Tiger pulls out of the Open Championship

July 6, 2011July 6, 2011 PerryGolf Staff

Tiger Woods has pulled out the Open Championship at Royal St George’s as he continues to struggle to recover from the knee injury he sustained at this years US Masters. The news will come as a big blow to the event, the organisers and fans alike. In a statement, Woods said: “Unfortunately, I’ve been advised that I should not play in The Open Championship. As I stated at the AT&T National, I am only going to come back when I’m 100 per cent ready. I do not want to risk further injury. That’s different for me, but I’m being smarter this time. I’m very disappointed, and want to express my regrets to the fans at The Open Championship.”

Tiger’s replacement will be American, Jason Dufner, who will play in his second Open Championship, after making his debut at St. Andrews last year.

By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 10 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

Scottish Open to move to Links Course

December 6, 2010November 24, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

One of the biggest tournaments on the European Tour calendar is set to move venue in a bid to lure some of the world’s biggest stars. The tournament, which is held the week before The Open Championship, is currently based at Loch Lomond GC and has been there since 1996. Loch Lomond is one of the best courses in the world but as it is a parkland style course; some bigger name players prefer to practice on a links course the week prior to the Open Championship. There has been speculation as to who the main contenders are and it seems as though it has been narrowed to 2 potential candidates – Castle Stuart near Inverness or The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. The Renaissance Club is the more mature of the two, having been open for two seasons, a pretty remarkable stat for the two main contenders for this highly regarded event.

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By Gary Sheppard. Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

150th Anniversary and End of an Era

July 8, 2010July 2, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

This years Open Championship at St Andrews will be the 150^th anniversary of the event and to mark this, the R & A have arranged for a special 4 hole Past Champions Challenge. All living past champions will be present with the exception of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Price, Johnny Miller, Kel Nagle, and (sadly) Seve Ballesteros.

The 4 hole event holds special significance for me as my granddad, Willie Aitchison, has caddied for 2 Open Champions – Robert Di Vicenzo and Lee Trevino. He was ‘on the bag’ for Di Vicenzo when he won at Royal Liverpool in 1967 and won back-to-back Opens with Trevino at Royal Birkdale in 1971 and Muirfield in 1972. The pairings for the event have still not been announced but it would be special if Di Vicenzo and Trevino were paired together.

It has been estimated that 30,000 fans will be present for the 4 hole exhibition match and I certainly plan on being one of them. This will definitely be the last time that my Grandad and both men get to meet, and although he will not be able to caddy, he does plan on walking the fairways one last time. This promises to be a special moment and it’s something that I would hate to miss. I’ve always been an admirer of Trevino’s game and the way he handled himself on the course; he was a crowd pleaser and certainly someone that the crowds would flock to see. There was never a dull moment and always plenty to talk about after a round when he was involved and I’m already looking forward to seeing him in action in a few weeks time.

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By Gary Sheppard. Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

Prestwick, a great links experience

July 7, 2010June 14, 2010 Cameron Reid

Prestwick Golf Club is one of the most recognized names in the world of golf. A private members club founded in 1851 that become birthplace for the Open Championship when first played in 1860. Indeed this year marks the 150^th anniversary of the first championship being played and a members dinner is planned with past Open Champions in attendance to mark the occasion. A recent round over this wonderful links venue reinforced my belief that the members and club staff equally provide one of the friendliest visitor experiences you will encounter on a visit to Scotland. The Clubhouse is delightfully traditional and full of character with great memorabilia for those with a keen interest in the history of golf.

Prestwick is a course that needs to be played at least once in your life, it is traditional Scottish links and a monument to the game of golf. For the first time visitor a caddie is certainly recommended as there are a number of blind shots which without local knowledge you will struggle to pick the right line or club. The undulating greens are fast and true matching the curvaceous nature of the rolling fairways and despite a very hard winter in Scotland in excellent condition. Following a wonderful lunch, foursomes golf (alternate shot) was the order of play. A unique game that really tests you and the patience of your partner! On a dry chilly day with a stiff breeze blowing scoring was difficult. The only real highlight for our pairing was at the 8^th hole, a long testing par 4 at the far end of the course. A good drive chased over the hill between the fairway bunkers onto the flat leaving a mid iron to the green. The green was found following a good shot that deserved to chase up to the flag, but a soft bounce left a 30+ foot putt uphill, the long putt that followed disappeared into the can for a great birdie three!

For those with Prestwick on their schedule this year enjoy your day and if still in the planning stages be sure to include Prestwick as a must play. For further information this article in Links Magazine is a good read. Click here

Ballesteros will not make The Open Champions’ Challenge at St. Andrews

July 4, 2010July 2, 2010 PerryGolf Staff

Although Seve is making steady progress and showing positive signs in his recovery from multiple operations to remove a tumour from his brain, he has been advised by his doctor not to travel to St. Andrews in July.

It is the 150^th anniversary of the Open Championship, and a special 4 hole exhibition tournament over the 1^st, 2^nd, 17^th, and 18^th on the Old Course at St Andrews has been arranged for past champions on Wednesday 14^th July; the day before the Open begins. Seve’s doctor advised that he should not be put under any undue stress or find himself in any situations which are potentially emotional – the thought of Seve playing the 4 holes with 3 other past champions and thousands of fans following him would definitely have been an emotional situation!

It would have been great to see him attend, but I think the decision is for the best. Fingers crossed we have not seen the last of Seve on a golf course! He is an inspirational golfer and someone I have admired since taking up the game.

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By Gary Sheppard. Gary has been with PerryGolf for over 4 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.

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