Last stage of approach to the Open Championship: we are talking about the Scottish Open, the prestigious event of the European tour which will be played from today Sunday at the Royal Aberdeen links course. Exceptional field: 156 of the best players in the world, 25 of the top sixty of the order of merit, as many Ryder Cup players and ten Major winners, from Rory McIlory to Phil Mickelson, from Matteo Manassero to Luke Donald, from Justin Rose to Rickie Fowler, from Lee Westwood to Jimmy Walker, leader of Fedex. Also on the track are the brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, joined by the Italians Marco Crespi and Andrea Pavan.
Lefty defends the title conquered in 2013, but Edoardo Molinari also boasts this trophy on his showcase, won four years ago in a spectacular way, with the achieved goal of qualifying for the Ryder Cup.
Tradition wants whoever plays the Scottish has more chances, the following week, to win the British. Also for this reason the competition attracts the cream of world golf, especially as it is always played on a links, that is on a perfect gym for the third Major of the season, scheduled for next week.
This year the Scottish lands in the historic Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, the sixth oldest field in the world, founded in 1780, second only to sacred places such as St Andrews and Muirfield. The course is 6200 meters, not very long by today's standards, but equally rugged.
The natural dunes, the winds that blow from the North Sea, the wild Scottish vegetation are in fact much more difficult obstacles than a few meters. The race, among other things, should start under the worst auspices, with wind and rain pouring and a roguh made of steel by the summer mix of water and sun. Prohibitive conditions, which should ease over the weekend. A tragedy for the players? Far from it. “Thursday the weather should be terrible – says Mickelson – and I can't wait to go out and try to play well. It's fun, it's a great opportunity."
For McIlory, wind and rain just spice up the race. “Once it wasn't strange for me to play in the rain, with wet equipment – says the Northern Irishman – now we are more spoiled and we always try to find ourselves in top condition. Instead, I like to savor the challenge again”. Rory starts favourite, equal to English Rose. Immediately after there is Mickelson, followed by Donald, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Jamie Donadson and Francesco Molinari. The blue is always in excellent shape, although he didn't play well at the French Open last week (won by Graeme McDowell and thrown to the wind by Kevin Stadler). Chicco is however the first of the Italians, number 43 in the world order of merit and 24 in the Race to Dubai. His long, beautiful and regular game is perfect for links and this makes the difference at the box office.
For those who want to feast on golf on TV Sky Two Sports it broadcasts the tournament every day for many hours. On Thursdays and Fridays the live broadcast actually starts at 11,30 and ends at 19,30; Saturday and Sunday more human hours, from 15,30 to 20,30. Reruns at a glance in the late evening.
