Commentating inside the ropes at Royal St George’s this week will set my mind racing back to my second Open outing as a player there in 2003.
I came T34 at the Sandwich venue 18 years ago and while time flies, vivid memories linger of a very special week mixing it with the world’s best on a global stage.
American Ben Curtis won his first and only major title that year, while Tiger Woods, Thomas Bjorn, Nick Faldo and Sergio Garcia all carded top-10 finishes.
The first thing that struck me about playing Royal St George’s in 2003 were the practice rounds. I was blown away by the atmosphere.
The sense of excitement and occasion I experienced walking the course and fine tuning my game earlier in the week was on a far greater scale than some Tour events.
I also realised very quickly that an aggressive strategy can pay off there. If you’re too conservative or cautious at Sandwich, the rest of your game can suffer.
As well as the courage of your convictions, driving is key. All three previous Open winners there – Darren Clarke in 2011, Curtis in 2003 and Greg Norman 10 years before that – were superb off the tee.
Shane Lowry heads to Kent as defending Open champion and I genuinely think he has a chance.
The course will suit him, he is instinctively aggressive and having grown up on Irish courses, he knows how to scramble and minimise the risks a links course can present in the heat of battle.
Lowry benefited from flying low into Royal Portrush two years ago when the spotlight shone brightest on home favourite Rory McIlroy. It allowed him to ease into the tournament.
That won’t be the case this week. Shane will be confronted by heightened expectation levels, so it’s crucial he manages his time and prepares as he would for any other week.
Easier said than done, of course, but focus and staying in the moment will be key.
Lowry has been playing some nice golf since March and if he embraces the challenge of defending golf’s greatest prize, there’s no reason why he can’t lay down another major marker.
A good week would also go a long way to realising his dream of playing at the Ryder Cup. It’s an added incentive and one he should relish.
Open defences in the modern era are rare and since 1960, only five players have retained the Claret Jug, the last our own Padraig Harrington in 2008.
The others are Tiger Woods in 2006, Tom Watson in 1983, Lee Trevino in 1972 and Arnold Palmer a decade before that.
Decent company awaits if Lowry produces the quality of links golf he graced us with at Portrush two glorious summers ago.
Undercooked Rory McIlroy could click away from spotlight
I don't mind the fact Rory McIlroy is a little undercooked heading into this year’s Open at Royal St George’s.
A missed cut in Scotland followed a frustrating T59 at the Irish Open, so it’s hard to argue he’s in anything other than patchy form heading to Kent.
It’s certainly not where he would like it to be for the final major of the year, but he has been here before and found his game when it mattered most.
McIlroy is adamant he is close to clicking and we have to take him at his word on that.
When you change coaches and trust them implicitly as Rory does Pete Cowen, it goes a long way towards forging a successful relationship.
McIlroy has time on his side and the fact his game is currently a work in progress, maybe the pressure will be off heading to Sandwich.
There is no silver bullet in golf and sometimes performances flow with lower expectations.
I’m hoping that is the case for Rory this week.
Unpredictable Royal St Georges could suit longshot
Darren Clarke and Ben Curtis were longshots when they lifted the Claret Jug at Sandwich.
Darren Clarke was a 125/1 outsider and ranked 111th in the world when he savoured history at Royal St George’s in 2011, while Ben Curtis was a 300/1 punt in 2003.
The favourite or second favourite has won the Open only once since 2007 - Rory McIlroy in 2014 - while the average odds of recent Open winners are estimated to be around 62/1.
History therefore suggests we should keep an open mind and an even closer eye on the outsiders this week, but I still suspect one of the bigger names will prevail.
All the top stars are in form, not least World No2 Jon Rahm who is fresh from winning the US Open, loves links and carded a top-10 at the Scottish Open.
Xander Schauffele is also on a roll, while Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Rory are all capable of catching fire in the heat of a major battle.
Royal St George’s is an unpredictable course, but it’s hard to look past some of golf’s biggest names in what could be a loaded field come Sunday.
BETTING SLIP
Justin Thomas - 18/1 EW
Could be time to add to his sole major at the 2017 USPGA.
Victor Hovland - 28/1 EW
Won in Germany and has every chance of being in the mix.
Shane Lowry - 33/1 EW
Has the game and mindset to put up a strong defence.
Cameron Smith - 60/1 EW
A very underrated player who has skill set to upset odds.
Matt Jones - 200/1 EW
Will relish Sandwich set-up and is a decent EW chance.
Brendan Steele - 300/1 EW
American has steady game and is my longshot for week.
