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The 2003 British Open saw Ben Curtis, a relative no-name on the PGA Tour, come from nowhere to knock off Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh and take home the Claret Jug. If that story was enjoyable to you, the 2004 British Open at Royal Troon in Scotland must have seemed like it was the same script. Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, two players known for their play in the biggest moments, were joined by Todd Hamilton, a player out of the Japanese Tour who didn’t even have a PGA Tour card last year. Mickelson finished the four days with a 9-under score of 275 while Els and Hamilton finished at 274 and were headed to a four hole playoff. Els made three pars and a bogey while Hamilton made four pars and took the Claret Jug back home to Texas.
The 2005 British Open will be held at St. Andrews in Scotland and will be much tougher to project than the other three majors, all of which are held on US soil. The tourney will be played from July 14-17 and will likely feature windy conditions on the par-72 “links” style course. Many of the courses in Europe are shaped differently than ones people are accustomed to in America and it takes a different style to be successful. The land is very sloped and hilly and the shots must be played with a lower trajectory as to avoid the often gusty winds of Scotland and the surrounding areas. It’s also quite chilly most of the time so the golf ball doesn’t tend to travel as far and shot making requires much more imagination. The biggest difference in the courses might be the amazing number of bunkers that links style courses feature. Many courses will contain up to and more than 100 bunkers, all of which can be in play on certain days. Many of the bunkers are feet deep or have large lips around the edges that can turn a good day into a dreadful one quickly. Many of the big names on the PGA Tour have struggled in the British Open but it’s likely a few names like Mickelson, Woods, Els, and Singh could find their way to the front page. More than likely, a few relative unknowns will find a way to keep within reaching distance and will look to make a run on Saturday or Sunday.
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