Best chance may come at Royal St. George’s
Golf’s last 11 major championships have produced 11 different winners. With the British Open teeing off Thursday at a course that has yielded nine first-time champions in 13 tournaments, the time is ripe for another.
In the absence of three-time British Open champion Tiger Woods, a bevy of qualified candidates are lining up at capricious Royal St. George’s, none more primed than world No. 1 Luke Donald and No. 2 Lee Westwood.
Is this their best chance for their major breakthrough? The 38-year-old Westwood doesn’t view it that way.
| BRITISH OPEN |
| When » Thursday-Sunday |
| Where » Royal St. George’s, Sandwich, England |
| TV » ESPN |
| FIVE TO WACH |
| Sergio Garcia |
| The last time Royal St. George’s hosted in 2003, Garcia was tied with winner Ben Curtis heading into the final round but shot 74 and finished five back. With its moderate greens, the British is the one major the putting-challenged Spaniard can win. |
| Rory McIlroy |
| The favorite at 8-1 (Ladbrokes), McIlroy has not played since his domination of the U.S. Open at Congressional. Sandwich will be a completely different challenge — hard and fast — and if the wind blows, McIlroy’s high ball flight will not serve him well. |
| Jason Day |
| The 23-year-old Australian enters in top form. He has placed in the top 10 in five of his last seven events, including runner-up finishes in the Masters and U.S. Open. Driving accuracy, the lone weakness in his game, will not doom him at wide-open Sandwich. |
| Steve Stricker |
| Since 1995, Americans have won more British Opens (11) than any of the other majors staged in the United States. That bodes well for Stricker, the hottest U.S. player with wins in two of his last three events (Memorial and John Deere). |
| Phil Mickelson |
| Links courses are supposed to favor players with imagination. Lefty has plenty of it, but it hasn’t translated. In 17 British Open appearances, he has just one top 10, finishing third at Troon in 2004. He’s listed at 40-1 odds (Ladbrokes). |
“People would have said I was coming into my prime 10 years ago, and then I dropped to 270th in the world. So what’s the point?” Westwood asked reporters Tuesday. “I don’t particularly think it’s an age thing either. So many players play well into their early to mid-40s just recently that there’s no point in thinking about it.”
At age 33, Donald has many more years to contend in majors. But there’s little question that he enters this British Open in the best form of his career. He has three wins this year, including last week at the Scottish Open, where he closed with a final-round 63. Donald doesn’t care that no Scottish Open champion has followed with a win in the British.
“I only see this as a positive,” Donald said Sunday. “I’ll be high on confidence. I’m hitting the ball nicely, and to do it on a links course is even better.”
No one has been on more major leader boards in recent years without a win than Westwood. He has finished in the top three in five of his last seven majors, including the last two British Opens.
Both Donald and Westwood have another reason to crave the claret jug as it is contested this year in their homeland. The last Englishman to win the British Open was Nick Faldo 19 years ago. All three of his Open titles came in Scotland. The last Brit to win in England was Tony Jacklin at Royal Lytham in 1969. The last to win at Royal St. George’s, 75 miles southeast of London, was Reg Whitcombe in 1938.
“It’s named after St. George, so you can’t get much more English than that, really,” Westwood said. “It’s the biggest championship in the world as far as I’m concerned. You know, it would mean everything, really, to win this championship.”
Donald and Westwood aren’t the only Englishmen who are threats. No. 14 Paul Casey and No. 16 Ian Poulter are also seeking their first major championship. But there’s little question which Brits have the most at stake.
The storylines this week for the world’s top-ranked duo are so similar that when a reporter asked Donald a question Tuesday, he called him “Lee.” Later, Donald was asked to envision playing with Westwood in the final group on the inward nine Sunday.
“I’m not sure who would have the most pressure on them,” Donald said. “Obviously it would be a very intense situation but one I would love to be in.”
