St Andrews prepares to celebrate bicentenary of Old Tom Morris

Final preparations are underway to mark the bicentenary of Tom Morris in St Andrews, his birthplace.

A commemorative pin flag, featuring Old Tom's name, iconic cross clubs and bicentenary dates will proudly fly on the 18th green of the Old Course on Wednesday. Picture: St Andrews Links Trust

As part of a year of celebrations, recognising and raising awareness of his incredible contribution to the game, a number of events are taking place on the Links which are synonymous with Old Tom and the sport he helped to shape and influence.

Tomorrow, on the date of his 200th birthday, a commemorative pin flag, featuring his name, iconic cross clubs and bicentenary dates will proudly fly on the 18th green of the Old Course, yards from the place he called home.

Those golfers playing the Old Course on will receive a certificate signifying they played the famous Links on this special date. Over on the New Course, the New Club of St Andrews will host a competition for golfers from local clubs to participate and celebrate his legacy.

This special week will culminate with the Old Tom 200 Invitational, to be held over the Old Course on Sunday.

This unique event recognises the remarkable impact Old Tom had on the courses he designed or remodelled across the UK and Ireland with golfers from more than 40 golf clubs, including Royal County Down, Royal North Devon, Askernish, Machrihanish, Royal Dornoch, Carnoustie and many more making the journey to St Andrews for this special day’s play on the Old Course.

Euan Loudon, chief executive St Andrews Links Trust, said: “Working at the Links it is almost impossible to ignore what an important and integral figure Tom Morris is not only to the home of golf, but to the sport itself.

“We have been welcoming golfers for several weeks now to enjoy a Tom Morris-inspired experience on our courses and it has been wonderful to see how much passion there is and the real desire to learn more about him.

“It promises to be a fantastic celebration of Tom Morris, his outstanding body of work and the shared values we all have thanks to Old Tom; integrity; collaboration; and the pursuit of excellence.”

Beyond this week, the Trust will continue to recognise the bicentenary throughout the calendar year and is exploring further ways to recognise Old Tom’s contribution to the Home of Golf.

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