Jordan Spieth will struggle at St Andrews, insists Paul McGinley
European Ryder Cup captain believes British Open course is not suited to American
Europe's 2014 Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, does not fancy Jordan Spieth's chances of being the first golfer since American Ben Hogan in 1953 to land the first three majors of the season.
The 48-year-old Irishman believes St Andrews, venue of this week's British Open, will favour the long drivers rather than someone like Spieth whose game is built around a silky putting stroke.
The odds are against Jordan next week. I wouldn't be backing him
"The odds are against Jordan next week," McGinley said at the Scottish Open. "I wouldn't be backing him.
"If the course plays to its prevailing wind, which is in off the left on the holes on the way out, it's very advantageous to hit the ball a long way.
"Holes like the par-five fifth, going into that green with a five- or six-iron compared to a three-wood is a massive advantage to the big hitters, particularly when the pin is at the front," said McGinley.
McGinley, who led Europe to Ryder Cup victory in Scotland in September, said the Old Course had changed a lot down the years.
"I think it's going to be a leaderboard dominated by big hitters, I feel that very strongly," he said.
"Since Nick Faldo won there in 1990 they've put in five, six or seven new teeboxes that have really changed the dynamic of the course."
McGinley refuses to discount the claims of Spieth completely but he reckons the 21-year-old's fellow American, Dustin Johnson, and South African Louis Oosthuizen are more likely challengers for the coveted Claret Jug.
"Louis won the Open at St Andrews in 2010, he hits the ball a long way," said the Dubliner. "He is the kind of player who is well capable of winning and the kind of player I feel will come out on top.
"Jordan is probably the best putter in the world but I'm looking at the big hitters next week. Maybe it's going to be Dustin's time, the course is perfectly suited to his game."
