Old Course ‘obsolete’ due to long hitters, says Gary Player

Three time winner fears for The Open in 2022

Bryson DeChambeau has been overpowering courses in America with his long-hitting. Picture: Stacy Revere/Getty

Three-time Open champion Gary Player reckons the Old Course at St Andrews will be shown up as “obsolete” when it stages the 2022 event.

Speaking in his new role as a Wentworth ambassador, the South African said he feared big-hitters like Bryson DeChambeau are going to tear the historic Fife course apart in 
the future.

“Isn’t it sad? The great home of golf, St Andrews, a place we all love and adore, that is so obsolete,” declared Player. “Bryson has put on 40 yards and it is going to ruin it. They are going to drive nine greens at St Andrews.”

Martin Slumbers, the R&A chief executive, admitted in an interview earlier this week to being “fascinated” by DeChambeau overpowering courses on the PGA Tour since beefing up in lockdown.

But he also reiterated that the governing bodies still aim to do something about the length issue in the game once the industry starts to regain stability from the impact of Covid-19.

“I’ve never chatted to Martin about this, but why are they starting to worry about DeChambeau,” added Player. “We have been talking about this for a long time.

“It is both the club and ball that needs to be fixed but, once the ball is done, it is 80 per cent there.”

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