‘It is a beast’: Tom Watson warns of Royal St George’s Open test
Tom Watson has told golf’s big hitters to brace themselves for the ‘beast’ of Royal St George’s.
The five-time Open winner, who famously shot 72 in near monsoon conditions in the championship’s third round at the venue a decade ago, believes it will provide a fitting challenge for the rescheduled 149th staging of the game’s oldest major.
Sandy Lyle, who won the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s in 1985, styled the Kent venue in animalistic tones and Watson concurred.
“Well, it was a beast,” he said. “I was not a great fan of St George’s until they made the changes to the 1st tee ball, 17th tee ball and 18th tee ball.
“Once they made those changes, I felt the course matured into a really good, solid, fair test of golf.
“It is a beast. What Greg Norman did there [winning in 1993] was incredible – the scores he shot there. I’ve always felt that St George’s is really a tough golf course, great second shot golf course, but what Norman did there was, in particular, a remarkable achievement.
“St George’s will test the best players, the long hitters, without a doubt. It just depends on how the R&A sets it up.
“If you set it up where you’re forcing the player to lay up, as most of the time in Open Championships they do, it’ll test everybody and not just the long hitters.”
Earlier Watson, speaking as the R&A unveiled special branding and a ticket ballot for the 150th Open in St Andrews next year, was asked about the prospect of players such as Bryson DeChambeau taking the Old Course apart in 2022.
“If the R&A are smart, they’ll make that rough really deep to the left over those bunkers, forcing the players to lay up short of those bunkers and hit the proper shot into that hole,” he added. “And I think they can do that with the setup.
“Holes like 9 and 10, sure they’ll drive those holes, but people love to see that. I love to see it. You love to see it. It’s wonderful to see these players hit the ball so far.
“The thing is they still have to perform. They still have to putt. They still have to chip. They have to keep those long drives from going into the landmines, as I call them – those bunkers. They have to play their way around there and play smart. No matter how far they hit it.”
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
