Moving day
Yesterday St. Andrews showed its teeth and bit.
All those predictions of the sluggers beating up a defenceless course proved as wayward as Dustin Johnson’s 17th hole pitch to the green.
I took up a position in the 17th grandstand where you have a perfect view of the road hole, can see the players driving the 18th and coming up the first, plus a wonderful view out to the Tay Bay.
Bliss.
The road hole is the impossible side of difficult.
It’s a blind tee behind the hotel but it’s the second shot to the green that is well nigh impossible.
To your left is the massive bunker, to your right the road and wall. It is all so narrow.
The hard greens can carry the over-confident pitch through the green … as befell Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns.
A short pitch can necessitate another pitch.
A bit like losing your virginity, it’s best to get it out of the way as soon as you can and move onto the 18th, where the fairways converge and your principal concern is the Valley of Sin.
Although everyone will be rooting for Rory, Victor Novland is a superb golfer and Rory’s one bad round might be today.
Mixing TV-watching and attendance I watched the two rugby union internationals.
In the morning Ireland produced another stirring performance.
Predictably, the England victory over the Wallabies was more pedestrian.
The wily old codger Eddie Jones can produce a one-off victory – especially when he is cornered – but I for one will be pleased to see the back of him.
