A New Record at an Old Course

Yesterday, Tyrrell Hatton successfully defended his title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, shooting a 6-under 66 to win by 3 strokes. However, there may be as much talk about the defending champ as there is about the eventual runner-up of the tournament. Ross Fisher entered the final round eight shots back at -10 before carding a final round 61 (11-under) on the Old Course at St. Andrews, a new course record.

During his round, Fisher carded a whopping 11 birdies, including 5 consecutive birdies on holes 2-6 and 4 straight on holes 12-15. Through 15 holes, Fisher actually had a shot at 59 if he played the final three holes in 2-under par. However, pars on 16, 17, and a disappointing 3-putt on the driveable 18th left him two shots shy. Still, in 13,145 professional rounds at the Old Course, Fisher is the only man to post a 61.

This is undoubtedly very impressive, but there is still some controversy surrounding the record. Gary Player, one of golf’s greatest players, was quoted saying that “Whilst [he was] delighted for all the players, it’s quite sad to see the Old Course of St. Andrews brought to her knees by today’s ball and equipment”. Player, among others, argued that a 61 would not have been feasible for Fisher to shoot without the added distance and control that today’s clubs have. Some even say that courses such as St. Andrews are becoming too easy for today’s professionals.

St. Andrews, itself, is a relatively short course, maxing out at about 7,300 yards, or roughly 6,700 meters. However, what the course lacks in distance, it makes up for in difficulty.  Being a traditional links style course, it was designed to be played in high winds, rain, and overcast skies, but when the conditions are calm, the course is very gettable. Of course, the added distance and forgiveness from modern clubs has allowed more players to overpower the course when conditions are calm. Such was the case yesterday, with moderate temperatures, low winds and no rain for the final round.

These conditions are rare, however, and hardly ever occur during a golf tournament. With normal links conditions, the Old Course can still give a player fits. Of the 156 players in the field at the 2015 Open Championship, 76 were over par after two rounds, and failed to make the cut. Therefore, even the most modern golf technology can still fail to conquer the Old Course.

While I do understand the argument made by Player, I have to disagree with his statement. Firstly, it was sheer luck that Fisher got the conditions he played in today to begin with. To combine ideal conditions with phenomenal golf is an equation that results in low scores, and the equation certainly worked for Fisher yesterday. However, I can guarantee you that had he faced the Old Course in true links conditions, the course record would still be safe today.

Overall, hats off to Ross Fisher. A lot had to go right for him to post the score that he posted, and he definitely took advantage of his situation. While newer technology may make the Old Course easier in certain situations, St. Andrews’ natural defenses still intimidate professional golfers today, regardless of the the equipment they have in their bag.

Written by Paul Choma