Tag: St Andrews’s Old Course

2024 women’s major championship venues including St. Andrews

The best women golfers in the world will take on the Old Course next year.

The 2024 LPGA schedule was released Thursday morning and there are plenty of tournaments to look forward to.

There will be 33 official events with a record total prize fund of $118 million. In 2023, there were three events with a purse of $3 million or more. In 2024, there will be 10.

The first two events — Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (Jan. 18-21), LPGA Drive On Championship (Jan. 25-28) — will be in Florida before a three-week stretch overseas.

The new Boston event — FM Global Championship (Aug. 29-Sept. 1) — will be the final tournament before the Solheim Cup.

However, let’s get to what the people really care about — the majors.

Here’s everything you need to know for the five major championships next year.

Playing with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, LIV Golf’s Peter Uihlein firmly in hunt at DP World Tour event

Were there any juicy discussions between Al-Rumayyan and Slumbers about Saudi involvement in the future of the game?

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Not since the bold Maurice Flitcroft tried to hoax his way into Open qualifying back in the day by using fake names and false mustaches has there been such intrigue whipped up by a golfing nom de plume.

Here at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the pseudonym “Andrew Waterman” had appeared on the drawsheet for the $5 million Pro-Am contest only to be altered at the last minute to reveal the true identity of the amateur player in question.

It was Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Not quite a humble crane operator from Barrow like Flitcroft then, but the man in charge of the colossal purse strings of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) which bankrolls the LIV Golf Series.

It was fitting, therefore, that Peter Uihlein, one of four LIV rebels competing this week, ended up in a share of the lead after the first day of the event. He added a 72 on Friday and now sits five shots behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick.

Uihlein, invited to the event by Dunhill Links supremo Johann Rupert, had Al-Rumayyan as his amateur partner in a group that also included the R&A’s chief executive, Martin Slumbers.

So, were there any juicy discussions between Al-Rumayyan and Slumbers about Saudi involvement in the future of the game as they ambled up towards their respective balls in the mounds of Miss Grainger’s Bosoms on the Old Course’s 15th?

We will never know because a stern-faced private security guard swiftly intervened when the small gathering of golf writers approached Al-Rumayyan for a quick blether at the conclusion of the opening round.

Al-Rumayyan did manage to say, “It’s a great thing,” before being carted off. Presumably, that was about the opportunity to play the Dunhill Links. Or perhaps he was just expressing delight at escaping from the pesky golf scribblers?

As for Uihlein? Well, he let his clubs do the talking. A rebel with a cause and all that. It was on the Old Course 10 years ago that Uihlein came within a whisker of a magical 59 on his way to a second-place finish in the Dunhill Links Championship. A lot has happened since then.

Along with a host of global big guns, Uihlein sacrificed his PGA Tour membership to defect to the breakaway LIV Series last year as the golfing landscape at the top of the professional game was rocked by the kind of earth-shattering event that was akin to the impact of the mega-meteor that obliterated the dinosaurs.

In the turbulent months that followed, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the PIF, which is governed by Al-Rumayyan, announced an armistice and unveiled plans to work together. On the eve of the Dunhill Links, the aforementioned Rupert was reported to say that, “sport is supposed to unite people, not divide, we need to get peace.”

Uihlein, a former DP World Tour rookie of the year when he was cutting his teeth in Europe, agreed with those sentiments. Asked if the professional game could leave the rancor and division behind, he said: “I hope so. I think Mr. Rupert nailed it in his quotes. Golf brings people together. Time will tell.

“I’m not privy to what goes on behind closed doors. It’s nice that Johann extended an olive branch and he (Al-Rumayyan) is here.”

Uihlein’s cracking opening round on the Old Course included four birdies in his first five holes as well as a raking birdie putt of almost 50 feet on the 14th.

“I’m just trying to make the most of a good opportunity,” added Uihlein, who was 10th here a year ago.

As for partnering with his Saudi paymaster?

“All the other LIV boys were on the other courses so it was nice to have a bit of comfort out there,” he smiled. “I didn’t feel like the only one.”

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Check the yardage book: The Old Course at St. Andrews for the 2023 Walker Cup

StackaLine offers a hole-by-hole guide for the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.

The Old Course at St. Andrews – host of 2023 Walker Cup in Scotland – wasn’t originally designed so much as it evolved in the early 15th century. Architectural contributions were made hundreds of years later by Daw Anderson in the 1850s and Old Tom Morris a few decades after that.

Known as the Home of Golf, the Old Course ranks No. 2 on Golfweek’s Best 2023 list of classic courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland built before 1960.

The Old Course will be stretched to 7,313 yards with a par of 72 for the 49th Walker Cup, the biennial match between amateurs from the United States versus amateurs from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The length of each hole for the Walker Cup is noted in the captions below.

The teams will play four foursomes matches Saturday morning, eight singles matches Saturday afternoon, four foursomes matches Sunday morning and 10 singles matches Sunday afternoon. (Foursomes is often called alternate-shot in the U.S., and each two-man side will play one ball, alternating shots until the ball is holed.)

The Walker Cup will be broadcast on Golf Channel in the U.S. at 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. EDT on Saturday, then 8 a.m.-2 p.m. EDT Sunday.

Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the players face this week.

Dressed for Success: Cam Smith at the 2022 British Open

Check out the Original Penguin apparel worn by Cameron Smith at the 2022 British Open.

The final round of the 150th Open Championship did not disappoint and nor did Cameron Smith.

The Aussie came from behind, carding a 64 on Sunday to win his first major championship. Just wait until you hear how he plans to spend his time with the Claret Jug.

Smith pocketed a cool $2.5M and looked great doing so, rocking his Original Penguin apparel.

Though they don’t get as much fanfare as some other apparel brands on the PGA Tour, Original Penguin, owned by Perry Ellis, has been making fun and unique golf shirts for more than 60 years.

“We congratulate Cameron for winning the 150th Open in a stirring come- from-behind record setting fashion,” said Oscar Feldenkreis, President and CEO of Perry Ellis International. “We are proud to have Cameron, with 10 career worldwide victories and a major, as an Original Penguin brand ambassador.”

We’ve already taken a deep dive inside Smith’s Winner’s Bag but now we get to open up the champion’s closet and see how Cam Smith dressed for success at the 2022 British Open.

More Dressed for Success: Matt Fitzpatrick | Justin Thomas | Jordan Spieth

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‘It sucked’: Collin Morikawa hands over Claret Jug, begins British Open prep at Old Course to reclaim it

“The replica is beautiful, but it’s not the same. It really isn’t. It will never be.”

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Collin Morikawa’s possession of the Claret Jug came to an end Monday morning.

It was not an easy separation.

“It sucked. It really did,” Morikawa said in his pre-tournament meeting with the media Monday at the Old Course, home to the 150th Open Championship. “I woke up this morning and looked at it. The replica is beautiful, but it’s not the same. It really isn’t. It will never be.

“But I don’t want to dwell on the past. I think I’ve talked about that early on in my career. I always look forward to what’s next. Maybe hopefully just giving it back kind of frees me up and allows me just to focus on winning this week.”

In his first start in the Open Championship, Morikawa held off Jordan Spieth and Louis Oosthuizen to win the Claret Jug last year at Royal St. George’s (Morikawa also won the PGA Championship in 2020 at TPC Harding Park in his first start).

Morikawa is making his first start at the Old Course, the rumpled, flat grounds nestled in the city. The Home of Golf was love at first sight for Morikawa.

“I can see why guys love it,” he said. “I can see how special this week can be. I can see how the course can play a million different ways, depending on the weather.

“Looks like we’re going to get some pretty consistent weather and some wind patterns this week. I think overall you’ve just got to be ready to play some good golf because you’re going to get some good bounces and probably some bad ones.”

Morikawa, ranked No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking, has not won in 2022. Trying to reclaim the Claret Jug might be the final push to victory.

“Now that I know what it’s like to have the Claret Jug for a year, there’s nothing like it. It’s a really special year,” he said. “Even though you won that tournament a year ago, it’s going to be in your history for the rest of your life. And it’s pretty cool. I think trying to defend this week at the 150th at St Andrews would be even more special.”

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Here’s what your favorite players are wearing at the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews

Here’s what your favorite players are wearing at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews

The 150th Open Championship is upon us and players are bringing some modern fashion to the historic Old Course. St. Andrews will be flooded with the top players in the world and they are packing the heat with their style this year.

Golfweek has rounded up a list of what players such as Max Homa, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and more are wearing to the 2022 Open Championship.

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36 holes in less than 19 hours? Yes, Tiger Woods is serious about the upcoming 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews

Here’s how Tiger Woods has practiced in preparation for the 2022 Open Championship.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – After an 18-hole Saturday evening stroll on the Old Course alongside Justin Thomas that came to an end in darkness at 10:40 p.m. local time, Tiger Woods made a quick turnaround for his Sunday morning session.

Ten hours later, he went around the entire Old Course once again with Thomas, as the three-time Claret Jug winner began his prep in earnest for the 150th Open starting Thursday. Unlike the night before when he chipped, putted and hit a few wedges over 18 holes, Woods went through his entire bag on a sun-splashed, hot day of rest on his favorite golf course in the world.

After two-time Open champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Lee Trevino popped out of the R&A building at 8:40 a.m. and asked whether Woods and Thomas needed a fourth, the two went onward and over 5 hours got a feel for the course (it’s already firming up), spent considerable time on and around the greens and dialed in sight lines off the tees.

The only thing Woods didn’t do was talk to the media. He explained he would talk following Monday’s Celebration of Champions, where he is grouped with Trevino, Rory McIlroy and Georgia Hall. He’s also scheduled to meet the media on Tuesday.

“Be patient,” Woods said. If anyone knows about patience, it’s Woods.

While Woods remained silent, Thomas spoke up.

“It feels like it was a long time ago,” he said of Woods’ withdrawal from the PGA Championship after the third round. Woods, still recovering from a horrific, one-car accident north of Los Angeles that nearly led to amputation of his severely injured right leg, made the cut in the Masters before finishing 47th in his only other start in 2022.

Thomas, who lives near Woods in Florida, did not play a practice round with his good friend after the PGA Championship until Saturday. He did, however, practice with Woods on a few occasions.

“This has been the one circled for him,” Thomas added. “He’s excited to be here. Overall, it is a much easier walk that Augusta National and Southern Hills. The Old Course is a lot flatter, but it’s got way more awkward steps, if you will.

“I feel about Tiger being here like I always do: He’s going to find a way to be just fine.”

Woods, who ramped up his practice shortly before the U.S. Open, which he decided not to play, has now played 90 holes since landing in Europe: two rounds in the JP McManus Pro-Am earlier this week, another 18 with McIlroy at Ballybunion, and 36 at St. Andrews.

On Sunday, Woods visibly limped most of his way around the Old Course, at times making considerable effort to limit weight on his right foot. His driver was erratic in the early going. His iron play was spot on.

Woods started tweaking his driver on the eighth tee to get more spin for his left-to-right drives. He used Thomas’ launch monitor to dial in the specifications. He did some more tweaking on the ninth tee. Seemed to work. He ended his round by driving the par-4 18th, his ball coming to rest 20 feet from the pin.

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10 best golf courses in Scotland

St. Andrews is spectacular, but there’s more magic at the home of golf than just The Old Course.

The golf world returns home as the 150th Open Championship will be played at the Old Course at St. Andrews.

The fans are excited, the Tour pros are excited, even the LIV golfers are allowed in on the action.

We know that most golf fans will spend the next week and more dreaming of hitting the Scottish links, so we here at Golfweek are doing everything within our power to make that dream a bit more real.

Last week we gave you some of the best U.K. golf vacations out there, but this week our focus narrows to Scotland and the 10 best courses that the home of golf has to offer.

These rankings come directly from the hundreds of Golfweek’s Best Raters for 2021 who continually evaluated courses and rated them based on our 10 criteria. They also filed a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course.

For more of Golfweek’s Best course lists, check out the most recent selection of course rankings:

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How is Tiger Woods’ caddie Joey LaCava handling prep work for the 150th Open Championship? We walked along and found out

“This Open has been on his mind the entire year. Couple things: he loves the place and it’s going to easier to walk.”

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Some three hours after Tiger Woods took off in his private jet from Ireland, his destination being the 150th Open Championship conducted on the Old Course in Scotland, his trusted bagman, Joey LaCava, started charting his own course around the Home of Golf.

LaCava, who hooked up with Woods in 2011 and was on the bag when his boss won the 2019 Masters, began his prep work for the Open on Saturday alongside Jim “Bones” Mackay, caddie for Justin Thomas.

The last time LaCava set foot on this sacred ground was 2015, when Woods, battling many injuries, missed the cut. So there was a lot of work to do.

“For me, it’s mostly getting lines,” LaCava said. “It’s been seven years and I don’t know what I did yesterday. It’s all about where the bunkers are today and to get a feel for the golf course. The good news for us is what I’ve been told is the wind should be the same this week as it is today, so we’re getting a good feel how the course could play the rest of the week.

“I can’t go by that 100 percent, but it’s nice to get a feel for it. To get our lines, the carries, how far it is to each bunker, that’s the priority today.”

The day was so pleasant and dry, LaCava’s intention would be to chart all 18 holes. That would take five to six hours and he did all things to fill his yardage book, from getting the lines to the bunkers, securing proper targets in the distance of this treeless, flat land, and studying the slopes and speed of the greens.

That’s easier said than done. There are seven double greens on the Old Course, where two holes share the same massive putting surface. For, instance the home to the putting surface of the fifth and 13th holes is 100 yards deep and at least 50 yards wide.

Tiger Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava looks over notes at The Old Course at St. Andrew’s in advance of the upcoming 150th Open Championship. (Photo by Steve DiMeglio/Golfweek)

“Tiger lets me do my thing, and he does his thing. He’ll come out here and know where the bunkers are and how far it is to each. I just don’t,” said LaCava, who will be caddying in his fifth Open at St. Andrews – two with Woods, three with Fred Couples. “Tiger loves the place, and he’ll have a good feel for where the bunkers are.”

LaCava hasn’t seen Woods since the third round of the PGA Championship. After making the cut – Woods also made the cut in the Masters in his only other start of 2022 – he visibly labored with injuries that Saturday. That night, he withdrew.

LaCava said Woods is stronger than he was in May.

“He’s going to give it a go. We’ll remain positive and get through it,” LaCava said. “This Open has been on his mind the entire year. Couple things: he loves the place and it’s going to easier to walk.”

Woods showed up in the early evening Saturday and chipped and putted his way around a few holes of the Old Course. Full shots were not on the agenda. Saving his energy and reacquainting himself with the course was.

Woods likely will team up with LaCava for a practice round on Sunday and then play in the Celebration of Champions on Monday.

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Tiger, Rory and Lee, oh my: Woods to play in Celebration of Champions Monday on Old Course alongside McIlroy, Trevino and Georgia Hall

Woods has hoisted the Claret Jug twice at St. Andrews, in 2000 and 2005.

Tiger Woods will start Open Championship week on Monday.

Alongside Rory McIlroy.

Woods, who completed the career Grand Slam with his win on the Old Course in 2000 and won at the Home of Golf again in 2005, will play in the Celebration of Champions as the 150th Open begins at St. Andrews.

Woods, who also won the Claret Jug in 2006 at Hoylake, will be grouped with 2014 Open champ Rory McIlroy, 2018 Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall and the Merry Mex, Lee Trevino, who won the Open in 1971 and 1972.

“This is going to be a special week of golf and having many of the sport’s great champions and future stars play in this event is a great way to mark this historic championship,” Woods said in a statement. “St. Andrews has such a unique atmosphere, and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans again and on a course that holds fantastic memories for me.”

The Celebration of Champions will have the golfers play four holes – the first, second, 17th and 18th. Woods played in the event in 2005, his teammates that year being Tom Weiskopf, Mark O’Meara and Nick Price.

Woods is still recovering from a horrific single-car accident north of Los Angeles in February 2021 that nearly took his life and nearly led to amputation of his right leg. He has played twice this year – making the cut in the Masters and the PGA Championship. He did withdraw from the PGA Championship following the third round in which he was visibly laboring because of his injuries.

Woods decided against playing the U.S. Open at The Country Club near Boston to allow more time to heal.

Defending champion Collin Morikawa will hit the first tee shot Monday and play with AIG Women’s Open champion Anna Nordqvist, Jess Baker, who won the Women’s Amateur Championship at Hunstanton last month, and Asia-Pacific Amateur champion and 2021 Mark McCormack Medal winner Keita Nakajima.

The full draw for the Celebration of Champions will be announced Monday morning. The best two scores out of four on each hole from each team will count. The team with the lowest total over the four holes will win.

Hall already said she’s won.

“It is an absolute thrill to play alongside Tiger, Rory and Lee,” she said. “I think it’s fantastic that the R&A has invited champions from all levels of the sport and I’m sure that Jess and Keita will be massively excited by the prospect of teeing it up with Collin and Anna at St. Andrews.”

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