Open 2009: Only the best can win at Turnberry, says Woods

Published on Tuesday 14 July 2009 22:49

TIGER Woods believes only his best will be good enough to tame the Ailsa links at Turnberry and give himself an opportunity to win a third Open title in Scotland as well as a fourth Claret Jug in all. "You just can't fake it around this golf course," he confessed.

Although he's yet to attain the iconic status on the Scottish linksland which was granted to Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson by the game's most astute galleries, Woods' affection for the great links courses which distinguish the home of golf stretches back to his debut here as an amateur in 1995 at Carnoustie.

This is his first visit to south Ayrshire where the links of Turnberry hasn't dimmed Woods' appreciation of the seaside game. "The (Ailsa] is fantastic," he said. "The course is in great shape. The rough is up a little bit. We haven't had the big winds yet. We'll see how the weather holds out. But, all in all, this is just a fabulous golf course."

Given that the vast majority of the field here have no past experience on the Ailsa, the world No1 doesn't feel at much of a disadvantage because he hasn't played here before. Peter Thomson, the five time Open champion, remarked earlier this week that Woods had an edge over other players chasing the Claret Jug because he combines the work ethic with a fine intelligence.

It's why he's the 9-4 favourite and his closest rival in the betting, Sergio Garcia, is 20-1.

When asked how he expected to ready himself for the challenge to come, Tiger replied: "You just have to do more homework during your practice rounds. I've obviously seen (the Ailsa] on TV but I hadn't played here before. It was nice to get out there.

"I've been trying to get a little bit of a different feel for how the course is playing. We've had basically the same wind, but in three directions, which was nice. I can't rely on past experience, so you've really got to make sure you do your homework."

Woods is a student of the game and was already familiar with the quality of golf played here in the past by Tom Watson, Greg Norman and Nick Price when they held the Claret Jug here. "If you look at those guys," he reflected, "then you look at players who were some of the best ball strikers. At this golf course you can really understand why.

"You have to drive the ball well. You have to hit your irons well. You just can't fake it around this golf course. You just have to hit good golf shots. And the guys you alluded to were some of the best ball strikers of all time, or certainly in their eras."

The conviction that only a pure ball striking performance will be good enough means Woods is likely to adopt a similar strategy to the plan which helped him fend off the rest at Hoylake.

Bearing in mind how Royal Liverpool played firm and fast while the Ailsa is set to be soft and holding, this may seem contradictory.

Circumstances have changed, but the need for control remains constant. "You have to be committed to putting the ball short of the bunkers, or carry them, or skirt it past them," he argued.

"You really have to know what you're doing out there, especially with the crosswinds in some of the slanted fairways. It certainly presents its challenges. That helps you understand why the last three champions have been some of the best ball strikers."

You take the low road on a Scottish links and that aspect of the ancient game has captivated the world No1 ever since he teed up at a staging of the Scottish Open in Carnoustie the week before the Open at St Andrews in 1995. In the company of Earl, his late father, Woods' first experience of links golf was exhilarating.

Just 19-years-old, the amateur from southern California stepped onto the first tee for a practice round with Ben Crenshaw. Bobby Millen, a Scottish caddie, had told the Americans in the clubhouse that Alan Tait was the course record holder and if they hurried they could join the Scot on the first tee. By the time Tiger holed out on the 18th, he was smitten.

"I played Carnoustie and St Andrews, true links golf, as my first two right out of the gate," he said. "It doesn't get much better than that. I loved being able to use the ground as a friend, as an ally. We don't get a chance to do that in the States, where everything is up in the air.

"I didn't know what to expect, but it was so much fun for me. The wind was howling and you had to be creative.

"You tried shots you don't normally try, and your feel had to be there. It was the moment when I thoroughly fell in love with links golf.

"What I really liked was being faced with all those different options and how the challenge changed on a day-to-day basis. On a links, the wind rarely blows the same way two days running.

"One of the reasons I enjoy coming over here is to assess those different options and commit to the shot. In the States we play a lot of target golf: just make sure you have the right distance. On a links, you can use your imagination."

A pragmatist as well as a smart golfer, Woods knows he'll need to adapt to circumstances over the coming days. "That's what's so hard about links golf," he added.

"It's hard for me to tell you if I'm going to hit ten drivers or zero drivers. I don't know. As far as assaulting this course is concerned, it all depends on the weather. What Greg Norman did (in heavy rain and strong wind over narrow fairways] was in bad weather. You must hit the ball well here, or you can't get round."

Those of us who have covered all of Woods' trips to Scotland over the past 14 years can recall how his first visit here brought a few issues off the course. Tiger found haggis and deep fried Mars bars didn't tickle his taste-buds and he lost half-a-stone in two weeks. The next time he came back, he survived at McDonalds.

Healthier and wealthier these days, Tiger was asked if he now liked the food in Scotland. "As far as the cuisine," he replied, "I have a cook. I'm trying to eat as healthy (as I can] to have the energy I need to compete this week."