A first look

An early sortie onto the links reveals the "Grand Old Lady" is in great shape.

I've just come back in after my first foray onto the Old Course. The sun is shining, there's a slight breeze and golf's "Grand Old Lady" is looking absolutely stunning.

The course is certainly greener than it was in 2005. Recent rain has kept it looking pretty lush. But, from what I saw, the fairways were running out well. J.B Holmes killed a drive off the tee at the 453 yard second and, even though it was wind assisted, it must have rolled a considerable distance to end just 50 yards short of the putting surface.

Ernie Els said earlier today that the greens are in the best shape he's ever seen them and that the course is starting to firm up nicely. He also said he was a big fan of the change made to the 17th. Ernie reminisced about watching Tom Watson fire a 2-iron into the Road Hole green in 1984 and he's glad that the demand to play that sort of shot will return.

Dustin Johnson wasn't required to play that sort of shot for his approach to the 17th when I watched him, Phil Mickelson and Nick Faldo, play the hole. Dustin killed his drive into the middle of the fairway and was left with no more than a 7-iron in. Mickelson, ever unpredictable, played a 3-wood from the tee. I think it was to guarantee he didn't reach the thick rough through the fairway, whatever his reason it left him an extremely long and tough shot in. The less said about Faldo's effort the better, the words low, pull and hook would cover it.

Conditions today are perfect, just what we want when competition starts on Thursday - it's breezy but not windy and warm but not hot. The course is green but firm and the putting surfaces are immaculate and quick. Unfortunately the forecast doesn't look quite so promising so the situation may well have changed before Paul Lawrie hits the opening tee shot at 6.30am on Thursday morning.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?