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'Travel & Leisure Golf' Editor Discusses British Open

Aired July 17, 2002 - 11:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Play gets under way tomorrow at the British Open, and Tiger Woods is prowling for the third leg of a Grand Slam. He's already won the Master's and the U.S. Open, and now Woods is going to try to become the first player since Ben Hogan, back in 1953, to win three majors in the same season. The last player to come to Scotland with the first two wins in hand was Jack Nicklaus, back in 1972.

The British Open is going to be played at Muirfield this year, which is considered to be the top course in all of Europe.

John Atwood is editor-in-chief of "Travel & Leisure Golf" magazine, and he joins us in New York this morning.

How are you?

JOHN ATWOOD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "TRAVEL & LEISURE GOLF": I'm well. How are you, Leon.

HARRIS: I'm doing well myself.

I take it that since you are in New York, you are not going to be going to Muirfield then.

ATWOOD: Yes, unfortunately, that's the case. But we just had the U.S. Open in our backyard, so I don't feel so bad.

HARRIS: That's true (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- but the magazine is "Travel & Leisure, so you should be traveling there.

ATWOOD: I agree with you, Leon.

HARRIS: All right, talk to the bosses about that one.

Well, tell us: How do you think this is shaping up? All the talk has been on Tiger. I'm sure that he's probably getting tired of it. I have seen him in the press conferences. I know his competitors are tired of hearing about this as well. Going into this, can you imagine anybody keeping him away from third straight major?

ATWOOD: Well, sure, it could happen. But you don't like to bet against him. This is the most exciting British Open in 30 years, for the obvious reason that it's the first time that anyone's had a chance to win the Grand Slam in 30 years. What makes is really special is it's happening in Muirfield, which is one of the top courses in Europe for sure, if not the top. And this is the course that Jack Nicklaus came to with hopes of winning third straight grand -- major in 1972. Nicklaus loved this course so much that he named his own course back in Ohio Muirfield Village, for this place.

HARRIS: That's right. I've been there, and it's a beautiful course as well.

What do make about the course's makeup? Can you describe that to us?

ATWOOD: Sure.

HARRIS: What makes this the stand-out course in Europe?

ATWOOD: Well, it's a very unusual layout. It's a -- it's not a traditional links with nine holes out and nine holes back. It goes around in a circle; its plays nine around clockwise and then nine around counterclockwise. And there aren't any blind shots or hidden pot bunkers, no trees, no water hazards...

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: No road holes.

ATWOOD: No road holes. But very Scottish. Lots of lawn rough, narrow fair ways. Players -- it's an long course, which the field considers to be good for them, because they feel like with a shorter course, they have more of a chance to catch Tiger.

HARRIS: Yes, but from what I heard, he is out practicing all this week, and he was hitting his two iron 300 yards out there. That is not much of a disadvantage.

ATWOOD: No, but if you hit your driver straight, that gives you a chance to compete with him against his two iron, and then it comes down to the short game more. I think more players feel they can keep up with Tiger in that regard.

HARRIS: It doesn't sound as though, since it doesn't really have as many tricked-up, different hazards out there as St. Andrews, for instance, which has the pot bunkers and the road holes and all that. Is it that tough of a course?

ATWOOD: Well, you want to go play, Leon? Let's go play.

I think you'll will see scores probably lower than you saw in the U.S. Open. I think...

HARRIS: Really?

ATWOOD: Yes. Well, the U.S. Open played so tough. Bethpage was really set up hard. And you know, very -- Tiger was the only guy in the field to break par ultimately. So... HARRIS: Yes, that's true.

ATWOOD: So I think it'll play under par. Weather always plays a big factor in Scotland. Obviously, you want to see the wind up, because that's the major hazard in Scotland. If it's nay wind, it's nay golf, as they say. And we're really hoping for some wind this week.

HARRIS: What about rain? Have you seen the weather forecast at all for that, because you know the rain usually figures as a factor as well at the British Open.

ATWOOD: No, I haven't seen the weather forecast. But I don't mind a little rain either. That's what the British Open is all about.

HARRIS: Yes, exactly. You got to get soggy out there before it's really golf for those guys.

ATWOOD: That's correct.

HARRIS: How about -- I've got to ask you about my boy, my buddy, Phil Mickelson. Any chance at all this could be the time he ends up not being the bridesmaid?

ATWOOD: Oh, sure. Absolutely. Absolutely. A lot of people are pulling for Phil. Obviously, what a career this guy would have if not for Tiger. We would be talking about him as the greatest player who ever lived. So he is obviously on top of his game. He had a great Open, U.S. Open, and I anticipate that he will play very well in this tournament.

HARRIS: That's what I wanted to ask you about, John, because he did have a good U.S. Open. He did quite well at Bethpage; however, he still didn't have enough. Do you think that might actually be too big of a stumbling block in his head, or is it possible that he did so well that now he's got even more confidence than he had going into the U.S. Open?

ATWOOD: Absolutely. He is motivated. You don't get to be the quality player he is without incredible internal motivation. He's, I'm sure, salivating over the prospect of this week. And you know, it may seem like he is intimidated by Tiger us to, but remember he shot even par in last round of the U.S. Open, and even Tiger acknowledged that that should be good enough to win most times. So I like his chances very much this week.

HARRIS: Well, if I can get Uncle Walter or the bosses here to give me permission, John, where should I stay? Where's a place to stay in Muirfield?

ATWOOD: Well, you know, it's funny: A friend of mine who has a place over there just told me about a great new castle keep that has been converted to accommodation over there called Fenton Tower. And last I heard, they had availability for this week. So check in there.

HARRIS: OK, I'm writing it down: "Fenton Tower." ATWOOD: Fenton Tower.

HARRIS: All right, John Atwood, thanks much for the advice and for the conversation. Hey, let's just sit back and watch and see what happens, all right?

ATWOOD: It's going to be great.

HARRIS: All right, I think it will be too. I hope to talk to you about it later on.

ATWOOD: OK, Leon. Thank you.

HARRIS: All right. Take care.

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