The Open Championship is now underway, with the world’s top golfers vying for success at Royal Troon Golf Club.
The iconic Scottish course is hosting the 152nd Open, having last hosted the major tournament back in 2016.
Henrik Stenson lifted the Claret Jug back then, with the Swede producing a stunning final round to edge out Phil Mickelson.
The American has since defected to the LIV Golf tour, with Mickelson having used LIV Golf Andalucia to prepare for The Open last week.
But he could quickly find out just how challenging Royal Troon is going to be in the early stages, with the links course set to trouble even the most experienced players.
Does Royal Troon have the most difficult hole in major championship history?
There are many iconic holes throughout the course, with the sixth hole representing the longest hole in the history of The Open Championship.
But it is another hole that many players will be dreading, with Nick Dougherty sending a warning about the 11th hole at Royal Troon.
“I think this is the hardest hole I have seen at any golf course or any championship,” Dougherty said on Sky Sports.
“There is nothing to see off the tee other than trouble. There is no miss to the left or the right. And it’s nearly 500 yards.”
Royal Troon’s 11th is among the ‘scariest in the world’
The course also has the shortest hole in entire Open rotation, with the par-three eighth ‘Postage Stamp’ just 123 yards long.
But a lot of the focus will also be on the par-four 11th, which Stenson three-putted on his way to glory in 2016.
Like Dougherty, former US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy has warned players that the 11th is ‘one of the scariest holes in the world’.
It is certain to frustrate the world’s top golfers in the days to come, particularly if the weather begins to take a turn for the worse.
The rain has already started falling in South Ayrshire, which is only going to make the course more difficult.
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