Author: Matt Fargo - Tuesday, July 18, 2006

The British Open Preview

Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, England

Royal Liverpool is back hosting the Open Championship for the first time in 40 years and if the weather continues the remain the way it has been early in the week, the players might tear it up. When Tiger Woods won the Open in 2000 at St. Andrew's, he did it by posting a 269 (-19), a score that is unheard of across the pond. Or is it? 1999 was the last time a player won with a score over par with Paul Lawrie winning the Claret Jug with a +6. Since 1985, 12 players have won with double-digit below par scores.

The forecast is calling for the temperature to drop down toward 70 degrees on Thursday, a 20 degree decrease from Wednesday, with showers expected the first three days of the tournament. It won't be terribly gusty but Liverpool is a wind-driven course so it will likely be worse if the weather does turn. Shot imagination will be important this week since even though Liverpool is flat, it is a very tight links-style layout that was lengthened to over 7,200 yards.

Woods will be looking to repeat after winning at St. Andrew's again last season but history is not on his side. Tom Watson was the last player to successfully defend his Open win as he won back-to-back titles in 1982-83. Prior to that it was Lee Trevino in 1971-72 and Arnold Palmer in 1961-62. Woods looks to be back in full form after he finished tied for 2nd in the Western Open in his last start and if there is one player who can buck history, it is Woods.

Phil Mickelson is going to be the focal point of many after his meltdown at the last hole on Sunday at Winged Foot. He has been over to Liverpool a few times and has actually changed his gameplan somewhat due to the way the course sets up. He has not played well at the British Open as he has finished in the top 10 only once, when he was third in 2004 at Royal Troon. He has finished 40th or worse nine times including a tie for 60th last year at St. Andrew's.

One player that fits this course well is U.S. Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy. Ogilvy is one of 22 Australian players bidding to be the first from there to win the Claret Jug since Greg Norman won at Royal St. George's in 1993. He grew up playing in Melbourne's famous 'sand belt' region that forces golfers to be creative and change the way an approach to the green is made. Liverpool is going to be like that which could give Ogilvy a shot at winning back-to-back Majors.

Vijay Singh started out very slow this year but he is arguably playing his best golf of the season right now. He won the Barclay's in the beginning of June while finishing 6th at the U.S. Open and 4th at the Western in his two starts since then. His best finish at the British was 2nd in 2003 and he finished 5th last year behind Woods. However, he has only three top tens in his 17 starts but those recent finishes are a better indication of how he should play this week.

Ernie Els has not missed a cut in any event world wide in more than two years but his poor play this season is a concern. However, after working intensively with swing coach David Leadbetter over the last few weeks, he is feeling as good as he has this year. He won the British in 2002 and has finished 2nd three times so he knows what it takes to play well. He played well last week at Loch Lomond, suggesting his game is back and could be a sleeper pick this week.

The top native this week is Luke Donald who is having a sensational year with six top tens in 12 starts. He has one win under his belt in 2006 and even though his record at the British is not good, he cannot be discounted. He missed the cut in his first five Open starts and finished 52nd last year so at least he is going in the right direction. Nick Faldo was the last Englishman to win when he was the victor in 1992 while Tony Jacklin, the 1969 winner, was the last to win on English soil.

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