Nicklaus first saw the most historic course on the planet in 1964, when he finished runner-up behind the late Tony Lema in what was his third Open appearance. He loved it then and he loves it still.
When the 150th Open Championship begins at St Andrews on Thursday, there will be 11 Australians taking part. A century ago there was only one, and if not for one dramatic collapse he would have been Australia’s first Open champion.
The task at St Andrews Opens is to provoke the best players in the world into displaying their peerless talents to the most evocative extent – no matter the winning score.
Gordon McKie is just the ninth superintendent since old Tom Morris. Amid the modern crises of distance and climate, his watch could be the most critical.
Matt Fitzpatrick is a Major champion, winning the US Open with a legendary ball-striking performance – and doing it at The Country Club, where it all started. There is so, so much to discuss. Here are 18 parting thoughts from Brookline.
In golf in the 2020s, guys can disappear into a lab, flanked by incredibly bright and motivated people, who possess the latest of high-tech gadgets, and emerge a far better player.
Australian Golf Digest
