Designing or setting up a course to identify a true champion

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I am interested in your views on the way courses are set up for major championships. We have had surprises in the like of Jack Fleck or Todd Hamilton. We have had absolute certainties in the manner of Bob Jones or Jack Nicklaus. We have had those good golfers who have had their rare moment such as Fred Couples or Tom Weiskopf. What are the qualities of the set up of a major championship golf course that identifies true champions? But when you get the unlikely winner, did you get it wrong?

[David Kelly]

I don't think there are any.  You will always have flukes and one-offs win majors and conversely the great players always manage to identify themselves by winning multiple majors.

The list of Open Champions at St. Andrews is filled with greats like Nicklaus, Snead, Braid, Locke, Woods, & Ballesteros, but there are also the likes of John Daly and Dick Burton on that list.

Golf doesn't play out according to form enough to have a course set-up that would only allow the truly great to win.