Patience will win Open, says Swede
BEING STRESS-FREE ON THIS COURSE IS KEY First-time winner to lift trophy if recent trend continues.
With the past six Major golf championships won by first-timers, could there be a magnificent seventh at the US Open? Ever since Jason Day lifted the PGA Championship in 2015, the Majors have been shared by players who had never won one before.
Danny Willett’s 2016 Masters victory was followed by Dustin Johnson’s maiden triumph at the US Open at Oakmont.
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson then landed his breakthrough major at the British Open before Jimmy Walker closed out 2016 with the PGA Championship.
The streak continued at the Masters this year, when Sergio Garcia’s long wait for a first Major ended with a play-off win over Justin Rose.
Stenson believes the slew of first-time winners reflect the fiercely competitive health of men’s golf.
“I think the competition on a weekly basis is so tight out there and so tough,” Stenson said Monday after studying the course at Erin Hills, venue for this week’s US Open, which tees off tomorrow.
“So many players in the field can win,” the world No 6 added.
Stenson is uncertain whether the recent streak will continue, or whether the crop of first-timers will go on to become second or third-time winners.
But he agreed with the suggestion that first-time winners were inspiring other players to dream of victory.
“There could be something in that,” he said. “A lot of times you see that. If I go back to Sweden, I’m sure that success is kind of pushing on more success. We’ve seen that within countries, for sure.
“It might be the case as well that you say, ‘OK, he won his first Major, why shouldn’t I win mine’?”
Stenson got his first look at the challenging Erin Hills layout by walking the course on Monday.
He believes patience will be the key for whoever prevails this week.
“Patience and par is always a good score,” Stenson said. “No matter how easy a hole might seem, stress-free pars are always going to be good in a US Open, and patience. You’ve got to take the hits.
“There will be times when you want to get mad and it’s going to get to you, but you’ve just got to stay focused and press on.” – AFP