If there's one feature of Royal Troon to familiarize yourself with ahead of the Open Championship, it's undoubtedly the tiny, telegenic, and tricky par-3 8th hole, famously known as “The Postage Stamp.”

In the age of power, the 123-yard hole offers a critical accuracy test at the end of a relatively friendly first nine. Beginning on No. 9, Royal Troon flips around, producing a much gustier trek back to the clubhouse. Depending on the conditions, the tee shot at No. 8 will be the first upwind shot of the round for many players.

In other words: Open rounds can swing at the Stamp.

The 123-yard hole is the shortest par-3 in the British Open rotation. The elevated tee box requires pristine wind judgment to avoid the four, extremely penal greenside bunkers. The hole's name derives from its small, long and narrow green.

If I don't hit the green on No. 8, it's mostly likely going to be a bogey unless you're in the front of the green,” said Scottie Scheffler. “If you miss it in the right bunker or the left bunker — if you hit it in the left bunker, you're going to be glad to be making a bogey because it's probably going to plug, and you'll be hitting up-and-down for your bogey.

Here's what Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and a few of the best golfers in the world revealed about how they might approach Royal Troon's most iconic hole ahead of the 152nd Open Championship.

 

 

Open Championship stars on the Postage Stamp

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau — the longest hitter in the field — is taking an improvisatory method.

“Well, it can be diabolical for sure,” the U.S. Open champion said Tuesday. “Don't know too much about it other than hit the center of the green and I'll be good. Every day, that's going to be the goal this week.”

Xander Schauffele

Count the 2024 PGA Championship winner, currently ranked no. 3 in the world, a fan of the Stamp's uniqueness.

“It's refreshing,” Schauffele said. “It's really hard. … Most of the holes we play are 255 yards. It's kind of cool to have a hole that's super scary that is that short, and I think it's going to provide a lot of entertainment if that wind picks up off the left.”

Schauffele enjoys the finesse test, but he stopped short of labeling the hole as “fun” under the pressurized circumstances of an Open.

“Fun if you're just playing with the boys, I think,” he said. “I don't know about for a tournament. Trying to win a major championship, and you have a little hole like that that can mess your entire week up.

“It's more fun than playing a 250-yard hole with no wind, but it's probably harder.”

Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler — seeking his seventh PGA Tour trophy of 2024 — praised the timelessness of No. 8.

“I think No. 8 is great. The Postage Stamp. I get frustrated sometimes when the solution to distance is just making holes further and further, and then it only just encourages guys to try to hit the ball further and further and not worry as much about controlling your ball. No. 8 is a good little way to almost step back in time and control your ball a bit more.”

The best ball-striker kin the world, did, in fact, drop the ‘f' word, comparing it to the more renown par-3s in golf.

“I think holes like 12 at Augusta and 17 at Sawgrass, the best par-3s in the world are short par-3s…Great little short holes like that are fun. I think it's an underrated skill for guys nowadays to be able to control your ball, and I think it's something we need to encourage in our game, not just building golf courses longer and longer. You can make a short hole with a small green, and it's pretty dang tough.”

Tiger Woods

Like DeChambeau, the crux of Tiger Woods's strategy is simplicity. At least, in theory.

“I hit 9-iron and a pitching wedge the last two times I played it. I've hit as much as a 7-iron. But it's a very simple hole; just hit the ball on the green. That's it. Green good, miss green bad. It doesn't get any more simple than that.

Hopefully, Tiger can recreate his practice round shot four times this week:

“You don't need a 240-yard par-3 for it to be hard,” added the 3-time Open champ.