Ricoh Women's British Open: Distance is long and short of it

Thursday 13 September 2012

When Tiger Woods won the Open Championship at Hoylake in 2006, the course was running so fast that he only hit one shot with a driver.

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Elspeth Burnside

But after the wettest summer in memory, and with September winds whipping across the Royal Liverpool course, it is more likely to be a slugfest with the longest clubs in the bag for the competitors at this week's Ricoh Women's British Open.

Catriona Matthew, the Scot who won at Royal Lytham & St Annes three years ago, admitted she had required three woods to reach one of the par fives, while the huge-hitting defending champion, Yani Tseng, found the par four 17th to be out of reach in two blows. Not that Tseng, aiming for an historic third win in a row, was worried. In fact, the world No.1 is hoping there is no repeat of last year's 'easy' time at Carnoustie when she triumphed with a 16-under-par total. "The rougher the better," said the 23-year-old, whose 2010 win was at Royal Birkdale. "I just love links golf and I'd rather win with even par than 16 under."The five-time major winner has just gone through the first wee slump – three missed cuts and a poor showing at the US Women's Open – of her five-year professional career, but she gained inspiration from Rory McIlroy. "He also struggled a bit this year, but I watched his interviews and he said it was a case of enjoying the game again," she said. "It's true. We're both living our dream so there is no reason to become stressed."Matthew has her own game plan this week. "It's to stay out of the rough and eliminate the double-bogeys," she said. "Everyone is going to mistakes."Carly Booth is the second Scot in the field, and she is relishing the prospect of her first Women's Open and her first major. Winner of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Ladies' Open at Archerfield in May and then the Swiss Open a few weeks later, the 20-year-old is heading this season's Ladies' European Tour Order of Merit.And she feels at home at Hoylake. Her mum, Pauline, comes from Liverpool and a cousin is providing the digs this week. "I've played here a couple of times over the past year, but today it was brutal with 40mph winds," she said before making a plea. "I just hope the weather is kind to us."A winner of the Dunblane New Club Championship as an 11-year-old, Booth has long been in the golfing limelight and, this week, there is another young prodigy in the field. Lydia Ko, a 15-year-old amateur, made history just over two weeks ago when she won the Canadian Open and became the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour. "I couldn't believe her composure," said Matthew, who tied 11th in the same event. "She even pulled away towards the end. It was slightly embarrassing."When I was 15, I wasn't even taking golf too seriously. I was playing lots of other stuff and it was really just the sport I played in the summer."

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Ricoh Women's British Open: Distance is long and short of it

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