The best golfers on the planet playing for the Claret Jug at the home of golf just ooze tradition, history and, if you’re like me, kiddie levels of excitement on Christmas Eve. As if to add to the almost mythical levels of anticipation, Rory McIlroy says winning an Open Championship at St Andrews is golf’s “Holy Grail”. Three-time Open champion Bobby Jones famously said a top player’s career would not be complete without lifting the Claret Jug on the Old Course. “I don’t know if a golfer’s career isn’t complete if you don’t do it, but I think it’s the Holy Grail of our sport,” McIlroy said when asked about the quote. But a roll call of those who have lifted the Claret Jug in the home of golf certainly shows that it has the reputation of crowning some of the most distinguished names to play the game – Jones, Sam Snead, Peter Thomson, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have tasted glory at St Andrews (although the last two Open winners here, Louis Oosthuizen and Zach Johnson, as good as they are, aren’t exactly all-time greats…). McIlroy starts the tournament as the favorite and having missed out on this chance to defend his 2014 Open victory when the champion last played on the hallowed streets of Fife in 2015 (thanks to a football injury, of all things… ) is looking to add a name to the list of all-time greats who have lifted the Claret Jug at St Andrews. “I’m playing well. I’m in good shape. My confidence in my game is as high as it’s been in a while,” said McIlroy, who was second at the Masters, eighth at the US PGA and fifth at the US Open. “But I can’t go in here thinking it might be my time. I just have to go out and play a really good tournament. I have to put four good laps together, and hopefully at the end of the week, it’s good enough to win. “I’m happy where everything is, and I just can’t catch myself. I just have to make sure I prepare well over the next couple of days and get myself in the right frame for Thursday.” One concern about this edition of golf’s oldest tournament is whether today’s technology and great players could make the ‘Old Lady’ of St Andrews obsolete. Faldo has speculated that if conditions are calm for the next four days then we could see the first 59 in a big one. McIlroy, however, is not anticipating a birdie feast. The favorite believes that while the winning score may be low, it won’t be anywhere near 20-under. “I don’t think we’ll see it,” McIlroy said of the fear the course could be overrun. “You can bomb it and get close to the greens, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to make birdies. “I can see it (the win total) being low, but I can’t see anything in the 20-under range. Everyone has seen how solid and fast the lanes are and it will be pretty tough at the end of the week. “ Stay here all day for all the action from the home of golf.
