‘A short, open par 4 still requires a good strategy’

The 18th hole at St Andrews is one of the most famous in the world. It’s short and wide with no bunkers and no water, but the fairway is so wide that it can make you nervous. “I can’t miss this,” is often the last thought through your head. You know you have to drive as far right as you dare, but that brings the out of bounds into play. So you end up aiming further left, at the clock on the R&A clubhouse, which leaves the worst angle into the pin. The safest place to hit your drive is also the hardest place to make birdie from. The only way you can have a short birdie putt is to hit at least one of your first two shots really well. Everything is dictated by the Valley of Sin. Which is, of course, the genius of the hole.

Concentrate on the tee shot

It’s all too easy to aimlessly smash your tee shot when you’ve got such a wide target to hit, but that’s when you get yourself into trouble. Give it the same attention as any other tee shot. Pick a specific target, go through your normal routine, visualize the shot you want to hit and commit to its execution.

Don’t chase a tricky pin

The pin position dictates how aggressive you can be. If it’s close to the Valley of Sin (or any other tricky feature or hazard on another hole), you will probably have to play a little to the safe side of the flag – especially if you’re not hitting a full shot because you won’t be generating the height or spin you need to stop the ball quickly. Give yourself the best angle You want to leave the easiest and safest angle to attack the flag for your second shot, especially when there’s a hazard or tricky feature like the Valley of Sin in play. Decide where you want to play your second shot from and hit your tee shot to get you into that position, while allowing enough margin for error that your common miss will still be fine.