Turnberry could be Tiger's biggest challenger
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
July 9, 2009
TNT golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch knows all about the British Open (which he won in 1991) — the oldest title in major sports, which was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Baker-Finch would be the first to say that Tiger Woods is the favorite at this year’s British, being played at Turnberry. However, the analyst also contends that the wicked links course is located on the Scottish coast and that is where Woods might have his biggest battle.
I spoke to Baker-Finch about the trouble that Turnberry will throw at Tiger over his four days in Scotland.
So if Tiger is the favorite, why is Turnberry such a challenge to him?
Baker-Finch » “This course can be a real monster if the weather turns bad. Along the coast, here, you get rain, wind — all kinds of interesting elements. We could see a different kind of wild weather in Scotland than, say, we saw at the U.S. Open. The winds alone can cause trouble without a drop of rain. Few players are used to the very strong and gusting crosswinds that they will face at this course. ”
Is there a hole at Turnberry that can best show viewers how tough the course is for the golfers?
Baker-Finch » “There are a few, but the one that comes to mind is No. 9. Adjacent to the lighthouse and the remains of Robert the Bruce’s castle, the ninth has no bunkers, yet is a daunting par-4 from the Championship tee, which is perched on a cliff some 50 feet above the sea. From the tee you can’t see the fairway. You must look at a large rock at the top of the hill and aim at it and hope that you land in the fairway. It is really a blind shot with a very narrow fairway and that could be one of the trickiest because you could drive the ball off the cliff.”
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
