The Open / Roger Chapman / 12 July 2008 /

Former Open player and Walker Cup star Roger Chapman gives us his views on the changes to the Birkdale course and who he expects to be in contention come Sunday evening

It's fast approaching that time of year when all the talk is about the Open Championship. This year there will be even more discussion, because the world's number one, Tiger Woods will not be there. Woods won the US Open last month hampered by a knee injury. Throughout the tournament his knee got progressively worse, ending in the world number one needing to have reconstructive surgery on a double stress fracture (I bet Retief Goosen wishes he hadn't said what he said about Woods putting the injury on!). He is now out for the rest of the season, which includes him missing the Ryder Cup.

The fact Woods is not playing Birkdale this year will have an enormous affect on the betting for the Open. Normally Woods starts off at around [3.0] or [4.0] at best. Sergio Garcia is now the favourite at around [12.0], so we can see what the effects of a Tigerless event can have on the markets. It really is wide open this year. Players who go into the last round in contention will know that they don't have to keep looking over their shoulder to see if Woods is chasing them. I'm sure it will free a lot of the players up and they will cope with the pressure much better.

Royal Birkdale is a fantastic course, in my opinion the best Open Championship venue in England. Muirfield for me gets the nod in Scotland.

To the members the par for the course is 73, but for the Open it's trimmed down to 70, and a tough one at that.

My own personal recollections of past Opens there are mixed. In 1983 I was pre-qualifying at West Lancs Golf Course and was 4 under after 6 holes in the first round, so I said to my caddy "all I have to do is stand up and I'll make it". At 12 o'clock that evening I was on the operating table at Southport Infirmary having my appendix out! I can remember lying in my hospital bed hearing the crowds cheering on their heros.

1991 was the year Ian Baker-Finch blew the field away on the last day, going to the turn in 29. This was a much happier tournament for me. After opening up with a 4 over par 74 I played in the last group of the day teeing of at 4.20 and I finished in near darkness. I shot a 66 in the 2nd round to move up the field. During the 3rd round I was playing with Mark James. We were both going along very nicely until we came to the 9th tee where we found Richard Boxall lying in the middle of the tee in some discomfort. He had hit his tee shot on the 9th and had a stress fracture to his left leg (similar to Woods). James, with his very own Yorkshire wit, asked Boxy politely if we could play through! It took the paramedics some time to get Boxy onto a stretcher and into an ambulance and where to? Guess! Southport Infirmary!

A Royal and Ancient official came up to James and asked whether we would mind teaming up with Boxall's playing partner, Colin Montgomerie. James refused, saying that we were both playing well as a 2 ball and didn't want the rhythm broken. Poor old Monty had to play the next 3 holes on his own to catch up with the group in front. I finished in 69 that day and was well placed going into the final round.

Standing on the 15th tee on Sunday "if" I had finished par, par, birdie, par I would have finished 5th. But I didn't! Par on 15,double bogey on 16, birdie on 17 and bogey on 18, moved me down to 12th. But at least I was exempt for the following year at Muirfield.

1998 was the next Open at Birkdale. This was Mark O'Meara's Open and marked the emergence of a new young star in Justin Rose. He finished an incredible 4th as an amateur.

So now we are back, after a 10 year absence. There have been a few changes to the course. A couple of new tees and one or two new bunkers, but the real change that has already caused controversy is the new 17th green. This is a straightforward par 5 that plays down wind, a real birdie chance.

Looking at some pictures in a couple of golf magazines they have totally ruined the look of the hole. Putting in a two tiered green and bunkers round the green has in my opinion ruined the hole. I'm not a golf course architect but I do know a good design from a bad one and only time will tell when the world's best players finish on Sunday.

I suspect Garcia, who has rediscovered his putting touch and I think justifies his favourite spot, will be amongst the serious contenders . Ernie Els is another who has a big shout this week, as does Lee Westwood. It would be fantastic to see a British win. My outside bets this week would be Steve Stricker and Anthony Kim, with the latter having won twice in America this year already.

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