Par-shattering raid forecast

Press, 21 July 1989, Page 40

Par-shattering raid forecast

NZPA-Reuter Troon, Scotland Royal Troon’s par of 72 is set to come under fire when the British Open golf championship starts today on a parched course where the rough “just would not grow.” Cement-like fairways remininiscent of the heavily criticised “bounce golf’ conditions when the open was played in 1962 should contribute to a par-shattering raid on this south-west Scotland links course.

The United States Open champion, Curtis Strange, will be among the first with a chance to make his mark on a course dried by weeks of hot sun.

“The rough basically is not to the standard we would like — it

just would not grow,” said Michael Bonallack, the secretary of the Royal and Ancient, who run the open, said yesterday. “But if the wind comes up, they won’t be saying there isn’t enough rough. I played last week in a force eight wind on the back nine and I hadn’t enough balls in my bag to finish.” So far this week, however, that wind has not appeared, and the benign conditions left the field unprepared if it did begin to blow. “We have had 3y 2 days of rain in ty 2 months,” Mr Bonallack said. “Considering that, I think the course is in amazing condition.” No players have complained

about the course. They probably do not believe their luck. The field of 156 includes 12 men who between them have won the open 24 times. There are 48 Americans taking part, trying to be the first from their country to capture the title since Tom Watson won it for the fifth time in 1983.

The United States Masters champion, Nick Faldo, of Britain, is favourite, dropping to 5-1 for one British bookmaker on Wednesday.

The title-holder, Severiano Ballesteros, of Spain, three times a winner, and lan Woosnam, of Britain, seeking his first win, are joint second favourites.