St Andrews Old Course changes given seal of approval

CHANGES to the Old Course at St Andrews have been given the thumbs-up by one of the players hoping to become a first-time major winner there later in the year when it stages the Ricoh Women’s British Open for a second time.

Melissa Reid tees off at the first ahead of the Ricoh Women's British Open. Picture: Getty

Phase one of alterations primarily being made for the 2015 Open Championship was carried out over the winter, with the biggest change involving the flattening of an area of the 11th green to allow a left-hand back pin position at the par-3.

England’s Melissa Reid used yesterday’s Women’s British Open media day to become one of the first professionals to test the changes, which have been strongly criticised by some leading players yet locally hardly seem to have raised an eyebrow. “I think the changes are very subtle and that’s good as I was actually expecting bigger alterations, to be honest,” said Reid, who first played the course as an amateur in the St Rule Trophy.

“Front right of the green at the second is no longer a bail-out area now with two new bunkers in there while I think the green at the 11th needed to be flattened a bit to allow a pin to go in there.

“Before, the bunker on the front left of that green was never really brought into play and that was a pity as it’s a great bunker. The change I quite like is the one at 17th that has made the area around the Road Hole bunker swale back into the bunker. That’s good because you could have found yourself in all sorts of trouble if you were just short of that. You could be faced with a tight lie playing over the bunker with the out of bounds wall on the other side of the green. It’s better to be in the bunker and that should happen now.”

History was made the last time St Andrews staged the Ricoh event in 2007 as it was the first women’s professional tournament to be hosted on the Old Course. Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa recorded a wire-to-wire win in that event, which South Korea’s Jiyai Shin is hoping will help her bid to complete a title hat-trick in August.

“I loved visiting St Andrews in 2007 but, at the time, I wasn’t very experienced in playing links golf so this time I think I will have a much better chance,” said Shin, who won the event for the first time at Sunningdale in 2008 before regaining the crown at wind-torn Royal Liverpool last year. Each year I have learnt so much about playing on links courses and, at Hoylake, I managed to put everything into practice to achieve such a special win,” she added. “I hope I can do the same this year as I think winning a major on the Old Course might be the very best thing you can experience in golf.”

Back in its traditional slot – it was moved to September last year so as to avoid a clash with the London Olympics – the event takes place on 1-4 August and is being keenly anticipated by both the Ladies Golf Union and EventScotland. “The 2007 championship was an unprecedented success and we have all been looking forward to the second edition to be held here at the Old Course,” said Shona Malcolm, CEO of the St Andrews-based LGU.

“We have many of Britain’s best courses on our championship rotation and we are delighted to once again be so warmly welcomed by the St Andrews Links Trust for what I believe will be another wonderful championship.”

Paul Bush, EventScotland’s CEO, added: “This is the second hosting of the tournament as part of our ten-year agreement to bring the world’s top women golfers to Scotland every other year and it is one of seven leading golf events taking place in Scotland in 2013. The championship at Carnoustie in 2011 was a huge success and I am sure we will build on that and previous editions at the Old Course in August.”

The BBC are showing all four days of the event, which, in addition to title sponsor Ricoh, has two new backers this year. Edinburgh Audi, part of the Lomond Group, is providing the courtesy cars while Swinging Skirts look set to provide a splash of colour to the event.

A private Taiwanese organisation made up of both men and women amateur golfers, its members are avid golfers who wear skirts or kilts when they play. “Their aim is to bring a fun atmosphere to the tradition that is golf,” said a tournament spokesperson.

“Their sponsorship of the Ricoh Women’s British Open complements their title sponsorship of the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters, which was launched in 2011 and has become an official leg of both the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Tour.”