The R&A Celebration of Champions couldn’t have gone better, starting with the weather, which was postcard perfect for the east coast of Scotland, just enough nip in the air for Tiger Woods to wear long sleeves but sunny enough for Georgia Hall to feel comfortable in a shirt.
And that was the story of the day – not the wardrobe choices, but the fact that Hall and Woods played with Rory McIlroy and Lee Trevino, with a surprise appearance by Jack Nicklaus, in a four-hole exhibition at the Old Course to kick off the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
A total of 38 former R&A champions went out on Monday afternoon in 10 teams. Because of the configuration of The Old Course, they played Nos. 1, 2, 17 (the famous Road Hole) and 18, where groups gathered for photographs on the Swilcan Bridge. Hall was one of four LPGA Tour players in the celebration. The other three were Dame Laura Davies, Scotland’s own Catriona Matthew and defending AIG Women’s Open champion Anna Nordqvist.
Nordqvist played with reigning Women’s British Amateur champion and University of Central Florida junior Jess Baker, while Matthew played with Louise Duncan, last year’s Women’s British Amateur champion and the low amateur from last year’s AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie.
Group goals 🤩 #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/R1FPrjpnAi
— LPGA (@LPGA) July 11, 2022
The R&A first held the Celebration of Champions in 2000, the year Tiger Woods dominated the field, willing his first Open Championship by a record eight shots. That year, Sam Snead returned to Scotland for the first time since his 1946 Open Championship victory. Snead danced on the Swilcan Bridge to the delight of the fans.
No one cut a rug on the small stone passage on Monday but the moments and memories were just as special.
How about that?
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 11, 2022
Catriona Matthew sinks a long birdie putt on the 2nd👏
Follow the action live 👉 https://t.co/VpFXtrULeY#The150thOpen pic.twitter.com/LmdEkE4puh
2021 @AIGWomensOpen Champion Anna Nordqvist is showing out at #TheOpenChamps 🔥⛳️#TheOpen
— LPGA (@LPGA) July 11, 2022
pic.twitter.com/gyARPDtCBN
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