This Old Course quirk makes for tricky tee shots at AIG Women’s Open

It’s not just the wind, rain, pot bunkers, or the prospect of winning a major at the Home of Golf that is going to make things difficult for players at this week’s AIG Women’s Open.

The Old Course, St Andrews, is the venue for the final major of the year for the third time in its history, and for a lot of pros here this week, it’s the first time they’re tackling the famous links.

You might expect the prospect of 40 mile per hour winds, pot bunkers and the vast double greens to be at the forefront of their minds ahead of this week, but an often overlooked aspect of the Old Course is giving some players headaches instead.

On a typical American LPGA Tour course, the option for things to aim at is endless. Trees, greenside bunkers, TV towers, advertising boards. However, that is far from the case on some holes in St Andrews.

Yuka Saso, speaking at a Callaway event in Auchterlonies on Monday evening, explained that holes like the sixth, where all you can see is grass and the sky, are particularly difficult.

Saso, who played the course for the first time this week, said that not having anything specific to aim at can bring indecision into player’s minds. Rather than picking a point in the distance that stays the same, like a tree, players just need to know where to go, without having something concrete to pick out.

• AIG Women’s Open: Round 1 tee times

• Ashleigh Buhai: ‘People forget moment before historic win’

If you’re not familiar with the course, it can bring a lot of indecision into your strategy. As any golfer knows, indecision is the last you thing you want.

Speaking on Tuesday, it was a point that Charley Hull agreed with.

“I do find St Andrews, actually, a harder links for me,” she said. “Not necessarily because it’s super tough but because… it just looks very open.

“So, it’s quite hard to pick, like, a point in the distance.

“I think out here, you’ve got to be very focused on your point and your target. So that was my caddie, Adam’s, job.”

Anyone who has played the course outside tournament conditions will know exactly how difficult this can be, but as ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open winner Lauren Coughlin points out, the pros do have some advantages.

“There’s towers and stuff, but you need your caddie to walk the course and know it, and you need to trust them.

“But, I could see how without any towers, it would be difficult.”

If you’re watching this weekend and see players and caddies engrossed in yardage books on tee boxes, there’s a good chance they’re looking for an aim point off the tee. Get it wrong, and things could get ugly quickly.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor