CARNOUSTIE, United Kingdom — Rory McIlroy admits it is going to take something special to end the recent dominance of the majors by American golfers as the British Open teed off at Carnoustie in Scotland on Thursday.
Now 29, McIlroy is aiming to end a four-year drought without a major victory but the trend is towards the strong contingent from the United States maintaining a firm grip on the sport’s biggest prizes.
The last five majors — and seven of the last nine — have been won by Americans, including Jordan Spieth’s victory at Royal Birkdale 12 months ago and Brooks Koepka’s successful recent defence of the US Open.
“There’s so many great players, and it just seems like, at this point in time, they’re all playing really good golf at the same time,” said McIlroy, the 2014 Open champion, on Wednesday.
“They’re some of the best players in the world and deservedly so, and they’re going to take some beating,” added McIlroy, who made his major debut as an amateur here 11 years ago.
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American strength in depth is all the more striking with the Ryder Cup coming up in France at the end of September, and with Tiger Woods in Scotland looking like a genuine contender to finally triumph at a major again, a decade after he won his 14th at the US Open.
Woods, 42, is a three-time winner of the Claret Jug and he believes that the unique conditions of links golf could offer him his best chance to add to his haul.
“As far as long term, certainly, I would say yes because of the fact that you don’t have to be long to play on a links style golf course,” said Woods, who is not getting any younger but takes inspiration from the veteran Tom Watson’s near miss at Turnberry in 2009.
“Look what Tom did at Turnberry at 59, I believe he was. So it’s possible. Distance becomes a moot point on a links style golf course. But creativity plays such an important role.”
Woods, who finished tied 32nd at this year’s Masters and missed the cut at the US Open, will be one of the last players to tee off in the first round, going out at 3:21 p.m. (1421 GMT) in a group with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Scotland’s Russell Knox.
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