Sandwich, England – This week's British Open venue, Royal St. George's, is often written off as as the weak link of the 10-course Open "rota." It lacks the infrastructure to stage what's come to be expected of major championships, and the nearby towns of Sandwich and Deal, while charming, don't have much to offer in the way of off-course diversions.
But when it comes to the golf itself, few places in the world can match the pedigree of St. George's and its surrounds. Commonly known as Sandwich, St. George's has hosted 13 Open Championships. The list of winners here includes J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, Bobby Locke and Greg Norman.
Close neighbors Prince's Golf Club and Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) have hosted three Opens, as well, with Gene Sarazen winning at Prince's in 1932. Fifteen British Amateur Championships have been contested at St. George's and Cinque Ports, and the two Royals have staged dozens of other important amateur tournaments over the years. As a 17-year old, Masters champ Charl Schwartzel journeyed from South Africa to Cinque Ports and won the 2002 Brabazon Trophy (English Amateur Stroke Play Championship).
"Very good memories, and my first British Open was here at Royal St. George's (in 2003)," said Schwartzel. "I remember I think I led the Open after three holes and got such a fright when I saw my name on the leaderboard."
It won't be an Open at Sandwich if the wind doesn't come whipping in off the English Channel. That's fine with Schwartzel, who won the Brabazon when it was "blowing a hoolie."
"I remember it was bad conditions, and the two courses are pretty similar," he said. "It's, what, eight years later. I think I'm a bit more mature and understand the game a bit better. I'm really looking forward to this Open."
Schwartzel opted not to arrive early and acclimate himself to links golf, and instead spent the last three weeks practicing in South Africa.
"It's pretty cold (there) right now, but we get clear days and with a bit of wind," said Schwartzel. "I figured it would be pretty good practice, which it was. The courses are dry, so I could really prepare for the way that these courses would play, very, very dry. We'll see how that works out."
Players who toured St. George's for Sunday and Monday practice rounds enjoyed sunny skies and benign winds. Not so Tuesday morning, when it was overcast and blustery. The forecast called for intermittent rain and wind gusts up to 35 mph. Predicting the weather for the tournament proper is a crap shoot, although, rest assured, there will be wind.
The Open Championship can turn on a gust, perhaps even more so at Sandwich. Headwinds and tailwinds can mean a three or four club difference on shots from the same yardage on different days, making the avoidance of cross bunkers or finding the preferred flat landing areas off the tee a tricky proposition. Severe mounds on the fairways often send what appear to be perfect shots caroming into the rough, which owing to a dry spring isn't as thick as it was when St. George's last hosted the Open, in 2003.
If you're trying to pick a winner, just remember that acceptance of one's fate will be the deciding factor here. Hotheads, fatalists and whiners need not apply.
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