A recent poll confirms what has long been suspected: Brits are obsessed with the weather, with the average conversation about it apparently taking place five times a day. But that's nowhere near the number of times the topic was discussed at St Andrews this week.
With high winds and frequent torrential rain forecast for the next few days, it is only “highly likely” that the AIG Women's Open, taking place on the famed Old Course, will be postponed.
“It's only Wednesday and we've already been through all kinds of weather,” said world number one Nelly Korda, aptly summing up what most Americans consider to be “typical” Scottish weather.
“This is definitely going to be a tough week,” said Catriona Matthew, one of the few players in the 144-player field who is used to playing golf in wind and rain. “I downloaded three weather apps, and they're all a little different, but they're all pretty gloomy. The worst I saw was wind gusts of 69 mph, which is unplayable. The general consensus seems to be sustained winds of around 40 mph, which is right on the edge. It's just going to be tough.”
But this week will be Matthew's final, having won the championship at Royal Lytham in 2009. The Scotsman, who turns 55 on Sunday, announced his retirement from what was to be the highlight of his career on the eve of his 30th appearance in the tournament.
“This will be my last time playing in this tournament,” said the two-time Solheim Cup-winning captain, who will captain the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team against the USA at Sunningdale next week.
“I'm under no illusions. I'm not planning on winning this tournament so my goal this week is just to get through the cut, and that's fine. But I don't want to keep playing when I'm not competitive. And being in the birthplace of golf, St. Andrews in Scotland, I thought there couldn't be a better place to play my final tournament.”
While Matthew was taking his first steps to put his feet to the metaphorical fire, others were picturing the less-than-appealing prospect of four cold, rainy days on the world's most famous course.
Nelly Korda with caddie Jason McDeed. The world number one has “been through all kinds of weather” in Scotland this week. Photo: Michael Reeves/Getty Images
In a debate about what's most frustrating about playing the 6,784-yard course, several theories have emerged. Some favor staying out of the bunkers. Others favor avoiding three-putts on the enormous double green. But 2013 winner Stacy Lewis spoke up and shared her thoughts.
“Keeping everything dry,” said the American captain for the Solheim Cup. “That's the biggest challenge. It's going to rain sideways, so you can't hide behind an umbrella. Also, it's all about visibility. Sometimes you can't reach the green in two shots, so you've got to hit the ball up and down. Whoever has the better mindset will win.”
In that respect, many smart bets will surely be on Korda, who won six of seven LPGA starts earlier this year. “Every time I play here and play this style of golf, it's just so much fun,” she said.
“It's not something I want to play every week, but I really like the creative aspect of this type of golf. The nice thing about this week is you can hit a bad shot and it ends up working out. Then you can hit a good shot and it ends up not working out so well. You can't get ahead of yourself. There aren't many golf courses where you can aim 20 yards left of your target and have a big fade into the fairway.”
Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko is also looking on the bright side of the golf course. The New Zealand native says she never pays attention to the weather forecast, so you never know what's going to happen. In a week where something negative is likely to happen, “ignoring it” may be the best course of action.
