The Open / Romilly Evans / 06 July 2011 /

Power and touch are the keys to taming the dragon of St George's, writes Romilly Evans as he looks at this year's much-maligned Open venue and identifies the skills a player needs to win.

Scott Hoch never much cared for The Open Championship. The confrontational American won few friends this side of the pond by making fewer successful transatlantic crossings than a one-winged albatross (five in total throughout his long career). He even signed off with a swipe at the game's hallowed links: "St Andrews is the worst piece of mess I've seen." Nice.

However, for every septic tank there must be a loveable yank. And so it was altogether more surprising when Fred Funk, the jovial Floridian and fan-favourite, lashed out in 2003 that The Open was an unfair test which didn't reward good golf. But the pint-sized player was quick to clarify that Royal St George's (to which the rota returns this week) was the one course being singled out for his quivering volley of abuse.

"I shouldn't say I hated the golf course, but I hated the golf course. It didn't reward good shots. When you had fairways like one, nine, 17 and 18, it was nearly impossible to keep a ball in play. I just don't understand the concept of that design. If you set up on a golf hole and you know what the hole is asking you to do and you hit that shot and you don't get rewarded, there's something wrong with the design of that hole."

Some churlish observers countered that Funk's argument was rendered redundant by the fact that he missed the cut by a mile that year. But he's well-rounded, not given to sour grapes or xenophobic rants. So when a straight-shooter both on and off the fairways takes a swipe, you should at least consult the stats. And even a cursory glance at the numbers from 2003 appears to support his misgivings.

Royal St George's first hole provided an striking case in point. In 2003, 27.5% per cent of drives found its fairway all week, and it was a similar story on many other holes where the unique undulations and cambers unjustly diverted many a true drive into the heavy rough. Tiger lost a ball and submitted a seven; Jerry Kelly lowered the bar still further, running up an 11.

Fortunately, The Royal and Ancient have duly taken notice, widening the landing areas on the first, 17th and 18th by up to 15 yards for this year's renewal. In general, though, the layout has been more refined than reinvented. A mere 100-or-so yards has been added to its tips, but its par has been reduced from 71 to 70. The fearsome fourth hole, with its gaping abyss of a bunker, is the culprit here, morphing from an accessible par five to a jaw-dropping par four at a whisker shy of 500 yards.

Players appear happier with the set-up, which punters hope won't provide them with the sort of [500.00] shock Ben Curtis delivered the last time the golfing elite lined up along this stretch of the Kent coast. The rough has proven the main talking point. After a barren spring, the driest for 100 years, only a measily 33mm (1.3in) of rain has fallen in Sandwich from March to May. That's almost five times below the annual average, and it's small wonder that the long stuff won't rival the thick hay of 2003.

Players will have a legitimate shot at the green, no matter where they stray off the tee, provided they're far enough down the hole. So while driving accuracy will not be at a premium (although it never hurts), distance off the tee should prove a huge advantage. After all, a wedge out of manageable rough is often easier to control on firm greens than a five iron from the fairway.

'Control' really should be your watchword for a scorched St George's. These greens will be very tough to hold, even if you're coming in with a short iron. But don't assume this is solely a bomber's paradise. Power must be allied to a great short game, which will enable your selections to get up-and-down from greenside swales, bunkers and hollows. You'll get no arguments from Funk on that score. "Look at last time," elaborates the 55-year-old. "The guys with the tremendous short games rose to the top of the leaderboard."

That intangible blend of club-head speed and gossamer-like touch is given to few. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson (am I really tipping Lefty for an Open? Yes, I am), Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey are just some of the likely lads. But whichever way your hard-earned goes, don't expect St George's to be the winner this time (as it was in '03 where only the winner broke par). And don't expect another Curtis-sized shock. This course's rollcall of honour is up there with the best. Gentle Ben staved off Woods, Greg Norman foiled Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer here in 1993, while in 1985 Sandy Lyle pipped Payne Stewart.

So despite its awkward undulations and blind tee-shots over multiple hazards, Royal St. George's is not a Mickey Mouse track to trivialise the reputation of the game's oldest major. That said, it's a frustrating test and there can only be one victor. The rest, for want of a better word, will be left in a dejected Funk.

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