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The Open: Muirfield – Long on magic, short on mercy

The Claret Jug trophy beside the 18th green in front of the clubhouse during The Open Championship media day at Muirfield

The winds are blowing across the iconic course in Muirfield, but we have no way yet of knowing which way they might blow. The mystical magic of an ancient course is about to charm an entire community of golfers, descending rapidly upon what is known as home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

Who among them might shake with excitement, holding the incredibly hallowed Claret Jug on Sunday is anybody’s goofy guess. It is difficult to predict a winner in golf these days.

The 142nd British Open is upon us and the bright aura that surrounds the greatest tournament in golf is far too obvious to miss. The players will know that Muirfield is filled with magic every step of the way, but one stumble and course might swallow them whole. It is a course that is long on magic and brutally short on mercy.

Incredibe as it may seem, Tiger is installed favourite, despite not having played since his 32nd place finish at the US Open on the iconic course at Merion. The legendary American has been stuck on 14 majors, the last of which came at the US Open in Torrey Pines five years ago.

But then, such has been the influence of the most prolific golfer of our times that all he needs to earn the tag is to show up at the practice greens.

Tiger has won four times this year, but he hurt his elbow in winning the Players Championship. The injury got aggravated when he was negotiating the thick rough at Merion, but Tiger assured the media that everything was as good as it can be ahead of the opening round tomorrow.

The defending champion and the man who won when it was last played at Muirfield in 2002, Ernie Els, played down his chances of emulating Nick Faldo who was the last man to win twice in a row at this ancient course. The South African feels it is an open field and hardly anyone disagrees.

Els stated he would have to name at least twenty men who could possibly lift the iconic prize on Sunday, before joking that Phil Mickelson might win because he won last week at Castle Stuart. Meanwhile, Justin Rose, who took his maiden major at the US Open, is hoping that he can emulate Andy Murray and become the first Englishman since Nick Faldo to win the British Open.

The Masters champion Adam Scott had a four stroke cushion with four left to play at St. Anne’s last year before folding in nerves. The Aussie has toughened himself since then, proving he can do it on a major Sunday by standing tall at Augusta this year. Scott could help lift the flagging spirits of his nation – suffering from the series loss to the Lions in Rugby and the narrow loss in the first of the Ashes Tests.

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