The field at the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart will contain the winner of next week’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s and that will bring more and more players to the event in the future, believes Phil Mickelson.
The four-time major champion has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Scottish for a decade but the move to the new links at Castle Stuart has captivated him even more, believing that the players here will take a huge advantage with them when they go south to Kent on Monday.
“I would not be surprised, I would expect that the winner of the next week’s Open will be in the field this week,” he said.
“It’s such an advantage to play, get over here and get acclimatised to the time, play links golf on a great course like this.”
When it was asked whether he therefore thought Rory McIlroy would not win at Sandwich the always thoughtful Mickelson backtracked a smidgeon, saying, “Obviously I must have thought he was playing here,” but he was certain that the new venue would grow the field in years to come.
“It’s like one of our favourite events in the US when it started eight, nine years ago, a lot of guys didn’t go until they got feedback, but it was so positive that everybody started to come, and that’s what’s going to happen here,” he said.
“I think it should almost be a prerequisite to play Castle Stuart before you’re allowed to design a golf course. I’m a big fan of (architect) Gil Hanse because he recognises that golf is not about longer and harder.”Fun and creativityToo many modern courses were built to this “longer and harder” ethos and this, in Mickelson’s opinion, is the reason for a drop in participation in the sport.
“The modern-day architects have this feeling that equipment has changed the game and therefore they must make every hole totally unplayable for the average player, and that has driven people away.
“A lot of these courses are unplayable for us professionals. There’s no greatness or fun, they’re just monotonous. This course is about fun, creativity, memorable shots, challenges and it doesn’t beat you up all the time.”
Mickelson’s record in the UK is pretty poor, a third place in the 2004 Open at Troon and a play-off loss to Gregory Havret at Loch Lomond in 2007 being his closest to wins, and he is determined to improve it.
He said, “I look at it now as a challenge. I have not played here to the level I expect and now I’m more determined to try to overcome it, because I enjoy my time here, I enjoy the challenge of links golf.
“I think I’ve embraced it this last couple of years and if I overcome it then i’ll become a complete player.”
He added, “I look at the six players who won the career grand slam in a different light, and that would be a great goal for me.
“I’ve come close in the US Open and I believe that ultimately I’ll win there, but The Open is the biggest challenge for me.”Strategy and beautyMickelson has therefore beeen practising putting on coarser greens, developing the draw he believes has a better flight in seaside winds, and his short game on the faster-running links conditions.
This involved two days at Royal St George’s last week where he saw “nuances, strategy and beauty” he didn’t recall from his visit eight years ago.
Mickelson, menawhile, expressed sympathy for his great rival Tiger Woods, presently dry-docked back in Florida.
“When you’ve played golf to the level he has you don’t forget it, so he’s going to get back, but it won’t happen until he’s fully healthy, however long it takes,” he said, and while thrilled for McIlroy, he cautions against the hype comparing him with the two living monuments of the game.
“Rory’s performance in the US Open was spectacular, but what Jack (Nicklaus) and Tiger have done throughout the course of their careers demands respect.
“Until anyone performs at their level for a decade, you can’t to compare anyone with them.”