Lee Westwood (England)
It’s a driver down there, left-hand side, hopefully hit the fairway and depending on the wind, it can be anything from a three wood to a seven iron. It’s a tricky green, with quite a big drop-off on the left so you would just take four every day and run.
James Heath (England)
It’s pretty straightforward really. If it’s a westerly wind, it’s playing into-off the left, which makes it a little bit harder. I believe on Friday it’s going to play down off the left. There’s two bunkers on the front left that regardless of pin position, even if it’s at the front, you’re going to play to the middle of the green. It’s not dead in the sand but it’s a tricky up-and-down from either bunker. You’ll be playing to the middle for all four of those pins. If the wind is 15mph or less you’re looking at it as a birdie hole.
Mark Calcavecchia (USA), 1989 Open champion at Troon
It’s a driver, three wood and a chip. It’s longer than it used to be and a slightly different angle of approach. It’s an easier driving hole than it was in the other years because they have moved the fairway to the left, so out of bounds doesn’t come into play. It’s important to hit the fairway then there’s a hill short right of the green, so you kind of bounce it down that or you’re trying to fly it on to the front of the green and roll into the middle. It’s long, even for the long guys. Four’s a good score. I’d love to take four fours there this week.
Adam Scott (Australia)
It’s wind dependent but most likely you just get it up 280 yards off the tee short of the burn and if it’s not too severe into the wind you’ll be able to reach the green at about 250. If it is into the wind it’s probably a five iron lay-up and then just 90 yards, so it’s pretty straightforward. If it’s downwind the option is there for some guys to fly it over the burn but it’s questionable if it’s worth the risk, there’s some pretty long rough either side of that fairway at driver length. I’ve been laying it up and getting up to the green in two and relying on the short game.
Rod Pampling (Australia)
Hit it low and hard, you’re trying to land it somewhere around that front edge. Last time I played the wind was straight at it and it was a flat-out three iron and I don’t know if that was enough, but I wouldn’t take any more than that; you just have to hit the three and flight the ball correctly. If the wind changes it’s still the same and you’re still trying to land it in that little area at the front. I don’t think it’s a birdie hole, there will be a few but not many, but it’s one of those holes you could easily have a bogey if not more, so get to the front edge, take your par and go.
Henrik Stenson (Sweden)
If it comes down to the last hole, then that can be a tough one. When I played last Tuesday it was all of a drive and then a four iron to the middle of the green. So in a way I think it almost made it easier because you couldn’t reach some of the fairway bunkers. It was not much of a question about laying up. A lot of holes in general on links it’s always either take a bunker out of it, and if you do, another one is in play and so on. When it’s pumping into your face there, you can just hit it as hard as you want up on that right-hand side. It probably made it easier in a way with the tee shot.
