Some rest before his first test
Editor’s note: James Driscoll of Brookline is playing in his first British Open, and writing about his experience this week for the Globe.
TURNBERRY, Scotland - After three days of preparation at Turnberry I am ready for Round 1. I arrived in Scotland Monday after flying all night from Moline, Ill., where the John Deere Classic was played. The John Deere Classic chartered a plane for the players and caddies who were heading across the pond. The flight was easy, but I was pretty tired. Instead of trying to play, I chose to walk the course with my caddie, Mark Carens, to get an idea how to play each hole. I was amazed at how narrow the fairways are and at how many blind tee shots there are. There are several tee boxes that you step up to for the first time and have no clue where to aim. It’s very difficult to learn a course like Ailsa at Turnberry in just a few days because it can play so differently depending on the wind. We did our best to pick our lines off each tee and pick our spots on each green to give ourselves the best chance at pars and birdies.
Tuesday I caught up with some much-needed sleep, then got a short session in at the hotel gym to try to get my body loose for my practice round. I played with Bryce Molder and Matt Kuchar at 12:20. We all played pretty well and there wasn’t much blood spilled in our skins game. The conditions were about how you might expect them to be in Scotland - I took my umbrella out six or eight times, and every time I did the rain stopped within a minute. The breeze off the ocean was fairly strong and at times a jacket, sweater, and shirt were not enough layers. I was warned by other players before coming over to pack thermals, and that was no joke. You truly have to be ready for anything over here!
After my practice round I worked on my short game for a while, trying to get used to the speed of the greens. They are a little slower than what we are used to playing in the US, mostly because they don’t want the balls to start rolling when the wind really picks up. They were only rolling in the high 9’s on the Stimpmeter, and their target is 10.5 for each of the tournament rounds. I’m staying on-site at the Turnberry Hotel and after I wrapped up my practice session I grabbed some fish and chips at the bar with a bunch of other players and caddies.
Yesterday I decided to get up early to see if the course plays differently in the morning. I was supposed to meet Stephen Ames at 7:20. He was a no-show, so I buzzed around in less than four hours by myself. There wasn’t a breath of wind, which kind of scares me a little. There is no way the course is going to play the way it did yesterday morning. Regardless, it was still good to get another look at the layout and get used to each tee shot. The rough isn’t too bad, but just outside the rough is fescue that is over a foot long, and thick.
I tee off at 12:03 local time today and I’m obviously looking forward to it. My game has been a little inconsistent over the last few weeks but I see no reason why I can’t put together a few good rounds. My only goal for the week is to enjoy myself and stay in the moment. This is where golf was born, there is so much tradition here, and the people truly love their golf. I can’t wait to soak in the atmosphere!
