:00:05. > :00:08.this gentle north-to-north-westerly drift. Lighter winds but not warmer.
:00:08. > :00:16.The same can be said for Friday, more showers across the northern
:00:16. > :00:20.half of the UK. Very few showers for the Golf open, starting Friday.
:00:20. > :00:26.Heavy showers on Thursday, possibly again on Friday. It is central and
:00:26. > :00:30.eastern England that will have the bulling of -- bulk of showers on
:00:30. > :00:40.Friday. Drying off from the west. A ridge of high pressure for Saturday,
:00:40. > :00:40.
:00:40. > :02:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds
:02:44. > :02:53.I always said if you want to be the best golfer in the world... Looks
:02:53. > :03:03.like it is in the parking lot. Ballesteros is the champion. This
:03:03. > :03:11.
:03:11. > :03:18.The Open champion of the 1988, Ballesteros! And Jacklin is the
:03:18. > :03:23.winner. Hello and welcome to Lancashire.
:03:23. > :03:27.Welcome to Royal Lytham and St Annes golf course, scene of the
:03:27. > :03:32.Open Championship, what a course, and what stories we have had here
:03:32. > :03:38.in the pursuit of this claret jug. One of the most significant was a
:03:38. > :03:44.Tony Jacklin's victory in 1969, the last time an Englishman one in
:03:44. > :03:54.English soil. Now with a two Englishman ranked in the top three,
:03:54. > :03:56.
:03:56. > :04:00.I am proud of my record in Major championships over the last few
:04:00. > :04:05.years. When you map out your schedule you put the Major
:04:05. > :04:09.championships down first, hopefully, one of these days I will win one.
:04:09. > :04:14.Come Thursday are have got to go out there back and do it, that is
:04:14. > :04:21.where the mental part comes in, go out there, relax, play like you are
:04:21. > :04:31.a kid. Like you're a friend and prove to him, look, watch this shot.
:04:31. > :04:34.
:04:34. > :04:38.That is the mindset you have got to I didn't come and have a practice
:04:38. > :04:42.round last week like a lot of the lads did. Purely because I didn't
:04:42. > :04:47.want to be thinking about the Open JB ship and put too much emphasis
:04:47. > :04:53.on it, I didn't want to stress myself too much, I wanted to just
:04:53. > :04:57.turn up and play. I think it is a great golf course. Really well
:04:57. > :05:02.designed. The bunkers are in the perfect position to make you really
:05:02. > :05:08.think around this golf course. Even at Ballesteros winning here come
:05:08. > :05:12.the is one of my idols, the way he played the game. I just loved and
:05:12. > :05:18.admired his short game, I tried to copy some of his techniques, as
:05:18. > :05:28.well. Also, Tony Jacklin winning here in 1969, I believe. Hopefully
:05:28. > :05:33.
:05:33. > :05:38.Sometimes you make your own luck, and other times it goes against you.
:05:38. > :05:44.That is just the way golf is and life is. Oh well continually try
:05:44. > :05:50.and improve, that is about all I can do. One of the day's big door
:05:50. > :05:55.will open and I will walk through it. No one is going to play 72
:05:55. > :05:59.holes perfectly, so you are going to miss some shots, usually that
:05:59. > :06:06.will be in the bunker up. He doesn't give you a lot of
:06:06. > :06:11.opportunity if you are offered. But at majors, it your short game is
:06:11. > :06:16.better than everyone else's, it gives you a big advantage.
:06:16. > :06:21.We are joined by the man who broke the mould, Tony Jacklin. You ended
:06:21. > :06:26.an 18 year wait for an English winner. What gives you the good
:06:26. > :06:29.vibes, if you have them, about Westwood and Donald? Obviously,
:06:29. > :06:35.they have played a lot of consistent golf over the last
:06:35. > :06:41.couple of years. And they are ready. Especially lead, he knows what it
:06:41. > :06:51.is like to be rumbling on the Sunday in a Major. Luke Donald has
:06:51. > :06:52.
:06:52. > :06:57.not been so fortunate in Major quests. They are ready mentally,
:06:57. > :07:01.from a Coria. Could be you. I think they feel that the general public
:07:01. > :07:07.feel that it is time one of them got it done. Yet arguably it is
:07:07. > :07:12.getting more difficult. A nine of the last 15 our first time winners.
:07:12. > :07:20.Why does it appear to be becoming more of a lottery? You go through
:07:20. > :07:25.trains like that. -- at Trent. There are so many good players now.
:07:25. > :07:33.If you get off to a good start, they are all winners, and a lot of
:07:33. > :07:41.them deal with majors... I have read the articles like you have,
:07:41. > :07:44.they treated very much as another tournament. Although we never did!
:07:44. > :07:49.Parry, looking forward to being part of the commentary team. It is
:07:49. > :07:54.great to have you here. Northern Ireland have punched well above
:07:54. > :08:02.their weight. Three Major winners in the last three years. We will
:08:02. > :08:05.talk about McDowell and Clarke shortly, but first, the man who
:08:05. > :08:12.splits Donald and Westwood in the world championships, it is Rory
:08:12. > :08:19.MacRory. If you ask anyone, I will tell you
:08:19. > :08:25.I'm a dreamer, deep down I always believed I would get there one day.
:08:25. > :08:32.I took the US Open trophy and I won't do trophy off Darren this
:08:32. > :08:36.year. I felt like I have done a lot of good work over the past couple
:08:36. > :08:44.of weeks, the game a feels good, the swing it feels good. The short
:08:44. > :08:49.game appeals pretty sharp. I can't wait for the first tee shot to come.
:08:49. > :08:55.It seems as if a lot of golfers are seen this as at one of the toughest
:08:55. > :08:58.Open courses that has been played in a few years. Yes, the whole key
:08:58. > :09:02.is putting the ball the fairway. You can't go into the fairway
:09:02. > :09:08.bunkers here because you are going to be playing out sideways. The
:09:08. > :09:13.rough is some of the thickest we have seen at an Open championship,
:09:13. > :09:17.there has been so much rain and so much growth. The guy who can put
:09:17. > :09:20.his ball on the fairway more than anyone else has a great chance.
:09:20. > :09:28.have that natural aggression to your game, his Patient's something
:09:28. > :09:32.you have to have on a course like this? You have to have patience.
:09:32. > :09:39.Trying to plot your way around, you will pick up a few birdies along
:09:39. > :09:42.the way, trying to stay really patient. Wherever you go these days
:09:42. > :09:46.there has hype but follows you around, do you feel it particularly
:09:46. > :09:52.at this championship? Is there something special here? Theories,
:09:52. > :09:56.it is a Major championship, there is always going to be that home
:09:56. > :10:01.support, a little bit more attention and hype, that is
:10:01. > :10:08.something I had to deal with last year going into it after the US
:10:08. > :10:13.Open Foster this year, it has been a brutal law -- a bit more low key,
:10:13. > :10:16.which I have liked. But it is a great feeling coming back here.
:10:16. > :10:22.Only one Major under the belt go by what would it mean for you to claim
:10:22. > :10:27.this one? It would be incredible, it would definitely mean more to
:10:27. > :10:32.the winning the second than the first. The first is obviously an
:10:32. > :10:35.unbelievable feeling, and it is great to get it out of the way. But
:10:35. > :10:40.I suppose, just to prove to yourself and others that you're not
:10:40. > :10:48.just a one-hit wonder, you can go on and win more. It would mean a
:10:49. > :10:54.lot to me. We're already cranking it up to
:10:54. > :11:01.fever pitch in the commentary box. What about Rory? He arrived as the
:11:01. > :11:07.new superstar 12 months ago, but what might we expect this time?
:11:07. > :11:12.think he has to address his at practice regime, because it is also
:11:12. > :11:16.natural to him. So he has knuckled down a bit, if you are going to win
:11:16. > :11:20.Major titles you really have to concentrate. He has the ability to
:11:21. > :11:25.dominate this golf course. There is not going to be too much breeze. If
:11:25. > :11:29.he is brave enough and digs his is the right time to go with the
:11:29. > :11:33.driver, he could go round here at some low numbers. It will be
:11:33. > :11:37.interesting to see his strategy, you don't want to be over
:11:37. > :11:42.aggressive, it is a matter of getting it just right. He said that
:11:42. > :11:46.his long game is excellent, which is unusual for a player to say.
:11:46. > :11:50.months ago he blamed everything, the weather, his luck, the draw,
:11:50. > :11:56.and in retrospect he says that the fight went out with him in bad
:11:56. > :12:01.weather. How significant you think that might be that he admits it? A
:12:01. > :12:09.if you play links golf at some point you will get in a spot of
:12:09. > :12:14.bother and get cross with yourself. Last year's open, his invitations -
:12:14. > :12:23.- expectations were so high, I think the answer is understanding
:12:23. > :12:30.your witnesses. -- weaknesses. It is nice that Lawrie has done that.
:12:30. > :12:35.Here we are, on the coast in Lancashire, one of the UK's classic
:12:35. > :12:39.seaside courses, except paid you cannot see ditsy. To get a bit of
:12:39. > :12:44.perspective on our home for the next few days, we have got to get a
:12:44. > :12:49.bit of height of. The fantastic thing about all the
:12:49. > :12:53.great courses is they all have their own unique feel and identity.
:12:53. > :13:00.So what about Royal Lytham and St Annes, the course and the place?
:13:00. > :13:04.The best way to have a look is from up above. The one thing it is
:13:04. > :13:10.famous for is that you cannot see the sea, it is surrounded by
:13:10. > :13:16.buildings. But it acts like a links course, it has the wind and the
:13:16. > :13:19.weather, even with the houses around, doesn't quite look like it.
:13:19. > :13:26.This corner of the north-west of England is famous for its links
:13:26. > :13:36.courses, you have hillside, Southport, you have great golfing
:13:36. > :13:38.
:13:38. > :13:43.country. Course back from maybe one reusable Borough but it is - a
:13:43. > :13:51.critic and he's your quintessential Victorian purpose-built resort.
:13:51. > :13:54.Lots of people came in to take the sea air and play a bit of golf.
:13:54. > :13:59.Blackpool has always been a little bit more lively than Royal Lytham
:13:59. > :14:06.and St Annes. If there is one thing that Blackpool is known for, it is
:14:06. > :14:13.the iconic Blackpool Tower. In 1889 the Mayor of black Paul went over
:14:13. > :14:18.to the Eiffel Tower and said it he wanted one of those. It was built
:14:18. > :14:24.in 1894, in such a way that if it should never fall over, it would
:14:24. > :14:28.fall into the sea, which is nice to know. On to the present, it is all
:14:28. > :14:33.about the course, and if you look from here, you see how green it is.
:14:33. > :14:42.The other thing you see is how many bunkers there are, more than any
:14:42. > :14:45.other on the course. So the history of this course is it is billed for
:14:45. > :14:55.pleasure and relaxation. It won't be like that for everybody, but
:14:55. > :14:59.
:14:59. > :15:04.somebody will have the time of There are 157 players in the field
:15:04. > :15:10.this week, you can make a case to win a for many of them. Nobody is
:15:10. > :15:17.read dominating the Major seen at the moment. -- really debating.
:15:17. > :15:21.Including this bunch of the UK but leaders.
:15:21. > :15:26.Four years ago Ian Poulter holed a putt he thought would be enough to
:15:26. > :15:32.win. It wasn't enough, but he was in decent form in France recently
:15:32. > :15:36.and relishes the big stage. His big front Justin Rose has Tiger Woods
:15:36. > :15:40.for company over the first at two rounds, having won a World
:15:40. > :15:43.Championship event earlier this year, he has every reason for
:15:43. > :15:49.conference this week. A Graeme McDowell knows what it
:15:49. > :15:52.takes to win a Major. He says he has the buzz again and he has just
:15:52. > :15:57.to game and temperature and -- temperament to thread his way
:15:57. > :16:01.through the dangers. It has been a miserable time for
:16:01. > :16:06.Paul Casey after injuring his shoulder snowboarding. The
:16:06. > :16:15.offending board has been burnt, and Katie has growing confidence he can
:16:15. > :16:19.rediscover the form that put him in Martin Laird has established
:16:19. > :16:23.himself as a classy figure in the top 40 and is twice a winner on the
:16:23. > :16:28.PGA Tour, but is not the top Scottish player in the rankings at
:16:28. > :16:34.the moment. That honour falls to Paul Lawrie, who is on track for a
:16:34. > :16:40.return to the Ryder Cup. And who knows? Maybe a second claret jug.
:16:41. > :16:47.After all, it was him when the rough was up in 1999, when he won a
:16:47. > :16:54.cast to -- Carnoustie. Ian Carter will be one as part of the Radio 5
:16:54. > :16:57.Live team. Their coverage starts at 6am. You are part of the on course
:16:57. > :17:02.record -- reporting team and you have some good walking shoes I hope,
:17:02. > :17:08.because you have a lot of miles to cover. I have some well-worn golf
:17:08. > :17:14.shoes and I can cope with the mud. As a former Ryder Cup player
:17:14. > :17:20.yourself and ex-world No. 9 you have a good eye over who are yours?
:17:20. > :17:24.All of the top players have a chance. Luke Donald, world No. 1,
:17:24. > :17:28.and if you're the best play you have a chance to win any tournament.
:17:28. > :17:35.Lee Westwood Knox on the Major Tour all the time so who flee he will
:17:35. > :17:38.win his first. Graeme McDowell has managed to win the US Open, so he
:17:38. > :17:43.is a links player and he grew up on a links course in Northern Ireland,
:17:43. > :17:46.so I fancy he will have a great chance going into Sunday. He has
:17:46. > :17:51.been in good form and challenge at the US Open, so he feels like a
:17:51. > :17:55.Major player. Justin Rose, still in the world top 10 and he burst onto
:17:55. > :18:01.the scene here as an amateur all those years ago, so a lot of
:18:01. > :18:05.experience on the Tour. He has won some big tournaments in the States
:18:05. > :18:10.and the next thing in his career is to win a Major as well. Believe it
:18:10. > :18:17.or not, I have left Rory Raleigh out. Everywhere we look, British
:18:17. > :18:22.players who won more than capable of winning -- Rory Raleigh. David,
:18:22. > :18:29.you are filling us with hope. Whoever wins will have to conquer
:18:29. > :18:33.the longest links in history. All 7086 yards, with over 200 bunkers.
:18:33. > :18:39.56 more than any other Open venue. And this year with some of the
:18:39. > :18:45.thickest, juiciest rough we have seen at any of the opens for a long
:18:45. > :18:48.year. What will it take to win it? Walking from the putting green to
:18:48. > :18:52.the first, you go past the professional shop and under the
:18:52. > :18:55.grandstand, but the thing about the first hole is that it is a par-
:18:55. > :18:58.three which makes things a bit different. Under this grandstand
:18:58. > :19:06.there will be some rumblings of footprints and then the light comes
:19:06. > :19:13.out like going on to a stage. 205 yards, and the tee is sheltered so
:19:13. > :19:17.club selection is important and you are also a little nervy! Over 200
:19:17. > :19:24.bunkers peppered all over the golf course and look at these on 18.
:19:24. > :19:28.Magical. You have to avoid them at all costs. If you start missing the
:19:28. > :19:32.fairways, the rough is terribly sick and we are all of this rain it
:19:32. > :19:38.is lying down, tangled and there will be places you could hardly get
:19:38. > :19:44.the ball on the fairway. Terrible stuff. At Lytham St Anne's if you
:19:44. > :19:49.go beyond the long rough you may have half a chance. But this week,
:19:49. > :19:54.driving accuracy and finding the fairway will be key. A player
:19:54. > :20:00.walking up the 18th, look at the bunkers. Look at the fairways.
:20:00. > :20:07.Fantastic sight. If you win here, you were a real champ. Plenty more
:20:07. > :20:11.to come from Ken Brown. The last time the Open came here in 2001 and
:20:11. > :20:16.1996 and American walked away with the job. With Tiger Woods
:20:16. > :20:21.dominating the headlines again, a breakthrough performance from the
:20:21. > :20:26.likes of Bubba Watson and also a hunter Mahan and Keegan Bradley, US
:20:26. > :20:36.golfing stock is high. Who better to assess their chances than US
:20:36. > :20:38.
:20:38. > :20:43.Davies, thank you for talking to us. Can we start with Tiger, the top
:20:43. > :20:48.man. He missed sandwich last year sorry the -- so what is the
:20:48. > :20:53.challenge? He will have to drive the ball on the fairway but he
:20:53. > :20:56.plays the Open as smart as anyone. I remember Freddie Couples watching
:20:56. > :21:02.and we were wondering why he wasn't hitting the driver but he ended up
:21:02. > :21:06.winning. I think he will do well. He is in good shape. It will be
:21:06. > :21:14.exciting to watch. A in terms of the other challengers from America,
:21:14. > :21:19.Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson. Any players that really suit the
:21:19. > :21:24.course? A match could she drives the ball say -- straight. He is
:21:24. > :21:29.good in the wind. The Americans, if they tried it in a fairway, they
:21:29. > :21:34.will do well. That is the key. -- drive it in the fairway. We seem to
:21:34. > :21:37.be putting well as agreed. They are winning tournaments and they are
:21:37. > :21:43.confident. But the Open Championship, all of these bunkers,
:21:43. > :21:50.the deep rough, how wet and tough it is, you will have to drive it on
:21:50. > :21:55.the fairway. Maybe Dustin Johnson will back off the driver of it.
:21:55. > :22:00.many young Americans coming through. The two Majors have been won by
:22:00. > :22:04.Americans already. What about those youngsters? They are playing well.
:22:04. > :22:09.If they play patiently and keep it on the fairway and not get
:22:09. > :22:13.frustrated because they might get a bad conditions one-day or bad
:22:13. > :22:18.bounces, but the more experience here, the better. If the younger
:22:18. > :22:22.guys have picked up anything from the older guys, they can play well.
:22:22. > :22:28.Asking you about your own game. You played here in 1987 and this is
:22:28. > :22:34.your 26. How was your game in shape? Will we see a challenge from
:22:34. > :22:41.the Ryder Cup captain? I always enjoy playing in the open. It's one
:22:41. > :22:45.of my favourite events. I will keep grinding away and trying to win.
:22:45. > :22:50.Dan was very inspiring -- Darren was very inspiring and he came here
:22:50. > :22:53.and won. If I can keep the ball on the fairway and stay calm and
:22:53. > :23:00.relaxed and makes some parts, I can be as competitive as anyone. Have
:23:00. > :23:10.you got one eye on the Ryder Cup? Yes. Have a great week. Thanks for
:23:10. > :23:34.
:23:34. > :23:38.But the man they hope to follow this week his 84th in the world.
:23:38. > :23:42.Darren Clarke returning McLaren joke to the organisers on Monday
:23:42. > :23:51.after what he said was a brilliant year off the course -- of the
:23:51. > :23:56.claret jug. But a frustrating year on the course for Darren. There are
:23:56. > :24:01.so many things standing out about St George's, one of the most
:24:01. > :24:09.special was the fans and how they were shouting my name up,
:24:09. > :24:12.especially of the walk up 18. Then walking up there to the grandstand
:24:12. > :24:22.and there they were shouting. That is everybody's dream. That is the
:24:22. > :24:27.
:24:27. > :24:31.ultimate. Everybody was screaming The Open champion. Congratulations,
:24:31. > :24:35.Darren Clarke. We know you enjoy the 12 hours after your victory,
:24:35. > :24:43.but what about the 12 months after? The incredibly busy. But at the
:24:43. > :24:46.same time I'm so proud to have been open champion. I've travelled round
:24:46. > :24:50.the world and have shown the claret jug to people who have never seen
:24:50. > :24:55.it. They have never physically held. That sort of stuff has been
:24:55. > :25:02.wonderful for me. I have had a better time on the course than off
:25:02. > :25:05.it. I may be tried too hard. But all in all, a fantastic year.
:25:05. > :25:11.there a Darren Clarke gap in the household in case the magic happens
:25:11. > :25:14.again? You could always find a space for that claret jug. I relish
:25:14. > :25:20.the Open Championship. It is the most special tournament in the
:25:20. > :25:25.world to me. It is history, it is the oldest, the biggest and best
:25:25. > :25:35.golf tournament in the world. I am very proud to have my name on the
:25:35. > :25:37.
:25:37. > :25:40.Well, he turned up as a 158/one shock last year and is the same
:25:40. > :25:45.again this year. Stranger things have happened. The last time we
:25:45. > :25:49.were here, Darren finished third alongside Ian Woosnam but it could
:25:49. > :25:59.have been so much better for the Welshman who fell victim to one of
:25:59. > :25:59.
:25:59. > :26:09.the most notorious chapters in Open As I got closer to the lead, the
:26:09. > :26:32.
:26:32. > :26:42.crowd were roaring and I tried to but we have discovered Ian Woosnam
:26:42. > :26:47.
:26:47. > :26:54.has too many clubs in his back, so Very, very disappointed. It took me
:26:54. > :27:00.four or five minutes to recover. And notorious episode. Peter Alliss
:27:00. > :27:05.has joined me, covering his 51st open and you have seen it all. You
:27:05. > :27:10.look back at that incident with Ian Woosnam, and the golfing gods can
:27:10. > :27:14.be called. But from what you have seen in the build up, what do you
:27:14. > :27:18.expect this time? I have always enjoyed living St Anne's. I came
:27:18. > :27:23.here first to play in 1952 and I have been to every one since. It
:27:23. > :27:32.has lots of bunkers and you must make your score on the outward nine.
:27:32. > :27:38.When you turn for home, 10, 11, 12, they are no pushovers. It is going
:27:38. > :27:45.to be a funny old thing that happens. Sometimes you have one of
:27:45. > :27:48.the favourites win, but sometimes a nearly man wins and then you get
:27:48. > :27:52.someone out of the blue, so to predict the winners is a ridiculous
:27:52. > :27:55.thing to do. But it will be a good test. The weather forecast is not
:27:55. > :28:00.very good as far as the wind concision -- conditions are
:28:00. > :28:04.concerned. When this place is windy, it is treacherous. A lot of
:28:05. > :28:09.patience and accuracy required. Yeah, and some luck. Speaking of
:28:09. > :28:19.the luck of the draw, a selection of the tee times for you. Darren
:28:19. > :28:19.
:28:19. > :29:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 123 seconds
:29:16. > :29:25.Clarke gets his defence and away at There are so many ways to keep up-
:29:25. > :29:29.to-date with the action. Five live sport is on the air from 6am. If
:29:30. > :29:35.you go on the red button, there is a live feed off three halls
:29:35. > :29:39.throughout the day, 9, 10 and 11 and rolling highlights. -- three
:29:39. > :29:45.holes. All of the interviews, live text commentary and you can get
:29:45. > :29:51.that on your laptop. Everything you could possibly want when it comes