- Clubbing Down
Open pairings to watch on Thursday and Friday
Will TideyJuly 16, 2013
The 142nd Open Championship tees off on Thursday, with a field of 156 players on a quest to conquer Muirfield's bunker-laden links and lift the historic Claret Jug.
Here are my pairings to watch in rounds one and two (Thursday tee time listed in brackets):
Sir Nick Faldo, Tom Watson & Fred Couples (9am)
What's not to like here? Faldo is returning to The Open for the first time since 2010 and revisiting the scene of his 1987 and 1992 triumphs. The 55-year-old has been working hard to ensure a respectable cameo, but whatever happens he'll own a moment somewhere in the first two rounds. This could be his last time around.
Sir Nick will be joined by fellow links legend Watson, who at 59 very nearly made it six Open titles at Turnberry back in 2009. Their lofty threesome is completed by soft-shoed Freddie and his ever-easy swing. It's not Augusta, so don't expect a Couples run at the trophy, but the charm will flow as always.
Martin Kaymer, Garrick Porteous (A) & Jason Day (8.22am)
It says a lot about Kaymer's underwhelming last couple of years that he's not the big draw in this group. That honour goes to young Australian majors machine Day, who finished third at the Masters and T2 at the US Open in June. It's surely only a matter of time before he wins a big one.
Englishman Porteous is also one to watch. The 2013 Amateur champion, Porteous' motto - according to his website - is "living the dream". He'll be doing that and more at Muirfield.
Justin Rose, Ernie Els & Brandt Snedeker (9.11am)
Will his US Open win prompt a glut of major success for Rose? Time will tell, but the 17-year-old who came to our attention at the 1998 Open should be brimming with belief and certainly has the game to be factor at Muirfield.
Els comes as the defending champion, full of confidence and enjoying an Indian Summer to his fine career. The Big Easy is very capable of making it back-to-back wins and matching his Open win at Muirfield back in 2002.
Could Snedeker better both of them? His strong performance last year suggests there's a chance and he's up among the top 10 in the world right now with a PGA Tour win under his belt in 2013.
Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell & Louis Oosthuizen (2.45pm)
There are three major winners in this group and every bookmaker in the world has Woods as their most likely to prevail. The world No. 1 returns to the Open venue where he shot a third-round 81 to blow his chance in 2002 (he rebounded with a 65 on Sunday). All eyes will be on how his injured elbow holds through that first heavy swing from the rough.
McDowell has no such concerns. The Northern Irishman has played some fine golf this year, but conspired to miss cuts at the Masters and US Open. Based on his scrambling skills and ability to play in tough conditions, this could be the weekend his form plays out on the big stage.
Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama & Phil Mickelson (9.44am)
McIlroy has not been the player we thought he might be this year. It it the clubs? The girlfriend? Who knows, but an Open win would emphatically hush the doubters and put Rory's career back on the steepest of trajectories.
Mickelson arrives on the back of a win at the Scottish Open - his first professional European success in 20 years of trying. He couldn't break his US Open hoodoo and and it'll take some masterful Lefty escapology to prevail at Muirfield, but it's always fun watching Phil try.
As for Matsuyama, a T10 finish at the US Open says this 23-year-old Japanese star might have a big career ahead of him. He'll no doubt have an army of journalists and photographers behind him, too.
