5 Ways To Win The Open At Royal Troon Written by Tyler Schiefelbein

All eyes are on the United Kingdom as The Open Championship makes it's mid-July stop at the links course of Royal Troon in Scotland. The third major of the PGA Tour is also the oldest, dating all the way back to 1860. 14 different courses have held the prestigious championship, each with their own difficult characteristics.

The golf course at Royal Troon last held the the Open Championship in 2004 and the 7,175 yard course can play as tough as any venue on the tour. The rigged Scottish terrain along the coast line makes for difficult weather conditions, blind tee shots, and unforgivable bounces. It will take great patience, and strategy to finish on top of the leader board on Sunday. Here are 5 ways to win The Open at Royal Troon:

Take On The Wind

Much like last year's Open course, St. Andrews, The Royal Troon is just off of the Scottish coast. Wind gusts can easily reach up to 30 mph as storm systems can quickly move in on the Scottish highlands. The wind is generally more mild in the morning so the early groups can catch a break. With the wind in your face, a shot that requires an 8-iron, can turn into punch shot with a 5-iron. Knowing your clubs and how your ball reacts to heavy winds can help save a few shots here and there on the round.

Stay Out Of The Beach

This is obvious, don't hit it in the bunkers. On most courses, hitting it in the bunker for the pros is usually more of just a nuisance. But Royal Troon is no ordinary course..

The bunkers on this course are incredibly deep and steeper than most locations on the tour. Rory McIlroy, in a practice round this week, hit 6 shots inside a bunker on hole 8, before finally getting it up and over the steep edge. The sand is a lot different than what we're used to here in the US. It's a lot more cakey and damp, making it harder to bounce through with the sand wedges. The greens are fairly easy so avoiding the bunkers around the greens will help these players score par or better.

Hit Fairways

The fairways leave little room for error with several fairway bunkers and a little something called 'fescue'. If you don't know what fescue is, count your blessings. Fescue is the tall, thick grass all around the course at Royal Troon. Hitting your ball in the fescue basically means your going to lose a stroke. It is extremely difficult to get out because the thick grass will often grab your club head before meeting the ball and making your shot unpredictable. You want to get out of the fescue and forget it ever happened. Fairway accuracy is beyond critical if the pros want to finish ahead of the rest of the field.

Score On The Front 9

To say the front 9 is easier than the back 9 is an understatement. The front 9 holes go down the coast heading south east, meaning that the coastal winds are generally at the players back. This means the opposite for the back 9 coming back to the clubhouse. Not only is the wind in the players face, but the back 9 plays 300 yards longer than the front. Oh, and while the front 9 is a par 36, the back 9 is only a par 35. Not to mention that arguably the three hardest holes on the course are 10, 11, and 12. Look for players to take advantage of the front 9, and try to just hang on in the back 9.

Par Hole 11

"The Railway" hole could be the hardest hole in any major. The 11th hole is a monster 482 yard par 4, with out of bounds closely hugging each side of the fairway. The fairway is hidden from the tee box so you're picking a target and hoping for the best. The hole used to be a par 5 but is now the most difficult par 4 of any major. With wind in your face, hidden fairway, and hazards just waiting to take some strokes off your score, scoring a par here can be celebrated like a birdie on any other hole. Oh, and Jack Nicklaus once scored a 10 on this hole.

So there you have it, The Royal Troon can be scored on, and there will be players under par heading into Sunday. The best players will try to score most of their birdies on the front 9. The back 9 is not to be taken lightly but can be managed with well placed shots. Keeping clear of the hazards and putting well on the undemanding greens will give these players the best chance to take the Claret Jug away from last year's Open winner Zach Johnson at the Royal Troon.