Scottie Scheffler has shared the difference he has noticed in how Royal Troon is set up compared to last year’s Open Championship after the world number one took part in a practice round in South Ayrshire.
Scottie Scheffler was one of those big names not in the field for the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club last week, with the 28-year-old instead deciding to prepare for The Open Championship by getting to Royal Troon a little earlier.
Scheffler took part in a practice round alongside Sam Burns, while the likes of Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay and Keegan Bradley were also already in attendance.
Scheffler is looking to win his second major title of the year, and his first Open Championship this week. It is also the only major where Scheffler is yet to register a top five finish – though he is also yet to finish outside the top 25.
Scottie Scheffler shares difference he’s noticed at Royal Troon from last year’s Open Championship
And speaking to Golf Channel, Scheffler has suggested the big difference he has noticed from how Hoylake was set up last year.
“I think it’s a good course; bunkers this year, I feel like they raked them a little bit differently than last year,” he said.
“Last year, I felt like they were very flat coming into the face of the bunkers and this year there’s a little more slope in the sand, and so, I think you’ll get a lot more variety of shots and you’ll see guys trying to play from lips whereas last year it was almost a guarantee I think if you hit it in the bunker, you’re basically going to be going out sideways. And so, this year, leaving a bit more opportunity for guys to play shots, especially around the greens was a good change.”
Kindness of golf gods required on links
It is definitely one of the beauties of links golf that a shot heading straight down the middle of the fairway can bounce off in any direction, often ending up in a bunker and leaving a player with only one option. That option may well involve playing away from the pin.
It is obviously harsh at times, but links golf definitely tests how much variety a player has in their locker. And if the wind picks up and the rain comes in, that need for variety increases significantly.
Scheffler has passed almost every test put in front of him this season, already winning six times before the end of June. And many will be expecting him to compete near the top of the leaderboard in the coming days.
But much may come down to whether the golf gods are smiling down on him and the bounces he gets reward him or not.
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