Greetings from St Andrews here in the Kingdom of Fife, where thus far both the town and the Old Course have lived up to lofty expectations. What is so immediately striking on arrival is that the course itself is literally in the town. Zipping around a street corner yesterday, it came as something of a surprise to see the familiar terrain of the 18thfairway peering back. You’ll see in the photo below, a good quotient of people had gathered there to watch proceedings from outside the railings free of charge. I can’t think of a town and golf course so intertwined. It’s a special centrepiece. And unlike most courses of this calibre, there is no gated driveway to keep the great unwashed at bay. One can literally walk up to the R&A headquarters. It’s an ironically inclusive situation on the face of it.
The town is a beauty. Home to the university and some picture postcard architecture, it is also heaving with golf shops. Somebody quipped that it’s easier to buy a 5 iron than a tin of baked beans. Golf has been played on the Old Course since the 16th century. The locals tried to hit balls into the many rabbit holes on the property initially and things progressed from there to here. It’s quite extraordinary really. Even the players, hardened to the beauty and culture of their many destinations, are a bit giddy to be here. They bring their families. You’ll see them at the local takeaway or having a quiet pint or in a restaurant. It all feels like a bit of a festival. Things will be lively on Saturday when the players out of contention can relax a little.
As for the tournament itself, the rain this morning was biblical. Play was delayed for 3 hours and 14 minutes but we’re up and running now, thanks in part to the Gods and also the 65 grounds-staff who pumped the huge swathes of water into the Burn.
We’re fascinated to see if Dustin Johnson, our current leader, can finally land a long overdue major. His talent merits it. His temperament, particularly when the pressure is on, has long been suspect. Personally I think he needs to run away with the tournament rather than grind out a close run thing. If it gets tight and tense, then just like at Chambers Bay, one has to fancy the chances of Jordan Spieth. The caddies have nicknamed him “GC” for “Golden Child” and at just 21 years old he’s aiming to win the first three majors of the calendar year. It hasn’t been done since Ben Hogan in 1953. If Spieth manages it, we’ll be talking about this week for a long time. Things will start to feel pretty historic come Sunday.
It’s been largely disappointing for the Irish challenge thus far. Shane Lowry in particular came here with high hopes, but an 8 on the famous 17th Road Hole has derailed his chances. Golf is brutal game. Paul Dunne, the amateur from Greystones, was the star of Day One with a brilliant early morning 69.
The other big story of course is Tiger Woods. He shot his worst ever round of professional golf at St Andrews yesterday. Who knows what to expect from him today. What’s certain is that his game is reacting abysmally to any kind of tournament pressure at the moment. On the driving range he’s a dream to watch. As soon as he feels the heat of competition he starts dipping and violently ripping at the ball. Things like balance and rhythm go out the window. Jason Day yesterday spoke of how uncomfortable it is to watch the best player of his generation and probably all time, struggle so terribly.
We’ll be on air across much of the weekend. We’ll broadcast live from here on Sunday at 12pm with a review of the papers and lots of good guests. Check out the great and very funny Michael Collins of ESPN with his wrap on Day One below. He’s a former stand up comedian and PGA Tour caddie, which is a good combination in my book. Over and out.
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