Matt Conner's Golf Tips - Watch and learn as the world's best tackle Troon

Today is the first round of the 145th Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Matt Conner's Golf TipsMatt Conner's Golf Tips
Matt Conner's Golf Tips

The Open was last played at Troon in 2004 where the lowest round for the championship was only a four-under- par 67.

This just shows what a tough course it is. And when it has one of the hardest yet shortest holes in Open Championship golf, it just shows that holes don’t need to be really long to be difficult.

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When the players reach the 123-yard, par three, eighth hole named ‘The Postage Stamp’, they are happy with a par when they have finished the hole.

A long narrow green is set into the side of a large sand hill.

Two bunkers protect the left side of the green while a large bunker shields the approach to the green. Any mistake on the right will find one of the two deep bunkers.

There is no safe way to play this hol. The ball must find the green with the tee-shot.

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Try and watch the championship and learn from how the tour players conduct themselves on this tricky hole.

You will see the player and his caddy will spend time making sure that they are happy with the strength of wind, that the distance to the flag is correct and finally that they have both selected the correct club to use.

If the weather is bad and the wind is whipped up you will see that the majority of the time they will be aiming for the middle of the green.

All these factors and conditions will test the mental strength of each player.

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The players that succeed will trust they have made all the correct decisions and commit to the shot.

The next time you play make sure you do this for every shot and even more so on the hole you dread the most.

Trust you have selected the correct club and execute the shot.

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