The 2026 Bridges Cup begins Monday at Trump Turnberry in Scotland, bringing together top U.S. mid-amateurs and an international team for partner and singles matches.
On the Ailsa Course, known for its imposing bluffs, shifting winds and punishing bunkers, three holes could play an especially pivotal role.
No. 9 — par 3, 175 yards
On a links that looks as if it has been there forever, the spectacular ninth is relatively new. It was completed in 2016 during an ambitious Ailsa Course renovation led by Martin Ebert. As part of the work, Ebert converted a par 4 into a dramatic one-shot hole that plays alongside the Turnberry lighthouse across an inlet, with large bunkers and the ocean waiting to the left.
The smart strategy is to start the ball left of center and let the wind bring it back to the right. It is a risky line. A short, run-up approach is another option that takes the trouble out of play. Either way, it is a nervy finish to the front nine. The player hitting first can put serious pressure on an opponent by leaving the ball close.
No. 10 — par 5, 510 yards
At Trump Turnberry, the turn raises the demands. Depending on the wind, the 10th green is reachable in two, but going for it means taking on the donut bunker guarding the layup area, with a cliff dropping away on the left. Finding the sand leaves an awkward third shot from about 85 yards.
Everything from eagle to triple bogey is in play. Aggression can lead to glory, but it can also produce severe damage. This is risk-reward golf at its most exhilarating.
No. 18 — par 4, 465 yards
It is impossible to play the 18th without feeling the weight of history. This is where the famous “Duel in the Sun” concluded in 1977, with Tom Watson answering an improbable birdie by Jack Nicklaus to edge the Golden Bear by one shot.
The hole bears the name of that famous duel, but birdie is not easy to find. The tee shot demands both power and precision, avoiding bunkers on the left without straying into the gorse on the right. A bunker-guarded green, marked by wrinkles and surrounded by runoffs, makes the approach a nerve-racking test.
Judging the firmness of the ground is crucial. Just ask Watson. In 2009, at the improbable age of 59, he needed par on the 18th to win his sixth Claret Jug. His precise approach bounded beyond the pin, however, leading to a bogey that dropped him into a playoff eventually won by Stewart Cink.
Based on reporting by GOLF.com.
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