Hello and welcome to the Telegraph Sport coverage of the Open in St Andrews, a tournament that if you’re not excited, you don’t have a soul.
The best golfers on the planet who play Claret Jug at home golf only oozes tradition, history and, if you’re like me, levels of excitement for Christmas Eve.
As if to add to the almost mythical levels of anticipation, Rory McIlroy says winning an Open Championship in St Andrews is the “Holy Grail” of golf. Three-time Open champion Bobby Jones said an elite player’s career would not be complete without lifting the Claret Jug at the Old Course.
“I don’t know if a golfer’s career isn’t complete if you don’t, but I think it’s the Holy Grail of our sport,” McIlroy replied when asked about the appointment. But a call from those who have raised the Claret Jug at the golf house no doubt indicates that it has a reputation for crowning some of the most distinguished names who have played the game: Jones, Sam Snead, Peter Thomson, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have tasted glory in St Andrews (although the last two Open winners here, Louis Oosthuizen and Zach Johnson, although they are, are not exactly great of all time. .).
McIlroy starts the tournament as a favorite and after missing the opportunity to defend his victory at the 2014 Open when the senior was last played on the sacred streets of Fife in 2015 (thanks to an injury football, among other things …), wants to add his name to the list of the greats of all time who have raised the Claret Jug in St Andrews.
“I am playing well. I’m in good shape. My confidence in my game is as high as it was a long time ago, “said McIlroy, who was second in the Masters, eighth in the U.S. PGA and fifth in the U.S. Open.” But I can’t get in here thinking that this could be my moment. I just have to go out and play a really good tournament. I have to chain four good rounds together, and I hope by the end of the week it’s good enough to win.
“I’m happy where everything is and I can’t get ahead. I just have to make sure I prepare well for the next few days and have a good mood by Thursday.”
One of the concerns surrounding this edition of the oldest golf tournament is whether current technology and big hitters could make the “Old Lady” of St Andrews obsolete. Faldo has speculated that if conditions are calm over the next four days, we could see the top 59 in a major one.
McIlroy, however, does not predict a bird party. The favorite believes that while the winning score could be low, it won’t be close to 20 below.
“I don’t think we’ll see it,” McIlroy said about the fear that the course might be over. “You can bomb it and get closer to the greens, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you make birds.
“I can see that (the winning total) is low, but I can’t see anything in the 20-under range. Everyone has seen how firm and fast the streets are and it’s going to get pretty tricky by the end of the week.”
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