St. George's, which is hosting the Open Championship for the 14th time, is known for its tough fairways in which balls tend to carom sideways towards the rough. And it will be that rough which will, in part, determine how hard scoring will be this week.
The Open Championship moved away from Royal St. George's for 32 years before returning in 1981. The move was due in part to the lack of hotel accommodations and the greater dependence on car travel.
The roads into Royal St. George's were widened to allow for better access to the course, and this will be the fifth Open Championship since then.
In the last four majors at St. George's, two of the winners were unlikely champions, while the other two cemented their legacies.
Ben Curtis opened the 2003 Open Championship with a pair of 72s and was three shots behind Davis Love III at the halfway point.
Curtis followed with a 70 to finish three rounds at plus-one. He was two strokes behind Thomas Bjorn entering the final round, but put together a final-round, two-under 69, despite four bogeys in a six-hole span.
The 69 helped Curtis get to one-under for the championship and that was good enough to give him a one-stroke win over Bjorn and Vijay Singh. Bjorn stumbled to a 72 in the final round, while Singh carded a 70.
Singh withdrew from the championship on Monday and was replaced by Bjorn.
For Curtis, it was not only his first major championship title, it was also his first PGA Tour victory. He has won two more times since, but has struggled this season with eight missed cuts in 15 starts.
The other three winners at Royal St. George's were Greg Norman (1993), Sandy Lyle (1985) and Bill Rogers (1981).
Norman's win in 1993 was his second at the British Open and 13th on the PGA Tour. Lyle claimed a one-shot win over Payne Stewart.
The victory was Lyle's 11th on the European Tour, but first on the PGA Tour. He won five more PGA Tour titles, including the 1988 Masters.
The 1983 Open Championship went to Rogers. The Texan was coming off a share of second at the U.S. Open, which in his 11th year on tour, was his third top-10 in a major. He posted just two more top-10s in majors.
Rogers eventually suffered from burnout and was off the tour by 1998.
Of those four, only Curtis and Lyle were in the field last year on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
It was supposed to be Tiger Woods' year in 2010. The first three majors were at three of his favorite courses - Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews.
However, Woods was still battling his personal problems when he headed to the Open Championship and was never a factor after opening with a 67. He played the final three rounds in two-over par to end 13 shots back at minus-three.
People expected him to win in a blowout, and a blowout they got, but from an unknown source.
South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen rolled to a seven-stroke victory over Lee Westwood.
Oosthuizen controlled St. Andrews through three rounds as he started with a 65 and followed with 67 on Friday and a third-round 69.
The 28-year-old Oosthuizen heads into his title defense with his game scuffling. He has missed the cut in four of his last seven starts, but did share ninth place at the U.S. Open at Congressional.
World No. 1 Luke Donald and world No. 5 Steve Stricker will be two of the hottest players entering the year's third major.
Donald fired a nine-under 63 in the final round of the rain-shortened Scottish Open last weekend to win for the third time this season. It was his first victory since taking over the top spot in the world rankings.
The only other multiple winner on the European Tour this year is Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
Stricker rallied at the John Deere Classic to win the title for the third straight year. He birdied the final two holes to overtake Kyle Stanley for the trophy.
The victory was Stricker's second of the year on the PGA Tour. Nick Watney, Bubba Watson and Mark Wilson also have won two times this season.
All was not lost for Stanley as he and Scott Jamieson were the last two players to get into the field.
Schwartzel and Jason Day have two of the best records in the four majors recently. Schwartzel shared 20th at the 2010 Masters and has finished inside the top 20 in the next five major championships.
Meanwhile, Day shared 60th in 2010 at St. Andrews, then tied for 10th at the PGA Championship. In this year's two majors, Day has finished second both times.
With Woods out of the picture due to a leg injury, the British Open is up for grabs. Eight of the last nine major winners were first-time major champions.
Will Stricker or Day or Donald or Westwood extend that streak? Or will a past major champion add the claret jug to his trophy case?
The weather and crazy bounces at Royal St. George's will go a long way in determining who the champion will be.
By Kevin Currie, The Sports Network
The Open Championship moved away from Royal St. George's for 32 years before returning in 1981. The move was due in part to the lack of hotel accommodations and the greater dependence on car travel.
The roads into Royal St. George's were widened to allow for better access to the course, and this will be the fifth Open Championship since then.
In the last four majors at St. George's, two of the winners were unlikely champions, while the other two cemented their legacies.
Ben Curtis opened the 2003 Open Championship with a pair of 72s and was three shots behind Davis Love III at the halfway point.
Curtis followed with a 70 to finish three rounds at plus-one. He was two strokes behind Thomas Bjorn entering the final round, but put together a final-round, two-under 69, despite four bogeys in a six-hole span.
The 69 helped Curtis get to one-under for the championship and that was good enough to give him a one-stroke win over Bjorn and Vijay Singh. Bjorn stumbled to a 72 in the final round, while Singh carded a 70.
Singh withdrew from the championship on Monday and was replaced by Bjorn.
For Curtis, it was not only his first major championship title, it was also his first PGA Tour victory. He has won two more times since, but has struggled this season with eight missed cuts in 15 starts.
The other three winners at Royal St. George's were Greg Norman (1993), Sandy Lyle (1985) and Bill Rogers (1981).
Norman's win in 1993 was his second at the British Open and 13th on the PGA Tour. Lyle claimed a one-shot win over Payne Stewart.
The victory was Lyle's 11th on the European Tour, but first on the PGA Tour. He won five more PGA Tour titles, including the 1988 Masters.
The 1983 Open Championship went to Rogers. The Texan was coming off a share of second at the U.S. Open, which in his 11th year on tour, was his third top-10 in a major. He posted just two more top-10s in majors.
Rogers eventually suffered from burnout and was off the tour by 1998.
Of those four, only Curtis and Lyle were in the field last year on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
It was supposed to be Tiger Woods' year in 2010. The first three majors were at three of his favorite courses - Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews.
However, Woods was still battling his personal problems when he headed to the Open Championship and was never a factor after opening with a 67. He played the final three rounds in two-over par to end 13 shots back at minus-three.
People expected him to win in a blowout, and a blowout they got, but from an unknown source.
South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen rolled to a seven-stroke victory over Lee Westwood.
Oosthuizen controlled St. Andrews through three rounds as he started with a 65 and followed with 67 on Friday and a third-round 69.
The 28-year-old Oosthuizen heads into his title defense with his game scuffling. He has missed the cut in four of his last seven starts, but did share ninth place at the U.S. Open at Congressional.
World No. 1 Luke Donald and world No. 5 Steve Stricker will be two of the hottest players entering the year's third major.
Donald fired a nine-under 63 in the final round of the rain-shortened Scottish Open last weekend to win for the third time this season. It was his first victory since taking over the top spot in the world rankings.
The only other multiple winner on the European Tour this year is Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
Stricker rallied at the John Deere Classic to win the title for the third straight year. He birdied the final two holes to overtake Kyle Stanley for the trophy.
The victory was Stricker's second of the year on the PGA Tour. Nick Watney, Bubba Watson and Mark Wilson also have won two times this season.
All was not lost for Stanley as he and Scott Jamieson were the last two players to get into the field.
Schwartzel and Jason Day have two of the best records in the four majors recently. Schwartzel shared 20th at the 2010 Masters and has finished inside the top 20 in the next five major championships.
Meanwhile, Day shared 60th in 2010 at St. Andrews, then tied for 10th at the PGA Championship. In this year's two majors, Day has finished second both times.
With Woods out of the picture due to a leg injury, the British Open is up for grabs. Eight of the last nine major winners were first-time major champions.
Will Stricker or Day or Donald or Westwood extend that streak? Or will a past major champion add the claret jug to his trophy case?
The weather and crazy bounces at Royal St. George's will go a long way in determining who the champion will be.
By Kevin Currie, The Sports Network
