Legend Langer’s Old Course tips for Knox

wise words: Scotsman hopes chat with great will benefit his game

When an Open debutant casts his eye over the available slots for a practice round temptation must be great.

How about going out with man of the moment Jordan Spieth? A bit of stardust falling off his spikes would be worth stepping on.

Tom Watson perhaps? There’s not a living golfer with a better Open-winning record than Tom.

Sir Nick Faldo? It might not be the most fun-filled four hours of your life but he certainly knows how to play the Old Course.

Or, if you like your breakfast after your round and don’t mind the company of photographers at six in the morning, you could even see if Tiger has time for you.

Scotland’s newest Open competitor, Russell Knox, believes he found the right companion to help formulate a strategy to plot his way round the Old Course – the man who was Mr Meticulous long before Spieth arrived on the scene, Bernhard Langer.

“I just wanted to see how he went about his day and prepared for it,” Knox said.

“He has played here so many times and he is still grinding on every hole and getting yardages.

“I didn’t really ask him too many questions. I just sat back and watched how he did it. Everyone is so different in practice rounds. If you can learn something that might help you by watching someone else then it is worth it.”

He added: “Bernhard and I have similar games. There is no point in me following around Tiger as he hits it 40 yards past me, whereas Bernhard and I hit it the same sort of distance.

“It is nice to see how someone picks their way around a course like that. Hopefully it is going to help.”

He may have an American twang to his accent, and all his university and professional years have been spent in the States, but Inverness-born Knox played more than enough amateur links golf in his homeland as a junior to feel comfortable on the Scottish coast.

Last week at Gullane, when he posted a top 10 Scottish Open finish, Knox showed it.

“I know I am capable of competing,” the 30-year-old pointed out.

“With the weather forecast, a lot of it is going to depend on if you can get on the good side of the draw. I think that is going to be very important.

“I love links golf and I have a lot of experience playing links golf. I am comfortable and swinging well so there is no reason why I can’t do well.”

Martin Laird is an America-based Scot who has been rediscovered by Scottish galleries over the July golfing fortnight in the last few years. And now Knox is feeling the love. He said: “Hopefully I will play well enough that everyone over here will know me.

“Last week in the Scottish Open I definitely got the support, especially on Sunday, which was nice.

Knox is in the third group out at 6.54am.

enicolson@thecourier.co.uk

Picture: Getty. Russell Knox plays a shot from the fairway during practice at St Andrews yesterday.

A man to learn from: Bernhard Langer.