St Andrews M A G A Z I N E
GOLF. LIFESTYLE. MORE.
04
DEDICATED TO ANNE HERVEY 9 October 1949 – 19 April 2018
Contents StGAndrews OLF 30
Tom Morris Shop Controversy
42
175th Anniversary of St Andrews Golf Club
35
Links Trophy
46
New Golf Club
37
St Rule Trophy
50
St Regulus Ladies’ Golf Club
39
Local Clubs’ Gold Medal
52
SENIOR OPEN PRESENTED BY ROLEX
Your G A M E 70
Yoga for the Over 50’s
FAB 74
Skin care for the Over 50’s
St Andrews
TASTE 78
St Andrews
New Kids on the Block
VISIT
St Andrews
84
West is Best
86
Whatever happened to Ma Bells?
88
St Andrews Photography Festival
90
We have the R&A, they have the V&A
St Andrews L I F E 96
Summer time and the living is easy
102
Students return
Contents
THE WORLD OF
GOLF
106
Tiger Returns
112
Rolex Series
118
Evian Championship
128
Rise of the Rolex New Guard
148 2018 Ryder Cup Preview
Contents
GOLF.
LIFESTYLE.
MORE.
Contributors John BOYNE John is a St Andrews Links caddie, owner of Caddie Golf Tours and is a regular contributor to St Andrews Magazine. His knowledge of the Old Course and the St Andrews golfing scene is a great insight for readers.
Aileen
WALLACE–EDGAR Aileen is the owner of Vintage Beauty Box in St Andrews and is St Andrews Magazine’s Beauty expert. Aileen is an enthusiastic golfer.
Tracy SMITH Tracy is the owner of Interiors by Tracy Smith in Cupar and is St Andrews Magazine’s property interior expert.
Keryn WARD Keryn is the owner and lead instructor at Hot House Yoga, in St Andrews. She also teaches Yoga at venues in the St Andrews area including local golf clubs and sports clubs. Keryn provides St Andrews Magazine readers with tips on how to stay fit, flexible and focused with the help of Yoga.
Welcome to Edition 04 of St Andrews Magazine, I want to start by apologizing. The events of this year have been extremely hard to deal with, they will become clearer when reading this edition. Because of what has happened over the last few months I have not been in a place to put in the work required to publish an edition of the quality and standards I expect. But finally, the fourth edition of St Andrews’ only independent golf and lifestyle magazine is here. And it is packed with the usual features, information and photography you have all grown to love over the years.
Matt
HOOPER Editor
Matt Hooper
This summer saw the Senior Open visit St Andrews for the very first time, and Miguel Angel Jimenez edged out defending champion Bernhard Langer to win a dramatic championship over the Old Course. Keryn Ward of Hot House Yoga brings you some handy tips for exercises for the over 50’s and Aileen Wallace-Edgar has advice for skin care for the senior. In Taste St Andrews we look at the ‘New Kids on the Block’, featuring the new restaurants and outlets which have opened across St Andrews in recent months. With the V&A Museum of Design opening in Dundee there has hardly been a better time to pay a visit to St Andrews, and we focus on West Sands, Ma Bells and the upcoming St Andrews Photography Festival.
Design and production
In the World of Golf we bring you a full preview of the 2018 Ryder Cup including a feature on European Team Captain Thomas Bjorn.
Matt Hooper
All this and much more in Edition 04 of St Andrews Magazine.
Publisher
THIS EDITION OF ST ANDREWS MAGAZINE IS DEDICATED TO ANNE HERVEY, WHO SADLY PASSED AWAY ON THURSDAY 19 APRIL.
Matt Hooper Director Matt Hooper ©St Andrews Magazine Ltd. 2018
Anne was my housemate from 2013-2018 and was a dear friend, without her support and advice over the last five years St Andrews Magazine would not exist today. I pay tribute to her in the upcoming pages.
This publication may not be reproduced in part or whole without the expressed written permission of St Andrews Magazine Ltd.
Advertise with St Andrews Magazine There has never been a better time to advertise your business, product or service with St Andrews Magazine. Our readership is growing, and our social media audience is diverse, global and engaged. St Andrews Magazine is the only independent golf and lifestyle publication in St Andrews, the home of golf. The magazine is completely independent from any golfing or tourism organisation and the aim is to be the number one resource for visiting golfers to St Andrews, whilst appealing to general visitors and tourists to the town. The magazine was first established to bring together the different facets of the golf industry within St Andrews into one publication. Showcasing the golf courses, the golf clubs, the golfers, the locals, restaurants, bars, visitor attractions and more to the niche group of people who choose St Andrews for a vacation or golfing holiday. We offer a wide range of advertising opportunities within the magazine and across our social media channels.
Image credits ALL IMAGES MATT HOOPER/ST ANDREWS MAGAZINE WITH EXCEPTION OF: 23, Mariam Nader 40, R&A 70, Hot House Yoga 90, 95 Crew Hutton (V&A) 106 Augusta National 111, 112, 115, 117, 118, 121, 123, 125, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148, 154, 157, 159, 161, 163, 165, 167, 169, 171, 172 Rolex 174 Kevin Kirk 175 BMW ADDITIONAL IMAGES ARE CREDITED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER OR AGENCY ON THE IMAGE
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A TRIBUTE TO ANNE HERVEY 9 October 1949 – 19 April 2018
The events of Thursday 19 April will stay with me forever, having someone die in your arms is something which I hope never to experience again. It was made even harder by the fact I have lived with this person for five years and experienced many highs and lows along the way. Anne Hervey, born Anne Pamela Lamberty on 9 October 1949 was a unique and wonderful person, a person I am privileged to have known, called a friend and shared a house with. Anne was a very private person and often underplayed her remarkable achievements, even in the four walls of this house. After attending University in Leicester, she headed for London, and ended up working for the renowned designer Terence Conran. Anne was a professional photographer, and her work was truly stunning. In the 1970’s she got the opportunity to photograph Arnold Palmer at The Open here in St Andrews. She gave me he negatives of these photos and
they are gifts which I will treasure for the rest of my life. I hope to get them developed and put into digital format soon, so I can share them with you. I do not know everything about Anne, although the names she mentioned, such as Andrew Neil, give an indication that she had an extraordinary career. After getting married to her partner John they developed their own photographic lab, Tarquin Photographic Limited produced highquality photographic materials for marketing campaigns, with Edinburgh Woollen Mill among their many clients. In her career postphotography, she became a great collector and her eye for a bargain and for something special was renowned. In 2009, now divorced and with a new partner, also called John, she opened Methuselah’s in St Mary’s Place, St Andrews. This wondrous store sold collectibles (she hated the word antique!) from all over, and it was very popular with locals and tourists alike.
She was often stopped in the street in the years after it closed by former customers, many of whom she didn’t know at all. She was also invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace as a reward for her charitable work. After her relationship with John broke down Anne fell on harder times, and this is where our paths crossed for the first time. In 2013 I returned to St Andrews, and established St Andrews Magazine, and began working at the New Golf Club. I moved into the tourist hostel, with the aim of saving money and finding a place to live. Some five months later I was still there, and Anne moved in. Over the next few months we got to know each other, and along with another friend, Richard, we moved out of the hostel for the first time in January 2014. We were both relieved and happy to have moved out of the hostel, but with just a six month lease it would prove a short hiatus. In June we were left with no alternative but to
move back into the hostel. I will never forget that moment. We were both shattered emotionally as the hostel, one of the worst examples of shortterm accommodation anywhere in the UK, was even worse than when we left it 6 months earlier. This time our stay would be much longer, and a much less-happy one. Despite searching, visiting and inquiring for accommodation we could not find any. Then through an acquaintance of Anne, just before The Open in 2015, we found somewhere. However, this proved to be unsuitable for the long term and our landlords were less than trustworthy and the house was not up to standard. We were faced with having to find somewhere again. With both of us ruling out the hostel as a possibility, the pressure was on, so I took a punt. I saw an advert on Spareroom.co.uk, and despite it being well above either of our budgets, I contacted the landlady. To my complete shock she responded positively and after viewing the property and some hefty negotiation, largely led by Anne, we moved in on 1 February 2016. Anne adored this house, and much of the art which decorates it was bought by her for the house. She had an eclectic taste for the unique and quirky. Over the years we knew each other, and the years we lived together
(she hated that phrase, and always referred to me as her “house share” person, much to my amusement), Anne gave me many nuggets of advice. Particularly focusing on my job at the New Golf Club and St Andrews Magazine. She was an integral part of developing my business plan, and when it was required she gave me a swift kick up the arse to sort things out. Above all Anne was a truly great friend, and sometimes being a friend involves saying things you might not want to hear. But she was always there. Then, suddenly, she wasn’t. The days and weeks which followed were hard. That is an understatement, they were brutal. I couldn’t have got through those times without my mum and dad, and my close friends in St Andrews. On the day after she passed, I sent a text, as a kind of closure, I guess. Obviously, it was one which I knew there would be no response. But I guess it sums it all up. I miss you so so much you cannot imagine. For five years you have been by my side as the greatest friend anyone could have. I know I drove you crazy with my ways and we had ups and downs like any friendship but we have both been there for each other. I am absolutely devastated that I will never be able to see you again or talk and enjoy the things we did. After all the struggles and all the advice you have given me. I am so upset you aren't here to see the magazine succeed. You are a truly wonderful human being and you are going to be missed by so many people. I know you will be looking down on me, probably saying "leave it" "cut the crap" or "behave yourself". I will succeed in what I do for you and I will never forget the last five years. I would not be where I am without you. Goodbye. Love Matt x
St Andrews G O L F
This March St Andrews Links entered into a partnership with the R&A to manage the retail operations of The Open. This includes the on-site shop at the championship itself and the launch of a first ever The Open Shop in St Andrews. To almost universal shock and criticism the Links chose the Tom Morris Shop as the site for the new shop. The announcement and following opening of The Open Shop caused dismay for many golfers both locally and worldwide. The fact that the Links chose the Tom Morris Shop as the destination for The Open Shop is both bewildering in its lack of respect for history and tradition, and it doesn’t really make sense commercially. The 18th hole shop is in essence a smaller version of the Old Course Shop, selling the same items. This shop is visible when playing the 18th hole from the tee and from the second shot, it would have been the perfect place with the highest visibility for The Open brand. This change seems to have been in the pipeline for quite some time, as the Links held what can only be thought of as a fire sale of all Tom Morris clothing range items last summer. But it would surely have made greater sense to convert the Tom Morris Shop into a museum or carry on the tradition of club making and move their club repair operations into the building. Perhaps give the consumer the chance to make a feathery ball or re-shaft a club, creating a completely unique experience. With so many traditional shops in the town being replaced by newer restaurants and cashmere shops the last bastion of tradition in the town is golf, and it should have been preserved at all costs.
This June St Andrews Links hosted the 2018 edition of the St Andrews Links Trophy, presented in association with Allianz on the New and Old Courses. Ireland’s John Murphy became just the third Irish winner of the Trophy in the 30 years of this prestigious men’s amateur championship. The 19-year-old holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 1st green in a playoff with Germany’s Jannik de Bruyn to win the title. 54-hole co-leader Joey Savoie from Canada shot a final round 73 to slip into a tie for 5th place, allowing his co-leader Murphy to take his place in the playoff with a final round of 71. A sand save at 17 from the Road Hole Bunker was crucial, with de Bruyn posting a final round of 68 to take the clubhouse lead. Ewan Walker was the best ranked Scot, at -4 and a tie for 11th place. St Andrews’ hopes ended after the second round as John Paterson and Rhodri Price missed the cut.
Leaderboard: John Murphy
-9
Jannik de Bruyn Jake Burnage
-8
Haydn Barron Pierre Mazier
-7
Laird Shepherd Joey Savoie Matias Honkala Gian-Marco Petrozzi
-6
LIANNA BAILEY (centre) holds the St Rule Trophy after winning by a single stroke
Chloe Goadby may not have won the St Rule Trophy but she continued her great form with a 7-under-par final round of 69 (ladies par of 76) on the Old Course to finish in a tie for fourth place, 10-under-par for the tournament. She fired seven birdies in a flawless round to finish two off the winning mark held by Lianna Bailey. Chloe was one of five Scots to finish inside the top ten in the 60-player field.
REMARKABLE RHODRI CONTINUES NEW CLUB DOMINATION OF THE R&A LOCAL CLUBS’ GOLD MEDAL The New Golf Club’s Rhodri Price won the 2018 R&A Local Clubs’ Gold Medal this May, succeeding Hamish Ireland, Mark Dickson and Ed Shannly as members of the New Golf Club to win the Medal over the last four years. Price shot a second round of 67 on the Old Course to take the title of ‘Champion of the Links’ by four shots from Gary Sharp of the St Andrews Golf Club. 17-year-old Ben Caton, also of the New Golf Club, led the tournament after round one with a 68. Victory in the Local Clubs’ Gold Medal secured qualification for the St Andrews Links Trophy. This was the 117th playing of the tournament, making it one of the oldest continuous tournaments in the game, pre-dating the US Open and only pre-dated by The Open itself in Scotland. The Women’s event also took place on the Old Course and was won by St Regulus’ Elaine Moffat, who took the title with a round of 76 on countback from Gillian Paton, also of St Regulus.
th 175
Anniversary
As we celebrate the 175th Anniversary of one of St Andrews’ prominent golf clubs we cannot do so without honouring the contribution of perhaps the most significant individual in the history of the game. Allan Robertson is known as the “World’s First Professional Golfer” and was an influential early member and Captain of the club. Arguably no golfer in history has had more impact in both life and death. In his forty-four years on this planet he was instrumental in the success of Old Tom Morris – Morris served an apprenticeship in Robertson’s shop from the age of 14. Robertson was the champion golfer of his time, and almost 160 years ago he became the first player ever to break 80 on the Old Course. He was also in part responsible for the launch of the worldwide golf industry, as the premier ball and club maker of the era he exported his merchandise across the world. Robertson was the undisputed champion of the time and following his death in 1859 it was decided that a new champion should be crowned, and this is how The Open came to be. 12 golfers played three rounds of the 12 holes at Prestwick Golf Club in October 1860 for the championship belt, won by Willie Park Sr. The next two Open Championships were won by Old Tom Morris, Robertson’s former apprentice was now the best golfer in the world, and over the first 12 years of the championship Old and Young Tom would win a combined 8 titles.
NEW GOLF CLUB ST ANDREWS
ED SHANNLY DEFEATED JIM STEWART ON THE OLD COURSE TO WIN THE 2018 NEW GOLF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
VICTORY CUP ROUND 2
AUTUMN MEETING
NEW COURSE 3 AUGUST
OLD COURSE 18 AUGUST
1
Jack Headon
76
10c
66
1
Roderick Macgregor
80
10c
70
2
Max Redman
73
5c
68
2
Jim Allison
82
12c
70
3
Andrew Stamm
70
1c
69
3
Lewis Mackle
76
5c
71
4
Michael De Vries
69
0c
69
4
Lee Pargeter
71
0c
71
5
Finlay Sey
72
3c
69
5
Billy Jones
84
12c
72
6
Ben Hunter
73
3c
70
6
Gordon Bannerman
82
10c
72
7
Cameron Akers
73
2c
71
7
Wayne Thompson
73
1c
72
8
Andrew Cameron
76
5c
71
8
Mike Lawrence
89
16c
73
9
John Todd
80
9c
71
9
Charlie Huldal
84
11c
73
10
Jan Lyneborg
82
11c
71
10
Stuart Scorgie
81
8c
73
BILL LAWSON TROPHY
MONTHLY MEDAL
EDEN COURSE 19 AUGUST
NEW COURSE 23 AUGUST
1
Roderick MacGregor & Scott Meikle
59
1
John Todd
79
9c
70
2
Sutherland Madeiros & David Snodgrass 61
2
Jason Thomson
75
3c
72
3
Graham Sutherland & Scott Sutherland 61
3
J Murray Kiernan
82
10c
72
4
Alistair Douglas
79
7c
72
5
Alan Blair
81
9c
72
6
A John Main
85
12c
73
7
Iain Watters
83
10c
73
8
Adam Preedy
83
9c
74
9
James O'Brien
84
10c
74
10
Malcolm Stout
79
5c
74
STEVE WALLS QUAICH CASTLE COURSE 9 SEPTEMBER 1st - Ian Jeen, Mark Richardson, Alex Walker, Colin Wells (59.6) 2nd - Russell Brown, John Dawson, Jim Mason, John Wilson (60.3) 3rd - David Clark, Tim Harrison, Ben Hutton, Jason Thomson (60.7 (BIH))
ST REGULUS LADIES’ GOLF CLUB
September Medal 2018:
Scott Salver (Mixed Foursomes)
Eden Course 1 September
Sunday 26th August 2018
Silver Division
New Course
1st - C Randerson (20) 68 bih
1st Mary & Bruce Clark 36 points
2nd - K Wilson (12) 68
2nd Gill & David Taylor 35 points
3rd - J Pirie (19) 69
3rd Gillian & Alex Paton 34 points
Bronze Division 1st - J Godley (25) 72
Vets Hidden Hole
2nd - P Rew (21) 73
Strathtyrum 24 August
3rd - R Wilson (21) 76
Senior Vet
Winner S HOWIESON
Net 40
Vet
Winner S McLAY
Net 39
August 9 hole American Trophy
Eden 1st S McLay
(17) 22 points
2nd B Robertson
(18) 20 points
3rd M Duncan
(32) 15 points
New Course 1. Karen St Amant (
19) 74
2. Charlene Wilson
(10) 77 ( bih)
3. Christine McMillan (18) 77
Saturday 11th August 2018 August Silver Medal - Old Course 1st Kerry Wilson
(13) nett 73
2nd Wendy Nicholson (5) nett 73 (bih) 3rd Dorothy Johnston (6) nett 75
August Bronze Medal - Eden Course 1st Katie Allan
(29) nett 72
2nd Jan Crawford
(24) nett 76 (bih)
3rd Penny Bourner
(30) nett 76 (bih)
THE SENIOR OPEN PRESENTED BY
St Andrews 2018 Masterful Miguel is a Major Champion Watson and Faldo bring down curtain on days at the home of golf Stars of the past roll back the years on the Old Course
After playing host to 29 editions of The Open and 2 RICOH Women’s British Opens, the Old Course finally added The Senior Open to its resume of the world’s greatest championships at the end of a hot and dry summer on the East Coast of Scotland. A burned and crispy links saw legends of the game battle for the Senior Claret Jug this July, and they did not disappoint. Defending champion Bernhard Langer, 3time champion Tom Watson, former Open Champion Tom Lehman and the likes of Colin Montgomerie and Vijay Singh all featured prominently in the final Senior Major of 2018. But it was a Spaniard who walked away with the title, showing vintage form to collect his second senior major and sixth win on the PGA Tour Champions. Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a final round of 69 to hold off a stern challenge from defending champion Bernhard Langer. Starting the final round with a two-shot lead and playing a course
which was vastly different to the start of the week after heavy weekend rain, Jimenez got off to a flying start with birdie at the first hole. It was a start which was needed as Langer surged into a tie for the lead with four birdies in the first six holes. Jimenez regained the lead with a birdie at the ninth and following a tense back nine it was the Spaniard who prevailed. His victory harked back to the bygone days of Seve in 1984, also holding off Bernhard Langer for victory, and to the 1999 and 2000 editions of the Alfred Dunhill Cup, won by Spanish teams including Jimenez. Miguel was understandably elated at winning at the home of golf, “This is one of my biggest victories,” said Jiménez. “It’s amazing to win here. This is my second Major of the year, and it’s amazing to be the winner of The Senior Open here at St Andrews, the Home of Golf.
“There are no words to describe the feeling of holding the trophy on the 18th green. To have that trophy in my hand in front of the crowd and my friends, and my family is amazing. As in 1984 the tournament hinged on a moment at the 17th hole, and Jimenez made a 12-foot par putt to retain the lead heading to the 72nd tee. “That putt on 17 was very important to stay one shot in the lead,” added Jiménez. “It was amazing walking down the middle of the 18th fairway, and the only thing I needed to do was put the ball in the middle of the green and make two putts.” The significance of the victory was not lost on the former European Ryder Cup star, “It’s amazing to win here at St Andrews, the Home of Golf. It’s a place where so many people want to win and where Seve played so well in The Open. Now my name is part of history.” Whatever the tournament, whenever the time, a win on the Old Course at St Andrews is as significant as any title in any player’s career.
NICK FALDO MADE A BIRDIE AT THE 18TH IN THE SECOND ROUND, PERHAPS HIS FINAL ROUND IN COMPETITION IN THE UK
One of the star attractions of this summer’s Senior Open was Sir Nick Faldo, playing in perhaps his final ever tournament on UK soil the threetime Open Champion sadly missed the cut. Short of tournament form for many years due to his television commitments it was no surprise that the former world number one didn’t contend, but he did show several encouraging signs over the first two days. The 1990 Open Champion at St Andrews made a storming start to the championship, making birdies at the third, fifth, sixth and tenth to feature high on the leaderboard halfway through his first round.
But a disastrous back nine saw him finish with a 76 after making a double bogey on 11 and a quadruple bogey on the 17th. With the cut hovering around level par and +1 it was essential Faldo went reasonably low in the second round. After a bogey on the first he made birdies at 3 of the next 7 holes to get to +2, but once again a run of terrible scores on the back nine put paid to his hopes of making the cut. There was, however, in a very ‘Jack Nicklaus’ kind of way, a fairytale finish with a birdie at the 18th hole. His final hole, perhaps, in a tournament on UK soil. It was a sad finale to a career which has given many people
worldwide and in particular in the UK a lot of joy. Faldo was understandably gutted after his second round: “It’s very disappointing, I just hit some bad shots at bad times, I thought I could make the cut, but two really bad swings on 11 and 17 cost me.” Sir Nick was visibly distraught at the outcome of his two rounds, so I cut the interview short out of respect for this giant of the game. It just goes to show that no matter what the age, once you have done it at the highest level you continue to believe you can do it, and when it dawns that isn’t possible it hurts, deeply.
ONE FINAL WALK INTO TOWN. NICK FALDO AND HIS SON MATTHEW WALK DOWN THE FIFTEENTH HOLE OF THE OLD COURSE DURING HIS SECOND ROUND IN THE SENIOR OPEN
We thought we may have seen the last of Tom Watson when he crossed the Swilcan Bridge at the end of his second round of the 2015 Open, but 2018 has seen the five-time Open Champion return to St Andrews for both the Senior Open and a new role. Earlier this year Watson was unveiled as an Ambassador for The Open worldwide, promoting the oldest championship in golf on the global stage. The Senior Open will be the legendary American’s final competitive outing at the Old Course, and for a considerable time it was looking like he could walk away with the title.
A bogey-free opening round of 69 had him inside the top ten, and in the second round a solitary bogey at the sixth was offset by five birdies, including a spectacular one at the formidable Road Hole 17th (pictured). Going into the weekend he was just two shots off the lead, but it was about to get better. A spectacular eagle, secured with a putt from off the green at the par-five fifth, was followed by a birdie at the sixth to see Watson incredibly take the lead. But his hopes of a record fourth Senior Open win took a battering with a back nine of 40 to fall back of the leader.
A final round of 77 saw him finish 11 off the winning score but it was a tremendous performance from the 68-year-old. Before the tournament Watson spoke to St Andrews Magazine about the week ahead: “It’s wonderful that we have the chance to play the Old Course as Seniors, there’s more excitement about playing this Senior Open Championship than I have been involved in before.” “A lot of our players from the PGA Tour Champions wanted to come over here and qualify, the players are truly excited about playing.”
“Well I don’t know (if the winning score will be similar to The Open at St Andrews), we are playing the same tees with exception of two holes that the kids play.” “We’ll see how good the old guys are compared to the kids.” “My game is pretty good right now, I am driving the ball well and putting well, so if my iron play is up to the task I may have a few opportunities for birdies.” “When you stand on the first tee, everyone has the same feelings, I am on the tee with all this history, where every great player has played from. It is an ancient golf course, and to still be able to play it with modern equipment is unique and very special.”
After a fundraising campaign led by awardwinning Golf Historian Roger McStravick, a headstone was finally put in place in the burial grounds of the St Andrews Cathedral this summer for one of this town’s iconic golfers. Jamie Anderson won The Open Championship three years in succession from 1877 to 1879 and was son to ‘Auld Daw’ David Anderson, a renowned club maker and former ‘keeper of the green at St Andrews Links. A ceremony took place during Senior Open Championship week and Sandy Lyle joined Roger and descendants of Jamie Anderson for the official unveiling of the headstone. In our final edition of 2018 we will have an exclusive feature on the many golf historians which call St Andrews home, and Roger will talk more about this and much more.
COMING SOON
THE
GOLF HISTORIANS OF ST ANDREWS
The pilot for the new television series “The Golf Explorers” filmed in and around St. Andrews, Scotland August 12-19. It is the latest project from the award-winning film team of “Tommy’s Honour.” “The Golf Explorers” is a first of its kind, unscripted, lifestyle driven travel series with golf as the main ingredient. Viewers will follow three hosts as they explore the world’s greatest golf courses and the surrounding town -uncovering historical and lifestyle gems you won’t find in a travel guide, all the while meeting unforgettable characters that are woven into the fabric of each championship course. “The Golf Explorers” is the latest project from the award-winning producer of “Tommy’s Honour” Jim Kreutzer. Kreutzer and Maryilene Blondell, co-CEOs of Wind Chill Media
Group have partnered with David Spitzer of Upper Diamond (Los Angeles) and Terry Maday at Maday Productions (Chicago) to create this hip lifestyle program. Each show will feature three hosts, whose journey through each iconic golf town will be cultivated by the people they meet along the way, delivering an interactive and immersive experience. The St. Andrews episode will be hosted by Jason Connery, Di Dougherty and Roger McStravick. Connery, son of actor Sir Sean Connery, directed the awardingwinning film “Tommy’s Honour” also filmed in St. Andrews. In addition to being an acclaimed director, Connery has appeared in over 30 films, television movies and series combined since his breakthrough role as Robin Hood in the UK
television series “Robin Hood” in 1985. Dougherty is a television presenter, best known for her lead anchor duties of Golf Night on Sky Sports/UK. She is also an accomplished producer, writer and actress best known for “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” and “The Wright Stuff.” McStravick is an awardwinning golf historian, author and lecturer. His book, St. Andrews in The Footsteps of Old Tom Morris, won both the USGA's Herbert Warren Wind Book Award 2015 and British Golf Collectors' Society Murdoch Medal. He has been a golf media consultant for multiple media outlets, and he has worked several years at BBC in program development.
As our bodies move through life to middleage and beyond, as well as gaining knowledge and wisdom, we begin to feel the resulting aches, pains and stiffness. As we age our spine begins to compress, our joints stiffen, and we lose bone and muscle mass.
We also become more at risk of developing arthritis, high blood pressure, and even diabetes. Studies have shown that even one hour of yoga per week can help reduce the symptoms of these common ailments by improving circulation, strengthening muscles, and calming the mind and nervous system through focused breathing.
Introducing just a few simple yoga postures into your daily routine can reduce discomfort and even improve sleep. Try these 4 low impact postures for just 10 minutes per day while focusing on breathing steadily through the nose and feel the benefits for yourself.
Legs up the wall (viparita karani) – This deeply restorative pose allows the mind and body to relax which helps with stress and anxiety, reduces swelling from the feet and legs, and can be beneficial for the negative effects of menopause, varicose veins, and digestive issues.
Down Dog (adho mukha svanasana) – This gentle inversion promotes better circulation, strengthens bones and spine, can ease back pain, stretches arms and hamstrings, and helps clear the mind.
Yoga is a low impact way to stretch and is accessible to everyone. At Hot House Yoga we have a varied client base ranging in age from 16 to 75. When choosing a yoga class make sure to do your research and pick a class which is slower paced, especially if you haven’t tried yoga before. Listen to your body, breathe, stretch, and enjoy!
Warrior 2 (virabhadrasana II) – This strong posture works every muscle in the body, opens the hips, shoulders and chest, improves circulation, and stimulates internal organs. Practise on both the left and right side.
For more information, contact Keryn:
Tree Pose (vrksasana) – This posture helps improve balance by strengthening the feet, ankles and legs, can reduce back pain by lengthening the spine, and stretches the shoulders and hips.
info
hotyouseyoga.com
BEAUTY BY AILEEN WALLACE-EDGAR HOW TO LOOK GOOD ON AND OFF THE COURSE
SKIN CARE FOR THE OVER 50’s
As St Andrews celebrates the Senior Golf Open we look at treating a more senior skin. In skincare anyone aged 25 or over is technically classed as a senior or mature skin due to collagen production beginning to slow down from around this age.
This slow down shows on the skin initially as fine lines but then progress over time to become deeper more visible wrinkles, loss of skin tightness and on occasion pigmentation.
Our key nutrients for senior skin health have to be Vitamin
Topically we must take a similar approach.
A and
Vitamin C. Vitamin A repairs the skin cell DNA and it is the only vitamin to do so.
By repairing the cells from the inside out we can reduce lines and wrinkles plus skin sag. Vitamin A controls 1/20th of your genes so even those with “bad genes” can benefit.
When choosing a skincare regime look for active ingredients like
Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Acetate and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate instead of perfumes. These are your Vitamin A and C forms that topically our skin can recognise, absorb and use.
So what can be done to address these issues? It is important to remember there is no “one size fits all” routine for treating skin but there are a few fundamentals.
First up has to be to treat the skin from the inside out through
nutrition. This plays a vital role in skin health not least because it treats every inch of the skin not just where lotions and potions are applied to selected areas.
Vitamin C is Vitamin A’s sidekick. It helps our bodies to produce healthy collagen, keeping us youthful for longer.
And make sure to add in some Peptides! While they are a bit of a trend now, Peptides and research into their
effectiveness on ageing skin goes back 20 years.
What are the reasons they are so popular now?
They act as messengers so support the actions of the active ingredients like Vitamin A and C. One of the most powerful peptides, Matrixyl
3000 has been voted the best new ingredient in skincare in the last 20 years.
Its powerful properties enhance collagen production so is an ideal ingredient for ageing skin.
to function effectively plus look at its best. This means the industry is constantly evolving also.
home care which include nutritional information, and does face to face consultations.
No longer do we have to endure invasive procedures with weeks, if not months, of down time to resolve ageing skin concerns.
And remember, always wear broad spectrum sun protection on days ending in ‘y’!
Instead Beauty Therapists are able to offer more pleasant advanced facial treatments such as gentle peels which can be performed weekly and have minimal shed and down time.
Now Beauty Therapists can help clients harness their bodies own restorative abilities to reduce signs of ageing.
My biggest tip for restoring a youthful skin?
Skin care products and treatments are constantly evolving as scientists discover more and more about the skin and what it needs
Do your research and look for a therapist or salon who updates their training regularly, uses a professional brand with active ingredients, offers recommendations on
TASTE
St Andrews
New Kids on the Block
THE SAINT Sadly 2018 saw the end of the West Port, one of St Andrews’ most popular bars. In its place is The Saint has recently received an extensive renovation creating cosy, modern lounge areas and a refreshed, extensive garden area so you can enjoy whatever the Scottish weather throws your way. Whether you are a visitor or local and in sunshine or rain, The Saint is the ideal spot to while away a sunny afternoon, tuck into some locally sourced, quality bar dining or have a wee dram.
CANNY SOUL The Canny Soul has, in many ways, filled the gap created by the departure of Cherries up the road on South Street. This independent takeaway and café serve succulent breakfast rolls, warming homemade soups, oven baked toasties, teas & freshly ground coffee.
ST ANDREWS BREWING CO. NORTH ST Following St Andrews Brewing Company’s acquisition of Rascals Bar this summer, the company has announced its plans for the North Street venue. They will be relaunching as St Andrews Brewing Co, North St as a Sports Bar, with an improved menu featuring the same great burgers and wings, but adding steaks, ribs, tacos and many other delicious dishes, including their ‘Buddha Bowls’ for the veggies and vegans. They will be airing loads of sports on their multi-screens, and they say want to be the best place around for watching golf, football, rugby, cricket, NFL, NBC, boxing etc and are keen to open in time for the Ryder Cup. Rascals was, at its peak, an immensely popular bar, particularly for its burgers. It was a great venue for student socials, and the bar partnered with several University societies. However, this change will take it to the next level, and fill a gap which has been empty for a long time in St Andrews.
COMBINICO Another new outlet has replaced an old favourite. Cherries was a favourite café for many locals and tourists alike, but following retirement the owners decided to call time on their 20-plus years in town. In its place is a Korean and Japanese ready-to-go experience. They say: “We design products and experiences to solve the problem of everyday food related convenience. Our mission is to create the next generation of ready-togo retail experiences in university towns across the world.” A unique feature of CombiniCo is its Card Payment Only policy. Which suits most students perfectly.
HIGHLAND HOUSE ST ANDREWS With Prezzo closing this August there was a chance to bring something different to St Andrews, and Highland House certainly achieved that. This is a unique Scottish experience with clothing made from the finest Scottish materials and many gifts available to purchase, with a bar. The finest Scottish Whisky and Gin for sale.
ROGUE A seafood and steakhouse, with its own Gin distillery on site. This new restaurant opened in the building previously occupied by the popular pub Drouthy Neebors in April. The refit kept many of the original features whilst exposing many which had been hidden over the years. A combination of the contemporary and the ancient, much like St Andrews itself
VISIT
St Andrews
West Sands named UK’s Best Beach
West Sands has been voted as the UK’s best beach in a poll on Finance website Satsuma. A poll of over 2,200 found that the St Andrews coastline was the best. This wonderful beach is the epicentre of a visit to this town. Next to the golf courses and near much of the public car-parking it is perfect for a stroll with a friend, with family, the dog or just by yourself. The unusual hot weather over the summer meant it was packed daily, with some brave souls even dipping considerably more than a toe into the North Sea. Made world-famous by the movie Chariots of Fire, West Sands seas a beach race under the same name each June. It is also popular for beach volleyball, kite fliers, surfers and several activities run by Blown Away, such as Landyachting, Kayaking, Paddleboarding as well as Sailing run by St Andrews Sailing Club.
Whatever happened to
This once ultra-popular venue on the Scores under the Hotel du Vin was the go to place to start your St Andrews night out. Once one of Prince William's favourite haunts, and a must visit for the stars of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the bar is virtually never open now, aside from a few token student events. Ma Bells has been part of the Hotel Du Vin since Malmaison purchased the St Andrews Golf Hotel in 2013, and the decline of the bar is surely no coincidence. The hotel has its own bar and restaurant, which has been heavily promoted. So staffing and promoting another bar would be seen as not being financially prudent. Despite this the website still advertises it as being open 11am til late, 7 days a week. I first visited Ma Bells in 2004 during Dunhill week as a 21-year-old university student, part of a group volunteering at the tournament. The bar was mobbed, you could barely move, and it was particularly notable for Ian Poulter and Paul Casey being out for a few drinks the night before the championship began.
Julie
Heidi
Was a fabulous place early 90s happy hour 2 for 1 with a table full of a nights worth of drink ! Great music get in early to get a seat watched Prince Naseem boxing that was a big night ! So sad was a great local but now hardly any locals in the town to go there ! Only ever 1 person on bar no music and sport on tv with subtitles ☚ď¸?
Ma Bells was the place to go when I was growing up in the 80s Friday & Saturday it was rammed and during the opens you practically had to body surf to the bar. It’s just never been the since The Hughes Family sold it ..also remember the Ma Bells 7s what riot those were
Heather
Martina
I had my wedding reception at The Golf Hotel....went down to Ma Bells in my wedding dress for a couple of pints xx đ&#x;˜Š
Roy, Stuart, Moon, Allan, Gemma, Chelsey - I think we can all say that this place used to have some pretty decent parties đ&#x;˜ƒđ&#x;˜„đ&#x;‘Œâ?¤ď¸?
Michelle
Gemma
Hughes were fantastic family to work for x lots of good memories x lost its magic when du vin took over x x x
Great times were had there! I loved working there!
Stuart Best job/team ever.. amazing times
đ&#x;˜ đ&#x;˜ đ&#x;˜
2018 ST ANDREWS PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL 1-28 October The St Andrews Photography Festival returns for a third season this October.
The St Andrews Photography Festival aims to celebrate this long line of Scottish photographers, historic and contemporary and to recognise St Andrews as the home of Scottish Photography. In 2018, approximately 12 non-traditional venues across town will have their wall space taken over for this 4-week festival. Additionally, we will be hosting events, talks, historical process demonstrations, workshops as well as a photography competition. An exciting month-long programme of events is planned for the St Andrews Photography Festival 2018. The festival launches at The Adamson with the launch of the book on Dr John Adamson, the photographer which used to call the same building home, and whose name is immortalized by the restaurant and bar. A full calendar of events can be found on the St Andrews Photography Festival website.
We have the
They have the
Dundee Waterfront Museum set to bring visitors from across the world to the area, and become a must visit destination as part of any trip to the home of golf
For the best part of three and a half years now the journey over the Tay Bridge has seen your eye drawn to a spaceship being built on the banks of the river, excitement has grown the closer it has got to completion. Excitement has turned to anticipation of seeing what is inside this soon to become iconic structure, which is set to change the face of Dundee and the Tay area. The view from the likes of Tayport and Newport will never be the same again, and perhaps in the history of Scotland there has never been a more anticipated opening of a museum. Who’d have thought Queen Victoria’s legacy would be now a stunning monument in Scotland? The V&A Dundee opens on Saturday 15 September and V&A call it a cultural milestone for Dundee and landmark moment for V&A. The V&A Dundee will be Scotland’s first museum of design and is expected to attract over 500,000 visitors in its first year.
The V&A Dundee has the chance to launch a new era for one of Scotland’s historic cities and have a farreaching economic impact across Angus and Fife. The bars, restaurants, shops and hotels of Dundee are sure to benefit from the enormous influx of visitors over the next 12 months and beyond.
The concert features the Young People’s Collective, Primal Scream, Lewis Capaldi, Clair Stirling, Andrew Wasylyk, St Martins, Gary Clark, Be Charlotte and Su Shaw and runs from 14-15 September. The concert sold out weeks ago and is set to focus local, national and international attention on the V&A.
And it doesn’t stop at the Tay Bridge. The likes of the Newport Restaurant in Newport is the ideal place to dine with a view of the V&A. Further afield and closer to home,
The opening weekend free tickets have all been allocated as locals and visitors rush to snap up the opportunity to see inside this incredible building.
St Andrews is certain to benefit from visitors wishing to double-up on their cultural experience, St Andrews has an opportunity to sell itself as the perfect addition to a visit to the V&A, selling the incredible history and culture it has to offer, alongside its clear asset as a golfing destination and its wonderful beaches.
With its complex geometry, inspired by the dramatic cliffs along the north-east coast of Scotland, it stretches out into the River Tay – a new landmark connecting the city with its historic waterfront, and a new major cultural development for Scotland and the UK.
Opening weekend of the V&A Dundee includes a 3D Festival and concert in Slessor Gardens, the purposebuilt outdoor area for public performances.
At the heart of the museum the Scottish Design Galleries feature 300 exhibits drawn from the V&A’s rich collections of Scottish design, as well as from museums and private collections across
Scotland and the world. At the centre of these galleries stands the magnificent Charles Rennie Mackintosh Oak Room meticulously restored, conserved and reconstructed through a partnership between V&A Dundee, Glasgow Museums and Dundee City Council. Visitors to the museum will be able to experience once again Mackintosh’s extraordinary talent in designing this room, lost to view for nearly 50 years. The ambitious international exhibition programme opens with Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, organised by the V&A and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the first exhibition to explore the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner on an international scale. Major exhibitions are complemented by new commissions and installations including This, looped by Glasgow-based artist and former Turner prize nominee Ciara Phillips. Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “The opening of V&A Dundee is a historic
occasion for Dundee, for the V&A, and for the very many people who played a vital part and supported its realisation. This is a very proud moment for all involved.
landscape and nature. I was inspired by the cliffs of north-eastern Scotland – it’s as if the earth and water had a long conversation and finally created this stunning shape.
“V&A Dundee’s aspiration is to enrich lives, helping people to enjoy, be inspired by and find new opportunities through understanding the designed world. After years of planning, we are thrilled at being able to celebrate the realisation of the first V&A museum in the world outside London.
"It is also fitting that the restored Oak Room by Charles Rennie Mackintosh is at the heart of this building as I have greatly admired his designs since I was a student. In the Oak Room, people will feel his sensibility and respect for nature, and hopefully connect it with our design for V&A Dundee.
“The museum’s lightfilled wooden interior and impressive spaces inside have been designed to provide a warm welcome to visitors, described by architect Kengo Kuma as a ‘living room for the city’. We are all very excited indeed that we can now welcome everybody into this remarkable new museum.”
“I hope the museum can change the city and become its centre of gravity. I am delighted and proud that this is my first building in the UK and that people will visit it from around the world.”
Kengo Kuma, architect of V&A Dundee, said: “The big idea for V&A Dundee was bringing together nature and architecture, to create a new living room for the city. I’m truly in love with the Scottish
The delivery of V&A Dundee has been overseen by the innovative founding partnership of the V&A, Dundee City Council, the University of Dundee, Abertay University and Scottish Enterprise. The £80.11m project was funded by the Scottish Government, The National Lottery
through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Creative Scotland, Dundee City Council, the UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, University of Dundee, Abertay University and a successful private fundraising campaign which is now complete. Dundee City Council Leader, Councillor John Alexander said: “V&A Dundee is the perfect illustration of how the city is forging a new path and being transformed for every resident, worker and visitor. We are not a city which limits its ambitions and there is much more to come from our creative and dynamic city. “We are predicting an economic boost in the city, estimated in the region of £11.6 million a year and the creation of 361 extra jobs across Scotland, 249 of which will be in Dundee. We also anticipate a significant number of other indirect benefits in terms of jobs and investment from new enterprise, business and increasing footfall in the city. “V&A Dundee presents a unique and major opportunity for the city of Dundee, the
contribution it will make to realising the council's ambitions and strategies for the city are hugely significant and its completion and opening represent the result of much determined effort over a ten-year period by the council and its partners.” Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “This cultural milestone for the city of Dundee is also a landmark moment in V&A history – we’re extremely proud to share in this exceptional partnership, the first of its kind in the UK, and to have helped establish a new international centre for design that celebrates Scotland’s cultural heritage.” V&A Dundee has now successfully completed its capital funding programme, the most ambitious of its kind in Scotland, and will now focus on funding the museum’s exciting exhibitions and learning programmes. Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “Today the spotlight is on Scotland, and Dundee, as cultural organisations across the globe look on in awe at what has
been achieved. For a small country, Scotland has an incredibly rich design heritage with creativity, innovations and inventions that have changed lives across the world. “Thanks to £19 million of funding from The National Lottery, we now have a spectacular, worldclass museum which is a beacon for those incredible achievements and an inspiration for the future of design.” There are fantastic transport links between St Andrews and Dundee, so come and see what St Andrews has to offer whilst experiencing this new, amazing monument to Scotland’s design history across the Tay.
V&A Dundee is free to enter and open daily from 10.00 to 17.00. Buses between St Andrews and Dundee run every 10 minutes throughout the day, and the nightrider ticket is available for £3 for unlimited travel across Fife and Angus.
St Andrews LIFE
Summer time and the living is easy By Tracy Smith
With brighter days and longer nights, it’s great to be able to spend time outside. Here in North East Fife we don’t get the warmest of weather, but someone once told me this corner of Scotland has the same sunshine hours as balmy Los Angeles and who am I to question that.
With this in mind let’s look at styling the outside of your house and bringing the inside out or the outside in.
This is a great time of year to change the feel of your home and to update some accessories to give your spaces a summer update. Just like having a winter wardrobe, with interiors it’s good to brighten things up for summer.
At Interiors by Tracy Smith, we style our projects in a classical way so that they stand the test of time. This allow us to make some small changes throughout the seasons and summer is no exception.
Let’s start with flowers. In the past couple of years, we have witnessed the arrival of faux flowers and there is nothing wrong with that. Our favourite spring flower is Ranunculus. We also love Peony, Roses and of course Hydrangeas for later in the season. It’s important to keep these dust free. They can simply be washed under a tap and patted dry. Here are a few of our favourites
Botanical prints have come through fabric and wallpaper collections in recent times and this summer has been no exception. I have also witnessed more bird and nature inspired designs.
Reappearing on the scene after a few years away is cane furniture or renewable rattan. It can now be found in modern designs with bold fabrics. More comfortable/useable/ wearable flat cane is readily available, as opposed to the more dated rounded cane. Here are a couple of examples from John Lewis and Next.
You can see that the designs are more contemporary and more washed-look furniture is appearing inside and outside the home.
I love cushions especially cushions that have good weight to them. A top tip is to pick a reasonable priced cushion cover and replace the padding inside with a feathered one.
It is also best to buy a cushion that is slightly bigger than the cushion cover. This will give it more fullness. Here are a few favourites from John Lewis and Next.
Another important aspect of bringing the outside in or the inside out is lighting. Whether it is a lantern or string lights, these can certainly improve the ambiance of any room.
Festoon lights are extremely popular this year. Placing lights – either hard-wired solar powered or stand alone lights - at the bottom of your shrubs or trees brings a bit of ambiance and romance to your evening garden.
As always, the team at Interiors by Tracy Smith are here to offer help and advice about colour choices, interior styling or staging your home for sale or rental. We are more than happy to offer our expertise. Take a look at our website for more information and our latest projects. www.interiorsbytracysmith.co.uk
STUDENTS RETURN AND ARRIVE FOR A NEW YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
A LOOK AHEAD TO THE KEY DATES OF THE 2018-19 ACADEMIC YEAR
8-16 September Freshers Week
15 September Starfields 2018
16 September Freshers Fayre
6 October Opening Ball 2018
21/22 October Raisin
10 November Welly Ball
6/7 December Graduations
8-21 December Semester 1 Examinations
February 2019 St Andrews Charity Fashion Show
April 2019 Sports Ball
May 2019 Golf Ball
May 2019 The Kate Kennedy Charity May Ball
11-26 May May Examinations
24 June Graduation Week
THE WORLD OF
GOLF
EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
RYDER CUP PREVIEW
ROLEX SERIES
ELEVEN SPORTS ENTER THE GOLF MARKET ALL FOUR DAYS OF PGA CHAMPIONSHIP LIVE 6 EVENTS ON THE LPGA IN 2018 FACEBOOK ANNOUNCED AS FREE-TO-AIR PARTNER ROOKIE ONLINE NETWORK GAINS MIXED REVIEWS FOR COVERAGE AFTER THE 2017 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WAS RECEIVED SO POORLY BY VIEWERS OF BBC LAST AUGUST IT WAS HOPED THAT THE 100TH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD BE GIVEN THE TREATMENT THAT IT DESERVED, ALAS THE PGA OF AMERICA HAD DIFFERENT IDEAS. You cannot fault the intent of Eleven Sports and their owners Acer, owners of Leeds United Football Club, in attempting to build a viable online sports network, indeed across the world they do hold several major rights packages. Earlier this summer they announced the acquisition of La Liga from Sky and Serie A from BT, huge coups for a broadcaster very much in its infancy. These announcements will undoubtedly see many people subscribing to watch some of the biggest matches in the world of football. However, few fans will subscribe specifically to watch golf, and the idea casual sports fans will subscribe at all is fanciful. Only the committed sports fan is going to subscribe to a network like Eleven Sports, and how many of those are going to do so because of the PGA Championship? The PGA of America ended its deal with Sky Sports surprisingly last summer, after IMG failed to broker a deal between the organisers of the PGA Championship and its longest standing worldwide television partner. Hurriedly the PGA agreed a deal with Give Me Sport (Facebook), Twitter and BBC Sport. The result was nothing like the outcome the PGA had hoped for. They wished to see the championship more appealing to a younger, more diverse audience across different platforms, helping to grow the game. This failed with awful ratings and even worse feedback, particularly for BBC’s coverage. The PGA of America changed the tagline of the PGA Championship from ‘Glory’s last shot’ to ‘This is Major’ three years ago. The 100th PGA Championship should have been a premier event in terms of television coverage, not used to experiment with untried, untested online platforms with nothing close to the following of Sky, BBC or any other mainstream broadcaster. THIS IS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENT. And Eleven Sports is not Amazon Prime. Amazon’s video streaming service bought the rights to the US Open Tennis months in advance and this enabled time to plan the broadcast and work with partners in order to produce the best possible on-air coverage. They had also bought rights to the ATP Tour last winter and with over 4million subscribers in the UK it has the perfect platform to grow the audience for the US Open and provide hardcore fans with a more than acceptable level of coverage. The PGA Tour has struck a worldwide distribution deal with Discovery Communications, a company which is unrivalled in experience of this and holds the rights to the pan-European broadcast of the Olympic Games. The PGA of America needs to sort its strategy out and ensure the PGA Championship returns to the mainstream in the UK or risk losing an entire generation of fans.
TIGER WOODS RETURNS
By Matt Hooper
When Tiger Woods withdrew in agony at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic last February his career looked all but over. Back fusion surgery followed in April, and he is said to have shed high doubt on his future within the game at that time. The possibility that the greatest icon the game has ever seen never teeing it up again was very real. When he was arrested for a DUI in the summer of 2017 it seemed like this once great golfer was in a tailspin towards retirement and an undignified exit from the sport he once ruled. At the age of 41, with a body diminished by multiple surgeries, and five years removed from his most recent tournament victory we all believed that his days were numbered on the tour. The most ardent Tiger fans always believed, but even they were perhaps more hopeful than believers. At the Presidents Cup 12 months ago, he was a Captain’s Assistant, and in a press conference he was
asked if he had considered if he would never play again. His answer sent shockwaves through the game, saying "There were times when ... I didn't know if I was going to be able to be here because I couldn't ride in a cart," "The bouncing just hurt too much. Driving a car still hurt. So that's all gone now, which is fantastic. And yeah, there were some intrepid times - not just for this golf tournament, but for life going forward." Following a lengthy rehabilitation period, he went from hitting 60yard pitches to a full swing and declared himself ready to tee-itup in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December. When Tiger began the Hero World Challenge nobody was quite sure of what we would see, and what it would mean. Woods had made this event his comeback before, indeed, it was his first tournament victory after his absence from the game due to personal problems in 2010.
Rounds of 69 and 68 saw Tiger briefly lead the tournament, before a 75 in the third round saw him fall out of contention. However, a week of encouraging signs was completed with a final round of 68. His next start was then unknown, but in early 2018 Woods announced he would return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open. A steady, if unspectacular four days saw Tiger post rounds of 72, 71, 70 and 72 to finish 3-under-par and tie for 23rd position, 7 shots out of the lead. It was a much better than anticipated return to action. Hi next appearance would be at the Genesis Open, where, as host, he would miss the cut by four shots. Six rounds into his comeback and whilst there were many encouraging signs the same old failings were there. His driving was putting him out of position more often than not. But he seemed to be displaying no signs of physical difficulties which had dogged him for so long.
Then he teed it up in somewhat of a home game at The Honda Classic, and Tiger fever was well and truly alive. Rounds of 70, 71, 69 and 70 saw him finish in a tie for 12th place, and at times it seemed he could finish even higher. A few loose shots in the Bear Trap ended his challenge for the title, but people were starting to talk of Tiger ‘being back’. After missing the WGCMexico Championship he played the Valspar Championship for the first time in his career, and the locals showed up in record numbers to witness a truly special week. An opening round of 70 set him up for an unlikely tilt at the tournament and rounds of 68 and 67 put him firmly in contention on Sunday. An early birdie got the crowd going, but he couldn’t find another until the 17th, and came to the final hole needing birdie to force a playoff. His approach to the 72nd wasn’t close enough and he missed out by a shot. But this was huge progress, and much faster than anyone had anticipated.
He was set for a return to a place which he had dominated in the past. It was Tiger’s first appearance at Bay Hill since the passing of Arnold Palmer, and until the 16th tee on Sunday he was right there with a chance to add yet another victory to his incredible resume. But his driver once again let him down, with a snap hook out of bounds, allowing a surging Rory McIlroy to claim the title. Winless he remained, but Tiger was once more front and centre of the golfing world. This only helped to add to the sense of anticipation for his return to Augusta. However, it would not be the week for Tiger to add a fifth green jacket. He finish in a tie for 32nd and never really featured in the contest for the first major of the year. Solid performances followed at Quail Hollow, Sawgrass and Muirfield Village before a missed cut at Shinnecock Hills in the US Open. Half-way through the season Woods had displayed several signs he could
once again contend at the highest level. Then at Carnoustie it oh-so-nearly came together, as he took the lead with 8 holes to play on Sunday. A sloppy double-bogey on the 11th put paid to his chances, but the atmosphere of a Tiger charge was back, and this gave him the confidence to head to the year’s final major believing he could produce the unthinkable. And at Bellerive it so nearly happened. He started slowly, 3over-par after two holes, but he rallied to post an opening round of 70 and then two rounds of 66 had him sitting four shots adrift of the leader Brooks Koepka. Sunday would be a thrilling final day, with many players having the chance to lift the Wanamaker Trophy, and for the first time Woods was right in the heat of the battle. Four birdies on either nine saw him post his lowest ever final round in a major, the atmosphere was electric as he surged to a round of 64, finishing two off Koepka.
The numbers were one thing, the style he did it in was quite another. This was the Tiger of old. Recovery shots from the trees, stunning iron shots, confident putting and shortgame wizardry. Tiger Woods was back, and everyone knew it. His performances on the PGA Tour over this season earned him a place in the seasonending Tour Championship, and a wildcard from Jim Furyk for the USA Ryder Cup team. But most impressively he moved up from outside the world’s top 650 to inside the world’s top 30. With events remaining this season there is every chance he will end 2018 near or inside the top ten. That in itself would be remarkable, should he win it may go down as one of the greatest sporting stories ever told. What’s in the future? Who knows? Tiger could barely walk 12 months ago, perhaps in 2019 he will make us all believe he can walk on water again and claim that fifteenth major. 2018. Tiger Woods Returns.
TIGER’S RESULTS IN 2018
FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
T-23
GENESIS OPEN
MC
THE HONDA CLASSIC
12
VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP
T-2
ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
T-5
THE MASTERS
T-32
WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP
T-55
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
T-11
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
T-23
US OPEN
MC
QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL
T-4
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
T-6
WGC-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL
T-31
THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
2
THE NORTHERN TRUST DELL TECHNOLOGIES CHAMPIONSHIP
PLAYED
16
WON
0
TOP 5
4
TOP 10
5
MISSED CUTS
2
YEAR-END OWGR 2017
656
CURRENT OWGR
26
Correct as of 9 September 2018
2018 ROLEX SERIES
BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP ITALIAN OPEN HNA OPEN DE FRANCE DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN ABERDEEN STANDARD INVESTMENTS SCOTTISH OPEN TURKISH AIRLINES OPEN NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
As the PGA Tour season draws to a close at the end of September with the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP the world’s attention will next turn to the Ryder Cup and then the climax to the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. Specifically, the Rolex Series and the Turkish Airlines Open, Nedbank Golf Challenge and the DP World Tour Championship. Rolex has cemented its place at the heart of the game in Europe, and the introduction of the Rolex Series offers players the chance to compete in a new premium tournament category on the European Tour’s International Schedule. The 2018 Rolex Series has already seen great drama and excitement at five tournaments across Europe, beginning with the European Tour’s flagship tournament – the BMW PGA Championship. Francesco Molinari produced a superb performance to outlast a quality field including four-time Major Champion and former World Number One, Rory McIlroy.
The Italian shot a final round of 68 to win by two from McIlroy and three from the defending champion Alex Noren. In the following week, the Italian Open was centre stage and it was Dane Thorbjorn Olesen who walked away with the winners share of $7million. Olesen, a former Alfred Dunhill Links Champion, shot a final round of 64 to overcome home favourite Molinari by a single shot on a dramatic final day in Brescia. The victory would be central to securing a debut in the European Ryder Cup team in France. The most recent Rolex Series events would be part of a golden summer for the European Tour, beginning at the HNA Open de France at Ryder Cup host course, Le Golf National. Once again it would be a come from behind victory for Alex Noren, winner of the very first Rolex Series tournament in 2017. The Swede shot a final round of 67 to defeat Scotland’s Russell Knox by a single shot.
Success in a Rolex Series event would again be vital to helping Noren secure his debut in the Ryder Cup this September. Indeed, victories in the Premier tournament category of the European Tour has helped Noren, Olesen, Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood secure their places in the European Team. Following a narrow defeat in France, Scot Knox would go on to claim a dramatic first European Tour title at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open the following week. Trailing entering the final round the former WGC-HSBC Champion would produce drama of the highest order to edge out New Zealand’s Ryan Fox in a playoff at Ballyliffin. Knox holed 40-foot putts on both the 72nd hole and the first hole of the playoff to thrill the large galleries and take the spoils. In the following week the cream of the European Tour and many of the best in world golf headed to Knox’s homeland for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. Once more we had final round
dramatics, as South African Brandon Stone shot a final round of 60 to win at Gullane by four shots from England’s Eddie Pepperell. A field including Rickie Fowler, Thomas Pieters, Justin Rose, Masters champion Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Phil Mickelson were left trailing in Stone’s wake in a week of low scoring on the East Lothian coast. Following a huge summer including The Open, WGCBridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship, the European Tour is set for a thrilling finish. The Race to Dubai takes centre stage, beginning with the Alfred Dunhill Links at the home of golf in the week following the Ryder Cup. The Sky Sports British Masters is the final event of the year in the UK, at former Ryder Cup host Walton Heath. Then the tour moves to Spain and the renowned Valderrama for the Andalucia Valderrama Masters and the
penultimate event on European soil. The World’s Best then assemble in China for the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International, before the Rolex Series determines the seasonlong champion of the Race to Dubai. Justin Rose will return to defend his Turkish Airlines Open title at Regnum Carya Golf Resort and Spa in Antalya from 1-4 November. The Turkish Airlines Open has quickly become one the most significant tournaments on the European Tour, previously attracting the likes of Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy to play in the Turkish sunshine. Then the penultimate event of the season takes place at the iconic Sun City in South Africa. Rory McIlroy returns to play the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the first time in nearly a decade and will be hoping to keep his hopes of a fourth Race to Dubai title alive. The former world number one will face a strong home challenge with Branden Grace
leading an exciting and talented group of South Africans looking to lift the title regarded as Africa’s Major. Then the season concludes at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates will once more be the stage for one of the most exciting tournaments in golf. This year the grand final of the European Tour celebrates 10 years of playing host to the top 60 on the European Tour. And potentially the stakes have never been higher. With so many points to play for over the next couple of months all of the current top ten can harbour hopes of lifting the iconic Harry Vardon Trophy at the conclusion of the final Rolex Series event of the year. Jon Rahm, currently ranked 7th on the Race to Dubai will look to defend the title he so dramatically won last year, and 2017 Race to Dubai Champion Tommy Fleetwood will hope to make it backto-back Race to Dubai victories.
THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
From 13–16 September 120 of the best women golfers will gather high above the banks of Lake Geneva in Évian-les-Bains, France, for the final Major of the season. Hosted by the Evian Resort Golf Club, The Evian Championship blends European chic with elite-level golf in a stunning location at the foot of the Alps. Rolex has been a partner of the tournament since 2001.
Swedish champion Anna Nordqvist will be looking to defend her title after winning the 2017 trophy in a play-off marked by torrential rain and wind. With her victory, the two-time Major champion added her name to the distinguished list of The Evian Championship winners, which boasts several fellow Rolex Testimonees, including Annika Sörenstam, winner of a record 10 women’s Majors, and the prodigious Lydia Ko from New Zealand, who became the youngest golfer to win a Major after capturing The Evian Championship, aged 18 years, four months and 20 days, in 2015.
ROLEX NEW GUARD Ko, who became the youngest golfer to top the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings at the age of 17 years, nine months and nine days, is among a group of exceptionally talented young golfers at the vanguard of women’s golf, all of whom are part of the Rolex family. Among this New Guard of Rolex Testimonees seeking their first Evian Championship title are Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson, both of whom have tasted success at the Majors and won multiple events on the LPGA Tour, which Rolex has partnered since 1980. Henderson arrives at the French resort in a rich vein of form having won in August at the CP Women’s Open in her home country of Canada. Franck Riboud, chairman of The Evian Championship, said: “We are committed to fostering the trend-setting status and heritage of this tournament and, since 2000, Rolex has been supporting us in our initiative through their sponsorship of The Evian Championship. Their alliance with us, and with golf for more than 50 years, has been instrumental to the development of the sport, and we are so grateful to count them as partners.”
ROLEX ANNIKA MAJOR AWARD Adding to the stakes at The Evian Championship is the chance for the top performer in the Majors to receive the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. Established in 2014 and named after the only golfer to have won all five titles, Swedish golf legend Annika Sörenstam, the winner of this prestigious prize must have won at least one of the year’s five women’s Majors, all of which are supported by Rolex as part of the brand’s enduring commitment to golf at every level.
THE RISE OF THE ROLEX NEW GUARD THOMAS, SPIETH, FOWLER AND CO LEAD A NEW GENERATION OF ROLEX TESTIMONEES DOMINATING THE GAME OF GOLF
It was The Masters 1997. Tiger Woods had announced his arrival on the world stage by winning his first of four green jackets at the Augusta National Golf Club. This would be the American’s first of a remarkable 14 Major championship wins, signalling an era of dominance that took golf to heights never previously reached.
In the women’s game, Sweden’s Annika Sörenstam had already claimed two U.S. Women’s Open titles and would go on to win an unprecedented 10 Major championships. These two iconic golfers changed the face of the sport, introducing it to a wider global audience.
At the same time, and away from the spotlight, a generation of future elite-level golfers, many of whom would go on to attribute their inspiration to Woods and Sörenstam, were just at the start of their journeys towards becoming world-class golfers
A quarter of a century later and these young men and women are now the ones changing the landscape of the sport. Athletes such as threetime Major winner Jordan Spieth and 2017’s breakout star Justin Thomas, both only 24 years of age, are striving to set new standards.
Similarly, Lexi Thompson, who became the youngest ever winner of an LGPA tournament in September 2011, aged 16, and Lydia Ko, who achieved the same feat less than a year later, and went on to win two consecutive Major championships at the 2015 Evian Championship and the 2016 ANA Inspiration, possess the individual skill and pursuit of success inherent in the trailblazers that have come before them.
These prodigious young golfers were all welcomed into the Rolex family of Testimonees shortly after turning professional. Together with a number of supremely talented golfers of their generation, at the forefront of the sport, they represent a new era of golfing excellence and are part of a collective known as the Rolex New Guard.
Motivated to achieve greatness and follow in the footsteps of their iconic predecessors, every member of the Rolex New Guard prepares for pressure situations with unrelenting emphasis on precision, performance, passion, reliability and uncompromising quality. They play with the utmost respect for one another, while sharing a mutual bond and close friendship.
Rolex’s longstanding commitment to golf is part of the Swiss watchmaker’s prestigious sporting and cultural heritage that dates back to the pioneering origins of the company and its desire to support those whose determination and commitment to excellence transcend limits and inspire greatness.
Rolex has championed golf since 1967, nurturing a relationship with its world-class family of Testimonees, all of whom exude excellence on and off the course. Their raw talent and quest for precision and performance have helped them reach the top with integrity, maturity and respect.
Among them are Americans Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler. Fiercely competitive on the course, all three men have already accomplished great feats, with Jordan Spieth winning the 2015 Masters Tournament and the 2015 U.S. Open, followed by victory at The 146th Open, in 2017. Justin Thomas claimed four PGA TOUR events in 2017, including his first Major victory, on route to being named PGA TOUR Player of the Year. Rickie Fowler, who turned professional in 2009 shortly before his 20th birthday, held the accolade of number one ranked amateur golfer in the world for 37 weeks between 2007 and 2008.
In 2016 he reached a career high of fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking following his victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Away from the course, each of these elite competitors are hugely supportive of one another, having built a friendship based on years of seeing each other develop. The evolution of their personalities can partly be attributed to the support received from the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), an organization dedicated to the growth and development of young men and women aspiring to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.
As a Premier Partner since 1986, Rolex has seen many of its Testimonees benefit from the AJGA, including Phil Mickelson, Lorena Ochoa, Lexi Thompson and Tiger Woods. Aside from creating bonds between golfers and teaching them the importance of tradition, etiquette and respect, the AJGA also rewards the best junior golfer in its ranks with the Rolex Junior Player of the Year award, instilling the recipient with the confidence and desire to go on and achieve further success throughout their professional careers.
Reflecting on his memories of being awarded the prestigious title, Jordan Spieth stated that: “Given the major commitment Rolex has made to supporting junior golf, I have been aware of the brand since my earliest days of competing. My first personal connection came when I was awarded the AJGA Rolex Player of the Year in 2009 and my affinity with the brand has grown as our relationship has evolved.”
Fellow American Brooks Koepka is another member of the Rolex family who has experienced Major championship success, winning the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, just a month after his 27th birthday. Since becoming the first player in 30 years to successfully defend the US Open and winning the 100th PGA Championship. Australian Jason Day also experienced his first Major triumph in Wisconsin, aged 27, when he won the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
His commitment to precision on the course, persistence and consistency saw him become the No.1 ranked golfer in the world the same year. Having only turned professional in 2013, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is one of Asia’s finest golfers, with an impressive Majors record to accompany his five PGA TOUR wins. The 25-year-old will expect further accolades in the near future.
Both Rolex Testimonees since 2016, two of the golfers making up the European contingent of the New Guard are Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick and Spain’s Jon Rahm. Following his second win on the European Tour in 2017, both of which were Rolex Series events, Rahm said: “To win two of the European Tour’s Rolex Series events as a Rolex Ambassador has made these victories that much more special.”
The European Tour, a partner of Rolex since 1995, introduced the Rolex Series in 2017, an initiative four-time European Tour event winner Matthew Fitzpatrick commends: “The Rolex Series highlights Rolex’s continued commitment to our game and has been an exceptional addition to the season, enabling both European Tour players and fans to enjoy an elevated level of golf, closer to home.”
Along with Fitzpatrick and Rahm, 26-year-old Thomas Pieters, from Belgium, is another European counterpart who made a name for himself at the 2016 Ryder Cup when he set a new rookie record for points earned. Rahm is sure to play an integral role in The 2018 European Ryder Cup Team, the esteemed event founded in 1927 that Rolex has been a partner of, when in Europe, since 1995.
Rolex is also proud to support many of the world’s best female golfers in the world. All three women in the New Guard are incredibly young, yet have experienced success beyond their years.
Having spent a record 130 weeks as the topranking amateur, Ko went on to become the youngest player of either gender to achieve number one status in the Rolex Rankings as a professional.
Nobody has achieved more at such a young age than the supremely-talented New Zealander Lydia Ko. At just 20 years old, Ko holds 12 LGPA Tour wins, as well as two Major titles.
She then became the youngest woman to win a Major championship in 2015 at The Evian Championship, where Rolex is the Official Timekeeper, and made history by becoming the youngest golfer to win two Major championships in a row with victory at the ANA Inspiration in 2016.
Her extensive list of achievements can be attributed to her obsession with precision, practice and relentless consistency. Ko, like the great Annika SĂśrenstam, plays with an accuracy and elegance found only in the very best.
Another rising star is American Lexi Thompson. At just 12 years of age, Thompson became the youngest golfer to ever qualify to play in the U.S. Women’s Open before turning professional in 2015.
Three years later, she obtained one of the pinnacle achievements in the sport by winning the ANA Inspiration at age 19 and, with two LPGA Tour victories in 2017, continues to contest for top honours in the ladies’ game.
Her incredible level of performance saw her set a record as the youngest-ever winner of an LGPA tournament, aged just 16.
Born in September 1977, the youngest of the Rolex New Guard, Ontario-born Brooke Henderson continues to make waves in the golfing world.
Having turned professional in 2014, the Canadian won her first Major at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the event’s youngest winner at 18. Respect and camaraderie, as well as a desire to win were evident prior to Henderson’s dramatic play-off win over Ko at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2016 after which the Canadian stated: “Lydia Ko is definitely a role model for me, and being able to become friends with her on tour and see her week to week is really cool, even if I know that she is the competition.”
The achievements and accolades of the New Guard are a shining example to young golfers of what can be achieved in the unrelenting pursuit of individual excellence. Every member displays the integrity, respect and sportsmanlike behaviour that is so crucial in inspiring the next generation of true ambassadors of the game.
Just as modern golfing icons Woods and Sรถrenstam were exemplary role models for the athletes that now make up the Rolex New Guard, these men and women are now setting the precedent for the next generation of golfers aiming to reach the very top.
Their meteoric achievements, coupled with their appreciation for the importance of the core values of the sport, will pave the way for many champions to come.
2018
RYDER CUP PREVIEW
THE TEAMS LEADER OF OUR TIME LE GOLF NATIONAL
FOUR YEARS ON FROM GLENEAGLES
EUROPE CAPTAIN
THOMAS BJORN
VICE
LEE WESTWOOD LUKE DONALD
GRAEME MCDOWELL ROBERT KARLSSON PADRAIG HARRINGTON TEAM
FRANCESCO MOLINARI JUSTIN ROSE
TYRRELL HATTON TOMMY FLEETWOOD JON RAHM RORY MCILROY ALEX NOREN THORBJORN OLESEN IAN POULTER HENRIK STENSON PAUL CASEY SERGIO GARCIA
USA CAPTAIN
JIM FURYK
VICE
DAVIS LOVE III STEVE STRICKER
TEAM
BROOKS KOEPKA DUSTIN JOHNSON
JUSTIN THOMAS PATRICK REED BUBBA WATSON JORDAN SPIETH RICKIE FOWLER WEBB SIMPSON TIGER WOODS PHIL MICKELSON BRYSON DECHAMBEAU
TONY FINAU
LE GOLF NATIONAL
Le Golf National joins the elite group of courses to have staged a Ryder Cup this September as Europe and the United States contest the 42nd edition of golf’s greatest and oldest team match. The host of the HNA Open de France, A Rolex Series Event, will provide the stage and test for arguably the two strongest teams in the history of the competition. The Belfry, Valderrama, the K Club, Celtic Manor and Gleneagles have preceded the French course as host for European home matches over the last 25 years, and Le Golf National follows the Spanish club as the second continental European host venue. The Albatross Course is one which is very familiar to all the members of Thomas Bjorn’s team, being permanent host to the French Open since 2002. Indeed, two of the 12 men in the team have won the Open de France in the last two years. Alex Noren and Tommy Fleetwood are a combined 19-under-par in winning over the formidable stadium/inland links layout. Justin Thomas played in this summer’s edition, finishing in a tie for 8 th place. Aside from Thomas the experience of the American team at this venue is very limited, with only Bubba Watson ever playing it before. The course is perfect for an event of the stature of the Ryder Cup, and should the matches come down to the final few holes there could be drama aplenty, with the 15th, 16th and 18th having a lot of water to gobble up errant shots.
2018 RYDER CUP
LEADER OF OUR TIME THOMAS BJORN AIMS TO JOIN THE LEGENDS OF EUROPEAN GOLF WITH SUCCESSFUL RYDER CUP CAPTAINCY
A few days before striking his first ball in competitive team golf something happened that allowed Thomas Bjørn to fully appreciate the scale, depth and meaning of The Ryder Cup; the late Severiano Ballesteros, the European Team Captain for the 1997 edition of the biennial trans-Atlantic golf tournament, handed Bjørn a commemorative Rolex watch.
Looking back, of all the special memories he enjoyed as he became the first ever Dane to play in the competition, it was the limited-edition timepiece, with his name engraved on the back, that came to mean the most.
“That moment, when Ballesteros presented me with a Rolex watch, symbolizes what makes The Ryder Cup so special,” Bjørn recalls. “The captain usually gives them to the players on the Tuesday night of the tournament week.
Given solely to those selected to play by the team captain, for him it was a defining moment, a sign he had arrived at the very pinnacle of golf.
It’s a unique moment for the entire team, very symbolic considering the scale and nature of the event and what Rolex has done for the game of golf.”
Bjørn joins an elite group of Rolex Testimonees who have been selected to captain Europe in The Ryder Cup over the 50year relationship between Rolex and golf. These include German Bernhard Langer (2008), Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie (2010), Spain’s José María Olazábal (2012) and Paul McGinley, from Ireland, in 2014. Like his predecessors, in 2018, it will be the Dane’s turn to present the watches. The ceremony will mark Bjørn’s crossing from player to captaincy.
The Great Dane – as he is known throughout the golf world – will take on the responsibility of leading Team Europe to success, of inspiring synergies among teammates and bringing out the best in each player.
Even with his vast playing experience, the nature of captaincy in team golf will be a new experience for Bjørn. As fellow Testimonee Annika Sörenstam, who led the European Team in the 2017 Solheim Cup, puts it:
“There’s nothing better as a professional golfer than walking down the 16th, 17th and 18th holes in a Major championship if you have a chance to win – The Ryder Cup brings that same feeling and pressure from the very first morning; it’s a really unique atmosphere,” he says. “In terms of how all-consuming the captaincy is, it’s on my mind 24/7.”
“My experience at the Solheim Cup, eight times as a player and then as a vice captain, can’t compare to the year I captained the team in 2017,” she says. “It requires seizing the whole picture and making decisions with that bird’s eye view in clear sight.”
As one would expect from the contemplative Bjørn, who as a player won 21 tournaments and was runner-up three times in Majors, he has thought long and hard about what it means to be the European Ryder Cup captain. Still months before the competition will get underway in September at Le Golf National Club south of Paris, he has already defined his approach and the style of leadership he will bring.
“It’s not my role to tell them how to play, but rather to support and manage them, not by getting in their way, but by helping them make the right decisions.” Bjørn’s analysis is shrewd. While the position may share some of the requirements of being at the helm of a racing yacht in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, taking the captaincy at The Ryder Cup is a role unique in world sport.
Unlike a coach in a team sport who will tell a player whether he wants him to pass short or long, where to run and even where to position himself on the field of play, it would be a rash Ryder Cup captain who tried to tell those under his charge how to address the ball and play each stroke. Each member of the 12-man team will arrive in Paris with a tried and tested system in place of what works for his game.
“These golfers play for themselves all of the time, so you don’t have to instruct them in how to play the course,” says Bjørn. The true task of the Ryder Cup captain is to foster and develop team spirit, to help players performing in the most mentally intimidating arena in their sport feel comfortable and relaxed, ready for action.
Everything in his control – from the style of the uniforms through the standard of the accommodation to the speech made at the ceremonial dinner the night before the competition begins – can make a difference. “I think that confidence is everything in this game,” Bjørn says. And ensuring his team’s selfassurance is not compromised will be at the heart of his approach.
“The younger players sometimes need guidance, and I’m not afraid to tell them that they might be making some strange decisions. In my experience the best thing to do is have a quiet conversation with them and point out a potentially different choice they might make.”
Team Europe’s roster will not be decided until after the release of this edition. However, among the family of Rolex Testimonees, the strongest contenders to play in The European Ryder Cup Team, supported by Rolex since 1995, include Rafa Cabrera-Bello (Spain), Paul Casey (UK), Matthew Fitzpatrick (UK), Thorbjørn Olesen (Denmark), Thomas Pieters (Belgium), and Jon Rahm (Spain).
“My main concern is to have 12 guys there who are in form and ready to play,” Bjørn says. “My message to players is that it’s not about making The Ryder Cup Team, it’s about playing in The Ryder Cup. Looking back over the years, people are so keen to make the team that they forget that from the day they qualify they have to play in it as well. It’s a fantastic stage to play on, but only when you are ready to play.”
There will be Rolex players on Team USA, too, where candidates include three of 2017’s Major winners, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, as well as proven team golf experts Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson. This family of Rolex golfers share the same pursuit of excellence and the Swiss watchmaker’s qualities of precision, performance, reliability and uncompromising quality.
When it comes to selecting Team Europe, Bjørn will have a more significant input than any of his predecessors in the role of captain. While eight of the 12 will be selected from a combination of European Tour and World rankings, he will be able to choose an unprecedented four wild card picks, one more than any captain preceding him.
When making his decision about who should be his special choices, Bjørn will have to weigh numerous considerations. Perhaps a player of significant Ryder Cup pedigree suffering from a temporary dip in results would be the best choice. He could also bring in a fine player recently recovered from an injury who has been prevented by absence from accruing sufficient points on the Tour to qualify outright.
Or he might call upon a local, used to playing the Paris course. Not that he is giving anything away about his thinking this far from the selection deadline.
When the first tee shot is made on the morning of 28 September, the captain will have decided who plays with whom, and in what order. That is often a critical, matchwinning decision. And it is one Bjørn knows he will need to get right. “You must put your trust in your team and believe that your 12 guys can deliver,” says the Dane. “You’ve got to try to play to your team’s strengths as best you can.
Hindsight is 20/20, and people will always say what might have happened if you had chosen differently. You just have to go on what feels right in the moment.”
He had a different captaincy than in previous years, unfortunately because of September 11th [when tragic events in New York delayed the match for 12 months].
Looking back at his own contribution to Ryder Cup history (he was on the winning side in all three of his appearances in 1997, 2002 and 2014) he is well aware of the significance of the captain’s contribution. “Sam Torrance was a fantastic captain [in 2002].
But it did give him an extra year to prepare. He got to spend so much time with us that he influenced us a lot and that put a completely different perspective on the captaincy. He was a motivator, and he had the ability to make all 12 players feel like they were the best in the world.
He probably didn’t have the greatest team, but he still managed to win against an American team that was extremely strong. I thought that his way of talking to people was amazing.” It is an approach Bjørn will seek to emulate in his one-on-one conversations with the players. Though he says he won’t even try to match Torrance’s inspirational locker room speeches, ever grand and moving.
“I won’t try to be something that I’m not,” he insists. “I want to try to create an uplifting environment for the players. I have some different responsibilities as captain because I have to listen to everybody and then make decisions and I understand that. But I still want to create an environment that all of these guys enjoy being in and playing in.
Whether we win or lose, I want all 12 guys to walk away from The Ryder Cup thinking that it was a good experience – that is my main goal.” And that experience will really begin the moment Bjørn presents the ceremonial Rolex watches to each of the twelve representatives of Team Europe.
2018 RYDER CUP
FOUR YEARS THE
SINCE RYDER CUP AT
GLENEAGLES WHAT HAS THE RYDER CUP DONE FOR SCOTTISH GOLF?
This year’s Ryder Cup in France marks four years since Gleneagles played host to golf’s greatest team event. The event was a massive success, both on and off the course. Generating an economic impact of over £100million for Scotland and attracting over 103,000 unique spectators to the venue. Hosting events such as the Ryder Cup is said to have a major legacy for the host nation, this is also said for events such as the Olympic Games. So, after years of anticipation of the Ryder Cup returning to the home of golf, exactly what impact has it had on Scottish golf?
PARTICIPATION DOWN
Prior to the Ryder Cup in 2014 there were over 200,000 registered golfers in Scotland. A report from KPMG said that by 2016 this had fallen to under 193,000. This is despite the Golf Legacy Programme put in place by Scottish Golf introducing over
260,000 primary school children to the game. The programme claims to have driven these youngsters, ultimately, into club membership.
PERFORMANCE AT THE ELITE LEVEL AMATEUR
Scottish golfers have continued to perform to a high level in the wake of the 2014 Ryder Cup, indeed one legacy of the entire Ryder Cup hosting process was the amateur success of Bradley Neil and Connor Syme. Neil won the Amateur Championship in 2014, qualifying for the 2015 Masters before turning professional after the 2015 US Open. Syme made a run to the quarter-finals of the 2017 US Amateur after winning the 2016 Australian Amateur and the 2017 Battle Trophy before turning professional later that summer. Grant Forrest won the 2014 St Andrews Links Trophy and 2016 Battle trophy, turning professional later that year.
However with only Ryan Lumsden (95) in the world’s top 100 amateurs at the time of publication, it is clear that Scottish golf is in serious decline. There are only 3 Scots inside the top 200 in the amateur game, which over the last decade has been the great hope of the game in this country. Neil, Syme and Forrest have all shone on the amateur stage, however converting this to professional success has been difficult.
PROFESSIONAL
Over a century ago Scotland was the world leader in professional golf. But it is now 20 years since the last Scottish victory in a major, and the inspiration of hosting the Ryder Cup has done nothing to change the situation. In fact, no Scot has finished inside the top 10 at any major in over 10 years. Prior to the 2014 Ryder Cup there was 1 Scot in the world’s top fifty – Stephen Gallacher. There was 2 in in the top 100 and 6 in the top 200. At the time of publication no Scots were ranked inside the world’s top fifty, there was just 1 inside the top 100 – Russell Knox. Sadly, only 3 are currently ranked inside the world’s top 200.
The decline is even starker when you look at the number of victories by Scots over the last four years. Scottish golfers have won just four times across the two major tours of the world. 2 of them counting for the PGA Tour and 3 for the European Tour. Russell Knox has won 3 of those 4 titles. Performance on their home tour has also been on the decline, with 4 players set to secure their card for 2019 via the Race to Dubai. Connor Syme and Bradley Neil are still young enough to have a career on a par with Justin Rose, however Scotland still lacks a young player to match the impact of Rory McIlroy.
Scottish wins since 2014 Ryder Cup 2015 Trophee Hassan II RICHIE RAMSAY 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions RUSSELL KNOX 2016 Travelers Championship RUSSELL KNOX 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open RUSSELL KNOX
CONCLUSION
Events which promise a legacy of higher participation and greater success rarely deliver, so Scotland’s significant decline at all levels of golf cannot be
blamed upon the 2014 Ryder Cup. However, the fact it hasn’t acted as an inspiration to many youngsters is somewhat of a surprise in this golf-crazy nation.
COMING IN 2019
100 YEARS OF
GOLF
AT GLENEAGLES
#autumniscoming
COMING SOON
OUR ANNUAL ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION