The Open 2016: It may be tiny but the Postage Stamp again proves difficult to lick

The perils of the Postage Stamp were brought into stark focus by Bubba Watson during the first round.

The two-time Masters champion was leading the Open at five under par when he teed up on the eighth hole at Royal Troon but walked off the green three shots poorer, back in the pack on two under.

He was the latest victim of Troon’s signature hole. It is just 123 yards long — the shortest hole on the Open championship circuit — but it rivals the 12th hole at Augusta National and the 17th at Sawgrass for inflicting pain all out of proportion to its size.

Augusta’s 12th and Sawgrass’ 17th use large bodies of water to rattle golfers standing on the tee. The Postage Stamp is more subtle; it’s green is long and narrow, rimmed by bunkers. The two on either side are deep rectangles — the shape of new graves, and almost as hard to get out of.

German amateur Hermann Tissies took five to get out of one on his way to a 15 at the Postage Stamp in the 1950 Open.

However, it can give up birdies and occasional aces — in 1973, career grand-slam winner Gene Sarazen hit a hole in one at the age of 71, on the 50th anniversary of his first appearance in the Open.

But it can do a lot of damage to a scorecard in no time at all, as Watson discovered.

He planted his ball deep in a greenside bunker, up near the side wall, and, despiting splashing out successfully, but the ball slid down the slope at the rear. It took him two shots to climb the hill and another two to get the ball in the hole, tapping in for a triple bogey.

At least first-round leader Phil Mickelson (63) and Dane Soren Kjeldsen (67) birdied the hole on the opening day.

Kjeldsen said: “I hit it to two feet there. It’s a brilliant hole. I had never played it before but it’s one of my favourites now.”