Time to get away from that foul odor that was the American Ryder Cup team.
Time to get rid of that stink emanating from Patrick Reed.
We all need a breath of fresh air.
Make that a breath of fresh, Scottish air.
Pack up lads and lassies, we’re off to Scotland, to the East Lothian region on the country’s east coast and our three destinations are nothing short of epic and classic — The Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
We’re talking about the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and if we’ve got a vote — it’s the best pro-am in the world — just look at the venues. Doesn’t get any better, doesn’t get any more classic than those three championship links courses.
The format is like our old Crosby Pro-Am — one pro teamed with one amateur. There are a total of 168 two-man teams scattered over the three great courses for the first 54 holes. The field is trimmed to the low 60 professionals and low 20 teams for the final round at St. Andrews on Sunday.
So what if we can’t hop a flight and get over there? The Golf Channel has us covered. Comes on at 8 a.m. every day, perfect early morning event for this weekend.
Scotland alone is worth it. The Old Course is the home of golf. It is pure history sitting there, grass, pot bunkers, gorse and what have you there on the banks of the North Sea with the West Sands a favorite place for local folks to stroll. West Sands was the film’s scene where the British runners were training on the beach in the movie Chariots Of Fire.
The grounds are hallowed and ancient. The Open Championship has been staged there 29 times. We have a small piece of its turf in the golf bag pocket as a constant reminder of the journey of a lifetime.
Carnoustie is Carnoustie. You watched Francesco Molinari bury Tiger Woods and everyone else there last summer to win the Open Championship.
Kingsbarns is a relatively young links course, opened in 2000. It is a short six-and-a-half miles from St. Andrews and has some awesome vistas of the North Sea.
With those three courses as the backdrop, you can take a quick Scottish vacation from the comfort of your easy chair.
Tyrrell Hatton obviously loves these three courses. The English player, a member of the winning European Ryder Cup team, has won back-to-back titles and is looking for the hat-trick this week.
Most of the players from the USA went home to lick their embarrassing mental wounds but we do have some of our lads in the field.
The field got off and running on Thursday and it was a nice October in East Lothian — chilly temperatures and a lot of wind.
It made for a tough day at all three. Best Tommy Fleetwood could do was a one-under par 71 at Kingsbarns — and he had to rally over his final nine to accomplish that.
Hatton didn’t exactly tear things up at Kingsbarns either. He opened with a 70 as did Brooks Koepka, fresh off the Ryder Cup thrashing.
Tony Finau was over par most of the day at Kingsbarns, finishing with 73.
Only two players managed to get to four-under in the Scottish breeze. Marcus Fraser shot 68 at Carnoustie while three-time winner this season, Matt Wallace, posted 68 at The Old Course, which defended its honor quite well in the opening round.
But the players aren’t the real stars of this week in Scotland.
These golf courses are the superstars.
So tune in, relax, and enjoy Scotland.
Should beat the heck out of watching the U.S. implode in France.
6 Comments
baxter cepeda
The two pro ams at Pebble are pretty good comtenders. The champions players with the First Tee kids at Pebble is a beautiful thing. As a First Tee coach Cannot wait for my kids to get their chance. The Dunhill is great but Pebble always shows just as great on the tube as it does in real life.
Tom Edrington
I am partial to Scotland…I have played all three of those fabulous courses…..when you consider the legendary players who have stood on the first tee at The Old Course, I don’t think Pebble Beach can evoke that sort of feeling, but I am partial to its ancient age and history. Pebble doesn’t measure up on those two counts.
baxter cepeda
I know what you mean about history. Pebble May Not be to the level of The Home of Golf but it has some pretty amazing history of its own, certainly over Kingsbarns. Both areas are great. I will say its the best regular European Tour event, and thats despite the amateurs.
Tom Edrington
Good news is they don’t show the amateurs much, not the way they do at Pebble where they get waaaaaaaaaaay too much air time.
baxter cepeda
Totally agree. Way too much…as if fed ex cup isnt frustrating enough they make us watch the ceo amd a bunch of other ‘celebrities’ most people need to be told who they are.
Tom Edrington
Great finish to Dunhill…..Hatton lost it when he played The Loop two-over par…..I played The Loop one-over and was sick as I could be playing the final round but fought through it….experience of a lifetime!