The 2011 British Open is set to begin on Thursday and Rory McIlroy has already been declared the early favorite. Due to what's predicted to be a rather windy weekend, however, the annual event in Sandwich, England, could be anybody's game.
The events organizers have said that they may need to alter the course, specifically moving tees closer to the green, if the forecast continues to stay its course
"We do have some wind issues out there which may, dependent on direction, make some of the very back tees difficult to reach fairways from," chief executive Peter Dawson told reporters on Wednesday.
If the wind does cause British Open organizers to move the tees, the seventh hole seems to be the most popular candidate according to Dawson.
"We have told the players we may move some tees up. The back tee at the 564-yard, par-five seventh was always going to be challenging," Dawson said. "It's about 270 to 280 yards to the top of the crest there and 220-ish to the fairway. Some players were having great difficulty reaching the fairway from the back tee yesterday. Without wishing to pre-empt what we do exactly, the seventh would certainly have been a candidate, as would the 243-yard, par-three 11th yesterday, for moving up."
The British Open has never been the most golfer-friendly tournament when it comes to the weather and it seems like this year will be no exception.