Last minute tinkering with the putting
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A 470-yard par-4 may play as a driver and 4-iron into a wind of only 10-15
mph. The same distance in the opposite direction may play as little as a 2-iron, then 8-iron. If, for example, there is a bunker at 280 off the tee, players may decide to hit a 3-iron tee shot hoping to land it 230 and allowing for 30 yards of bounce and run, to take the bunker out of play.
From 210 yards down the wind, he may hit 7- or 8-iron and give
himself a birdie putt without having challenged the bunker from the tee.
Another option to almost every player in the field is to take the 'gun'
(the driver) and fly the bunker, leaving as little as 100 yards or less. He will look to see if the rough is lighter in places and make a decision to be aggressive because of it. However, the rough this week appears is very healthy everywhere off the fairway!
Another decision players will make today is what clubs to carry with
them when they begin the first rund. The Rules of Golf allow a maximum of 14 clubs and if the wind is up, a traditional 1- or 2-iron may be invaluable in trying to find fairways. However a hybrid or 5-wood may be needed to get maximum distance from the rough.
It's inevitable on these courses that at some stage, every player
will visit the long stuff. A the lofted metal or rescue club/hybrid is much easier to
hit out of the rough than a long or even medium iron. If the fairway is
missed on an into the wind hole, the chances are that the player will have
in the region of 200 yards to the middle of the green, so that rescue/hybrid or 5-wood may be the most used club in the bag if the weather gets rough!
But a player's club dilemma does not end there! With some wind and firm greens, approach shots will drift off the edge of greens and down the surrounding slopes and hollows that are typical of links golf. This puts a big emphasis on the chipping and putting. The decision to carry both rescue and 2-iron, demands the need to drop one of the wedges.
When Tiger Woods won The Open at Hoylake in 2006, he used a
driver once in 72 holes. Turnberry this year provides a test that will not
make that possible. Every club in the players bag will be tested this week
and the weather each day will determine which one is the most used and most
influential in getting round in a good score.
*Andy Raitt is a former European Tour pro who is currently top of the PGA Southern Region order of merit
Tell us on the forum: Do you have a game plan before you set out on a competitive round or just play it by ear and instinct?
