Royal St George’s Hole Seventeen
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The Open Championship returns to Royal St George’s in Kent this year for the first time since 2003.
This will be the 14th time the venue has hosted this great event, yet after an eight-year absence, the layout will be new to many of today’s young guns. Even those with previous experience will be taking on a slightly different course to the one Ben Curtis successfully negotiated to win the Claret Jug in 2003. The 124-year-old Links has been lengthened by more than 100 yards and reduced from par 71 to 70.
PAR 4, 426 YARDS
BROOKS: None of the bunkers are in play off the tee. If the wind is into, you can carry your approach all the way and hold the green. Otherwise players should try and run it up because it will bounce straight. There’s a slope up to the green that will catch players out, leaving approaches short and the bunkers around the green are severe, particularly the narrow one on the left.
DRIVE TIME
No fairway traps in range, and a head wind. Driver is the tee club.
KEEP OUT
The thin trap back left is the hardest place to scramble a par.
