Scottish Open on course for an exciting challenge

IT’S LINKS golf but not as we know it. The fairways are green and lush. The greens are soft and receptive. Like every other seaside layout in the country, Castle Stuart just isn’t looking how it should at this time of the year.

The face of the course has been changed by all the recent rain, the test, in truth, over the next four days in the £2.5 million Aberdeen Asset Management Open being far different from the one most in 
the 156-strong field would prefer, though for those also heading to Royal Lytham next week they can probably expect much of the same in the Open Championship.

“It’s unfortunate because you want a links to play hard, fast and running with no rough ideally, but all the links courses I’ve played lately have been quite soft and quite green,” observed Paul Lawrie, who spearheads a 21-strong home contingent on the banks of the Moray Firth.

“The course is in magnificent condition, as it always is here, so I’m looking forward to this week. But you want to bounce balls at the green instead of landing it in with a 5-iron and stopping it there – that’s not links golf.”

In fact, it’s a lot more like the game Martin Laird, Scotland’s top-ranked player for a spell before Lawrie claimed that honour for the first time in his career earlier this year, is used to playing week in, week out on the PGA Tour in America.

When he has come home in recent years, Laird has had to adjust his game, having became adept at hitting a high ball during his time at college in Colorado and, subsequently, on the Nationwide Tour and now on the main US circuit. Not this time, though, as he soon discovered when playing a bounce game at Lundin with his father before heading up to the Highlands.

“Normally when I come here and play a links the way it’s supposed to play, I would need to change my game to get used to it, especially around the greens as that’s where it counts,” said Laird. “So the fact it is softer at the moment probably helps me a little.

“I’m assuming it’s not going to be overly firm at Lytham either so the Americans that are used to a little softer conditions than links golf could do well there, too.”

A proper links test or not, this week’s event has attracted another stellar field, which got better following a late request for an invitation from the three-times Masters champion, Phil Mickelson. He’s one of ten major champions in the line-up, having joined Lawrie, Rich Beem, Angel Cabrera, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Sandy Lyle, José Maria Olazábal, Martin Kaymer and Louis Oosthuizen in the 
battle for the £416,660 top prize.

A strong supporter of the event under the Barclays banner through his sponsorship by the banking giant – he lost in a play-off to Frenchman Gregory Havret in a play-off at Loch Lomond in 2007 – Mickelson didn’t need any arm twisting on this occasion and he’s been paired with Lawrie and Laird in one of the showcase groups in the opening two rounds.

“I also played with Phil the first two days last year – it was Phil, myself and Padraig Harrington,” recalled Lawrie. “We had a good laugh. I don’t know if he’s mellowed a bit, but he was quite funny going round and we had a good chat. I don’t remember him being quite like that the previous times we had played so I’m looking forward to playing with him again.”

Lawrie and Laird are both in the field for Lytham. So, too, are Sandy Lyle, Richie Ramsay and Steven O’Hara, another three members of the tartan contingent in the Highlands, where world No 1 Luke Donald is back to defend the title he claimed in a weather-hit event 12 months ago.

“For a Scottish player, these are the two biggest weeks of the year if you are also in The Open,” said Lawrie, who has freely admitted this title would probably mean more to him than picking up the Claret Jug for a second time, though he’s also keen to give a good account of himself in Lancashire next week.

“My record in The Open isn’t the best since I won [at Carnoustie in 1999],” added the Aberdonian. “It’s disapppointing, in fact, and I’d like to put that right a little bit.”

While Lawrie is close to securing a Ryder Cup return later in the year – he’s third on the European points list and a strong showing in either of his next two events would just about get the job done – Laird is running out of time in his bid to try and earn a spot on Jose Maria Olazabal’s team.

“I’ve got to start playing well now,” said the Glaswegian. “In the next four weeks, I’ve got two majors (The Open and USPGA Championship), a World Golf Championship event and the Scottish Open, which I treat as a fifth major. If I can win one or at least be in contention in a 
couple of them, we’ll see what happens.

“Hopefully I can get the putter hot these next few weeks. I’ve had weeks this season where I’ve hit it good enough to win easily and I finished 30th 
because I’ve not putted great. That’s been frustrating, especially after I went about a year and a half where I putted really well non-stop.”

For many of the other Scots in the field, including 1999 Loch Lomond winner Colin Montgomerie and Scott Jamieson, who tied for third 12 months ago, this week carries an added incentive due to a place in The Open being up for grabs. It will go to the leading player in the top five not already exempt.

Having slipped to 464th in the world and without a top-30 finish all season, that would appear to be a long shot for Montgomerie. He’ll be giving it his all, nonetheless.

“I would love to win again anywhere,” admitted the eight-time European No 1. “I can’t be picky anymore. If it was the local tiddlywinks championship I’d still take it. That’s why I’m standing on the first tee at Castle Stuart. If I get everything together the way it used to happen and also putt well, I can still win.”