THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
2004 marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Bumper celebrations are planned, with R and A members' trips to the USA, formal dinners galore and a number of side shows designed to complement the main event. The Open comes back to St Andrews in 2005 and then makes a welcome and belated return to Royal Liverpool in 2006.

One of the main projects of R and A deputy secretary Michael Tate has been the organization of international qualification on a world-wide regional basis. Instead of the leading contenders coming to Scotland for final qualifying rounds - at considerable expense for the up-and-coming and any amateurs involved - final qualification can now be achieved within the home geographical region of the player. The effect of this change will be to widen the net, as the financial disincentive to travel, brought on by the uncertainty of final qualification, is removed. That should further improve the standard of the entry. It has been recently announced, for example, that The Island Club near Dublin will be the venue for Irish qualification for the six years from 2005 to 2010.

You can bet that Royal Troon will be presented in superlative condition for the 2004 event! Noted as one of the hardest venues on the circuit, that penal back nine has broken professional hearts as well as amateur ones over the years, with a number of three round leaders failing to hold their games together when the wind got up on the final day. Scores tend to be made on the front nine, where, with the help of the prevailing wind some of the par 4's are almost in reach for the long hitters. The famous 'Postage Stamp' 8th hole is a crowd favorite. Nowhere on the course are the deep pot bunkers a more effective threat to a par. Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson are on the roll call of past winners, as is Mark Calcavecchia who denied Wayne Grady and Greg Norman in the first four-hole play off of the championship in 1989.