What is it about Sandwich that has allowed so many over 40`s into the mix?

[Tim Martin]

How have so many "old" guys worked their way into contention? Watson,Lehman,Jimenez, and Love are most certainly in the running. Other 40 plus guys include Clarke,Bjorn, and Stricker are also knocking. What gives?

[Tom_Doak]

1.  Bomb and gouge doesn't work so well there. 

2.  There are some sharp contours on some of the greens, so the angle of approach matters more than at other links.  It's an advantage to have played in a previous Open there.

3.  The firm and fast conditions tend to even things out for the shorter hitters, as they get a boost on downwind holes, while the bombers' drives can get away from them.

4.  Anywhere the wind blows, the guys who are old enough to remember how to control their ball flight have an advantage.  It's not just Sandwich; consider Norman three years ago, or Watson two years ago.  This should have held at St. Andrews last year, as well, but I'm afraid The Old Course is more vulnerable to the bomb and gouge game.

[Tim Martin]

1.  Bomb and gouge doesn't work so well there. 

2.  There are some sharp contours on some of the greens, so the angle of approach matters more than at other links.  It's an advantage to have played in a previous Open there.

3.  The firm and fast conditions tend to even things out for the shorter hitters, as they get a boost on downwind holes, while the bombers' drives can get away from them.

4.  Anywhere the wind blows, the guys who are old enough to remember how to control their ball flight have an advantage.  It's not just Sandwich; consider Norman three years ago, or Watson two years ago.  This should have held at St. Andrews last year, as well, but I'm afraid The Old Course is more vulnerable to the bomb and gouge game.

Tom-Thanks for your reply. I wonder if the rain will negate some of the firm and fast or is that balanced out by the heavy winds?

[Benny Hillard]

1.  Bomb and gouge doesn't work so well there. 

2.  There are some sharp contours on some of the greens, so the angle of approach matters more than at other links.  It's an advantage to have played in a previous Open there.

3.  The firm and fast conditions tend to even things out for the shorter hitters, as they get a boost on downwind holes, while the bombers' drives can get away from them.

4.  Anywhere the wind blows, the guys who are old enough to remember how to control their ball flight have an advantage.  It's not just Sandwich; consider Norman three years ago, or Watson two years ago.  This should have held at St. Andrews last year, as well, but I'm afraid The Old Course is more vulnerable to the bomb and gouge game.

Tom,
Could you please explain why TOC is more vulnerable?


Thanks
Benny

[Jim Nugent]

Benny, for one thing, I think TOC has four drivable par 4s.  It also only has two par 3s. 

[John Kirk]

Darren Clarke has had a sensational ball striking day.  A clinic in low trajectory play.

The leaderboard is filled with flat swingers (Fowler, Campbell), guys with low, broad stances (Glover, Johnson) and decidedly right handed players like Clarke and Love.  The upright swingers are less prominent this week.  The low draw is the go-to shot, though I was very impressed when Clarke hit the low fade on #14.

I"m starting to pull for the old guys, especially Clarke and Miguel A. Jimenez.

[archie_struthers]

   


Trajectory ...trajectory. ....trajectory.     

[Mark_Rowlinson]

In an interview after his round Tom Watson said that it was an advantage that he did not hit the ball as hard as the younger players because his ball had less spin on it and therefore did not react so much to the wind. But, you have to say that he struck the ball beautifully and that it always went where he intended. He used his head. Same for Darren Clarke - beautiful ball striking.

Some of the club selection was interesting - Rory and Fowler both hitting 7 irons for a 140-150 yard approach shot on one hole into the wind. Yet players were also firing 5 irons 240 yards on the 11th. Maybe I'm wrong, but if memory serves me correctly very few approach shots today finished pin high. Many came up short and were rebuffed by the raised/domed green. Many others bounded through the green and down the slopes behind.

For whatever reason golfers at this level still seem to play potently well into their forties. Vijay and O'Meara have won majors at that age - Nicklaus famously so at Augusta. That Tom Watson can play at this exalted level at almost 62 is heartening for those of us who are around his age. But some of the best golfers of all time began winning majors when they were young - Nicklaus, Woods, RT Jones, McIlroy......

[David_Tepper]

In general, the 40 & over crowd has been far more competitive pretty much across the board for the past decade. I don't think there is anything special about Sandwich in that regard. Tom Watson & Greg Norman have been competitive in other recent Opens on other courses.

Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Angel Cabrera are just some of the 40+ golfers who have been competitive well into their 40's on various pro tours and on a variety of courses.

[Tim Martin]

In general, the 40 & over crowd has been far more competitive pretty much across the board for the past decade. I don't think there is anything special about Sandwich in that regard. Tom Watson & Greg Norman have been competitive in other recent Opens on other courses.

Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Angel Cabrera are just some of the 40+ golfers who have been competitive well into their 40's on various pro tours and on a variety of courses.

David-I agree with your post but I don`t remember when there were so many players of this ilk hovering around the leader board at the same major.

[Adam Clayman]

The reason for 40 year old phenomenon, especially at the open, is experience. Watson in his 60's, and almost winning last year, showed that beautifully.