The real Carnoustie stands up in 2007
IN: News | European PGA | British Open (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 17 Jul 2007
The unfairly maligned, Carnoustie Golf Links, in Angus, Scotland will this week play host to the Open Championship for the seventh occasion, 76 years after it was first played at this venue in 1931.
The course first became an 18 hole layout in 1867 after four time Open champion, Old Tom Morris, re-designed what had been a ten hole layout built twenty five years earlier.
Tommy Armour became the first Carnoustie Open Champion when he beat Jose Jurado and the subsequent champions have been Henry Cotton 1937, Ben Hogan in 1953, Gary Player in 1968, Tom Watson in 1975 and Paul Lawrie in 1999.
In 1999 the course’s preparation got away on the Royal and Ancient who, despite having their headquarters only an hour or so from Carnoustie, somehow allowed for a tournament under their auspices to develop into a laughing stock. The course was ridiculously difficult that year, the winning score of 6 over par being the highest winning total since the 1968 version of the event at that same course. In 1968 however the course was a par 72 while in 1999 the course played to a par of 71.
Carnoustie needs very little tricking up. In 1975 when Tom Watson defeated Jack Newton in a playoff for the title the weather gods were very kind over the first three days in fact so much so that the third round leader, Bobby Cole, was at 12 under. On the final day the sea breeze arrived and only five players were able to break par. The winning score was 9 under with only two of the top ten finishers that year able to record a score under par on the final day. Proof positive that with the breezes that are so typical of links style golf there is enough difficulty in this layout without the ridiculous lengths that the steering committee went to in 1999.
By all accounts, lessons have been learnt from the 1999 debacle and the golf course presented in 2007 will be a greater reflection on the quality layout that Carnoustie offers at 7420 yards and par 71.
Despite this being perceived as the most international of the four major golf championships, the most interesting statistic relating to the Open Championship in recent years is the domination by the Americas in terms of victories. Ten of the last twelve Open Champions have been Americans. Whether that domination continues this year remains to be seen but there are many who feel that it will with the likes Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson all in the sort of form to contend this week.
There is much speculation as to the impact fatherhood will have on Woods but he is looking to become the first golfer since Peter Thomson in 1956 and only the second golfer since the event became an 18 hole contest in 1892 to win this event on three consecutive occasions. He has been runner up in the first two majors of the year and although there have been plenty of distractions of late, that is typically the life of Tiger Woods and there is every reason to believe he can win again.
Jim Furyk does not boast a great record at the Open but he was 4th last year and is in great shape at present after injury issues earlier this year. He has been inside the top five in four of his last five USPGA Tour events and comes to Carnoustie with perhaps his greatest chance to win this event.
Phil Mickelson has not had a great run at the Open Championship but he appears to be a much more disciplined and multi dimensional golfer than he has ever been previously. He was playing beautifully before an untimely wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the Memorial but after a hiccup at the US Open he now appears back to his best with his very good week last week at Loch Lomond. He showed when third at Royal Troon in 2004 that this event is not the impossible task it often appeared to be for him.
Ernie Els seems to be peaking at the right time, his last round of 65 at Loch Lomond for third place behind Havret and Mickelson further confirmation of that. Els has an enviable record at the Open Championship in addition to his win in 2004 and is a great chance to add to that.
Vijay Singh has prepared well for this week and although not quite as his peak in recent weeks, he is close to it. His best at the Open was in 2004 when runner up in 2003 to Ben Curtis, but there have been plenty of finishes just off the pace. Like the other leading players he is well placed to have a very good week.
The US Open Champion, Angel Cabrera, finished fourth at this venue in 1999 just one shot behind the playoff and has his feet back on the ground after two events since his win at Oakmont. He now knows he can win at this level and a repeat of his Oakmont heroics is not beyond him.
There are many others who, if they were to win this week, would not surprise, after all Ben Curtis and Paul Lawrie’s wins in recent years were from left field. Carnoustie in its current setup however should provide a test of golf that produces a champion more in keeping with world rankings than the winners in 1999 and 2003.
Justin Rose, Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia appear to be the ‘twenty somethings’ with the best chances with Adam Scott’s enigmatic performances in majors still a concern for those looking to have a bet on him.
Players from outside the square who could be considered as good longer value considerations are Carl Pettersen who finished 8th at Hoylake last year and who played well last week at the John Deere last week, the very much improving Richard Sterne, Scott Verplank, previous winner (1997) and runner up in 1999, Justin Leonard and Sean O’Hair.
The Australians are headed in terms of world ranking by Adam Scott but there are others who perhaps have better chances. Geoff Ogilvy was a disappointment at the US Open but that aside his form is close to the mark. He finished 5th in this event in 2005 and is now a proven major performer.
I can’t get excited about Robert Allenby’s chances but Stuart Appleby has been runner up in this event in 2002 and has played well on occasions of late.
Rod Pampling returns to the scene of his 1999 debacle where he led after round one then missed the cut but he has become one of Australia’s best since then and is less concerned about 1999 than many others. He is having another good season in the US and seemed to find a way to pepper the flag at the AT&T National, which he had not been doing earlier in the year.
Aaron Baddeley is having a good season but has struggled in this event previously. Mind you that could have been said about his US Open record before Oakmont and look what happened there. The Victorian has made 14 consecutive cuts and is playing close to his best right now but whether that will be good enough here is debatable.
Nick O’Hern has mixed his form of late but has the type of game to suit major golf. Has a best of 15th in this event at the 2005 Open and is capable on his day of challenging for a top ten. Two starts ago he finished third in Hartford but then missed the cut at the AT&T National.
There are another 13 Australians, obviously too many to discuss here but hopefully there will be one or two that keep Australian hopes alive until late on the final day.
