ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Time creates the deepest emotions of life. We look back to feel nostalgic. We look forward to feeling hopeful. Layers of passing time overlap until traveling along this spectrum becomes overwhelming because of the life already lived and how much is next.
Without time, our experience of the world becomes shallow and nihilistic. Because over time, it has become deeply rooted and rooted. Time builds up our experiences until they cease to be moments and become part of who we are.
Time is as mysterious as it is extraordinary.
At least as it relates to his play this year, 2017 Champion Golfer of the Year Jordan Spieth said Tuesday how many Open championships he has played throughout history.
Spieth of the 150th Open Championship in St. “It was very exciting,” said Andrews. “If it’s the 100th time [or] The 143rd… it doesn’t change anything for me on the golf course. “
Think about it should not the problem for players whether Open is the 26th or the 78th or the 123rd edition, it do It is very important when it comes to context because context outlines our lives. The Open is important for a thousand reasons, but one of the most important is because it is the oldest of the most important golf tournaments in the world. Its first edition was issued in 1860, and its maiden voyage to St. Andrews was in 1873.
“Obviously, it’s ‘Home of Golf.’ It’s the spiritual home,” Rory McIlroy told CBS Sports last week. “Just a different feeling. You stand on the first teeing ground next to the R&A clubhouse, and you can’t help but think of the people who played there 150 or 200 years ago. It’s special. It’s different. .”
People started to develop in the same place, the same North Sea when the United States consisted of only 37 states and the American Civil War took place only eight years ago. They played there for 11 different tournaments before World War I.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 150 years since we’ve played this tournament,” said Tiger Woods. “And it’s unbelievable, the history behind it, the champions won here. Like I said, it’s hard to believe it’s more historic than that. [this year], but it really is. It feels like that. This feels like the biggest Open we’ve ever had. ”
One hundred and fifty is an arbitrary number like any other anniversary. It has a circular shape and graphic designers can easily make it into a fancy logo for their marketing teams to sell. In the sport, however, it is also a reminder of what makes golf special: Its roots go deeper than any other sport. And it’s been a year and the sport has never needed that reminder more.
“The history of the game is definitely something that I’ve kept in mind,” Woods said. “I think that’s a very important part of understanding the evolution of our game where we come from, especially for me, for someone who has struggled at times to get in. clubhouse or on the golf course.
“So I also understand it from a different historical perspective. But you have to appreciate everything about this game, how it evolved and the people who paved the way for us to play in these events, who created the energy behind it.
“There are many great champions. Like yesterday [at the Celebration of Champions] out there, I hope some of the kids watching at home get a chance to appreciate that, to see them play out there. I saw Bob Charles out there on the 18th hit. I think he won in 63 or something like that. Just to be able to see it with my own eyes, God, it’s special. I just hope the kids appreciate that. ”
The ancient artifacts are amazing, even more so as they stand the test of time. And what better showcases that in golf than the Old Course in St. Andrews? That’s right, R&A had to expand this track to St. Andrews to help it can resist modern games. And yes, scoring can get silly this week. But what other course could make it this far?
“It was probably the most strategic golf course in the world, and yet it was knocked down by the sheep,” said Nick Faldo, a six-time grand slam champion and 1990 Champion Golfer of the Year in St. Andrews said.
The Old Course also has a unique association with golf fans. Us casual fans can’t hit the ball at Fenway Park or run the routes at Lambeau Field or play 5v5 at Allen Fieldhouse. It just will never happen. Even in golf, especially American golf, is rare. Most fans will never get the chance to play the courses they watch on TV.
However, The Old Course? You can play it. You can try to avoid bunkers like Tiger, and you can try to make an 18th putt like Seve Ballesteros or a hit from outside the box like Constantina Rocca.
Saint Andrew is just as magical as you imagine. Residents carry their golf clubs around town at all hours of the night. Bars and restaurants seem to be prestigious hosting spaces for all kinds of clubs. You can meet Keegan Bradley across the street or Spieth in a gym or any of the golf powerhouses, all of whom you’ve seen on TV.
It’s the smallest big town in the sport.
It is also a place where people gather to remember and project. This week at the Old Course has spent equally romantic parts reminiscing about all the place has seen and deeply wondering what LIV Golf will do for the future of the sport. An expression of the passage of time.
“On Sunday night, I will have the honor of announcing Champion Golfer of the Year in the 150th lineup of this amazing championship,” said R&A CEO Martin Slumbers while awaiting the highlights. turned on during the week. “That player will go down in history on the Claret Jug, and what could be more special than that?
“I hope you all keep that in mind and enjoy The Open as much as we will. This will certainly be an occasion to tell your children and grandchildren about for many years to come.”
These events are just an incident. Nearly 8,000 weeks have passed since St. Andrews hosted its first Open Championship. Opens of this course have been played only 0.37% of the weeks since. Another match will not be played at St. Andrews for at least another five years. Rory McIlroy will be almost 40 years old. Phil Mickelson will inched closer to 60. Time will accumulate more layers.
The more time passes, the more we appreciate what’s around us. This is true both internally and externally. As we age, we become more grateful for the people in our lives, the places we visit, and the things we get to see. In the same way, as external entities age, they become more magical. People may gawk at the skepticism of modern skyscrapers, but 12th-century castles scattered across Scotland make for dreams.
What’s happening this week at the Old Course in St. Andrews cannot be designed or manufactured. You can’t throw enough money at another event to try and match what’s happening at this Open. You cannot buy time. It is a new reality in the world of golf where it seems that everyone and everything has a price.
So while 150 is just a number, it’s so much more. At dusk Sunday night, 155 golfers will have to wait at least another five years for a net break at the Old while one will kiss a nearly old tournament pitcher.
And there’s no doubt that, when the Champion Golfer of the Year 2022 looks at the names and years that adorn the best trophy in sport, something inside of him will crack and overflowing.
Time produces life’s deepest emotions, and this Open is nothing but a reminder of the times.
