Why 150th Open at St Andrews is golf's biggest bunting occasion

Everything has led to this. The people employed to come up with slogans are bold buggers, but this one is certainly appropriate in the context of The Open.

First played in 1860 at Prestwick, it celebrates its 150th edition at St Andrews this week and it’s arguably the biggest bunting occasion in the game’s history.

There’s always been something special about the Claret Jug event when it’s held in the Auld Grey Toun, but this one has more bells and whistles than you can ever imagine and rightly so.

“You know, at heart I'm a golf fan, and I would be lying if I said that I'm not feeling goosebumps on the eve of the first day.”

A view of the clubhouse in the afternoon sunshine during the final practice day for the 150th Open at St Andrews. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images.

The words of Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of The R&A, but they could probably have come from the tens of thousands of people heading to the Fife venue over the next four days.

Over the past wee while, a civil war that has broken out around LIV Golf has cast a cloud over the Royal & Ancient game, but no-one really gives a damn about the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit this week.

It’s all about the game’s oldest major reaching a special milestone and doing so at the most magical place in the sport.

The exciting occasion will be witnessed by a record crowd for the event. “It's a pleasure to welcome so many fans, 290,000 in all from around the world, to the home of golf,” said Slumbers in his pre-event chat with the media.

“Particularly, the 20,000 children and young people who will be attending for free. We should not forget that The 150th Open is as much as about looking to the future as it is about celebrating the past.”

As a two-time winner at St Andrews, Tiger Woods is part of that past, but, at the same time, this week will be a celebration of Woods, no matter how he fares when the gun goes off.

This is the 15-time major champion’s first appearance on Scottish soil since he almost lost his right leg in a serious car crash a year past February.

As he lay in a hospital-style bed at home in Florida, the one event Woods had on his mind if he was going to be able to play again was this one and he’s made it.

The roar he’ll receive when he steps on to the first tee in Thursday’s opening circuit will be heard all over the town and, if this is his last appearance in the event, having said there is “no guarantee” he’ll be back for another Open, then he’ll leave knowing he has joined Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in securing a special place in the hearts of the most knowledgeable golf fans in the world.

Collin Morikawa is the defending champion and, along with the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and many others, he’s tackling the Old Course for the first time.

There's been lots of talk in the build up to about 59 potentially being on the cards. Is that really a possibility or has Mother Nature produced a course that will have sufficient defence.

“We've spent three years getting this golf course to where we are today,” said Slumbers. “The one thing I've learned in the last seven years is you need two things to be happening in Open week.

“One is very skilled green-keeping staff and very hardworking staff, and we're privileged to have that team here. And the second bit is luck and luck with Mother Nature.

“And I think the golf course is exactly where we want it to be. If you go out there today, it's a lot firmer than it was yesterday. We've been holding the greens back because we had very hot weather early part of this week. We wanted to make sure that the grass was good come Sunday.

“The fairways are firmer than the greens, and they're running really hard. And Mother Nature at the moment is not destined to give us any rain and probably not going to give us as much wind as we like.

“But we've got other ways of being able to set up the golf course. And my philosophy has always been I want to set up the golf course fair, challenging, and let these guys show us how good they are.

“Now, let me make a comment about 59, which is 13-under par around this golf course. There's 7,300 yards. It's got greens that are running at 10 1/2 to 11. It's got fairways where the ball is bouncing 50 yards if it's hit and more if it catches the downslope.

“Thirteen-under par around that, I'll tell you what, if someone shoots that, I will be the first person on the 18th green to shake their hand because they have played outstanding golf.”

Louis Oosthuizen certainly produced some outstanding stuff when he stormed to a seven-shot success here in 2010. Having also been involved in a play-off won by Zach Johnson five years later, the South African could be one to keep an eye on again.

Based on recent form, having just won three events in a row, including the Genesis Scottish Open, Xander Schauffele could be another serious contender and the same goes for Jordan Spieth.

Though on a golf course playing totally different, Tyrell Hatton has a brilliant record, including two wins, in the Alfred Dunhill Links, which is partly played at St Andrews, which Rory McIlroy, despite missing out seven years ago due to an untimely football injury, also knows like the back of his hand.

Paul Lawrie, the 1999 winner, has been handed the honour of getting the show on the road and it promises to be a blockbuster. “After three or four years of very hard work, we'll be set for four days of world-class golf,” said Slumbers in a tone of both excitement and satisfaction.