A tough but fair test
‘Respect’ was a word Justin Rose used when asked how he and his fellow players felt about Royal Birkdale, and the challenge it poses.
“I think all the guys respect this golf course. Everyone thinks it’s one of the best ones we play on the rotation.
“All the areas, all the seaside towns we play, they’re all fantastic, they all have a great charm about them. But for me the charm about this one is the golf course. I love it,” he added.
“I think it’s the fairest links golf course we play. It rewards great golf. The bounce, the vagaries of the bounces are slightly less in play here than at some other golf courses we play.”
Matt Kuchar might have felt like the world was against him when he led the Championship with five holes to go before a show-stopping finish from Spieth put paid to his hopes of a first major title in 2017.
But fairness was the first thing he pointed to when asked for his take on a venue which will next summer host its 11th Open Championship.
“I think it’s just a well-designed, very fair test of golf. And certainly a demanding test of golf,” he said.
Spieth used similar language to sum up his thoughts on the challenge.
“It’s a very tough but fair test, one that’s demanding off the tee. And if you get that part done, into the greens and on the greens, you can play kind of to the centre of them and putt to the corners,” he said.
“The greens aren’t crazy. There’s only a couple that have any kind of ridges to them. So it’s about controlling your ball off the tee in these crosswinds to give yourself the opportunity to hit the centre of the green.”
