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Old Course. New technology.

That pairing of opposites has inspired a first-of-its-kind virtual competition involving the ancient home of golf. From now through the end of April, visitors to any driving range equipped with Toptracer shot-tracing technology will have a chance to compete on a simulated version of the Old Course at St Andrews in its reverse routing. The player with the lowest gross score on this virtual setup will win a sweet real-world prize: a tee time for two on the Old Course Reversed in 2026.

As many golf history buffs know, the Old Course was originally played in a clockwise direction, starting on the current first tee and playing to the 17th green, then around the course backward, before ending on the current 18th green. That changed in the 1860s, though, after then-greenskeeper Old Tom Morris separated the first and 17th greens, a tweak that gave rise to the routing golfers recognize today. For decades after, play on the Old Course alternated between the clockwise and counterclockwise routings, with the counterclockwise option eventually winning out. Of the 30 Open Championships staged on the Old Course, all have been played in the counterclockwise routing.

Last year, the St Andrews Trust revived the reverse routing for three days in April, giving the public a crack at what was essentially a “lost” version of the Old Course. Demand for those limited tee times was so high that the Trust has turned the reverse routing into an annual April offering, with tee times awarded through a lottery system. 

And, now, a competition for 2026. (The 2025 iteration of the Old Course Reversed is being held this week; it is sold out).

As an official partner of St Andrews Links, Toptracer is the only platform that allows golfers to play a virtual version of the Old Course (and, this month, the Old Course Reversed) at the driving range. There are 1,250 Toptracer Ranges around the world, so finding one is relatively easy. Winning the competition is more challenging, but it’s impossible if you don’t enter. You can learn more about the competition here.

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The post Beyond The Bend: Notre Dame’s Odyssey to the Home of Golf appeared first on Golf.

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For the first time in St. Andrews history, four American universities were invited to compete in the inaugural St. Andrews Links Collegiate. Notre Dame, one of the most storied universities and sports programs in the world, was among them. From South Bend to St. Andrews, the GOLF Team embedded with the men’s and women’s golf teams to document their journey to Scotland for “Beyond the Bend: Notre Dame’s Odyssey to the Home of Golf”

The Fighting Irish faced stiff competition against some of the most respected academic schools and decorated golf programs. Vanderbilt, North Carolina and Georgetown joined Notre Dame for this first-of-its-kind event.

“For the inaugural event, we wanted to make sure we had some great schools coming,” said Laurie Watson, Director of Engagement for St. Andrews Links. “A school like Notre Dame is renowned across the world. A historic university at the Home of Golf? It doesn’t get any better than that.”

It’s hard to step on campus at Notre Dame and not feel a sense of historical significance. From the Golden Dome to Touchdown Jesus to the Grotto, there’s an aura that cannot be described – it must be felt.

“When recruits come here, they say there’s nothing quite like Notre Dame,” said John Handrigan, Notre Dame Director of Golf and Men’s Head Coach. “The Notre Dame monogram that we all wear with pride means so much more than ourselves. It’s recognized worldwide. The most important thing we do is make sure we find student-athletes with the right fit for Notre Dame. That means someone that is a great player for our program, but also someone that’s going to properly represent Notre Dame at all times.”

Since taking the reins, Coach Handrigan has led the Irish to new heights. In recent seasons, the men’s team has won its most events in a season, earned a Top 20 national ranking and developed several golfers now playing at the professional level. Handrigan, along with assistant coaches Zac Zedrick and Andy Serketich, has the program on an upward trend.

Led by co-captains (and roommates) Palmer Jackson and Angelo Marcon, Notre Dame has a strong foundation. Sophomore Nate Stevens and the freshman class of Jacob Modleski, Rocco Salvitti and Christopher Bagnall create a well-rounded roster for current and future success.

“Just to go play golf in Scotland is one thing,” said Marcon. “To play at St. Andrews is another thing on its own. But to do both and have it on Golf Channel while competing against some of the best college golfers in the world? It’s special and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Caroline Powers Ellis, who recently became women’s head coach, brings a track record of championships and developing All-American talent to Notre Dame. Powers Ellis has a familiar face on campus in Kari Bellville, a former Notre Dame golfer, as her assistant coach ready to jumpstart the women’s team. For now, their eyes are set on the competition at St. Andrews.

“We’re happy to be part of this event but that’s not the Notre Dame way,” said Powers Ellis. “The Notre Dame way is to enjoy the experience, but we want to go win.”

Fortunately for the coaching staff, a strong duo of upperclassman leadership is in place with graduate student Lauren Beaudreau and senior Chloe Schiavone. Another trio of freshmen, Anna Heck, Mimi Burton and Alexsandra Lapple are ready to rejuvenate the program. Beaudreau has had the St. Andrews Collegiate circled on her calendar since Notre Dame was announced as part of the event.

“When the St. Andrews Collegiate was announced I was really excited,” said Beaudreau. “It became my focus to prepare during practice to make sure my game is in top shape for it. My dad said he wouldn’t miss this event for the world.”

The trifecta of cold, wind and rain welcomed Notre Dame in Scotland.

As fate would have it, the St. Andrews Collegiate aligned perfectly with the school’s fall break. Both Notre Dame teams would travel together a week early to get the full Scottish experience. To make the trip even more memorable, family members from every student-athlete and the coaching staff joined them. This was truly a Notre Dame family experience.

“For our players to experience this with their families and the Notre Dame golf family together, it’s extremely unique and special,” said Powers Ellis. “This will stick with me for a long time. It was one of the most surreal coaching experiences of my life.”

Each day, the men’s and women’s teams changed pairings to play with each other, something rarely done at home, to deepen their bond.

“To be here with the men’s and women’s team and compete in the first St. Andrews collegiate, it’s special,” said Schviavone. “The team plays better when we’re having a good time and our team culture here is as great as it’s ever been.”

Over three days, the four teams would play two rounds of stroke play on the Jubilee Course, a Top 100 Course in the UK and Ireland, to determine medal match seeding for the final day on The Old Course. The Irish kept pace with Vanderbilt and North Carolina over Day 1 but would fall back on Day 2. On the final day of play, Notre Dame would square off against Georgetown.

Notre Dame entered the day equal parts motivated and excited. This was the moment they had waited for, a stroll on the Old Course. By day’s end, Notre Dame did what they set out to do: win.

This wasn’t a consolation prize by any means. The week served as a litmus test for the players and coaches against the best college golf has to offer. The verdict? There’s work to be done, but they aren’t far off.

“We showed that we can hang with the best, but just hanging with those teams isn’t good enough,” said Handrigan. “We expect more and we know what we need to do to beat the best in the country. Our student-athletes don’t want to come here because it’s easy. Notre Dame is not meant to be easy. It’s meant to challenge you academically and on the course.”

There is work and challenges that lie ahead for the Notre Dame golf program. But after the final putt dropped on the famed 18^th hole on the Old Course, it was a time to celebrate where Notre Dame, golf and life had taken their families.

“One of the most important values with Notre Dame is family,” said Handrigan. “Having all the families here to celebrate this moment was surreal. I saw tears from parents as their child was walking up No. 18. Having this experience as the Notre Dame family has been great. There’s nothing better than family.”

Watch Beyond the Bend: Notre Dame’s Odyssey to the Home of Golf!

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The post Rory McIlroy to face off against LIV players at St. Andrews (again) appeared first on Golf.

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Having finished off the 2021-22 PGA Tour season last month with a FedEx Cup win and its $18 million winner’s check, Rory McIlroy is spending this week at the DP World Tour’s Italian Open. In two weeks he plans on playing another event at the iconic Old Course at St. Andrews, but this time he’ll do so against some unlikely, and, perhaps, unwanted competition: LIV Golf players.

This summer, the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) tried to follow the PGA Tour’s path and suspend LIV Golf pros from its tournaments. A lawsuit followed, so while the English court system sorts the whole issue out, LIV players are still allowed to play DP World Tour events.

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With the LIV Golf Chicago event happening this week too, players like McIlroy didn’t have to worry about running into their LIV counterparts at the Italian Open. Ironically, the Italian Open is being played at Marco Simone, which will host next year’s Ryder Cup. We know Rory will be there for that one, though we still don’t know if LIV players will be permitted to compete.

McIlroy plans to play the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in two weeks’ time, the popular DP World Tour event contested at three Scottish links courses, including the Old Course at St. Andrews. But there is no LIV event happening that week, so LIV players are free to sign up. And sign up they have.

As of now, 10 LIV players are in the field, including Talor Gooch, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Shaun Norris, Branden Grace, Richard Bland, Laurie Canter, Peter Uihlein and Jed Morgan.

A whole lot of awkwardness and some choice words will likely be had, as was the case in the last iteration of LIV vs. PGA Tour. Two weeks ago at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, over a dozen LIV players teed it up, and many pros on the PGA Tour side were not happy about it, including Rory.

“I hate what [LIV] is doing to the game of golf,” he said after his Tour Championship win. “I hate it. I really do. Like, it’s going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn’t sit right with me.”

He wasn’t alone. PGA Tour stalwart Billy Horschel, who will also play the Dunhill Links, was caught on Wentworth’s practice putting green having an animated argument with LIV pro Ian Poulter.

Further adding to what will likely be a charged atmosphere for McIlroy at the Dunhill Links is the host course, the Old Course at St. Andrews. It was the site of McIlroy’s latest major disappointment, where he surrendered the 54-hole lead to lose the 2022 Open in July, with plenty of LIV pros in the field. The player who beat him? LIV Golf’s newest signee, World No. 3 Cam Smith.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship begins September 29.

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The post GOLF’s Subpar: What it was like watching Tiger Woods’ historic walk up 18 at St. Andrews, according to Mike Tirico appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: What it was like watching Tiger Woods’ historic walk up 18 at St. Andrews, according to Mike Tirico appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by legendary NBC sportscaster Mike Tirico who talks what it was like witnessing Tiger Woods’ historic walk up 18 at St. Andrews.

—

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Ed. note: As part of the rollout of our first-ever ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the U.K and Ireland, we invited InsideGOLF members to an exclusive live Zoom chat with our ratings czar Ran Morrissett, GOLF senior writer and course rater Josh Sens and a third member of our rating panel, Gordon Dalgleish, president of golf travel company PerryGolf. Among the topics covered by our expert panel: yep, how to land an Old Course tee time (at the 08:33 mark). Check out the video below for one of many benefits that is available exclusively to InsideGOLF members for only $20/year! Ready to join? You can do so here.

***

How to land a coveted tee time at the home of golf?

You could get your game in shape and try to qualify for the next Open Championship at the Old Course.

But then you’d have to wait until 2026.

Let’s get you out there sooner, with guidance from Gordon Dalgleish president of golf travel company PerryGolf.

1. Submit an online application

You could go straight to the source and try your luck through the St. Andrews Links Trust’s annual advance reservation program. The program accepts applications for times twice a year. The first deadline is in early September. The second is in early January. You must have at least two golfers in your group and no more than eight. In your application, you are asked to request the dates you’d like to play the Old Course, as well as one of the other courses in the Links Trust fold. There are seven altogether. Applications are selected randomly, but your odds of getting on this way are slim, Dalgleish says, as “demand is off the charts.”

2. Enter the ballot

It’s called the Daily Ballot, but that’s not exactly right, as it’s held every except Friday. It runs like a lottery. You enter your name, and hope you’re picked. It happens 48 hours in advance, so that Monday’s ballot is for Wednesday play, Tuesday’s ballot is for Thursday, and so on through the week. There is no ballot on Friday because on Sundays, the Old Course morphs from a golf course into a public park.

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3. Put your name on the waiting list

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Show up early as a single and talk to the starter, who will put your name on a waiting list. If a slot opens, and your name is next, off you go.

4. Go through an operator

Dozens of private operators, including Perry Golf, have contracts with the Links Trust that give them access to a bundle of tee times, which they can book up to 12 to 15 months in advance. You’ll pay extra going this route. But with cost comes convenience, and a guarantee that you’ll get to golf your ball around these ancient grounds.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8AM Golf affiliate Golf Logix.

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THINKING OF THE JIGGER INN AND COUNTING DOWN TO THE MASTERS, Earth — It’s the Home of Golf, and that’s not just fancy advertising. 

What a week. That was some fun, wasn’t it? Despite the fact that, after Cam Smith raised his newest pint glass on Sunday, major season is over, and the thought that the 262 days to the start of the next one are as uncertain as a St. Andrews weather forecast, the past seven days at the Open Championship felt almost like … a golf hug, right? Watching it wherever you did, you were … warm and cozy. Like going home. 

So I emailed Gemma Dryburgh. She’s an LPGA pro whom I had Zoom beers with back in February. But even more germane to this story, she’s from Scotland, Aberdeen, to be exact, about 80 miles north of St. Andrews. And I wondered to her about this … feeling. 

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She gets it. 

“I can’t imagine what the atmosphere must be like. It must feel like a big celebration of golf,” she graciously wrote back, while playing at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. “I’m sure the whole town and the surrounding area is absolutely buzzing with golf fans. I know my aunt and uncle, who live about 20 miles from St. Andrews, said their town is full of people coming to watch the Open so the buzz is extending much farther than just St. Andrews itself.” 

Indeed. With that first takeaway, let’s talk the Swilcan Bridge and Tiger Woods and Marco Polo (yes) and everything else from Open week. And Gemma will join us. Let’s aim for 36 observations. It’s the day after the last major of the year, so we deserve it to ourselves to play more than one round. 

2. Did Cam Smith win it? Or did Rory McIlroy lose it? You’re maybe wondering this today. 

For the pros, and though it’s seemingly cliche, the St. Andrews plan is patience. You wait till thing are right — the lie, the number, the wind, the feel — and you pounce. Smith had enough of those chances and shot a 64. McIlroy didn’t and signed for a 70. On Saturday, it was reverse; Smith finished with a 73; McIlroy a 66.

McIlroy could have maybe been more aggressive, though remember, he was popping drivers to set himself up. Smith found momentum, and McIlroy didn’t. Have them play today, the result could likely be different. 

3. Two more Smith thoughts. Could he be playing his golf for LIV next? Here’s this awkward exchange after he won:

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Reporter: “Cam, apologies for having to bring this up in these circumstances, but your name continues to be mentioned, has been mentioned to me this week about LIV golf. What’s your position? Are you interested? Is there any truth to suggestions that you might be signing?”

Smith: “I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty not that good.”

Reporter: “I appreciate that, but the question is still there. Are you interested at all? Is there any truth in that?”

Smith: “I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”

My guess: He’ll play the PGA Tour playoffs — he talked about this on Golf Channel, too — then stay tuned. 

4. Smith likes his beer, and we all got a laugh on Sunday when he said he would try to figure out how many brews the Claret Jug could hold. He wasn’t kidding. 

5. Poor Rory. What else is there to say? The thought, though, is this: He’s tinkered before, and you should pay attention to whether he does it again. 

He shouldn’t. 

6. Question to Gemma! 

Me: “Why … the Old Course? What is it about it that’s so … dynamic? Describe to me the Old Course.” 

Gemma: “The Old Course is a very special place. It has this aura around it that no other course has when you arrive there. You almost always get goosebumps even when you’re just walking around the place. I think it’s the history that the town and the course have, and you just know you’re in a very special place. 

“I think it is also special that it hasn’t been changed much since golf first started there. I think it gives it a certain purity that no other course will ever have. And you can’t get much more of an iconic place than the first few holes and the finishing holes anywhere else in the world.”

7.  If you’re an American golf fan, you want Cameron Young on your Ryder and Presidents Cup teams. He has that assassin look to him. 

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8. Viktor Hovland had one of my favorite quotes of the week, after Saturday’s third round.

Reporter: “Did you ever have a thought today this is where I intended to be my entire life, in this situation?”

Hovland: “I was thinking what the hell am I doing here? [He laughed.] Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty crazy from where I grew up and so far away from playing the PGA Tour, European Tour, for that matter, major championships. Just to be here is very special, but to have a chance to win one is — yeah, I have to pinch myself, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back tomorrow.”

9. Maybe this is where we segue into LIV Golf. We’ll keep it brief. Hostility is the word to describe the feelings last week, at least between reporters and LIV players. Though Sergio Garcia said this Friday:

Reporter: “With everything that’s been said the last couple of weeks, how much has it galvanized you guys, I mean even the R&A this week?”

Garcia: “I don’t care what they say. I don’t even read. I don’t know how to read anymore.”

OK then. 

10. Lee Westwood said there’s been no issues, though, between players.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of people over there last week, and there’s no animosity between players,” he said to a reporter. “Yet the story’s been written that there are. Yeah, you’re creating issues where there are none. You want to be that way, fine.”

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11. The world ranking decision will be interesting. But I’m very interested to know what Augusta National says. 

12. Question to Gemma!

Me: “Describe to me St. Andrews, the town.” 

Gemma: “The town of St. Andrews is a very special place, too. It’s small and personable. There are so many cute little golf shops and normal shops to wander around. Even if you don’t play golf, it’s an amazing town to visit and explore. The university plays a big part in the community and has a lot of beautiful buildings. The beach is also beautiful and an amazing place to walk. The town has its fair share of history other than golf, too, so the town really has something for everyone and is just a joy to walk around and explore.”

13. One more LIV observation, sort of. Ian Poulter was booed ahead of his opening tee shot on Thursday, though he says he didn’t hear it. But the hisses raised an interesting thought to me: That would be some jolt if you’re not expecting it. I know where I would put my golf ball. Here’s what Poulter did with his: 

14. Let’s talk St. Andrews, the course. The talk ahead of the tournament was whether it was defenseless against modern players, equipment and golf balls; the discussion during the event was St. Andrews’ defense — fast fairways, difficult pins and the usual humps and bumps and breezes of links golf. 

Here’s the thought: Were you thinking that on Sunday afternoon? Whether the tech is dialed back or not — and it probably will be — the golf was fun, to players and viewers. The scores were low, but this wasn’t exactly point, click and shoot golf.   

Let’s move on. 

15. The 17th was jabbed a bit for being too hard, and it probably was due to its pin locations, but man, that Cam Smith sequence around the green was both tense and enjoyable to watch. We’ll take that, right?

16. The 18th was jabbed a bit for being too easy, and it probably was due to its lack of distance and speedy fairway, but man, that Rory McIlroy sequence around the green was both tense and enjoyable to watch. We’ll take that, right?

17. Do you even go to St. Andrews if you don’t get a pic atop the Swilcan Bridge? Though, Terry Gannon, on the NBC broadcast, shared a funny story, when he said the photographer of his picture years ago … didn’t include the bridge. 

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18. Has Gemma ever played the Old Course?

“I have, but played the Old Course only once, though. Played with my dad when I was roughly 13 or 14. But I have played a lot of the other St. Andrews courses while growing up and playing several tournaments there.”  

19. Speaking of the Swilcan, let’s talk Tiger. What a moment on Friday, and you’ve no doubt seen and read about it already, so we’ll look ahead. (Though if you haven’t, our Dylan Dethier captured the scene well here.) 

Here’s what we know, according to him: He’s not retiring, he’s not sure when he’s playing again, he’s not sure if he’ll again be able to play St. Andrews again. Though son Charlie may push him out for a round. 

“I’m sure my son will probably want me to come back here and play,” he said Friday. “I was fortunate enough to have gotten an honorary membership to the R&A. I have my locker here right when you walk into the left here. That’s pretty neat. And because of that, I’m able to get a tee time. (Woods laughed.) So that could happen.”

20. So when do we see him play again? Probably not till his Hero World Challenge in December, though he may make an appearance at the Presidents Cup in September. So that’s five months of rehab, strength training, practice and adjustment to what his body now allows him to do. 

After that, we might not see him until the Masters. So that’s another four months of work. You can take that optimistically and say that’s what he needs right now. Or you could think pessimistically and wonder whether the lack of tournament reps could cost him.

None of this, of course, is news to Woods himself. 

21. Speaking of the Swilcan and Tiger, he was photographed with Jack Nicklaus there earlier in the week and this happened:

22. One more on Woods. He seems … lighter, right? The JT jab. The putts into McIlroy’s shoe. The trash-talking with Lee Trevino. McIlroy had a thought here. 

“I’ve gotten to know Tiger very well over the past decade or more, and he’s like that in private moments, more so than anyone really thinks,” McIlroy said. “But I think he’s just maybe showing that side a little more, that side of himself a little more to the public over these last few years. 

“And as his career is sort of winding down, I guess you could say, I think he now appreciates everything that he’s got done in the game. I think Tiger’s mindset has always been, OK, onto the next one, onto the next one, onto the next one. I think, especially after the Masters in ’19, for him to just sit back and reflect on what a career it’s been, I think he maybe appreciates it all just a bit more now, and that’s part of the reason that you’re seeing that sort of lightness and more joyful person on the golf course, I guess.”

23. Then there’s playing with Woods. Here’s Max Homa, who played with his childhood idol for the first time, on what he picked up: 

“He does seem to do a really good job of staying within himself when he walks and how he moves. Yeah, you obviously have to lock in — I think we see it on TV with them, but there’s just so many frickin’ people. It’s cool — I’m not sure if it feels cool to him anymore, but it’s just cool to watch. Matt Fitzpatrick and I were talking about how whenever Tiger is hitting off the tee, especially there’s just so many phones and so many people’s hands just in the air. They don’t even know if they’re getting a shot. It’s just impressive he can do what he does and has done with all that attention.”

24. St. Andrews also slowed play down during the first two rounds — some rounds were six hours plus — and Dethier summed up the reason well when he tweeted: “The ball’s going crazy far so players have to wait for greens to clear from 350+, but then balls end up in fescue, bunkers etc. Long game requires waiting, short game requires time. Drivable 4s, reachable 5s, overlapping holes all make it worse.”

25. Then there are Shane Lowry’s feelings on the matter.

“I’ve been doing this long enough to deal with days like today,” he said Thursday. “If you’re standing there trying to make excuses for your bad day for being too long on the course, well, don’t come here and play because it’s the Open at St. Andrews, and it’s going to take six hours to play a round around here, and that’s just the way it is. I know how to deal with that.”

26. Speaking of quotes, here are a few of my favorites from the week. First up, there was this exchange between a reporter and Trey Mullinax:

Reporter. “What did you do yesterday?” 

Mullinax: “What did I do yesterday?

Reporter. “When you finished.”

Mullinax: “I went and had pizza.”

Reporter. “Not dinner, but was making the cut an issue for you? Did you do anything special at the end?”

Oh. 

27. And then there was this exchange between a reporter and Filippo Celli:

“How much do you like the Ryder Cup venue in Rome? Marco Polo?”

Celli: “No, Marco Simone.”

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28. Question to Gemma! 

Have you ever gone to an Open?

“I have. I went to the Open at St. Andrews in 2010. Turnberry in 2009, Troon in 2004. I was also at my grandparents’ house in Carnoustie when Paul Laurie won in 1999. My dad was there watching in person for that one.”

29. A few more quotes. Here’s Danny Willettt, on why he enjoys St. Andrews so much:

“A bit of history. I think it’s just good fun. You can just cleverly golf your ball around this place. You can hit certain shots that you wouldn’t ordinarily hit. You’re trying to use the wind to soften the flight. You’re playing your round of golf a lot. You’re not just standing there hitting the same shot time and time again. You see a lot of different approaches down different holes. Guys hitting anything from 4-irons to drivers, depends on what they see, what shot shape they hit. And so I think it lends itself to real nice shot-making and nice visualization. 

“You can run it up to certain flags like 17. Some guys trying to spin it and hold it softly against the wind. There’s just lots of things you can do. I think notoriously if you look back at the Opens around this place, they’re very, very good winners. Real good ball-strikers, good flight. People can fly the ball really well. It’s just a nice shotmaker’s golf course.”

30. And here’s Sahith Theegala, a links newcomer, on why he likes links. 

31. Let’s talk the vibe. Soft serve was popular at the course, and Jordan Spieth tried to house a cone, then quit. 

32. The Los Angeles Times wrote an excellent story on the tent city at St. Andrews, where you could have stayed for the event, should you have won a lottery. The Open has had this feature since 2016.  

33. St. Andrews is closed to golf on Sundays, but open to the public, and the Fried Egg shared this wonderful video that showed that after the Open, it was business as usual.  

34. Jack Nicklaus, who won two Opens at St. Andrews, was asked for his strategy. He didn’t disappoint. 

35. Scotsman Robert MacIntyre was playing in his home country, on its most famous course, and there was arguably no one whom this week meant more to. 

“Yesterday [Friday] was big for me,” he said. “I’ve never been that stressed on a golf course in my life. With seven holes to go, I don’t know what was going on. Had to turn away from the actual fairway on 16 because there was too much going on. Fan support is absolutely brilliant, but I was feeling it. Almost — you’re not letting people down, but you know how much it means. There’s so many people supporting me, and it means so much to me that I just didn’t — I wasn’t going to let them down because I was having a hard bit, but I was trying almost too hard. 

“Then the two putts on 16 and 17 yesterday, I just gave up. I was like, great, I gotta have these putts, and if they go in, they go in. Thankfully, I holed them.”

36. Woods’ mom, Kutilda, was also on hand, which led to this fantastic exchange: 

37. Let’s do a few more. Consider this our 19th holes. Should you want to know more about all that is Scotland and Scottish golf, do yourself a favor and follow our Sean Zak on Twitter. He’s posted up there all summer long, and it’s been a joy to follow along.  

38. Question to Gemma! 

What’s the No. 1 thing you have to do when you’re in St. Andrews (eat, drink, shop, see)? 

“Well I have to say a visit to St. Andrews Brewing Company is a must! [Editor’s note: Gemma is backed by the brewery, but … she’s not wrong.] A visit to the Dunvegan and Auchterlonies golf shop are also musts and feel like they are a huge part of the experience at St Andrews. The R&A golf museum is also a must for any golfer visiting too. When I was a kid, I also loved going to the aquarium!”

39. She emailed back. “Also forgot the Jigger Inn as a must go-to!” 

40. So with that being said … what’s the drink of choice at the Jigger??

“For me, it’s a Tennent’s lager, but they pretty much have everything in there! If they have BrewCo beer, I’d obviously love to have one of them.”

If you’re interested, I also compiled takeaways, thoughts and observations this year from the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open, and they can be found below:

Masters
PGA Championship
U.S. Open 

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The post Why this red-backed hawk is one of the 2022 Open Championship’s heroes appeared first on Golf.

The post Why this red-backed hawk is one of the 2022 Open Championship’s heroes appeared first on Golf.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — You don’t need an alarm clock in St. Andrews. The early-morning squawking of seagulls will wake you. The birds are everywhere: on park benches in town, gliding over West Sands Beach and, yes, here at the Old Course, site of the 150th Open Championship.

Just not when Enya is around.

Enya is a red-backed hawk that is on site here this week with an important role: scaring off seagulls and other avian nuisances from nabbing fans’ lunches. It’s a real problem. Turn your back for a second or two in the areas around the course where food and ice-cream trucks are congregated and there’s a better-than-decent chance that a gull will swoop in for a nibble of your fish and chips.

“It’s been relatively quiet but that’s because she’s been on site since this morning,” Enya’s minder, Stuart Milne, told me Tuesday morning. He had a thick beard and even thicker Scottish accent. “If I was to go away and pop her back in the van for half an hour, the gulls would be back.”

Milne works for Elite Falconry, which as part of its pest-riddance services offers “the country’s very best birds of prey.” Last week, another of the company’s staffers — an Indian eagle owl with a six-foot wingspan named Sage — was here patrolling the Old Course and letting gulls and crows that they are not welcome. At least not during Open week. Another concern was that their droppings could muddy the playing field.

The gulls aren’t just a problem at the golf course. A couple of weeks ago, Linden Grigg, a student at St. Andrews University, wrote a column for a Scottish paper, The Courier and Evening Telegraph, with the alarming headline: “Are we going to let gulls wreck St. Andrews’ shot at Open glory?”

“These pests are large, single-minded, and dangerous,” Grigg wrote. “And as the student population increases here year-on-year, so does the size and boldness of the gulls. It is not uncommon now to see them pinching food from unsuspecting tourists and raiding any lidless bins they can find. They have become a serious public nuisance.”

Alas, not if Enya is about.

On Tuesday, as Enya rested on Milne’s left arm, her talons clasped to his hand — and with not a seagull in sight — I asked Milne if his hawk had an Open pick.
 
“I’m not sure she’s that into golf,” he said, laughing.
 
To be fair, she has more important things to worry about.

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The post Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy just joined one of golf’s most exclusive clubs appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy just joined one of golf’s most exclusive clubs appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have grown into their roles as unofficial spokespeople of the pro golf establishment in the wake of the upstart LIV Golf league. Now the illustrious duo with 19 majors between them are set to become official members of the “Home of Golf.”

On Wednesday, the R&A said that Woods and McIlroy had accepted invitations to become honorary members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, whose clubhouse looms behind the 18th green of the Old Course. Veteran Scottish pro Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, was also named an honorary member.

News

“I warmly congratulate Tiger, Rory and Paul on becoming Honorary Members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club,” Peter Forster, captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, said in a statement. “They have each made huge contributions to golf and played their part in inspiring millions to take up and follow the sport around the world. They are not only great champions but fantastic ambassadors for golf and have brought so much joy to so many young fans in particular.”

Woods, the 15-time major champion, has won three Open Championships in his career, including the 2000 and 2005 Opens at the Old Course at St. Andrews, which he previously has said is his favorite course in the world.

Tournaments

Tiger was also quoted in the R&A’s release, writing, “I am grateful for this invitation to become an Honorary Member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. It is not only the home of golf but a place in this world that I hold near my heart, I am humbled to accept this invitation alongside these outstanding players today, as well as those who came before us.”

McIlroy, who won the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool and is the betting favorite claim his second claret jug this week, said it is “a privilege to represent a club that has done so much for golf” and that he is “proud to play my part in promoting golf around the world.”

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews was founded way back in 1754, and until 2004 was in charge of running the Open. That year, the R&A as we now know it separated from the club to become one of golf’s ruling bodies and take over tournament organizing duties.

Interestingly, although the club is located alongside the Old Course, it does not own or operate the courses in St. Andrews, which are open to the public and owned by the city.

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The post Tiger, Phil … and a ‘wedge contest?’ This could be one wild Open week  appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger, Phil … and a ‘wedge contest?’ This could be one wild Open week  appeared first on Golf.

The Open Championship could be … a wedge contest?

As we enter Open Championship week, the talk has centered on the event’s 150th birthday. And Tiger. And Phil. And a fun idea of Tiger and Phil playing together, though we’ll be surprised if the R&A delivers on that suggestion. And, of course, the host, St. Andrews. It’s the Home of Golf, capitalized ‘H’ and ‘G.’ Though a comment by Jordan Spieth this week may have made you spit out your Guinness. Here’s the full back-and-forth, said Thursday at the Scottish Open. 

Reporter: “St. Andrews, a lot of people talk about the fact that it might be too easy.” 

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Spieth: “Sure.”

Reporter: “Do you feel that that’s the case, and if so or if not, why not?”

Spieth: “Yeah, I think it might be. You know, it’s hard for me to tell given 2015 we had so much wind that we couldn’t even play. But I think if it’s like it was this morning out here, it’s just a wedge contest, really.”

Really? It could be. Look at the winning scores from the most recent St. Andrews Opens: 15-under in 2015; 16-under in 2010; 14-under in 2005. Those are low. If the conditions are right, birdies can be had. Though, of course, that’s a really big if; it doesn’t take much for the Old Course to suddenly choose violence. And even if players are bombing it all over the joint, Spieth and nearly every pro will also tell you that it doesn’t really matter. Here’s more from the 2017 Open winner.

Reporter: “Do you look forward to St. Andrews differently than other venues for the Open?”

Spieth: “I think the Open at St. Andrews is arguably the best golf tournament we play.”

Reporter: “Why?”

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Spieth: “I just think the history of it, playing in the town, the idea that it could be the easiest or the hardest venue that we play depending on the day. Maybe it’s just I remember watching certain ones growing up, and so the holes, the kind of scenic holes starting and finishing really kind of hold onto, and then it was a really special tournament for me back in 2015 trying to go for a third in a row and just kind of the crowd, you know, the putt I made on 16 and kind of the finish, it was really fun contending in that major and having a chance to win.”

With that, let’s pour a cup of coffee. You may not want to miss what could be one of the wildest Open Championships in recent memory.  

Tiger and Rory and Trevino play golf … on Monday

We’ll have golf to watch as soon as Monday. Though one notable name may be sitting out. 

On Saturday, the Open announced eight of the players for its Celebration of Champions, where golfers will play 1, 2, 17 and 18 at St. Andrews. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lee Trevino and Georgia Hall will play together (and start at 12:05 p.m. ET), defending champ Collin Morikawa, defending Women’s Open champ Anna Nordqvist, Women’s Am champ Jess Baker and Mark McCormack Medal winner Keita Nakajima are in a group (and start at 10:05 a.m.), and you can watch on Golf Channel starting at 11 a.m. and at theopen.com.

But you likely won’t see Phil Mickelson. The Guardian reported that the 2013 Open winner did not want to participate, though that implies he at least had the option, whereas Greg Norman didn’t. On Saturday, the Open said he wouldn’t be allowed at either the Celebration of Champions or the Champions Dinner, and you probably know the reason why — though Norman’s and Mickelson’s controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf series will no doubt be a topic this week. 

Jack Nicklaus talks on Monday 

And that conversation could happen as soon as 7 a.m. ET, when the Open press conferences start. U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick kicks things off, followed by Jack Nicklaus and then Morikawa. 

Features

On Tuesday, starting at 4 a.m. ET, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Woods, Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler will talk to reporters, and on Wednesday, starting at 4:30 a.m. ET, Robert MacIntyre, R&A officials and Cameron Smith will speak. 

Could Tiger and Phil play … together?

It’s unlikely. But could you just imagine? 

Golf Channel’s Shane Bacon did over Twitter on Friday, and it’s a helluva thought and would make for one helluva scene. Then again, it would very much take away from the celebration of the Open’s 150th anniversary.  

And the players may need their own individual stage. Especially Woods. 

Could this be … the last tournament Woods ever plays?

We’ll say no and argue that his comeback from injuries suffered last February is only beginning. But the 15-time major winner has spoken often recently about his love for the Old Course, where he’s won two of his three Opens. And if this were it … there would be no better sendoff than a Swilcan Bridge salute, much like the other greats of golf. 

Our suggestion would be to check the tee times — they’ll likely be released Tuesday sometime — check when Woods plays — he’ll likely have a Friday afternoon time — and make sure you’re around a TV when he hits 18 either on Friday or Sunday. 

It all starts Thursday 

Travel

Oh, and they’re playing a tournament this week. And crowning a winner on Sunday. 

We’ll end things with Woods, who was asked this question at Monday’s J.P. McManus Pro-Am: “Can you just elaborate on what the Open means to you, and in particular, obviously, St. Andrews, with those two great wins there?

“I think it goes back to, for me, it’s more about history I think than anything else,” Woods said. “For me personally, knowing Arnold [Palmer], when Arnold’s the one who made the British Open what it is and he came over and qualified, finished second, qualified, finished first, qualified, finished first; if you ever make me qualify, I’m not coming back, so here we are.

“But just look at the names on that and you just go right through time, it’s like a time warp, and just how they put the names on and they start at the bottom and they added the lip and they added the bases and just the little things. And everyone who won that championship, they know how hard it was, and looking at some of the scores, I’m thinking, even with a gutta percha, how did they shoot those scores? It’s awfully impressive and to have won the Open Championship and for me specifically to have won at the Home of Golf is even more special.

“As Jack says, your career is not complete unless you’ve won an Open Championship at the Home of Golf, and I feel like he’s correct in that regard.”

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The post Our bucket list: 13 courses our staff can’t wait to play in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

The post Our bucket list: 13 courses our staff can’t wait to play in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

Dear Garden City. And Gamble Sands. And Sheep Ranch. And Lawsonia. And Tobacco Road.

Dear Fishers Island (twice!). And Philadelphia Cricket Club (twice, too!). 

Dear St. Andrews. And Carne Golf Links. 

Dear Grayhawk. And Giants Ridge. And Paso Robles. And last, but certainly not least, at least to this author, Whitnall Park. 

Please tidy up your tee boxes, fairways and greens. (Or, maybe in some cases, please cut those fairways a little wider.) Please plant your flags. (Away from trouble would be nice.) Please keep your beverages cold. (And plentiful.)

We are coming. 

Sincerely, 

The GOLF staff. 

Our 2020 golf is, sadly, over. Our 2021 golf, happily, starts NOW. Below are the 13 courses our staff can’t wait to play.   

Michael Bamberger: The Tillinghast course of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. I made a double-bogey 6 on 18 in my last full round there of 2020 to foul up a good card. I believe I can do better.

Alan Bastable: Six years ago — feels like 60 — I took a whirlwind tour of Bandon Dunes for a video project I was working on with my colleague, Josh Sens. We didn’t get to play much golf (for shame!), but we did have the pleasure of visiting the mystical Sheep Ranch, which was then a rough-and-tumble, 13-hole routing. (Tee times were secured via a sporting goods shop in town, you generally had the place to yourself, and you could play the “holes” — really, there were only greens — in any sequence you liked.) You didn’t need to be Tom Doak or Gil Hanse to appreciate the mind-bending potential for the site: Clinging to cliffs high above the mighty Pacific, the property was a golf dreamscape. It seemed inconceivable that the land wouldn’t one day be developed into another jewel in the Bandon crown, and sure enough, in 2020, Sheep Ranch became just that. It’s an admittedly lofty goal for 2021, trekking across the country for a return visit to the Ranch (maybe ’22 is more realistic), but the early reviews have me giddy. I can’t wait to see what they did with the place.    

Josh Berhow: My home state, Minnesota, has a lot of great public golf courses I have yet to play, but I’m going to knock out a bunch of them next year. StoneRidge, just east of the Twin Cities, is near the top of that list, but leading it is a trip to Giants Ridge. It’s a golf/ski resort about 90 miles south of Canada, and it’s home to two dynamite golf courses. One, The Quarry, is widely considered the best public course in the state. My first trip there is high on the priority list for 2021.

James Colgan: With the release of GOLF’s first “top courses in New York” ranking, fellow Long Islander Tim Reilly and I came to a startling realization: We’ve played hardly ANY of the best courses in our area. Sure, it’s one thing to pine after a Shinnecock tee time, but only four of 30 courses between the two of us? That’s bordering on shameful. In ’21, I’m hoping to knock out a few more of the Long Island giants — The Creek Club, Maidstone, maybe even Piping Rock. If I had to choose just one (an impossible task with Long Island golf), I’d say Garden City is my dream tee time next year. My only ask? That I can bring a friend.

Kevin Cunningham: Fishers Island. I’m not telling the how or what or when, but I may have a connection to get on the famed Seth Raynor design on a tiny island off the coasts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. I mostly played munis in 2020, so I think this will be a nice little change of pace. It probably won’t happen, but I assure you everyone will hear about it if it does.

Dylan Dethier: Gamble Sands. I moved to Seattle this summer and have already played Chambers Bay a couple times, which means it’s time to check off the next dream course in the state. I eagerly await the pilgrimage to eastern Washington to check out David McKlay Kidd’s epic design, plus a couple others — Wine Valley, Palouse Ridge, Suncadia and others — on the trek to and from. Pacific Northwest adventures await.

Luke Kerr-Dineen: I try to go to England about once a year to visit family. That obviously couldn’t happen this year. I’m desperately hoping — and cautiously optimistic — that it will in 2021. When it does, I’ll drive up to St. Andrews to visit my half-brother. We’ll sneak a round in on the Old Course, and it’ll be worth the wait. 

Jessica Marksbury: My best friend’s wedding was supposed to take place in California wine country in June this year. Because of Covid, it was moved to November and then moved again, to June of 2021. Part of the festivities will include a pre-wedding round of golf at Paso Robles Golf Club. I don’t know anything about the course, but there’s no question that I will love every second, and it’s the round I’m most excited to play.  

Zephyr Melton: Philadelphia Cricket Club. I shared a round there this past fall with GOLF’s very own Michael Bamberger, and I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed a course more than that one. The scene was tranquil, the pace was fast, and the greens were pure. I can’t wait until I can go back.

Nick Piastowski: Whitnall Park Golf Course. Or Currie Park. Or Greenfield Park. I played one, or all three, of those Milwaukee County Parks Golf Courses when I was in high school. In college. Every year after college. Not this year. Sadly. I’m going to play Whitnall in 2022, struggle there like I always do, drink a Miller Lite and eat a hot dog there like I always do, and be really damn happy there, like I always am.  

Tim Reilly: Fishers Island. Let me be clear: I do not have a standing invite to play Fishers Island in 2021. It’s on the top of my bucket list, and something I’m eager to cross off. I’m a Long Island boy, and there’s nothing more Long Island than taking a ferry ride to the course. I’m putting the good vibes out there to anyone with a connection. I look forward to accepting a forthcoming invite. Maybe my colleague Kevin Cunningham will introduce me to his contact. … (Editor’s note: This is truly shameless.)

Josh Sens: Tobacco Road in North Carolina. I’ve had this one on my radar for a long time now. Partly because I’m a big Mike Strantz fan, but also because it’s one of the most polarizing courses in the country. People either seem to think it’s a work of revolutionary genius, or an overcooked disaster. I’m pretty sure I’m going to fall into the former camp, but either way, I’m itching to see it. I was all ready to make a trip there before Covid hit, so it’s at the top of the list when traveling becomes more feasible again. And bonus: It’s in the Pinehurst area, so lots of other places to hit along the way.

Alan Shipnuck: Some friends and I are optimistically planning an Ireland trip for next summer, as a way to celebrate the end of our Covid oppression. There are so many wonderful courses over there, but we’re focused on the wild and woolly northwest corner of the island, and I am particularly excited to finally get to Carne, a mythical place in my mind thanks to the reveries of the poet of the linksland, John Garrity.

Andrew Tursky: Grayhawk in Arizona. I played the Talon course this year, which was a great layout with awesome desert views. With a tee time, they also provided access to the practice range. I hear the Raptor course there is even better, though. I can’t wait to get back and check out the other course.

Sean Zak: Lawsonia! I last played their Links course about a decade ago, before people started to really appreciate it. I didn’t appreciate it at all. Need another look — and soon!

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