Golf: The British Open

A favorite week is approaching -- it is time for the British Open, or The Open Championship as it's presumptuously known outside North America.

It is time for funny bounces, 3-woods into Par-3s, pot bunkers that can't be seen from the fairway, bump-and-run shots, wind and rain, and wild grass that is called gorse and heather. It's time for out of bounds to be just off a green. It is time for a different brand of golf.

It is time for names unfamiliar to North Americans to qualify and finish well up the leaderboard. It's time for Dinesh Chand and Takashi Kamiyama to qualify, not Scott McCarron and Lee Janzen.

Yes, with qualifiers all over the world, the British Open is the most international of the majors and full of surprises.

I remember 1978 when unheralded New Zealander Simon Owen led Jack Nicklaus at St. Andrews with two holes left. Jack, thirsting for his first major since 1975, bore down and Owen wilted under the pressure.

In 1982, a then unknown Nick Price led the mighty Tom Watson by three with six holes left before collapsing.

With a history dating back to 1860, the British Open is golf in its purest form. The stark beauty of the Open courses bears a sharp contrast to the manufactured look and artificial lakes so familiar to North American golf.

Yet, at first glance, the Open courses are featureless and resemble a moonscape. Sam Snead, unknowingly flying over the Old Course at St. Andrews, noted that the land below looked like it wasn't fit to plant potatoes on. The first reaction to many Open courses is of shock and disappointment -- until you walk and play them -- then you are hooked.

At the British Open, golfers often use clouds and distant church spires as targets on their tee shots. While the image of the weather-beaten British caddie has disappeared, it makes a difference to have local knowledge. Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Tom Watson used locals to capture a combined 13 Championships.

The British are justifiably proud of their Open Championship, a tournament played on tracks that have barely changed over the centuries. The original architect of the Old Course at St. Andrews is unknown -- probably God himself.

A winning British Open score depends on the weather. Sometimes par wins, other times much of the field is well into red figures. Even at historic St. Andrews, the course, playing at 6609 yards, is at the mercy of the wind.

This year, the stories of Old and Young Tom Morris will be resurrected, as will tales (some apocryphal) of what the championship is all about. While Royal Troon doesn't evoke the history and respect of St. Andrews or Muirfield, the course is a fine test.

Although it is a relative latecomer to the Open rotation, Royal Troon has hosted the British Open seven times -- most recently for Justin Leonard's popular 1997 victory.

A classic links course, the Scottish layout gets progressively more difficult. Narrow fairways lined with trouble make tee shots critical, its bunkers are deep punishing, and Troon's small greens require touch and imagination.

Troon's most famous hole, at 126 yards, the par 3 eighth "The Postage Stamp" is short but deadly.

The severely bunkered green derailed Tiger Woods in 1997 with a triple bogey.

Gene Sarazen added to its fame in 1973. Given a special exemption for the 50th anniversary of his first British Open appearance, 71-year-old Sarazen stepped up to the tee and with nothing else to show during the opening round, the BBC switched to the famous hole. Yep, you guessed it, Sarazen aced the treacherous hole with a punched 5-iron.

It'll be a great week on the Ayrshire coast.

On a related note, I give kudos to Vijay Singh. After winning the John Deere Classic last fall in his quest to dethrone Tiger Woods at the top of the money list, the unwritten rule of the PGA Tour says you defend your title. With a scheduling change, the tournament moved to the week before the British Open.

Most top players head across the Atlantic early to acclimatize to different conditions and either practice or play the Scottish Open. Commendably, Vijay is in Silvis, Illinois with the lower echelon at the John Deere. Admitting it's not the best situation, he still showed up. He could have blown off the event, hacked his way around to miss the cut and leave early, or feigned an injury. Instead, at this writing he is four under par for Friday's round and fighting for the lead. He has earned enormous respect in my book.

My best pick for June's U.S. Open finished T-17th, so let's see if I can improve this time.

Here are my picks for the British Open and why.

Tiger Woods. Yeah, I know. He's both an easy pick and given his alleged slump, a peculiar one. Tiger has never finished worse than 28th at the British since he turned pro. He has one title and four top-10s. He's still struggling off the tee and will get eaten alive if he continues to spray his shots, but this is a major and what better place to shut everyone up.

Ernie Els. Another easy pick but he always plays the British Open well. He has never finished outside the top thirty as a pro and consistently challenges for the Claret Jug. He loves links courses and knows he needs a big one to dethrone Tiger.

Stuart Appleby. The Australian is often confused with compatriot Robert Allenby. Appleby is the one without the shades on the golf course. The likeable Aussie hangs around leaderboards all over the planet (four straight top-10s at the British Open) and strikes when you aren't looking.

Darkhorses. Davis Love and Fredrik (Freddie) Jacobson. Don't ask me why, just gut feelings.

I can't wait to see what unfolds in the battle for the Claret Jug.