In his Champion Golfer’s speech on the 18th green, Xander Schauffele described Royal Troon as a “second home”.
The Californian is carrying on something of a tradition for Americans thriving here. Golfers from across the pond have enjoyed startling success at Troon, going all the way back to 1962 when Arnold Palmer hoisted the Claret Jug in Ayrshire.
Palmer’s charisma matched his enormous talent and one of golf’s first superstars was a pioneer for Americans – and not just at Troon. Prior to his first Open at St Andrews in 1960 and his maiden success at Royal Birkdale, there had been something of a reluctance among his compatriots to cross the Atlantic to take part. From that point on he opened the floodgates for his fellow countrymen.
Tom Weiskopf followed, winning the next Open held at Troon in 1973 and then Tom Watson — the American with the most Open titles to his name, with five — in 1982. Completing the roll of honour is Mark Calcavecchia (1989), Justin Leonard (1997) and the unfancied Todd Hamilton in 2004.
You have to go all the way back to 1923 to find an English winner in Arthur Havers, at the club’s first hosting of the event.
Why do Americans keep on winning? Schauffele described the Open as a “difficult property” and learning links golf was something the San Diego native took upon himself as a challenge from his early teens. However, he hinted the course lends itself to an at-times utilitarian style of golf that is perhaps easier for Americans to deal with. “The style of golf you can play out here, you don’t have to be perfect or hit the prettiest drives,” he said.
“As long as you’re moving the ball forward and dodging bunkers and keeping holes in front of you and making sure your chips are into the wind, all the stuff that us pros talk about. It’s easy to talk about, it’s harder to actually do when you’re out there.”
Another answer could come from how the course almost feels like two separate nine holes, as it varies from the short Postage Stamp 8th to the brutish Railway at the 11th.
Calcavecchia said: “It’s just a great golf course with two totally different nines. You really have to change your strategy when you’re making the turn.”
Perhaps Royal Troon’s quirk of having opposing nine holes on the front and back has levelled the playing field. As the results show, links specialists from Britain and Ireland have not had the same advantage they usually do on other Open courses.
Whatever the answer, we can now say for certain that one of the innate parts of Troon’s history is that the Stars and Stripes flourish on it — it’s a good thing it’ll likely never be a Ryder Cup host.
Source Agencies
