The Open: Muirfield – Long on magic, short on mercy

The Claret Jug trophy beside the 18th green in front of the clubhouse during The Open Championship media day at Muirfield

The winds are blowing across the iconic course in Muirfield, but we have no way yet of knowing which way they might blow. The mystical magic of an ancient course is about to charm an entire community of golfers, descending rapidly upon what is known as home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

Who among them might shake with excitement, holding the incredibly hallowed Claret Jug on Sunday is anybody’s goofy guess. It is difficult to predict a winner in golf these days.

The 142^nd British Open is upon us and the bright aura that surrounds the greatest tournament in golf is far too obvious to miss. The players will know that Muirfield is filled with magic every step of the way, but one stumble and course might swallow them whole. It is a course that is long on magic and brutally short on mercy.

Incredibe as it may seem, Tiger is installed favourite, despite not having played since his 32^nd place finish at the US Open on the iconic course at Merion. The legendary American has been stuck on 14 majors, the last of which came at the US Open in Torrey Pines five years ago.

But then, such has been the influence of the most prolific golfer of our times that all he needs to earn the tag is to show up at the practice greens.

Tiger has won four times this year, but he hurt his elbow in winning the Players Championship. The injury got aggravated when he was negotiating the thick rough at Merion, but Tiger assured the media that everything was as good as it can be ahead of the opening round tomorrow.

The defending champion and the man who won when it was last played at Muirfield in 2002, Ernie Els, played down his chances of emulating Nick Faldo who was the last man to win twice in a row at this ancient course. The South African feels it is an open field and hardly anyone disagrees.

Els stated he would have to name at least twenty men who could possibly lift the iconic prize on Sunday, before joking that Phil Mickelson might win because he won last week at Castle Stuart. Meanwhile, Justin Rose, who took his maiden major at the US Open, is hoping that he can emulate Andy Murray and become the first Englishman since Nick Faldo to win the British Open.

The Masters champion Adam Scott had a four stroke cushion with four left to play at St. Anne’s last year before folding in nerves. The Aussie has toughened himself since then, proving he can do it on a major Sunday by standing tall at Augusta this year. Scott could help lift the flagging spirits of his nation – suffering from the series loss to the Lions in Rugby and the narrow loss in the first of the Ashes Tests.

Tiger Woods is considered by many to be the favourite this year but there are question marks over his elbow and his track record at link courses.

Another man dealing with a flagging reputation is Rory McIlroy. The world no.2 has been warned by Faldo to rediscover his focus or risk falling into a bucket of underachieving professionals that pack the Tour. McIlroy brushed aside the suggestion, but needs a solid finish this week to wipe away the gathering gloom.

The Open will tee off at 0532hrs GMT on Thursday.

The first troika off the blocks this year will be Aussie Peter Senior, Scotland’s Lloyd Saltman, and Englishman Oliver Fisher. The weather has been dry and hot, making the course furiously fast this week.

The snobbish course is set at 7,192 yards – nearly a thousand more than the 6,200 yards it measured in 1891, but given the conditions, distance is barely the issue. The rough is as beastly as it was at the Merion and the bunkers could ruin even the most measured approach to the green. Driving accuracy is going to be rewarded this year, question is who among the contenders can keep it on the straight and narrow during the heat of the chase.

Tough as it is believe, 14 of the past 20 major events have seen a first time winner lift the trophy. So will we have another first time winner of Sunday?

The guess is as tough as it might get, but on a links course that is playing firm and fast, one would presume that experience and calm would trump the exuberant enthusiasm of another greenhorn. Men like Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Mickelson understand the nuances of links golf and they aren’t going to stand by and watch the Claret Jug being stolen.

But then there is no shortage of pirates – Sergio Garcia, still looking to pay off his promise, won the British Amateur title here in 1998. Can he draw from his well of memories?

The world golf ranking pointed out recently that the average ranking of the player winning the Open since 2003 has been nearly 75. That was the year when Ben Curtis swung the famous Jug his way whilst being ranked 396^th in the world.

No, you read that right, so do not bother glancing back again. Then there is Jordan Spieth, the 19-year-old teenager who became the youngest winner in 82 years when he won the John Deere last week to qualify for the Open.

With so many variables at play, there is no way of knowing who might live his dreams on Sunday. Irrespective of what the bookies tell you, one thing is certain. The Open is wide open and be prepared on Sunday to witness a stormy final round to determine a deserving winner for the most valuable prize in all of golf.