What is the best Open hole according to the world’s best golfers?

The Open Championship

Place: Royal Troon, South Ayrshire Appointment: June 18-21

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Each course in The Open Championship is iconic in its own way, but on each course there are specific holes that stand out from the rest.

Some are located in St Andrews, others are scattered along the UK coast. But what are they?

BBC Scotland asked some of golf’s biggest names to pick their favourite hole from the Open programme.

The Troon ‘postage stamp’ is a popular choice

Tiger Woods: “There are a few good holes – a couple at Muirfield, the Postage Stamp at Troon, one at Birkdale – but nothing as iconic as the first and 18th at St Andrews.”

Bob MacIntyre: “Troon, the ‘postage stamp’. It’s 100 yards and half the pitch misses it. I’ve never played at Troon but watching it, it’s chaos. Portrush is one of my favourite places in the world, so potentially the new 18th because it demands everything from you.”

Paul Casey: “The ‘Postage Stamp’, for me, because I like short holes. It’s the possibilities, the variation in score, the chance of a double bogey or a birdie, right there, just a millimeter difference.”

Ian Poulter: “Maybe the ‘Postage Stamp’ – a beautiful par three that wreaks havoc. Howling wind, tiny green and you’ve got the wedge in your hand. It’s just awesome.”

Shane Lowry: “I’m heading straight back to Portrush, but the short par threes are always good on tour. Troon’s ‘Postage Stamp’ comes to mind.”

St Andrews and Turnberry turn heads

Justin Thomas: “It changes with the day, that’s true. Take the 14th hole at St Andrews… if you have that hole with the wind blowing from the left, it suddenly becomes very difficult. But I think the 17th hole is the most difficult for me. If it’s downwind and you’ve got a short club, it’s going to be difficult to hold the fairway. And if you do, it’s going to be really difficult to hold the green. And if it’s into the wind, you’ve just got a long club and you can’t carry as much weight.”

Padraig Harrington: “It’s the 17th, the ‘Road Hole’, because of the pain it’s caused so many people over the years. The idea that you can play 70 holes at the Open and still be worried about the 71st hole… You can’t win at St Andrews until you’ve played the 17th. It’s daunting.”

Richie Ramsay: “I would have said 14 at St Andrews a few years ago, but now I think it’s 17. It’s right at the end of your round, but it still has the power to cause disaster. If you misjudge something, if you get the angle wrong, you can take a double in the blink of an eye. If you play a fantastic shot, a three is there. If you keep going, it gives you hope, and if you’re leading, your heart will race as you go down. It’s a great hole for spectators, and it tests us to the max.”

Alex Noren: “I would say the hole that gets the most attention is 17 at St Andrews. It’s very good and it’s very difficult. You can play it towards the 18th tee or to the right. It’s the most difficult tee shot in the world. If you put it behind the bunker, you have to hit the perfect flight, the perfect shape, within 10 feet.”

Paul McGinley: “My favourite course is Turnberry, but I would probably say one of the holes at St Andrews. Probably the 17th because of its history. It depends on the wind, but you are always happy to take a four.”

Matt Fitzpatrick: “I would pick a hole at Turnberry. I love it there. Maybe the ninth, the par three with the water.”