Phil Mickelson hopes clouds hang over him during the Scottish Open

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Eye on the prize: Phil Mickelson will use his Scottish Open title defence to tune his game for The Open

Kevin Garside

10 July 2014

The storms are rolling in off the North Sea ready to buffet the world’s best golfers into the middle of next week. Or at least that is the dream.

It’s hardly the Costa del Aberdeen yet for three days the royal links hosting the Scottish Open has baked in Mediterranean sunshine. Not good according to pot hunters seeking Open glory at Hoylake in 10 days’ time.

Phil Mickelson, the man defending this week and next, loves nothing better than a raging sou’wester and slanting rain. Ironically he won the Claret Jug last year on a Muirfield course hardened by a relentless sun. Yet it was his display at a rain-lashed Royal St George’s three years ago when he finished runner-up that he remembers with at least as much affection and which he is hoping to replicate in Scotland.

“It’s supposed to be terrible weather and I hope it is because I’d love to be able to get out and play in that stuff. I never get a chance to back home,” said Mickelson, who was among today’s early starters. “I remember Royal St George’s in that awful weather playing some of my best golf. It’s a great preparation for next week and given the forecast for some potential rain and rough weather, having the chance to get acclimatised is a great benefit.”

Ian Poulter senses it could be a tough week, given his experiences in the pro-am yesterday.

“I can definitely see it because I got off the course feeling beaten up by the wind,” said the Ryder Cup star.

“It is going to be a stern test with the weather and, it seems, having three different winds on this course. That will drain you mentally I think; we’re not going to play one course, it looks like we will play three. It will be challenging from that respect and it will be difficult scoring around this course. It’s not easy. It might even be more difficult this week than next.

“Nobody likes to play in torrential rain and 35mph wind but we do get spoiled for the most part, following the sunshine around, and if there’s a storm 30 miles away we’re off the course.

“We can go very soft, although I’ve been soft from day one. I guess from time to time it is nice to be beaten up every now and then and realise what some of the guys have to put up with when they go out to play golf.”

The tournament sees Justin Rose in action a fortnight after winning at Congressional, his first victory since the 2013 US Open at Merion.

The Englishman is out this afternoon alongside Lee Westwood aiming to fine tune his links touch in the authentic setting of Royal Aberdeen.

“Hoylake might seem a gentle test compared to maybe what we face here depending on the weather,” he said. “I think this will sharpen you up. You’re going to have to hit every shot this week. You’re going to have to really control the ball flight, knock shots down and get your links feel going.

“It is not going to be just routine, here. This is an important week to get comfortable with being in contention again, holing putts when it matters. I think that’s where the more you get comfortable in that situation, the easier it becomes and obviously heading into a Major, that’s when you’re tested at your most.”

The relocation from Castle Stuart, a new coastal course in Inverness that lacks the traditional tight, links feel, has persuaded those who might have prepared elsewhere to come out in numbers here. A regal selection of Europe’s finest, including Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald join Westwood, Poulter and Rose. Rickie Fowler is the most high- profile American after Mickelson and just as enthused by the challenge.

Like Mickelson, Fowler excelled in the Kentish storm, finishing fifth, and relishes the prospect of more.

He said: “St George’s was probably hands down the worst weather I’ve played in, windy and rainy and you couldn’t use an umbrella because it was blowing pretty good. And it wasn’t warm out. So it was brutal but fun.”

Phil Mickelson hopes clouds hang over him during the Scottish Open

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