Tough trial at Troon

As the golfing fraternity gears up for the 2004 British Open, a debateis raging on the "non-appearance" of several US PGA Tour players who did not even attempt to qualify for this year's edition at the Royal Troon.

It is all the more frustrating for the organisers since this is the first time that the Royal and Ancient (R&A) has held qualifying tournaments overseas rather than ask non-exempt players to fly across the Atlantic.

In its attempt to globalise the British Open, the only Major outside the US, the R & A held international qualifying tournaments in Asia, South Africa, Australia and the US, besides the usual practice of having one in Britain just before the event.

Top names that were missing from the qualifying round included twice US Open Champion Corey Pavin, Loren Roberts, Frank Lickliter, Kevin Sutherland, Rory Sabbatini, Steve Stricker, J L Lewis and Tommy Armour, among others.

In the olden days it was not like this. Old-time great Ben Hogan had arrived two weeks before the event. But that was in 1953. Hogan had then opted for the British Open instead of the US PGA Championships as the dates of the two events were clashing.

Hogan reasoned that you are not the greatest golfer in the world till you have won the Open in the "home of golf". Hogan went on to win the Open, of course, and it was also the only one he ever played.

The British Open was set up in 1860 to determine "the champion golfer in the world". Only eight pro golfers contested in the first Open which consisted of three rounds over Prestwick's 12-hole layout in a single day.

The inaugural championship went to Willie Park from Musselburgh who shot a 174 over the 36 holes. But Park did not receive any prize money since the organisers felt the prestige of being declared a champion was a sufficient reward!

This practice, however, changed four years later and the winner "" Tom Morris Sr "" who won the title for the second time, got a cash prize in 1864.

Talking of the 2004 edition, the focus surely is once again on Tiger Woods who has finished in top five this year and won once. Yet, in the absence of any Majors over the last two years, the golfer who has been No 1 in the world golf rankings for half a decade is under scrutiny.

With his swing going awry, Woods is just not finding the fairways. Yet his amazing talent has often seen him pulling a rabbit out with a great iron play and putting. Can he now turn the tide at the Royal Troon and silence his critics ?

Although Woods has not won a strokeplay title since the WGC-American Express Championship last October, he has produced four top-10 finishes in his last five starts.

Meanwhile, Phil 'Lefty' Mickelson is a favourite on everyone's list. A Masters title and a second at US Open, has been winning hearts with his big smile.

"The Troon looked spectacular, looks as though it's going to be a wonderful test of golf, a very fair, tough test. It's difficult to tell what's ahead, though. It depends on the wind, the rain, it will all be a factor on what the winning score will be, whether it's soft or hard on the course," said Mickelson earlier this week.

The British Open always demands an all-round game. The players need to control trajectory, have plenty of different short-game shots and putting in the wind is extremely difficult.

In short, the Open is a complete test. The Troon can be deceptive, as Woods remarked in 1997. The front nine can be the easiest nine and the return journey one of the toughest in any Major.

Among the favourites are World No 2 Ernie Els, British Open champion at Muirfield in 2002 and twice Major winner Vijay Singh. Both Els and Singh are also making an attempt to unseat Tiger from his No 1 position.

The US Open champion Retief Goosen, who pipped the Masters winner Mickelson at the post, must also fancy his chances as will Davis Love III, the world No 5 whose worst in last seven Opens has been a 21st place.

Also watch out for Sergio Garcia with his new swing that has won him two titles this year, Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Britain's Darren Clarke. Each of them is experienced at handling the unfavourable bounces and variable winds of links golf.

Yet, never count an outsider out. Last year Ben Curtis, a 300-1 outsider ranked 396 on the rankings list with a fairy-tale win as he snatched the Claret Jug from the leading stars. His life changed after that. It could the same for someone else this year.

A brief tour of Troon

THE Troon was once just rough dunelands when a group of golf enthusiasts decided to set up a course out of some marginal land owned by the sixth Duke of Portland in 1878.

Although they were warned that the land was unsuitable, a six-hole course was laid out in due course and later extended to 18. After using an old railway carriage as a base for eight years, a stone clubhouse was built in 1886.

The course with undulating fairways carved out of the dunes, punitive rough and fast-drying greens soon developed a reputation as a classic links course.

But recognition came only in 1923 when it held the first Open. The next Open was organised in 1950 and overall six editions have been held so far. The last one was in 1997.

Troon hit international headlines when Arnold Palmer won in 1962 in a swashbuckling style. In 1978, it got its 'Royal' status, the most recent club to be granted that accolade.

Other champions at the Troon have been Arthur Havers (1923), Bobby Locke (1950), Tom Weiskopf (1973), five-time Open champion Tom Watson (1982), Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and Justin Leonard (1997).