Inside the Ropes: Muirfield brings golf's champions to the fore

Inside the Ropes: Muirfield brings golf's champions to the fore

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Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange July 15, 2013 12:22 AMThe SportsXchange


The U.S. Open returning to Merion last month was all about history, from Bobby Jones completing the Grand Slam on the East Course in 1930 to Ben Hogan's iconic 1-iron in 1950 to its distinctive wicker baskets to snake-charmer Lee Trevino beating Jack Nicklaus in a playoff in 1971.



Muirfield Golf Links, host course of the third major of the year, sits on the East Coast of Scotland overlooking the Firth of Forth and has been there since 1891, when the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers moved about 20 miles out of town and built a new course in Gullane, East Lothian.



The names of the champions in the 15 Opens that have been played at Muirfield include Nicklaus (1966), Trevino (1972), Harry Vardon (1892), Walter Hagen (1929), James Braid (1901, 1906), Nick Faldo (1987, 1992), Ted Ray (1912), Henry Cotton (1948), Gary Player (1959), Tom Watson (1980) and Ernie Els (2002).



"The last six winners (at Muirfield) have won 18 Opens between them and 51 major championships," club captain Robin Dow said proudly. "To me, that says Muirfield rewards great champions. The course is fair and challenging. It doesn't give up fluky winners."



Said Watson of Muirfield, which features high rough and cavernous bunkers: "There isn't a weak hole on this course."




Even the Home of Golf takes a back seat when the Big Easy rates Open venues.



"(Muirfield) really tests your whole game; to me, it is my favorite. Muirfield is my favorite and then St. Andrews, and then Lytham comes third now. It really is an unbelievable layout, one of the great links."



Nicklaus completed his first Career Grand Slam by winning at Muirfield in 1966 and came back six years later after winning the Masters and U.S. Open in search of the one-season Modern Grand Slam, only to lose by a stroke to Trevino.



Then he caught the worst of gale-force winds on Saturday and spiraled out of contention with an 81, the worst score of his pro career, before finishing with a 65 that left him six strokes out of the playoff in which Els defeated Stuart Appleby of Australia, Thomas Levet of France and Steve Elkington of Australia.



Woods, who has been stuck on 14 major victories in his pursuit of Nicklaus' record of 18 since winning the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in an epic playoff over Rocco Mediate, has said in recent years that the Open has become his favorite major because the courses are not tricked up.



But Woods and the others who played Muirfield in 2002 will find the shot values basically unchanged.



" ... We will be setting the golf course up to challenge these golfers. The rough was cut down over the winter but will regenerate. You will see the rough up and you're unlikely to win an Open at Muirfield from the rough.