Player after player has said this week that the deep rough and narrow fairways, combined with a fierce wind, mean a winning score of above par is not only possible but highly likely. Greg Norman says 16-over could be the winning score this week.
Scores are only relative and par is a notional figure.
It will certainly be notional for large numbers of the Open field. Former winner Mark Calcavecchia said this week everybody is going to be making bogeys. But such comments cut little ice with chairman of the championship committee Hugh Campbell, who insisted the aim of the course was to test, not embarrass, the players. After a wet spring we have had some warm spells and the heavy rough has appeared very quickly. I would feel seriously guilty if we had set out to grow wheat fields on the edge of the course, but nature has been the dominant factor.