The Royal & Ancient is on the verge
of breaking with tradition by adding a fifth qualifying course for
theOpen - in Chicago.
With hopes of getting a deeper field for the oldest championship
in the golf, the R&A has asked the PGA Tour to develop a plan in
which Americans like Brad Faxon and Gary Nicklaus would not have to
fly back and forth across the Atlantic with no guarantee of getting
in.
``We are concerned that some U.S. players who don't qualify
through the normal exemption criteria choose not to come to final
qualifying here,'' said Peter Dawson, secretary of the R&A. ``In
order to get the best field in the world, perhaps that would
improve if we had some kind of qualification system.''
Dawson confirmed that a U.S. qualifier for the British Open
could take place in the Western Open, creating a tournament within
a tournament.
Under such a scenario, if the R&A were to grant 15 exemptions,
the top 15 finishers in the Western Open not already exempt to the
British Open would qualify at Cog Hill. Among the kinks to work out
is a format in which quality amateurs are assured of having a
chance to qualify.
Dawson said the R&A ultimately will determine the structure,
although ``we wouldn't want to do anything the PGA Tour wouldn't
agree with.''
And it's not just for Americans.
The R&A already has allowed exemptions through the Mizuno Open
in Japan, and a record 10 Japanese players were in this year's
Open.
``This is part of a bigger picture where we're looking at the
possibility of internationalizing qualifying on a broader scale,''
Dawson said. ``We do want the Open to be a truly international
event.''
That might raise one question of fairness.
If Americans can qualify at home for the British Open, shouldn't
the Europeans get the same courtesy when it comes to the U.S. Open?
And while U.S. Amateur champion David Gossett was exempt for the
British Open, the British Amateur champion has never been exempt to
the U.S. Open.
Dawson sees that possibility.
``A reciprocal arrangement is good,'' he said. ``I was very
pleased that the USGA just decided a few weeks ago to allow our
Walker Cup team an exemption to the U.S. Amateur. That's a great
step.''
TIGER FACTOR:
After theOpen last year at Carnoustie,
several players debated whether 1999 would go down as one of the
toughest scoring years ever in the majors.
Thanks to Tiger Woods' 11-under 277 to win the PGA Championship
at Medinah, the season ended with the four major champions at a
combined 14 under. It was the worst score in relation to par since
a combined 12 under by the four winners in 1987.
Barring waist-high rough and fairways the width of bowling
alleys at Valhalla, this year will probably he the lowest scoring
year for majors.
Vijay Singh won the Masters at 10-under 278. Woods won the U.S.
Open by a record 12-under 272, and the British Open by a record
19-under 269. Already, that's 41 under par by the champions, with
only the PGA remaining.
The record is 45 under set in 1997, in large part because of
you-know-who.
Woods won the Masters with a record-tying 18-under 270. Ernie Els won the U.S. Open at 4-under 276, Justin Leonard the
Open at 12-under 272 and Davis Love III the PGA at 11-under 269.
OPEN GATE:
TheOpen is the only major championship
where a fan - any fan - can walk up to the gates on Sunday and buy
tickets.
Small wonder, then, that St. Andrews had a record crowd of more
than 230,000 throughout the week - and some harrowing moments on
the last day when fans surged across the course. Still, officials
have no plans to limit ticket sales or sell them in weekly packages
as is done for the other three majors.
``That would be a last-ditch stand and would immediately
establish a black market,'' said Hugh Campbell, chairman of the
Open championship committee.
Said R&A secretary Peter Dawson: ``We want to keep the Open
open.''
TOUGH CROWDS:
One thing Tiger Woods has always appreciated
about British crowds if they know their golf. They applaud only the
best shots.
Tom Weiskopf, the 1973 British Open champion, found that out the
hard way.
Weiskopf, who was at St. Andrews for the past champions
exhibition on the eve of the tournament, relayed a story he told of
how he, Jack Nicklaus and John O'Leary played a practice round
before the '75 Open at Carnoustie.
When they got to the par-3 eighth late in the afternoon, only a
couple of spectators remained. The wind was blowing hard from the
left, and Weiskopf noticed two elderly gentleman sitting on the
left side of the green.
He tried to aim the ball right at them and turn it into the
wind. He did just that, the ball landing right near the hole. But
there was no response from the men.
He looked in the bunker. He walked over the green. Searched in
the trees. Finally, Nicklaus told him, ``Can you believe it? Your
ball's in the hole.''
As he left the green, Weiskopf turned to the two men and said,
``Excuse me, but did you see my shot?''
``Yes, laddie, we saw your shot,'' they replied.
``It was a hole-in-one. You didn't even clap,'' he told them.
``Aye, laddie, but it's only practice, isn't it?''
DIVOTS:
Thomas Bjorn and David Toms are high enough in the
world rankings that it shouldn't matter. But just in case, both
assured themselves a return to the Masters by finishing in the top
four in the British Open. The top 15 are exempt to next year's
British Open, which helps Mark McNulty, who had to qualify this
year. ... The 12-member International team for the Presidents Cup
looks like it will be represented by eight countries for the
matches in October. ... Bob Duval was in the gallery at St.
Andrews, but when asked whether he was sticking around for the
Senior British Open, he held up his heavily bandaged right arm and
showed off stitches in his elbow. The Senior Tour father of David
Duval had surgery to remove bone chips and will miss the rest of
the year.
STAT OF THE WEEK:
Jack Nicklaus won his 18 major championships
by a combined 44 strokes. Tiger Woods has won his four majors by a
combined 36 strokes.
FINAL WORD:
``All of a sudden, winning one major is a great
career.'' - Nick Faldo, on the impact of Tiger Woods.
