Overcast conditions blanketed Gleneagles throughout the opening day’s play of the 15th edition of the Johnnie Walker Championship. With little over a year remaining until the Ryder Cup is contested on the PGA Centenary Course, much of the attention coming into the tournament has focussed on the structural changes made to this much-chastised layout, with organisers attempting to ensure that the course is up to the required standards of the eagerly anticipated biennial event.
However, for those players in attendance this week in Perthshire, their focus will solely be on the valuable riches on offer. All will have their own individual objectives, with the end of the season approaching, but for many of the players currently outside of the top 115 on the Race to Dubai, it’s a ultimately battle to make an impeding and ominous deadline.
At the end of Thursday, it is Bernd Wiesberger and Ricardo Gonzalez who lead the way, after both carded 7-under rounds of 65. They find themselves at the summit of a crowded leaderboard, on a day of low scoring with a total of 80 players all under-par. Veteran Ignacio Garrido, Oliver Fisher, Mark Foster, Ross Fisher, Brett Rumford and Thongchai Jaidee are all a shot back at 6-under.
Over the past 18 months, dramatic changes have occurred to a number of the holes, most notably to the redeveloped 18 green, which hasn’t convinced all observers. However, perhaps less controversially, complex drainage systems have been implemented throughout the course to ensure of its conditions in late September next year, and the scoring today certainly reflected upon a course that was beautifully presented.
With Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley already having stated that success on this venue will be taking into consideration for the Ryder Cup, this week serves as an ideal opportunity for many of the lower-ranked players in Europe to impress. For a player like Bernd Wiesberger, who won twice last year, a place in the side in 2014 is not an unassailable goal when his precocious talent is taken into consideration.
The gifted 27-year-old Austrian, who is on the verge of breaking inside the world’s elite top 50, was among the losers to Thomas Bjorn in the historic five-man playoff here two years ago.
The Jack Nicklaus design is a course that fits Wiesberger’s eye, and he is looking forward to the days ahead after recently playing in the United States.
“I didn't make a lot of mistakes,” said Wiesberger. “I had troubles the last couple weeks driving the ball, and coming off Major Championships where you have to be very precise off the tee, I felt I had a bit more margin of error here.
“My driving is better the last couple of days, which helped a lot, and I've got shorter clubs into the greens, and I could take advantage of those.
“I came here with the feeling that I like the golf course, I like the weather, playing in these colder conditions, I think it suits me. I’m very relaxed; had last week off, so quite fresh into this tournament and that helped me.”
With the end of the season rapidly approaching, a different kind of pressure is on the shoulders of Ignacio Garrido, who, at 144th on the Race to Dubai, is some way off retaining his card for next season.
The 41-year-old, who was part of the winning Ryder Cup side in 1997, has suffered throughout this year from glandular fever, and has only just begun to feel back to his best.
“I probably should have taken a medical exemption after being diagnosed with glandular fever but I don't really believe in them,” Garrido said.
”When I withdrew from the event in Korea the doctor told me I should not play for three or four months but I thought I would get over it. The only medicine is rest but I was in the middle of the season.
”And it's not like a normal illness where you feel it all the time. You wake up in the morning and feel okay but then after four holes you are exhausted.
”Finally after the Scottish Open I decided to take as much time off as it needed and now I feel strong because I have been so weak for so long.”
Ross Fisher is also among that group at 6-under, as he looks to re-establish himself back on the European Tour. Having taken the opportunity to play in the final Q-School for entry onto the PGA Tour, Fisher, to his own great surprise, finished 2nd in the qualifying to ensure of himself a debut season in the United States. However, he has struggled to play consistently well enough Stateside to retain his playing rights for next season, and he now returns full-time to Europe having learned a great deal during his period on the PGA Tour.
Defending champion Paul Lawrie, who could become the oldest player to retain a title on the European Tour, battled round in a respectable 2-under 70, while Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley produced one of his performances of the season with a 4-under round of 68.
When looking at the course and its surroundings, it is difficult not to imagine what the expansive property will look like in just 12 months time. The Ryder Cup is certainly on the horizon in the rolling hills of Perthshire, but there remains an intriguing show ahead over the next three days in the heart of Scotland.