fields, and four run- ner-up finishes. WORLD RANKING 10 Adam Scott » Age: 34 » Country: Australia » Worldwide wins: 24 » Majors: Masters (2013) » 2014 wins: Colonial » 2014 majors: Masters-T14, US Open-T9 » Notable: Scott has had good chances to win the last two Opens, losing a four-shot lead at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and getting passed by Phil Mickelson last year at Muirfield. Few are better with a driver, and that could be an important club at a Royal Liverpool links that is more green and lush than last time. Scott is getting comfortable at No. 1 in the world — he has been there nearly two months now. WORLD RANKING 1 Justin Rose » Age: 33 » Country: England » Worldwide wins: 12 » Majors: US Open (2013) » 2014 wins: Quicken Loans National » 2014 majors: Mas- ters-T14, US Open-T12 » Notable: Coming off a win at Congressional will only boost his confidence as Rose takes on Royal Liverpool for the first time. His game had taken a turn for the worse in 2006 and he didn’t qualify for the Open. His best result remains a tie for fourth when he was a 17-year-old amateur at Royal Birk- dale in 1998. The win at Congres- sional was a reminder of how he has learned to hang around the lead and close with authority. WORLD RANKING 6 Henrik Stenson » Age: 38 » Country: Sweden » Worldwide wins: 12 » Majors: None » 2014 wins: None » 2014 majors: Masters-T14, US Open-T4 » Notable: Stenson began his big run at this time a year ago, with a tie for third in the Scottish Open, runner-up at the British Open and Bridgestone Invita- tional, third in the PGA Champion- ship and three wins after that to capture the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai. He had a slow start in 2014, though he is rounding into form with top 10s in five of his last six tournaments. WORLD RANKING 2 Tiger Woods » Age: 38 » Country: United States » Worldwide wins: 90 » Majors: Masters (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005), US Open (2000, 2002, 2008), British Open (2000, 2005, 2006), PGA Championship (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007) » 2014 wins: None » 2014 majors: Masters-DNP, US Open-DNP » Notable: Woods plays a major for the first time this year. He put on a clinic at Royal Liverpool in 2006 to win by two shots. That was a brown course. This one will be more green. And while he might hit more than one driver this time, his week depends largely on his putting. WORLD RANKING 7 Phil Mickelson » Age: 44 » Country: United States » Worldwide wins: 45 » Majors: Masters (2004, 2006, 2010), British Open (2013), PGA Champion- ship (2005) » 2014 wins: None » 2014 majors: Mas- ters-Cut, US Open-T28 » Notable: Not even Mickelson thought he would ever win a claret jug until he delivered one of the great closing rounds last year at Muirfield. Perhaps even more surprising is that he has not won another tournament since then, and only once (Abu Dhabi) did he have a chance to win. All parts of his game have been in working order this year, just not at the same time. WORLD RANKING 13 Martin Kaymer » Age: 29 » Country: Germany » Worldwide wins: 12 » Majors: US Open (2014), PGA Championship (2010) » 2014 wins: The Players Championship, US Open » 2014 majors: Masters-T31, US Open-1 » Notable: Kaymer followed his eight-shot win at the U.S. Open by missing the cut, though it was in Germany during a week of celebrating his second major title. He returned to form at the French Open, and his wire-to-wire victories in two big events will only boost his confidence. Now that he has a full array of shots, the German needs to show a creative side on links golf. WORLD RANKING 12 THURSDAY-SUNDAY • ROYAL LIVERPOOL HOYLAKE, ENGLAND » The course: Royal Liverpool is the second-oldest golf course in England, founded in 1869. It hosted the first British Amateur, and it staged the first match between the United States and Britain in 1921, which inspired George H. Walker to start the Walker Cup. Until 1876, golfers shared the links with a horse racing track. Ernie Els holds the claret jug after win- ning the 2012 British Open at age 42.
Transcript of FACTS & FIGURES LAST YEAR 5 THINGS TO The...
No. 12, 447 yards, par 4» This was the hardest hole in 2006. The sloping fairway tends to throw the ball to the right toward two bunkers as the hole turns left toward a raised green, which is surrounded by mounds and hollows. The green slopes sharply to the front. 2006 ranking: 1
No. 14, 454 yards, par 4» One of the toughest driving holes, this sharp dogleg to the left has bunkers on the inside of the dogleg and to the right side of the fairway. The green drops away into a hol-low on the right, and two bunkers are positioned some 30 yards to the left of the green.2006 ranking: 2
No. 2, 454 yards, par 4» A new tee has been added, extending the hole 18 yards from 2006. Four bunkers have been removed from the land-ing area and now features three bunkers. Three bunkers protect the green, which slopes away on both sides. This is the 18th hole for members, but it was deemed too weak for a closing hole for the Open. 2006 rank: 3
No. 17, 458 yards, par 4» Bunkers to the left and right off the tee demand an accurate tee shot, and more bunkers guard the front of the two-tiered green, with wind likely coming into and from the left. This probably is the last chance a player will drop shots with the 18th being a par 5. 2006 ranking: 4
No. 7, 480 yards, par 4» A new tee for 2014 will make this hole play 27 yards longer. The landing area is protected by bunkers and deep rough on both sides. The aggres-sive play is down the right side to leave the best angle to the green, which is slightly hidden. A tee shot too far left means the approach likely has to contend with two bun-kers. 2006 ranking: 5
HOYLAKE, England — Even for a major championship that goes back 154 years, the British Open is capable of providing a new experience.
Attribute that to the weather.Returning to Royal Liverpool for the
first time since 2006, two differences were immediately obvious. The flags above the grandstands surrounding the 18th green were rippling in a stiff breeze off the Irish Sea. There was hardly any wind eight years ago. And thanks to a wet spring, the grass was green and lush, compared with brown and wispy the last time.
And then there’s Tiger Woods, playing his first major this year because of a back surgery and is sure to be a key figure.
1. TIGER’S BACKWoods had back surgery on March 31
to alleviate a pinched nerve, forcing him to miss the Masters for the first time in his career and then the U.S. Open. There was speculation he would return for the British Open, and it was a sur-prise when he came back three weeks ago for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional. He missed the cut, but said he was encouraged that he didn’t have back pain. As for his game? Still to be determined. His short game looked shoddy at Congressional. But at least it allowed him to shake off some of the rust from being out three months.
2. THE CLOSERRoyal Liverpool is the only links
course on the current British Open ro-tation that ends with a par 5. The 18th hole is 551 yards and should be able to be reached in two shots, allowing for a player to have a chance at an eagle. It also has big trouble — out-of-bounds to the right — that could lead to bogey or worse. The hole is capable of big swings that could determine the champion-ship. In the past 20 years, only five major championship venues ended with a par 5 — Liverpool, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Valhalla and Baltusrol. Woods won on four of them.
3. BROWN AND GREENHow a British Open links course plays
often depends on the color — brown or green? A wet spring usually means the grass is green and lush, and thus the ball doesn’t roll as far and the course plays longer. A dry summer bakes the thin grass and makes it brown. That’s when the ball rolls forever and the course plays shorter, though it’s more difficult to control how far the ball goes. Liverpool was brown in 2006 and Woods hit driver only once in 72 holes. It is green this year, though recent sun-shine could make it firm and bouncy.
4. THE 40s HAVE ITDarren Clarke won The Open in 2011
for his first title of any kind in three years. Ernie Els won in 2012, a shocker
considering that Adam Scott had a four-shot lead with four holes to play. Phil Mickelson won last year at a major not
even he thought he would ever win. Mickelson didn’t have a good history in links golf. What do they have in com-mon besides their names on the claret jug? All of them were in their 40s. If the streak continues, that would bode well for the likes of Padraig Harrington and Justin Leonard, both 42.
5. GERMAN SLAMOne of the strong favorites at Royal
Liverpool would have to be Martin Kaymer. The 29-year-old German won The Players Championship (the strongest field in golf) and the U.S. Open (the toughest test in golf) from start to finish. He is among the hottest players in the game. And he is the best bet to complete what Kaymer jokingly referred to as the “German Slam.” He has won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Bernhard Langer won the Masters twice. The claret jug is all Germany is lacking.
The Open
» Phil Mickelson delivered one of the best closing rounds in major championship history at Muirfield. He made four birdies in the last six holes to win the major even he thought he would never win. Mickelson rallied from a five-shot deficit and won by three shots over Henrik Stenson. It was his fifth major, and left him only a U.S. Open away from the career Grand Slam.
5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE OPEN
THE FIVE TOUGHEST HOLES
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAST YEARFACTS & FIGURES
143rd British
» Television: Thursday and Friday, 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., ESPN. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., ESPN. Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., ESPN.» Prize money: $9.24 million » Winner’s share: $1.67 million» Field: 156 (152 professionals, 4 amateurs)» Last time at Royal Liverpool: One month after missing the cut in a major for the first time, Tiger Woods won his third claret jug in 2006 with a two-shot victory over Chris DiMarco. Woods hit only one driver all week on the brown, baked fairways — and that one went on the adjacent fairway. This major was memorable for the emotion. Woods broke down and sobbed on the 18th green. It was his first major since the death of his father.» Quoteworthy: “Doubt is a killer in the British Open. You play by feel and have to believe what you feel.” — Jim Furyk
STORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COURSE LENGTH: 7,312 yards • PAR: 35-37 — 72
Rory McIlroy» Age: 25» Country: Northern Ireland» Worldwide wins: 12» Majors: US Open (2011), PGA
Championship (2012)» 2014 wins: BMW PGA Championship» 2014 majors: Masters-T8, US Open-
T23» Notable: Since opening with a 63 at St. Andrews in 2010, The Open is the major that has given McIlroy fits. McIlroy is a threat off the tee, though his putting can disappear at the worst of times. Holding him back this year has been the peculiar habit of blowing up over a nine-hole stretch, particularly on Fridays. If he can avoid that, he might find reason to love this championship again.
WORLD RANKING
8
Jordan Spieth» Age: 20» Country: United States» Worldwide wins: 1» Majors: None
» 2014 wins: None» 2014 majors: Masters-T2, US Open-T17» Notable: His only
victory remains the John Deere Classic a year ago when he holed a bunker shot on the final hole to get into a playoff. That he is No. 10 in the world speaks more to a body of work that includes everything but winning. He shared the 54-hole lead at the Masters and The Players Championship. Since that win at the John Deere, he has nine top 10s against strong fields, and four run-ner-up finishes.
WORLD RANKING
10
Adam Scott» Age: 34» Country: Australia» Worldwide wins: 24» Majors: Masters (2013)
» 2014 wins: Colonial» 2014 majors: Masters-T14, US Open-T9» Notable: Scott has
had good chances to win the last two Opens, losing a four-shot lead at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and getting passed by Phil Mickelson last year at Muirfield. Few are better with a driver, and that could be an important club at a Royal Liverpool links that is more green and lush than last time. Scott is getting comfortable at No. 1 in the world — he has been there nearly two months now.
WORLD RANKING
1
Justin Rose» Age: 33» Country: England» Worldwide wins: 12» Majors: US Open (2013)
» 2014 wins: Quicken Loans National» 2014 majors: Mas-ters-T14, US Open-T12» Notable: Coming
off a win at Congressional will only boost his confidence as Rose takes on Royal Liverpool for the first time. His game had taken a turn for the worse in 2006 and he didn’t qualify for the Open. His best result remains a tie for fourth when he was a 17-year-old amateur at Royal Birk-dale in 1998. The win at Congres-sional was a reminder of how he has learned to hang around the lead and close with authority.
WORLD RANKING
6
Henrik Stenson» Age: 38» Country: Sweden» Worldwide wins: 12» Majors: None
» 2014 wins: None» 2014 majors: Masters-T14, US Open-T4» Notable: Stenson
began his big run at this time a year ago, with a tie for third in the Scottish Open, runner-up at the British Open and Bridgestone Invita-tional, third in the PGA Champion-ship and three wins after that to capture the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai. He had a slow start in 2014, though he is rounding into form with top 10s in five of his last six tournaments.
WORLD RANKING
2
Tiger Woods» Age: 38» Country: United States» Worldwide wins: 90» Majors: Masters (1997, 2001,
2002, 2005), US Open (2000, 2002, 2008), British Open (2000, 2005, 2006), PGA Championship (1999,
2000, 2006, 2007)» 2014 wins: None» 2014 majors: Masters-DNP, US Open-DNP» Notable: Woods plays a major for the first time this year. He put on a clinic at Royal Liverpool in 2006 to win by two shots. That was a brown course. This one will be more green. And while he might hit more than one driver this time, his week depends largely on his putting.
WORLD RANKING
7
Phil Mickelson» Age: 44» Country: United States» Worldwide wins: 45» Majors: Masters (2004, 2006,
2010), British Open (2013), PGA Champion-ship (2005)» 2014 wins: None» 2014 majors: Mas-
ters-Cut, US Open-T28» Notable: Not even Mickelson thought he would ever win a claret jug until he delivered one of the great closing rounds last year at Muirfield. Perhaps even more surprising is that he has not won another tournament since then, and only once (Abu Dhabi) did he have a chance to win. All parts of his game have been in working order this year, just not at the same time.
WORLD RANKING
13
Martin Kaymer» Age: 29» Country: Germany» Worldwide wins: 12» Majors: US Open (2014), PGA
Championship (2010)» 2014 wins: The Players Championship, US Open» 2014 majors:
Masters-T31, US Open-1» Notable: Kaymer followed his eight-shot win at the U.S. Open by missing the cut, though it was in Germany during a week of celebrating his second major title. He returned to form at the French Open, and his wire-to-wire victories in two big events will only boost his confidence. Now that he has a full array of shots, the German needs to show a creative side on links golf.
WORLD RANKING
12
THURSDAY-SUNDAY • ROYAL LIVERPOOL HOYLAKE, ENGLAND
» The course: Royal Liverpool is the second-oldest golf course in England, founded in 1869. It hosted the first British Amateur, and it staged the first match between the United States and Britain in 1921, which inspired George H. Walker to start the Walker Cup. Until 1876, golfers shared the links with a horse racing track.
Ernie Els holds the claret jug after win-ning the 2012 British Open at age 42.
