Open Championship records.
*Lowest 36 hole record: 130 Nick Faldo (66 64) 1992, Brandt Snedeker (66 64) 2012.
*Lowest final score (72 holes): 264 Henrik Stenson (68 65 68 63, 264) 2012
*Lowest 18 hole score : 62 (-8) Branden Grace 3rd round 2017, Royal Birkdale.
*Greatest margin of victory: 13 strokes Old Tom Morris 1862 which stood for all majors until 2000 when Tiger won US Open at Pebble Beach by 15 strokes, however Old Tom's margin was achieved over just 36 holes.
Speaking to my 90 year old mother last Sunday from her home just outside Edinburgh we touched on Bryson DeChambeau's record breaking 6 shot win of the US Open that day at Winged Foot.
Mother is no expert on golf but like many Scots who aren't sports fans she has a flutter on the Grand National every year, watches the fortnight at Wimbledon and the Open when it's in Scotland.
The Open is at Birkdale in July 2021 then at St Andrews in 2022. When I asked her how she thought he would do at the home of golf she immediately replied " Aye, the wind had better blow!!"
Golf has been played on St Andrews every day but Sunday's for over 200 years and one thing for sure for the top players is she can be left defenseless without the wind, " nae wind, nae golf" is the old adage.
61,-11 is the Old course record held by veteran Englishman Ross Fisher at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2017, out in 29, and after four straight birdies 12-15, the magical 59 was on the cards, but par 4 at the 16th, another on the road hole left him needing an eagle at the 18th.
He drove it 25 feet off the front of the green, left it short on the low side, then without concentrating missed the shorty for the 61.
All this on an overcast calm day, with the ball running, 60 players were under par that day.
Bryson DeChambeau proved he has an all round game last weekend, however it's his muscle bound go for broke power off the tee that gets all the attention. In fact he was 7th at Winged Foot in driving average after the likes of Dustin Johnson, Matthew Wolff and Canada's Taylor Pendrith all around the 350 yard mark.
Apart from the wind, St Andrews is protected by steep faced bunkers, OB, thick rough and gorse when the spring conditions are wet, the Swilikin burn, a brick wall, and huge often hump backed greens.
The first would be driven often at 376 yards if not for the burn running right in front of it. The 2nd 450, 3rd 400, 4th 480 will all leave nothing but a flip wedge, the par 5 5th 580 yards will be an eagle expectation, 6th 410, 7th 380, 9th 350 will all be under siege, the 8th is a 180 yard par 3. There have been many 29's on this layout before Bryson and the boys arrive in 2 years time.
Jack took off his sweater famously in 1970 to drive the 360 yard 18th, the year Doug Sanders missed his chance for immortality with that damned missed 2 footer at the 72nd hole.
In 2 years time the guys will be carrying it onto the famous green with 3 woods, or running it up with a long iron.
In 2016 at the Travelers Jim Furyk had all the stars aligned with the pro golf record 58.
If it's calm, and the putts are falling, how low will the current bombers, and there are lots, with a ball that flies forever, go at the old lady of St Andrew's who's dignity is slowly but surely being compromised by the game she has protected so well, for so long.
What if DeChambeau eagled the 18th for 55. It's not as daft as it sounds, they'd better restrict the ball soon, or as mother said, "Aye the wind had better blow"
Bryan Angus
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