2005 British Open Form Guide
IN: News | European PGA | British Open (2005) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 12 Jul 2005
The Open Championship gets underway on Thursday July 14th at St Andrews on Scotland's East Coast with the layout having been lengthened in recent times to ensure that many of the bunkers that were out of play in 2000 are now back as major strategic factors.
Like all British Open courses, St Andrews relies on its proximity to the sea to determine its degree of difficulty on any given day. The adjacent North Sea can blow in some nasty weather on occasions and impact greatly on the scoring. The last three Open Championships here have seen scores of 18 under (Faldo), 6 under (Daly) and 19 under (Woods) win the event so much will be dependant on the weather.
The luck of the draw on the opening days can also make a difference with the changing tide often affecting the breeze and creating much contrast between morning and afternoon tee times. There is typically a stretch of nine hours between the first and last tee off on the first two days of the Open further highlighting the importance of a favourable draw.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods' caddy, Steve Williams, has stated recently that Woods is hitting the ball as well as he ever was in the six years that Williams has been with him. If that is the case then clearly things augur well for Tiger. The world number one appears on the verge of another win at St Andrews. His eight shot victory there in 2000 bordered on the sublime and given that he has finished 2nd, 3rd and 2nd in his last three starts this season and relishes the challenge of St Andrews then he is deservedly the favourite. He is preparing himself with his annual sojourn to Ireland to play several Links courses there and will be 'cherry ripe' for this when he arrives in Scotland on Monday.
Vijay Singh
Singh has a pretty good British Open record without winning the event. Ten top twenties in fifteen starts is a solid record and he is playing well enough of late to challenge Tiger. He was 6th here in 1995 and 11th in 2000 so St Andrews does not worry him. His last three starts have been good enough to have him ready to do well here.
Ernie Els
Els seems to be a little below his absolute best of late although it has not been bad by any stretch of the imagination. He has a great record in this event of late with four top threes in his last five outings at the British Open including his win in 2002. He finished second to Woods here in 2000 and was 11th behind Daly in 1995. He had a good solid lead up when 11th at the Scottish Open and should be close to his best when he travels across Scotland to St Andrews. He was 11th in 1995 here and in 2000 was second, albeit eight shots back of Woods, and does have good form at the Dunhill Cup and Dunhill Links events here at St Andrews
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson finally seems to have worked out a way to play British Open golf as his third placing last year would highlight. He is not quite as sharp now as he was two months ago and his only average week at last week's Scottish Open does not suggest a great deal of improvement although his last round 69 will encourage Mickelson fans. His two previous starts at St Andrews have not provided much encouragement.
Retief Goosen
Goosen showed that he had recovered from the last day disaster at Pinehurst with a good solid week at the European Open but was only average at the Scottish Open. He has recorded top tens in each of the last three British Open starts, the only golfer to do so, but was only 41st here in 2000. He has the game to win and could well contend.
Sergio Garcia
Garcia finished third at the recent US Open and has had three top tens in his last four starts in this event. He finished 22nd at the Barclays Classic on the USPGA Tour the week after the US Open but now with two weeks to recover he will be back raring to go. Probably contends for the crown of being the best player to have not won a major although if that was lifted this week it would be no big surprise.
Adam Scott
Although rapidly approaching the highest echelon in the game, he has yet to prove himself at major level. He is, of course, still relatively young but his British Open record is very poor. In five starts his best has been 42nd and has missed three cuts. He is playing quite well at present and his 12th at the Scottish Open was a good lead up effort but he needs to break through that 'major' and more specifically British open barrier if he is to win.
Jim Furyk
Furyk had a good British Open record early in his career but not so in recent years. He is playing beautifully now though and if he can find a way to remember what he was doing when 4th on two occasions in this great event in the mid 1990's then he could well contend.
David Toms
Tom perhaps surprisingly finished fourth here to Tiger Woods in 2000 in his very first British Open although that has been by far his best showing on this side of the Atlantic. The last few weeks have seen Toms in very good form although last week at the John Deere Classic he seemed to be going through the motions somewhat.
Chris DiMarco
DiMarco has a poor record at the British Open and although he was playing well two months or so ago, his most recent form is hardly inspiring. He has contended in both the PGA and Masters in recent 'major' starts but if he does the same here it will be a surprise.
Kenny Perry
Perry has played this event well in the last two years with an 8th at Royal St Georges and 16th at Royal Troon last year. He is close to his best form which is very good has become such a good driver of the ball that he might just show up if he can have a good week with the putter. That might be easier said then done however.
Padraig Harrington
Harrington is a late withdrawal from the tournament this week due to the passing of his father, who had been ill for some time.
Davis Love III
Love was 6th at the recent US Open and 2nd the week prior at Congressional suggesting he is in good form. He has a better British Open record than perhaps one would first think having five top tens in the last eight starts at this event. He missed the cut here in 1995 but was 11th in 2000.
Michael Campbell
Campbell returns to the scene of one of his finest golfing moments - that was of course until Pinehurst this year when he defied the golfing world to win the US Open. Having such a good result here previously when 3rd in 1995, he can be expected to do well especially if he is in the same frame of mind and form he was at Pinehurst. He now knows he can do it, rather than just thinking and hoping he can, which will make a lot of difference. This time however the expectation both from within and from outside is that much greater.
Luke Donald
Donald seems destined to win a major in years to come although it may be that it won't be the British Open, at least in the short term. Five starts in this event for five missed cuts is of some concern for his followers. He is obviously improving as a player and is now close to the elite level in the game but it is a bit much to expect him to go well here I feel. He did though have a good lead up week at Loch Lomond when storming home for 5th
Darren Clarke
Clarke despite some personal family illness issues he is dealing with, is playing very well at present and does have a runner up and third placing at this event in previous years. He missed playing the US Open because of his family illness but has played very well in recent weeks including last week at Loch Lomond when he finished second to Tim Clark. Another good performance here would not surprise.
Justin Leonard
Leonard has a good chance at what will likely be longer odds. A previous winner of the event, Leonard was 7th at his last start at Westchester and a winner a few weeks earlier in Memphis. He is considered to be one of the best wind players amongst the Americans and if he gets conditions to his liking then he might do well.
Angel Cabrera
Cabrera finished fourth at the tricked up Carnoustie in 1999 but that aside there is not much to get excited about Cabrera's British Open record. He has gone to another level in 2005 though and is likely to have another good showing this year. It may not be good enough to figure in the finish although a good week at Loch Lomond, when 5th, has him arriving here in good form.
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Jimenez apart from his third placing at Royal Lytham in 2001 behind Duval, has a poor record at the British Open for one of his standing in European golf. He played very well last week at the Scottish Open when 8th but contention here would be a big turnaround on his previous Open efforts.
Scott Verplank
Verplank perhaps surprised a few with his 7th placing last year, his best in this event. He is going well at present though and another top ten is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Thomas Bjorn
Bjorn has the disaster that befell him at the European Open to overcome and if he is able to do so then he might stand a chance of exorcising the demons of Royal St Georges when he self-destructed late in the tournament. He is playing well in recent times despite his sextuple bogey 11 at the 17th at the K Club. He has been twice second in this event including the last time it was played here at St Andrews in 2000.
Tim Clark
Clark after his third placing at Pinehurst, appears on the verge of breaking through to the next level in the game. Even before his win at Loch Lomond last week he looked a good longshot chance here and that is now further confirmed. Always hard to back up a win of that significance with another good week but he is a tough customer. He has shown with his Pinehurst and Oak Hill (3rd 2003 PGA) efforts that he is more than capable of contending at this level it.
Fred Couples
Couples has a great record at the British Open. He has missed only three of fifteen cuts and has been placed inside the top ten on eight of those fifteen. 15th at the US Open and second at Memorial in recent starts is a good lead in to here. He was 4th and 6th at his two British Opens at St Andrews in 1984 and 1990 so a good week would not surprise.
Lee Westwood
Lee Westwood has a good relationship with St Andrews having won a Dunhill Links Championship here in 2003. His record at the British Open is not flash given his place in European golf but he was fourth last year and is playing reasonably well at present.
Leading Australians (see above for Scott)
Mark Hensby
Hensby will play in his first British Open but he has shown at Augusta (5th) and Pinehurst (3rd) this year that debuts are not a problem. He is capable of anything this man it would seem, but he will need to be if he is to contend here. His last round of 64 when 5th at the John Deere Classic has him arriving at St Andrews in great form.
Stuart Appleby
Appleby has played much better in this event in recent years than he did early in his career. He was runner up to Els in 2002 and 15th at Royal St Georges in 2003. He finished 11th here in 2000 and seems to be playing a little better of late.
Robert Allenby
Allenby is playing a lot better in recent weeks but his British Open record is not good, although having said that, he has made most cuts. He was 10th in 1997 but that apart there have been few good finishes. He is beginning to play well again however in recent weeks although could only manage a mid field finish at the Scottish Open.
Nick O'Hern
O'hern, like Hensby, has lifted to new levels on a regular basis over the last eighteen months. Surprisingly he has played this event just the twice, making the cut in his first start in 2000 here at St Andrews. He is one of the big improvers in world golf in recent times. He has played well on both sides of the Atlantic this year and his best British Open finish is surely just a few days away. As to just how good – well we shall find out. He has a game built around the demands of tough golf courses.
Peter Lonard
Lonard plays his first St Andrews British Open this week. He has made all six cuts in the event but missed out on playing the event in 1995 and 2000 when staged here. His form is a little hard to follow at present but he is capable of contending at top ten level if it all comes together for him.
Rod Pampling
Pampling returned to the British Open for the first time last year since his horrific week in 1999 when he led after round one and missed the cut. He is ten times the player now however and showed it last year when he finished as the leading Australian at Royal Troon. He has shown again this season that he is not far from the elite in the game with his 5th placing at Augusta on debut. He had a poor US Open but his form just prior was not bad and showed at Augusta when 5th that contending at a higher level is not beyond him.
Craig Parry
Parry is not playing well enough at present to be considered a chance of contending at an event in which he went close to winning in 1999.
Richard Green
Green, like his fellow left handed Australian Nick O'Hern, has made massive progress in the last eighteen months, in many ways paralleling the exploits of O'Hern. He does not possess a good record at the British Open but he is at a higher level with his game than ever before and given that he has made his last 22 cuts in tournament golf while playing virtually everywhere, he is more than likely to have his best Open finish here this week.
Geoff Ogilvy
Ogilvy has come of age in 2005 with his first win in professional golf and a much more consistent level of play. He has played this event twice missing the cut on both occasions and while it is unlikely that he will contend he could definitely record his best Open Championship this week.
