The harsh gusts threaten to knock you off balance. Your socks are steadily getting damp. A dangerous pot bunker looms in your peripheral vision. These are the physical effects of the Open Championship, but the true challenge lies in the realm of the mind.
As Royal Troon hosts this week, the commentators will speak of the top links players as those who display patience. They endure. They persevere. Beyond the well-worn expressions, what mental obstacles does an Open actually present? What specific strategies and requirements lead to success at a tournament like the one at Royal Troon?
Acceptance
At the Open, players face a mental ordeal that goes beyond navigating around well-fortified greens and fairways. A significant portion of this trial is simply beyond the control of the player. The wind and rain cannot be dictated. The tee time draw is a mystery only Nature can solve. Discovering the lie you get in a bunker can be a jolt to the system.
Dr. Morris Pickens, an experienced PGA Tour sports psychologist, emphasizes that accepting unfavorable outcomes is a skill specific to the Open. It all comes down to understanding how to assess shots.
Pickens categorizes golf shots into four groups based on “execution” and “result,” displayed on a quadrant graph: good execution-good result, good execution-bad result, bad execution-good result, and bad execution-bad result.
According to Pickens, who has guided Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink to Open victories and presently works with Keegan Bradley and recent PGA Tour winner Davis Thompson, at this tournament, one must anticipate, accept, and react to the “good-bads” – well-struck shots that didn’t pan out as desired.
“In the Open, you’re going to get a lot of ‘good-bads,’ especially when you turn back into the wind,” Pickens explains. “Maybe you played well on the front, maybe it’s been pretty easy and you’re 4-under. But you’re still going to hit some good shots that get bad results. And if you’re not careful, you’re going to lose your mind. Instead of shooting 1-over coming in, you’re going to shoot 4-over.”
At The Open, Pickens advises his players to manage their emotions using this visual analysis. The unpredictable nature of the tournament’s conditions means you’ll encounter both “good-bads” and “bad-goods” – fortunate breaks. To maintain your mental composure, you must appreciate and foresee both, truly embracing the fluctuations of links golf.
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“You hope to grind out a decent score,” said Jon Rahm, who posted a 2-over 73 on Thursday.
Commitment
When confronted with external factors beyond one’s control, the best approach is to be ultra-specific with your pre-shot visualization. Pickens defines commitment as “knowing where you want to hit the ball,” but many players confuse commitment with confidence or ease. This confusion can lead down a perilous path.
“Confident means, ‘I know where this ball is going to end up.’ But you can’t know that. There are imperfections on the green. There are wind gusts,” Pickens clarifies. “You don’t have to feel ease over the ball to hit great golf shots. You don’t have to feel comfortable, emotionally. There’s not one player, if they’re honest, who feels comfortable over the 18th tee shot at Augusta or at TPC Sawgrass. Those are physically demanding shots. I talk my players away from that — it’s not the goal. The goal is to be committed, and to trust your routine.”
Seeking confidence and comfort over the ball will only lead to disappointment and unrealistic expectations, and at the Open Championship, that can cause a quick downward spiral.
Commitment involves utilizing available information, devising a plan, and sticking to it. Crosswinds, a challenging aspect of Royal Troon, make this practice particularly tough. In links golf, known variables can change instantly, but it is the player’s responsibility to adapt. Pickens urges his players not to question things while approaching a shot, whether internally or with their caddie. The self-talk must be determined before execution: The lead-up to the shot is the only aspect a player truly controls at the Open.
Scottie Scheffler and other top contenders in the Open Championship will have to handle tough lies. (Harry How / Getty Images)
Resilience
You’ll face setbacks at the Open. Whether it’s an unfortunate bounce or an ill-timed gust, there will be incidents that require you to dust yourself off and continue. But not every player possesses that quality. Accepting and moving on from mistakes is one thing. Finding the inner strength to bounce back from adversity is another. It’s a tough task – especially multiple times in a round.
“At some point, people lose their resilience,” Pickens remarks. “Then they start short-changing the process. They don’t pick good targets, they slap the ball around. They do that because they know they’re not going to be disappointed — because they didn’t put that much into it. It’s a way to protect your ego.”
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Open champions do not succumb to that. They rise again. Time after time.
“Resilience is saying no, I’m willing to put myself out there again to be disappointed again,” Pickens explains. “A resilient player thinks to themselves, I’m not going to slap it around and let that habit start. Even if I miss the cut by five shots, I’m going to play this out.”
A score will determine this Open. Some blend of birdies, pars, and bogeys or worse. A three-putt. A hole-out. A 350-yard drive. But the eventual winner and contenders will know that this championship is won primarily in the mind. The Open Championship is a mental battle.
(Top photo of Rory McIlroy: Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)