For centuries, it’s been understood by any golfer playing the 18th at the Old Course at St Andrews: don’t go right! The short (by today’s standards) par-4 finishing hole has arguably the widest fairway in golf, as long as you play to the left towards the R&A clubhouse. But with The Links road that runs to the right and parallel to the hole being out-of-bounds, a shot that begins to fade down that line can ruin the end of a round before you can smile for pictures on the Swilcan Bridge.
Guido Migliozzi looked like he was about to learn this the hard way on Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The 24-year-old Italian was out of the running for the title but trying to secure a top-20 finish that would keep him inside the top 15 in the Race to Dubai standings. He was coming off a bogey on the 17th hole to sit at three-under for his round when he pushed his tee shot on the 18th. When the ball hit the pavement and bounded forward, Migliozzi’s fate seem secured. Same with the second and the third bounces. But then, well, it sort of has to be seen to be believed:
When you think of the Golf Gods, it’s usually for some cruel twist of fate that they played. But apparently they can giveth as well as taketh away.
Migliozzi took advantage of their generosity, as he got up and down for birdie to close out a final-round 68 and secure a T-17 finish.
PHOTO: Mark Runnacles
