The Open Championship - Royal St. George's

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Watch it live; BBC Sport - Golf - The Open 2011 live - day one, Royal St George's
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Royal St George's

To stride towards the first tee at Royal St George’s, towards the thatched-roofed starter’s hut, is to embark upon one of the sternest tests in the world of golf. In mid-July, fairways are firm and running, and greens are fast and true. And the rough is up.

Teeing-off towards the south, the front nine is characterised by blind shots, imposing dunes and terrifying bunkers, like the enormous, railway-sleeper-surrounded hazard on the fourth, which is set into a sand hill that rises almost 50 feet into the Kent air. The elevated fifth tee offers the chance to catch one’s breath and enjoy a magnificent view of the coast, before striking the tee-shot towards the sea.

The back nine, which occupies the northern half of the course, is largely without the dunes of the outward half, though the fairways feature no fewer undulations and the greens are arguable trickier. Holes 14 and 15, live coverage from which will appear on the three-hole channel during the Championship, along with the 16th, are perhaps the most daunting. Indeed, the 15th, along with the perhaps more famous 17th at St Andrews, can stake a claim to being the toughest hole in Open Championship golf.

And then comes the home stretch, by no means respite from what has gone before, will offer the opportunity for those in contention to realise their dreams. Some will falter, while one will grasp the opportunity and play his way down, past the clubhouse, to the amphitheatre of the 18th green, before lifting the famous Claret Jug.


The Favourite

Rory McIlroy

Became the youngest player in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of 2008 before winning his first European Tour event with a wire-to-wire victory in the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic. In 2007 he reached the top of the World Amateur Rankings and caught the public eye with his superb opening three-under-par 68 in The Open at Carnoustie, the only bogey-free round of the day. Made the cut in his first professional event and finished third in his second professional event, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, earning enough money to assure his place in the top 115 to become the youngest and quickest player to secure his card, in just two events. Finished second behind Lee Westwood in the inaugural Race to Dubai, having led going into the final event of the 2009 season. He was only the second 20-year-old to break into the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings after Sergio Garcia. Recorded his first victory in America with a stunning final round of 62 to beat Phil Mickelson by four shots in the Quail Hollow Championship in 2010. He led the 2011 US Masters and held on to that lead until the 10th hole of the final round before visits to the trees and a series of missed putts dropped him down the field. Bounced back at the very next major championship, the US Open, where his first round 65 put him into a lead that he never relinquished, moving on to a record-breaking eight-shot victory.

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---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 PM ----------

Guess no one is in to the golf then.. XD

 

[Donnelly1]

Didn't notice this thread
watched most of it through the day. Thought Jimenez was good, made some great shots today.

 

[mark 19 times]

i only watch the last day not really that into golf, went a few years ago at southport though!