St Andrews Magazine Edition 05

A ST ANDREWS CHRISTMAS ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS REVIEW ST ANDREWS REMEMBERS THE FALLEN
St Andrews
MAGAZINE
GOLF. LIFESTYLE. MORE.
E D I T I O N 05

Season’s Greetings

CONTENTS
64 CADDIE CORNER
70 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS REVIEW
107 RORY CAUSES CONTROVERSY
110 GOLF’S GREATEST DISCOVERY
GOLF

CONTENTS
138 THE BEAUTY OF WINTER
148 COORIE IN THIS WINTER
156 YOGA FOR A FLEXIBLE WINTER
160 SUNDAY LUNCH BY THE SEASHORE
LIFESTYLE

CONTENTS
168 ST ANDREWS REMEMBERS
THE FALLEN
176 A ST ANDREWS CHRISTMAS
A GOLFER’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING
BEST PLACES TO EAT OUT
BEST SHOPS FOR THAT CHRISTMAS GIFT
BEST ACTIVITIES FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
BEST WINTER WALKS
BEST CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
THE BELL’S ARE RINGING OUT FOR CHRISTMAS
MORE

GOLF

LIFESTYLE

MORE

Contributors
John
John is a St Andrews Links caddie, owner of
Caddie Golf Tours and is a regular contributor to St
Andrews Magazine. His knowledge of the Old
Course and the St Andrews golfing scene is a great
insight for readers.
Aileen
Aileen is the owner of Vintage
Beauty Box in St Andrews and
is St Andrews Magazine’s
Beauty expert. Aileen is an
enthusiastic golfer.

If you want to
contribute to St
Andrews Magazine
on any subject, then
contact Matt Hooper
via
Mobile: 07943626295
OR
Tracy
Tracy is the owner of
Interiors by Tracy Smith in
Cupar and is St Andrews
Magazine’s property
interior expert.
Email:
standrewsmagazine@gmail.com
Editor
Matt Hooper
Design and
production
Matt Hooper
Publisher
Matt Hooper
Keryn
Director
Matt Hooper
Keryn is the owner and lead instructor at
Hot House Yoga, in St Andrews. She also
teaches Yoga at venues in the St Andrews
area including local golf clubs and sports
clubs. Keryn provides St Andrews Magazine
readers with tips on how to stay fit, flexible
and focused with the help of Yoga.

DO YOU
Matt
H O O P E R
@matt.standrewsmagazine
BELIEVE?
It is a question you may be asked a lot at this
time of year, do you believe in Father
Christmas? Well the answer is fairly easy as he is
writing this piece and editing this magazine, the
best Christmas present any of you could wish
for!!
In all seriousness, do you believe?
Do you believe in yourself?
Do you believe in what you are doing?
Do you believe you will reach your goals?
Belief is the only thing which has got me through
what I can only describe as the most
challenging year of my life. Belief is also the only
thing which got Tiger Woods through the most
challenging period in his life and career and
look at what he has achieved in this remarkable
comeback season.
His win at The Tour Championship is the ultimate
vindication of the belief he had in his game and
belief he had he could still compete with the
best golfers in the world.
So make your New Year resolution to BELIEVE.
©St Andrews Magazine Ltd. 2018
This publication may not be reproduced in
part or whole without the expressed written
permission of St Andrews Magazine Ltd.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO
YOU ALL AND THANKYOU FOR SUPPORTING ST
ANDREWS MAGAZINE IN RECORD LEVELS THIS
YEAR. 2018 HAS BEEN BY FAR THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL IN THE HISTORY OF THE MAGAZINE,
WITH RECORD READERSHIP AND RECORD LEVELS
OF INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT ON SOCIAL
MEDIA. WE LOOK FORWARD TO A PROSPEROUS
2019 AND TO CONTINUING TO BRING YOU THE
BEST OF GOLF, LIFESTYLE AND MORE FROM ST
ANDREWS, THE HOME OF GOLF.
Image credits
ALL IMAGES MATT HOOPER/ST
ANDREWS MAGAZINE WITH
EXCEPTION OF:
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ADDITIONAL IMAGES ARE
CREDITED TO THE
PHOTOGRAPHER OR AGENCY
ON THE IMAGE
Advertising enquiries Matt Hooper standrewsmagazine@gmail.com
Mailing address: St Andrews Magazine Ltd. Chestney House, 149 Market
Street, St Andrews, Fife Scotland KY16 9PF

St Andrews
M A G A Z I N E
A W A

THE BEST IN #GOLF #LIFESTYLE #MORE
R D S
2 0 1 8

IT’S BLACK AND WHITE
THESE ARE THE BEST
INTRODUCING THE WINNERS
OF
THE ST ANDREWS MAGAZINE
AWARDS 2018
This year’s St Andrews Magazine Awards attracted a record number of
votes via our Facebook page, and a record level of engagement with
the community locally and globally. For that reason, there can be no
doubt at all that this year’s winners truly are the best of the best in St
Andrews. The Best Restaurant, Best New Restaurant, Best Beauty
Experience, Best Visitor Attraction, Best Bar, Best After Dark Experience
and Best Day Out in the St Andrews Area were all up for voting by the
public.
As was the World Golfer of the Year and Golf Event of the Year.
An editorial decision was made on the St Andrews Golfer of the Year, St
Andrews Young Golfer of the Year and a Special Achievement by a St
Andrews Golfer.

BEST RESTAURANT
IN ST ANDREWS

THE SEAFOOD RISTORANTE
With over two thirds of the vote the 2018 Best Restaurant in St Andrews is The Seafood
Ristorante, see our review of the restaurant for more information.

THE SAINT
Replacing an old favourite is never easy, but by common
consensus The Saint has proved a worthy successor to the West
Port Bar and Kitchen.
A full refurb and change of focus has made The Saint the Best
New Restaurant in St Andrews.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
IN ST ANDREWS

BEST AFTER DARK EXPERIENCE
IN ST ANDREWS

THE VIC
The most popular venue outside the Union for St Andrews
Students, the most popular late-night venue for locals and visitors
alike, The Vic has succeeded Forgan’s as the Best After Dark
Experience in St Andrews.
It is the ultimate climax to a night out in St Andrews.

THE CRITERION
One of St Andrews’ oldest bars, the Criterion has proved to be the
overwhelming choice for Best Bar in St Andrews in 2018.
Established in 1874 the South Street institution has been around
since the days of Old and Young Tom Morris, and you can feel
the history oozing out of this local and tourist favourite.

BEST BAR
IN ST ANDREWS

BEST VISITOR ATTRACTION
IN ST ANDREWS

JANNETTAS
Jannettas Gelateria on South Street is much more than an ice
cream shop, it’s a café and restaurant and an institution. You
only have to see the queues outside on a summer’s day to realize
its popularity. Established in 1908 as a soda parlour and
tobacconist, by Bennett Jannetta, Jannettas is one of St
Andrews’ longest standing businesses.

BEST BEAUTY EXPERIENCE
IN ST ANDREWS

THE VINTAGE BEAUTY BOX
For the second successive year the Best Beauty Experience in St
Andrews is the Vintage Beauty Box. Located in Sophie Butler
Hairdressing on South Street, this is the ultimate town centre salon
offering Makeup, nails, facials and massage among many other
treatments.
The Vintage Beauty Box has won several awards and been
nominated in the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards for the last two
years.

BEST DAY OUT IN
THE ST ANDREWS AREA
KINGSBARNS DISTILLERY & VISITOR CENTRE
This year’s Best Day Out in the St Andrews Area was almost
unanimous, just a few miles down the road and on the land of the
Wemyss family and Cambo Estate, minutes from Kingsbarns Golf
Links and the village.
Situated on the same land formerly used by the Haig Distillery, the
Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre is a Whisky connoisseur’s
dream.
Their first Single Malt Whisky was released earlier this year.
Tours start at £10 per person.

ST ANDREWS
GOLFER OF THE YEAR

CHLOE GOADBY
This year St Andrews Magazine is awarding a singular award to
our winner, because nobody else came close. The St Andrews
Golfer of the Year is Chloé Goadby.
Chloe won the Female award in 2015, 2016 and 2017, but her
performances in 2018 have left all St Andrews Golfers in her wake.
2 wins and 9 top 10 finishes have seen her rise to 200 on the World
Amateur Golf Ranking, making her Scotland's fifth best female
amateur golfer. A fourth-place finish at the St Rule Trophy was
one of many highlights in a stunning year.

BEN CATON
Ben won the 2018 St Andrews’ Boy’s
Open title and qualified for the last 32
of the Scottish Amateur
Championship.
ST ANDREWS’ YOUNG
GOLFER OF THE YEAR

JOHN PATERSON
John Paterson qualified for the last 64 of The
Amateur Championship and won the Cameron
Corbett Vase at Haggs Castle with a four-round
total of 274, 14-under-par.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT BY
A ST ANDREWS GOLFER

JUSTIN ROSE
World Number One.
FedEx Cup Champion.
Ryder Cup star.
Justin Rose has had the greatest year of his career and
the stats from it are truly remarkable.
More World Ranking Points than any golfer in the year
since January 1st
2 wins
3 runner-up finishes
3 third place finishes
7 other top tens
Rose has displayed a level of consistency which has been
rarely seen in this new era. A major champion, an
Olympic Champion, a European Tour Number One, FedEx
Cup champion and now World Number One.
Wins on every continent and on every major tour.
All that he needs to do now is add gloss to the body of
wrk of his career, and he will go down as a British Sporting
Legend.
WORLD GOLFER
OF THE YEAR

THE RYDER CUP
The 2018 Ryder Cup was historic. It was dramatic.
It is the biggest Ryder Cup that we have ever seen.
Record crowds who were more energized and more
engaged than any other fanbase before.
As ever the level of golf played was extraordinary.
No Ryder Cup has ever had larger infrastructure and
no Ryder Cup has ever had such an impact upon its
host nation.
The scenes of engagement on the first tee is
something which will live with everyone who was
there and everyone who saw them, forever.
The Masters may well be more prestigious, but there
can no longer be any question, the Ryder Cup is the
biggest event in golf.
GOLF EVENT OF THE YEAR

GOLF
ST ANDREWS GOLF

THE WORLD OF GOLF

New Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St
Andrews, Chris Hilton, drives in for his year in office.

St Andrews Links Caddie Olly Mennie caught the ball for
the second successive year and won a Gold Sovereign,
worth £200.

S T A N D R E W S
H O M E
F R O M

P I N E H U R S T
A W A Y
H O M E
C O M I N G I N
2 0 1 9

THE
GOLF
THE
HOTELS
THE
TOWNS

THE
BREWERIES
THE
MAGAZINES

C A D D I E
CORNER

“It is the best environment in
my 17 years on the links.”
A C A D D I E ‘ S Y E A R
O N T H E L I N K S
Story and Images by John Boyne,
St Andrews Links Caddie and Caddie Golf Tours

“Good morning Sir, I
believe I am your caddie
for your round over the Old
today”
An unexpected and
early beginning to my
2018 golf season
with a call from
the St Andrews
Caddie
Department on
Saturday, 10th
February “John,
can you get here
for 11:20 for an
11:50 tee time”?
And so it
begins…though
my second
caddie job did not
actually appear until
the following month of
March, 3 weeks
later...Fore!
The golfer, this mid
February morning, has
played the Old Course
before. Good. I inform
him that the 1st hole
has not changed since
he last golfed here 20+
years ago...we still
have a 147 yard wide
fairway, a burn
(stream) at 238 yards
down the right side and
plenty of space to the
left of it. A lot of
fairway.
The golfer’s Titleist Pro
V1x, no less, lands on
the aforementioned
fairway. It leaves just
over 165 yards to the
front edge and 20
more yards into the
centre of the green,
total 185 yards...oh,
and there is a 15-20
mph wind against. The
fun starts.
2018 once again
provided
a busy
season
for the
caddies
across
the St
Andrews
Links
courses.
We had
170
registered caddies
working at the height
of the season through
May, June, July and
August and surpassed
the 2017 record
number of caddie
assisted rounds of
33,000 by a good 500.
This is despite a week’s
disruption due to snow
in March and then a
week slow
down when
the Old
Course
played host
to the British
Seniors Open
in July. A
number of
returning
golfers got in
contact early in the
year to let me know
when they were due in
St Andrews and I also
quite a few referrals. It
can be rather flattering
when a previous or
referred golfer gets in
touch to request your
services and goodness I
do hope it all goes well
on the day. It was a joy
to receive an email
from my old friend DE,
San Francisco, who I
had caddied for 5
consecutive years at
the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship. It was
2013 since we had
worked together. A
couple of new knees
and a hip had
curtailed his golf.
DE was in St Andrews
with a couple of friends
during late August. It
was lovely to meet up
on the New Course 1st
tee and be apart of his
round. Though it began
rather inauspiciously
with some sloppy
bogeys going out, it
was clear that his
putting eye was in with
only 13 on that
front nine score
of 42. If I could
get DE onto the
back nine
greens, quickly,
perhaps good
things can
happen? It did.
A score of 34
and two good
birdies, especially the
12 foot putt on the

18th, totaling an
exceptional 76 with
only 25 putts.
A couple of days later
DE and I were on the
Old Course in a
howling westerly wind
that played havoc with
his usual ‘baby fade’
from the tee. This now
turned into an
enormous slice. The Old
Course bunkering
down the right on the
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and
the 9th gathered in his
drives scuppering any
chance of a decent
score: out 48 with 18
putts. It runs away so
quickly and though we
eventually finished with
a 92, DE was not too
disappointed. As he
said “We will always
have the New Course
John”.
Arguably the most
bizzare golf shot of my
2018 season, and we
caddies have all had a
few, was from a golfer
from Maryland USA,
who managed to strike
the Ladies marker stone
on the Old Course 2nd
tee with his drive, and
with a ferocious
ricochet it fired back at
him on his left side, over
the tee and edge of 1st
green, missing many
legs, it jumped the
Swilken Burn behind us.
We all thought it would
stop on 1st fairway. It
did not. Agonisingly it
kept rolling, slowly, and
plopping into the burn
over by the Swilken
Bridge! Poor chap,
obviously rattled by
this, he took a tough 8.
This year we had the
British Seniors Open on
the Old Course for the
first time. Many of our
local caddies got
‘bags’ through their
own contacts and via
the St Andrews Caddie
Master. I had been
approached through a
friend in Michigan to
guide an American
professional through
qualification at the
Fairmont Hotel’s
Torrance Course. After
a couple of decent
practice rounds we
began our qualifier
from the 10th tee
shooting a good 34
with a couple of birdies
thrown in. Unfortunately
three bogeys through
our back nine had us
chasing a birdie on our
final holes at 16th (7th),
17th (8th) and 18th
(9th). It did not
materialise, and we
missed qualification by
1 shot. A tough result.
The British Seniors Open
did produce a round
on the Old Course for
me when I looked after
‘Mr Rolex’ in the
Tuesday Pro/Am. His
professional golfers
were European Tour
legends and former
Ryder Cup Captains
Paul McGinley and
Colin Montgomerie.
Both were polite and
attentive to Mr Rolex
who has invested and
helped grow the
European Tour.
Albeit this was a fun
practice round Colin
Montgomerie dropped
in a few birdies on the
7th, 9th and 18th to win
the pennies from Paul
McGinley.
Thank goodness the
horrendous winds and
rain that the ‘Beast
from the East’ brought
disappeared early in
the season to be
replaced with a
wonderfully hot,
extended sunshine
summer that I
do not believe
we had seen in
St Andrews
since 2009/10. It
was brilliant!
There were
fleeting
mentions for this
caddie in two
golf books published
this year. The first was in
“A Course Called
Scotland” by American
author and golfer Tom
Coyne who had visited
St Andrews in 2015
when I caddied for him
on the Old Course. He
played over a 100

courses around
Scotland on route to
the 1st round 2015
Open qualifying at
Bruntsfield Links.
The second reference is
from Roger McStravick,
local St Andrean author
and historian, whose
recent
book “St
Andrews -
A Comfort
Blanket for
the Hapless
Golfer”
offers a wry
humorous
account of
the Auld
Grey Toon...and me!
Cheers Roger, there will
be a Christmas beer in
the Dunvegan for you.
With my wee
independent company
Caddie Golf Tours I
assisted with a number
of golf tours visiting St
Andrews and further
afield in Scotland, west,
north and south. It
started in early April
when the ‘Peters 4Ball’
arrived in Edinburgh
from Sweden. They
transferred directly to St
Andrews, dropped
luggage at Brownlees
Guest House, a spot of
lunch and straight out
to golf the New Course
with their pre-booked
tee time. A great
beginning and they
continued the golf
week on the Jubilee
and Eden courses
before receiving a
balloted Old Course
tee time on Friday 12th
April.
We had three more
groups from Sweden
arriving through the
season, an Italian
family and our
regular English
golfers visiting St
Andrews, as well
as six various sized
golf parties from
America with one
those golfing the
great links of
Northern Ireland.
There was even our
returning dozen
adventurous Canadian
golfers who self drove
through Ireland...Fore!
Our thanks to all our
Caddie Golf Tours
clients - all a delight -
and we look forward to
welcoming you all
back. Our thanks also
to our accommodation
suppliers especially our
favourite St Andrews
hotels at Ardgowan,
Rusacks, Hotel Du Vin
and Fairmont as well as
the Kingsmills Hotel
Inverness and
Kilmarnock Arms at
Cruden Bay. The ever
faithful Town & Country
Taxis from Cupar were
exceptional this year.
On a personal golf
note I finally managed
to play a Sunday round
on the Old Course. It
was not in the Gold
Medal, The Links Trophy
or even the European
Tour’s Dunhill Links
Championship.
The ‘invitation’ came
from the St Andrews
Golf Club who
celebrated their 175th
anniversary this year,
with the cooperation
from the St Andrews
Links Trust, were given
access to the Old
Course on a couple of
Sundays. I got one of
the slots. It was great
fun.
Finally, great credit
should be given to this
current crop of caddies
who over these last few
years have been doing
some exceptional work
across the links, in all
weather. Seriously
hard-working guys and
girls. The Caddie
Department at The St
Andrews Links Trust also
deserve plaudits for
improving the Caddie
Pavilion and bringing in
some really good
caddies who engage
with their golfers and
colleagues. It is the
best environment in my
17 years on the links.

My June on the Links
35 rounds
24 rounds 10 rounds 1 round
OLD COURSE NEW COURSE JUBILEE COURSE
I have closed my 2018 season with around 190 caddie rounds completed and
above is a breakdown of the golfers’ nationalities and the courses I caddied
during a very busy month of June.
The Old Course obviously dominates as do our American golfers who took
advantage of the Dollar strength against the British pound. Brexit has at least
done some good for our visitors!

2018 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
REVIEW
BY MATT HOOPER

Winning
Probably the best feeling in the world
Young Danish star Lucas Bjerregaard wins the
2018 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as Hatton
implodes and Fleetwood runs out of steam

The scene was set for
Tyrrell Hatton to be
crowned Alfred Dunhill
Links Champion for an
unprecedented third
successive year, but in
golf fairytales rarely
come true, and
ironically it was a man
from the land of Hans
Cristian Anderson who
took the title on a
dramatic day at the
home of golf.
In what can only be
described as the
greatest time in Danish
golf’s history, Lucas
Bjerregaard continued
the remarkable story by
claiming his second
European Tour title.
Bjerregaard made his
breakthrough in the
2017 Portugal Masters,
and since then has
shown great
consistency,
culminating with his
come from behind win
in the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship.
7 top ten finishes
including a runner-up
finish in the OMEGA
European Masters were
the bedrock of a
season which had seen
him move into the top
25 on the Race to
Dubai, but victory here
secured his place at
season-ending DP
World Tour
Championship in
Dubai.
The 27-year-old from
Frederikshavn got off to
a flying start over the
first two days, and did
so under the radar, as
he played a different
rotation of the three
courses to that of the
leading golfers.
Beginning at the home
of golf Lucas made
birdie on 15, 17 and 18
to rescue an opening
70. Bogeys at 6, 11 and
13 had threatened to
put him out of
contention, even at
that early stage.
Then on Friday he
burned up the
Kingsbarns Golf Links,
starting at the 10 th hole
he played the back
nine in 33 before
torching the front nine
in 32 shots. A secondround
of 65 put him at
the top of the
leaderboard, and in
position to challenge
for his second
European Tour title.
Round Three saw
Bjerregaard at
Carnoustie, and it
would prove to be the
most challenging of his
four days.
Pars at the opening five
holes were followed by
a double-bogey 7 at
the notorious par-five
sixth. This stumble saw
him fall behind Tyrrell
Hatton, who was
surging at the home of
golf.
But Bjerregaard
showed grit,
determination and
talent to fight his way
to a 1-under-par round
of 71, with 6 birdies on
his card.
He had kept the deficit
to Hatton at a
manageable four
shots, but in all honesty
his name wasn’t on the
minds of many entering
the final round.
It would be a final
round which not many
people have ever
experienced before, in
fact on the European
Tour it was to be the
first shotgun start. It was
a controversial and
unpopular decision
based on a weather
forecast which
predicted 40mph winds
during the afternoon
on Sunday.
The draw meant that
Bjerregaard began his
round on the 18 th hole,
as play began at 0830
on Sunday. Bjerregaard
began the final round
some four shots behind
Hatton, and after a
commanding front nine
of 31 from the
defending champion it
seemed to be all over
bar the shouting.
Hatton held a fivestroke
lead and

Bjerregaard seemed to
be in a battle for
second place with four
others.
Bjerregaard began
with a birdie at the 18 th
and further birdies at 4,
6 and 8 put him in
position to claim at
least a share of second
place,
Then came the
unexpected stumble
by two-time defending
champion Tyrrell
Hatton.
Bogeys at 10 and 11
saw his once dominant
lead shrink to just the
two shots, this was the
Dane’s opportunity. A
birdie at the 13 th saw
him pull to within one
and with Hatton
bogeying 15 and 16 he
suddenly had
ascended to the top of
the leaderboard.
A stunning birdie at 16
saw him extend the
lead to two shots
coming to his final hole,
the intimidating Road
Hole.
Hatton failed to birdie
17 and knew he must
make birdie at least on
the final hole to have
any chance of
retaining his title. A
bogey from
Bjerregaard at the 17 th
gave him a nervous
few minutes before
finding out the news.
Hatton’s birdie putt
agonizingly missed and
the Dane had
conquered the Links.
Jubilant family and
friends shouted out
“he’s missed, he’s done
it!” from the side of the
Road Hole, and the
celebrations could
begin.
Bjerregaard was
understandably
delighted to have
claimed the biggest
win of his career to
date, the 2018 Alfred
Dunhill Links
Championship.
“I'm getting a little
emotional,” he said.
“It's been a great year
and now it's just a
whole lot better.
“It didn't really look like
I was ever in it today, it
looked like Tyrrell was
going to take off with it.
I was trucking away at
it. I've been playing
well for a little while
and I played really well
today and I'm really
pleased that it was
enough.”
Lucas Bjerregaard
became the second
Dane to triumph at the
home of golf, following
on from Thorbjorn
Olesen’s victory in 2015.
It was one of many
highlights in a truly
extraordinary year for
Danish golf.
Thomas Bjorn led
Europe to a rampant
Ryder Cup victory at Le
Golf National the week
before, with the team
including Thorbjorn
Olesen. Olesen
produced a dominant
performance in the
Sunday singles to crush
former World Number
One Jordan Spieth.
Olesen had earlier
secured his place in the
team in the Made in
Denmark, an event
which has become
one of the best
supported in European
golf, and in 2019 will
move to the date
which was formerly
filled by the BMW PGA
Championship.
Olesen claimed his first
ROLEX SERIES title
earlier in the season at
the Italian Open,
defeating The Open
and BMW PGA
Champion Francesco
Molinari on the Italian’s
home soil.
Jeff Winther then
finished third at
European Tour Q
School to secure his
card for 2019.
If anyone is reading this
script they would think
it was written by Hans
Christian Anderson, a
fairytale year indeed
for Danish golf.

The Old Lady’s Revenge.

"Heaven has no rage
like love to hatred
turned, Nor hell a fury
like a woman scorned".
Standing on the 10 th
tee on Sunday Tyrrell
Hatton was in
complete control of
the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship, and up
until this point he was
well and truly having his
way with the Old Lady.
Four-under for the day
through nine holes, and
on the back of rounds
of 66, 66, 68, 66 and 62
in his last five rounds on
the Old Course, Hatton
was set to make it a
historic three
successive victories in
the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship.
But no woman likes to
be taken advantage
of, and Hatton felt the
full wrath of the Old
Lady on the back nine
during this year’s final
round.
His tee shot at the tenth
found sand and a
bogey ensued, cutting
his lead from five to
four, and with
Fleetwood birdieing the
11 th it was soon to be
down to three.
After safely finding the
green at the par three
eleventh Hatton took
three putts and
suddenly, his once
commanding
advantage was
teetering on the brink.
After a birdie from
Bjerregaard at the
thirteenth it was a
three-horse race.
Hatton then failed to
birdie the par-five
fourteenth and
successive bogeys at
fifteen and sixteen saw
him fall one behind
Bjerregaard.
Once the Dane birdied
the sixteenth he was
two behind, and in
need of a stunning
turnaround.
Bjerregaard threeputted
his final hole
(17), but the
Englishman failed to
birdie the 18 th and
incredibly, shockingly, it
was all over.
This Alfred Dunhill Links
seemed to be following
the same script as 2016
and 2017. Hatton built
his lead over the first
three days then put the
hammer down on
Sunday to claim the
glory.
The thing is, golf and
sport in general doesn’t
have a script. It is
unscripted drama at its
very best, and once
you get in the comfort
zone it invariably bites
you.
For Hatton winning has
come relatively easy in
the last three years,
and he hasn’t felt the
disappointment of
throwing a tournament
away before. Despite
his shocking
capitulation he was
philosophical about
things afterwards.
“There's positives,” he
said. “Obviously
finishing second is a
good effort. I tried my
best to win it again. It
would have been
pretty special to have
three in a row, didn't
work out, wasn't meant
to be.
“I started off well,
scoring pretty well the
front nine considering
conditions were quite
tough. Then just the
momentum completely
went after the tee-shot
on ten.
“I guess my putt on the
last to get in the playoff
sums it up, really.
Just a massive gust of
wind knocks me off,
pretty much lose
balance on a putt,
which is unfortunate.
“I'm pretty
disappointed because
I had a five-shot lead
at one point. It was in
my hands.”
For everyone at the
Old Course on Sunday
it was a given that
Hatton would win,
except for an Old Lady,
who had her revenge.

Fleetwood falls short in
middle of gruelling schedule.

Lucas Bjerregaard stole
the show on Sunday at
the Alfred Dunhill Links,
shattering the dreams
of double defending
champion Tyrrell Hatton
and confining Tommy
Fleetwood to the role
of St Andrews
bridesmaid once
again.
Fleetwood came to St
Andrews off the back
of a stunning Ryder
Cup debut and during
his greatest ever
season. The Southport
man won the 2017
Race to Dubai and has
followed that up with a
tournament victory in
Abu Dhabi and 9 other
top tens including a
spectacular runner-up
finish at the US Open.
It’s a measure of his
status in the game
today that a runner-up
finish in the Alfred
Dunhill Links is
somewhat of a
disappointment.
Rounds of 71
(Kingsbarns), 67
(Carnoustie) and 67 (St
Andrews) put him in a
position to challenge
Tyrrell Hatton for the
title.
The newest star in British
sport was immensely
popular with the
spectators who visited
this week, and he got
off to the perfect start
in the final round with
birdies at the second
and fourth holes to
close on the lead.
Hatton’s fierce start
meant that the
Merseyside star still had
several shots to make
up on the back nine.
A further birdie at the
par three eleventh
hole, coupled with
Hatton’s poor start to
the second nine put
him right in the mix for
the title.
A disappointing bogey
at the thirteenth hole
dented his hopes,
dropping him to 13-
under-par, 2 shots off
Hatton.
But he bounced back
with birdie at the par
four fifteenth hole, and
with Hatton imploding
on 15 and 16
Fleetwood briefly held
a share of the lead.
However, nobody had
reckoned on the stellar
form of the Dane
Bjerregaard, and
Fleetwood came to the
final hole knowing he
desperately needed a
birdie.
A fine drive just short of
the green left him
needing to get down in
two putts to post 15-
under-par in the
clubhouse. His first putt
came up around five
feet short of the hole,
setting up a shot at the
mark he needed.
Alas, it was not to be
for Tommy, as the ball
didn’t break as much
as he had reckoned
on, and he had to
settle for 14-under-par
and a share of second
place, his second
runner-up finish in the
Alfred Dunhill Links in
the last five years.
At the beginning of the
week he admitted that
he had sat down with
his caddie and team to
“re-set” and look
ahead to a frantic finish
to the season.
His runner-up prize
moved him ahead of
Patrick Reed in the
Race to Dubai
rankings, and sets up a
tantalizing possibility of
‘Moliwood’ going
head-to-head for the
season-long title on the
European Tour.
“There's still
tournaments left,” he
said. “Keep your head
down, keep practising
and keep trying to
improve.
We'll see at the end of
the year what kind of
chance we've got or
where we are but it's
nice to move in the
right direction.

“It was nice coming
down the stretch with a
chance to win. I
played some really
good golf and fell just
short. There was a lot of
good stuff.”
There was a lot of a
good stuff indeed, and
on a day when a
player with lesser
abilities could have
been blown away he
showed resilience,
especially around the
loop, keeping his
challenge together.
This is the mark of the
golfer, whilst being
exceptionally talented
he is also very durable.
Something which
comes from having to
fight for his card six
years ago and coming
from outside the top
140 in the world just two
years ago to just
outside the top 10 now.
He also demonstrated
remarkable powers of
concentration when he
must be drained from
his Ryder Cup
experience, and with
having played in 10 of
the last 12 weeks since
The Open
Championship.

Overshadowed. Koepka
and co show how hard it is
to win on the European Tour.

Three years have
passed since Brooks
Koepka last played in
the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship, in that
time he has gone from
World Number 17 to
World Number 3 and
won 3 Majors.
In 2015 he had won
once on the PGA Tour
and once on the
European Tour and was
a rising star, now he is
very much on course to
be a modern great of
the game.
So, when his
participation in this
year’s championship
was confirmed it was a
massive boost to the
event.
His wins in the US Open
and PGA
Championship made
him the standout
player in the field, and
shortly after the
championship he was
confirmed as the PGA
Tour Player of the Year.
A runner-up finish in
2015 was an indication
that Koepka enjoyed
the links, and he
figured prominently in
this year’s story.
The 2015 Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship
was the last time I saw
Koepka in the flesh,
and whilst he was a
big, imposing figure
then it was noticeable
that this beast of an
athlete was now a
peacock too, carrying
himself, as a multiple
Major champion
should, with great
confidence.
Koepka began his
challenge for the
Dunhill Links at
Kingsbarns, and in a
very tricky wind he kept
his round together on
his opening nine before
making three birdies on
the way in to post a
very respectable round
of 70 on the hardest
opening day in
tournament history.
A warmer and calmer
day at Carnoustie
yielded greater scoring
opportunities, and after
an eagle at the short
par-five fourteenth
Koepka looked set to
enter the weekend in
contention. However,
the final four at
Carnoustie would claim
another victim, and the
US Open and PGA
Champion would
bogey 15, 17 and 18 to
leave himself with
much work to do on
the Old Course on
Saturday.
With the major stars of
the professional field
assembling at the Old
Course for the first time
in the week the crowds
were at their largest.
Koepka took much of
the support out with
him, and he did not
leave them wanting
more.
The US Open and PGA
Champion thrilled the
galleries with a stunning
front nine which
featured birdies at 1, 3,
4, 5 and 6 to go out in
31. Further birdies
followed at 10, 11 and
12 and the Floridian
was on course to shoot
an extraordinarily low
round.
His run hit the buffers at
13 though with a
bogey, and despite
birdies at 14 and 18 he
would throw in bogeys
at 15 and 17 and have
to settle for a round of
65.
“A little disappointing
actually, I felt like I
played well enough to
shoot 60 or 61. I gave
away some easy shots,
it could have been a
lot better”, said a
frustrated Koepka.
Sunday’s bizarre
shotgun start meant
that Koepka began his
final round on the
formidable Road Hole.
Starting seven shots off
the lead he needed a
fast start and signalled
his intentions
immediately.
After safely navigating
the drive, his second
shot spectacularly

glanced the pin,
showing unerring
accuracy and a focus
to close the gap on
Hatton.
His putt from some 20
feet came up short, but
birdies at 18, 1 and 2
got him off to a roaring
start. However, with
Tyrrell Hatton’s birdie
burst on the front nine,
Koepka’s hopes of
victory were slim, and
pushing to try and get
closer to the lead the
American made four
bogeys in his final eight
holes, and he had to
settle for a share of
seventh place.
So, the wait for an
American champion at
the Alfred Dunhill Links
goes on.
In contrast to the
success the nation
enjoyed in the old
Alfred Dunhill Cup.
The Americans won the
cup on three occasions
in 1989, 1993 and 1996
with teams of illustrious
champions in an era
when the Dunhill
attracted many the
world’s greatest golfers.
In 1989 the US team
featured both the US
Open and Open
champions in Curtis
Strange and Mark
Calcavecchia,
alongside Tom Kite.
Four years later it was
Fred Couples, John
Daly and Payne
Stewart who walked
away with the cup,
and in 1996 Phil
Mickelson, Steve
Stricker and Mark
O’Meara were
victorious.
In fact, these nine
greats of American golf
were joined by
Raymond Floyd, Lanny
Wadkins, Steve Pate,
Davis Love III, Ben
Crenshaw, Lee Janzen,
Justin Leonard, Tom
Lehman, Larry Mize and
Tiger Woods, among
others over the
enormously popular 16
editions of the Alfred
Dunhill Cup.
Tony Finau was making
his debut in the Alfred
Dunhill Links
Championship after a
solid Ryder Cup bow
and a consistent
season. The World
Number 17 was excited
about playing the Old
Course for the very first
time and finished in a
tie for tenth place.
Finau was thrilled to
make his debut in the
annual pro-am
championship on three
of the world’s great
links courses: “They are
great courses, you’ve
got to golf your ball. I
like the creativity which
links brings, it is a lot
different from the golf
we play in the United
States. It’s fun to be
here in the home of
golf, I look forward to
the final two rounds at
St Andrews” Finau said
on Friday.
Matt Kuchar also made
his Dunhill Links bow
and was blown away
by the event: “My
partner Ric (Kayne) has
been asking me to
come for a while.
“But the timing is
difficult for the guys on
the US Tour. It’s after
major season, play-offs,
Ryder Cup or Presidents
Cup, it’s just such a
long stretch of golf.
“I had heard from
friend after friend what
a great event this is,
how much fun they
have. So I wanted to
come for a few years.
“With the Ryder Cup
being in Paris this year, I
figured it would be
easy to pop over so I
was happy to make
the effort.
“I played Kingsbarns for
the first time yesterday
and thought the course
was beautiful. It was
fun, it was fair. Today
was totally different
because there’s a lot
of wind out there”
Kuchar said prior to the
tournament beginning
on Wednesday,

Asian breakthrough in
Team Championship

The Team
Championship once
again featured the
usual old favourites, a
mix of sporting stars,
actors and performing
artists from the world of
rock and pop over the
years.
The promoters boasted
of a ‘super group’ of
great music stars, past
and present, including
current stars - Keane’s
Tom Chaplin, Linkin
Park’s Dave Farrell,
music giant Ronan
Keating and Brian
McFadden, former
lead singer of Westlife,
Mike Rutherford from
Genesis, country and
western star Clay
Walker and hugely
popular legends Huey
Lewis and Bon Jovi’s
Tico Torres.
Sports stars taking part
included Sir Steve
Redgrave, making his
18th straight
appearance, cricketers
Michael Vaughan,
Kevin Pietersen, Allan
Lamb and Shane
Warne, Irish rugby
legend Brian O’Driscoll,
20-times National Hunt
champion jockey Sir
Tony (A.P.) McCoy and
Dutch football legend
Ruud Gullit. In reality
the celebrity field was
nothing different to
past years and that
was reflected in lower
crowds than usual for
the Alfred Dunhill Links
Championship.
Haotong Li and Allen
Zhang became the first
Chinese winners of the
Alfred Dunhill Links
Team Championship
and afterwards
revealed the secret of
their success: eating a
hotpot meal together
on the eve of their 11-
under-par final round of
61 at the Old Course.
Rising professional Li
and his amateur
partner Zhang, the
creator of WeChat,
decided they needed
to share a traditional
Chinese dish as good
luck ahead of the
tournament’s last day.
It worked, too, with
Zhang sinking the
eventual winning putt –
a five foot effort for a
birdie on the 5th green,
their penultimate hole
after teeing off on the
7th hole in the shotgun
start.
Li shot a six-under-par
66 to end the individual
event in fifth place,
and he earned an
additional cheque of
$50,000 for the 35-
under-par team score
alongside Zhang. It
gave them a one-shot
victory over secondplaced
Thai golfer
Thongchai Jaidee and
American businessman
Scott Desano. “My
partner played very
well today – and his
birdie, on a hole when
he did not have a
stroke, was a great
moment for us,” said Li.
“It is also history, pretty
much, with us winning
this competition.”
In third place were
Spanish professional
Nacho Elvira and his
amateur partner John
van Wyk, a South
African businessman
who has twice
represented his country
in the World Karting
Championships. They
shot an eight-under par
64 for a 32-under-par
total.
Among the 20 teams
which made the cut in
the Team
Championship were
Australian cricket
legend Shane Warne
and former Ireland and
British and Irish Lions
rugby captain Brian
O’Driscoll.
Warne and New
Zealand professional
Fox shot a final round
66 to tie for 12th place,
while O’Driscoll and his
partner, Irish
professional Robin
Dawson, could only
manage a level par 72
to end up tied for 14th
at 23-under-par.

An unforgettable week at
the Alfred Dunhill Links

Looking ahead to 2019

There was once a time
that each October the
world’s greatest golfers
would make an annual
pilgrimage to the home
of golf.
From 1985 to 2000 the
Alfred Dunhill Cup
attracted a starstudded
field of the
best players from 16
countries across the
planet, and in 1993
featured Fred Couples,
John Daly, Nick Faldo,
Payne Stewart, Colin
Montgomerie, Ian
Woosnam, David Frost,
Jose Maria Olazabal,
Ernie Els and Nick Price.
The field included 8 of
the top 16 in the world
including the World
Number One.
Fast forward to 2018
and the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship has
attracted just 9 of the
world’s top 50. Of
course, much of this
has to do with the
changing landscape of
the world tours over the
last decade; the
creation of the FedEx
Cup has been
detrimental to the
European Tour in
September.
This year’s field
included the US Open
and PGA Champion
Brooks Koepka,
American Ryder Cup
stars Tony Finau and
Matt Kuchar, as well as
European Ryder Cup
heroes Tyrrell Hatton
and Tommy Fleetwood.
But aside from these
well-known players the
field struggled for
depth, with less than 20
top 100 players and
several obscure
invitees. However, with
the upcoming changes
to the worldwide
golfing schedule, 2019
could be the year in
which the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship
once again attracts
many of the world’s
greatest golfers to the
East Coast of Scotland.
The PGA Championship
moving to May is
central to a
revolutionary set of
changes for the 2018-
19 PGA Tour and
European Tour
schedules.
THE PLAYERS is returning
to March and the BMW
PGA Championship is
moving to September,
just one of several
changes the European
Tour has made to its
usual itinerary.
The PGA Tour playoffs
will now conclude with
The Tour Championship
in the final week of
August, which
potentially means the
European Tour could
attract a much
stronger field to each
of its events from mid-
September onwards.
With the Presidents Cup
being played in
December this means
the American stars may
find it even more
attractive to come and
play in a tournament
which many have
graced over a number
of years.
Matt Kuchar spoke
glowingly of the event
in his first appearance,
as did Tony Finau and
Brooks Koepka (who
appeared for the
fourth time this year).
Dustin Johnson
previously played in the
event in 2011, and
Justin Thomas made his
professional debut here
in 2015. Thomas has
shown a willingness to
play around the world,
winning twice in
Malaysia and once in
Korea, as well as being
the only US Ryder Cup
player to compete in
this year’s HNA Open
de France.
Patrick Reed is a
member of the
European Tour, and for
the last two years has
played in the European
Open in Germany.
Rickie Fowler has won
the HSBC Abu Dhabi
Championship and
Jordan Spieth has won

two Australian Open
titles in the last five
years.
And, what about the
biggest draw card of
all? Tiger Woods played
in the 1998 Alfred
Dunhill Cup, and his
love for the Old Course
is well-known.
Rory McIlroy skipped
this year’s event due to
the Ryder Cup, but in
all likelihood will return
in 2019, and his
participation may
encourage Europe’s
most high-profile
players to play.
The rest of Europe’s
successful Ryder Cup
team have all
performed well on the
links in recent year, and
their inclusion in the
field would strengthen
the appeal for the golf
fan from across
Scotland and the rest
of the UK.
South African support
for the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship has
always been strong,
mainly due to the
involvement of
Richemont owner,
Johann Rupert.
Branden Grace, Louis
Oosthuizen, Charl
Schwartzel, Ernie Els
and Brandon Stone all
teed it up in this year’s
event and its almost
certain they will
continue to do so in the
future.
Japanese golfers have
always had a close
affinity with St Andrews,
with the Japanese
formerly owning the
Old Course Hotel.
Many hundreds make
the pilgrimage to St
Andrews every summer
to play the Old Course,
and every effort should
be made to
encourage the likes of
Hideki Matsuyama and
Ryo Ishikawa to join
Hideto Tanihara in the
field for 2019.
With a strengthening of
the professional field
there is every chance
that the stature of the
celebrity/amateur field
will improve too.
With respect to Tico
Torres, Huey Lewis and
Sir Steve Redgrave,
today’s youth are not
familiar with them, and
the amateur field
needs refreshing.
Can you imagine the
interest if Tiger Woods
played with Michael
Jordan in the Alfred
Dunhill Links
Championship?!
The likes of David
Beckham and Justin
Timberlake are known
for their love of the
game, and their
presence would
elevate this event
immeasurably.
Whilst the timing of the
Alfred Dunhill Links may
prevent current
footballers from playing
in the tournament, the
likes of Paul Scholes,
Jamie Redknapp, Alan
Shearer, Phil Neville
and his brother Gary all
have played in the proams
of the BMW PGA
Championship and
British Masters over the
last few years.
The recent Celebrity
Match at the Ryder
Cup attracted the likes
of John McEnroe,
James Blake, Samuel L
Jackson, David Ginola,
Michael Phelps, Luis
Figo and Condoleeza
Rice to Le Golf
National. This
tournament has the
power to inspire the
next generation of
golfers across the
world, and 2019 could
be the moment it
realizes its vast
potential.

THROWING
THE
MCIL-TOYS
OUT
OF
THE
PRAM

At November’s season-ending DP
WORLD Tour Championship Rory
McIlroy spoke freely, as he does,
admirably. But on several
occasions his free manner has
caused controversy.
What about the time
he said this about the
Ryder Cup?
"It's not a huge goal of
mine," said the
Northern Irish
youngster. "It's an
exhibition. In the big
scheme of things it's not
that important an event
for me."
Following his dramatic
debut in 2010 he soon
changed his tune, later
saying he regretted his
choice of words in
2009. Then came the
Olympic Games and
his views on growing
the game:
“I don’t feel like I’ve let
the game down at all. I
didn’t get into golf to try
and grow the game. I
got into golf to win
championships and all
of a sudden you get to
this point and there is a
responsibility on you to
grow the game, and I
get that. But at the
same time that’s not
the reason that I got
into golf. I got into golf
to win. I didn’t get into
golf to get other people
into the game.”
He made those
comments at The Open
in 2016, the final
qualifying event for Rio,
justifying his decision
not to play in the first
Olympic Golf
Tournament for over
100 years.
Fast forward less than 3
weeks and Justin Rose
and Henrik Stenson are
taking part in an epic
duel for the Gold
Medal. Its almost
certain that those who
chose to skip Rio will
tee-it-up in Tokyo.
Now Rory has spoken
freely about his plans
for 2019, and it seems
they don’t include the
European Tour, and
perhaps more
controversially, the Irish
Open.
“Everything is going to
be so condensed
between March and
August, and that is why
I am taking a big offseason
to get myself
ready, and to have that
break and impose an
off-season on myself
and then go at it hard
from March all the way
through to basically the
end of the season,”
McIlroy said.
“I’ve got two events on
my schedule in Europe.
I am starting my year
off in the US [ in Hawaii
in January] and that
Tour will be the big
focus of mine up until
the end of August and
then we will assess from
there.
“I’ve a couple ‘pure’
European Tour events
on my schedule up
until the end of August.
I guess my thing is that I
want to play against
the strongest fields
week-in and week-out
and for the most part of
the season that is in
America.”
Those couple of events
are said to be the
Aberdeen Standard
Investments Scottish
Open in the week
preceding The Open,
and the OMEGA
European Masters, in
the week following the
PGA Tour’s season
finale at THE TOUR
Championship.
“If I want to continue to
contend in the
majors… and to
continue my journey
back towards the top
of the game, then that’s
what I want to do.
“If it were to be that I
don’t fulfil my
membership next year,
it’s not a Ryder Cup
year so it’s not the end
of the world. I am
always going to want
to play the Ryder Cup,
so if anything if that
does happen so be it

and I will try and make
the Ryder Cup team
with a year ago.”
Firstly, not fulfilling the
criteria of a European
Tour member means
McIlroy would not be
considered for future
captaincy of the
European Team. To be
honest I am not sure
anyone considers him
as a potential captainlike
figure.
However, not being a
member of a tour,
which only requires you
to play five events in an
entire season is more
than a little ridiculous.
Can he not surely find it
in him to play in the five
Rolex Series events
which are played
following the end of
the PGA Tour season?
And missing the Irish
Open, played at
Lahinch, would be a
huge kick in the teeth
to the tournament and
the host, Paul
McGinley.
Much credit goes to
McIlroy for the upward
trajectory of the Irish
Open over the last four
years, but he hasn’t
done it alone. Many
players made a
commitment to play in
the Irish Open because
of him, and surely he
owes it to McGinley
and Irish golf to play in
the tournament, on an
iconic Irish links.
But for me, this decision
is more illogical than it
is immoral. His claim
playing less golf and
playing more on the
PGA Tour will help him
win majors is utterly
flawed.
The two years in which
Rory McIlroy
dominated the Majors
and reached World
Number One were 2012
and 2014. In these
years he played 7
European Tour events
outside the Majors and
WGC's (2014) and 8
(2012) respectively.
On average between
2009 and 2014 (without
doubt his peak
performances in majors
and world golf) McIlroy
played far more golf,
making him sharper
and his results on the
PGA Tour were better
as a result. Of his 14
PGA Tour wins, 9 of
them came before
2015.
Being a regular
member of the
European Tour didn't
harm his performances
in Majors and on the
PGA Tour, it enhanced
them. Seve Ballesteros
won five majors and
was world number one,
and is a world golf hall
of fame member,
Of his 91 professional
wins, only 4 came in
regular PGA Tour
events. Does anyone
think any less of him for
that and does it harm
his legendary status?
It certainly didn’t harm
his form in the majors.
He finished in the top
ten at Augusta 8 times,
including 2 wins.
Sir Nick Faldo won 6
majors among his 41
worldwide wins, with
only 3 regular PGA Tour
events in his career. He
was world number one
for 96 weeks. Do we
think any less of him for
not being a prolific
winner on the PGA
Tour? Of course not!
Keith Pelley has bent
over backwards to try
and encourage these
pampered pillocks to
play in Europe, and
despite the creation of
the expensive and
rewarding Rolex Series
they continue to shun
it. And McIlroy is the
highest profile
European golfer.
I for one hope he sees
sense, for himself, and
willingly plays in our
biggest events,
otherwise we may see
the Rolex Series
disappear, and with it
the entire European
Tour is in jeopardy.

GOLF’S GREATEST

STORY BY MATT HOOPER
Images: Getty

"A lot of people say that we're in
the golf business. Yes, we are in
the golf business, but I say that
we're also in the content business
and we're in the entertainment
business,
Golf happens to be our platform.
So, if we're in the entertainment
business then our players are our
stars”
These are the words of
European Tour Chief
Executive Keith Pelley,
and the world of Golf
Entertainment is about
to be shaken up like
never before.
Prior to 1993 almost the
only events seen on live
television in the UK
were the Majors and
the European Tour
events in the UK such
as the British Masters
and the BMW PGA
Championship.
Then came Sky Sports,
showing almost every
European Tour event,
the US Open, PGA
Championship, Ryder
Cup and every PGA
Tour event.
The last decade has
seen Sky wrestle The
Masters and The Open
away from BBC, and
now the only live golf
shown on terrestrial
television is the final
two days of The
Masters.
2017 saw the creation
of Sky Sports Golf, the
first dedicated channel
for the sport in the UK,
and Sky seemed to
have it all – all four
majors, the Ryder Cup
and every event on the
PGA Tour and
European Tour.
But times are changing
and sadly for Sky, so is
the sports broadcasting
landscape and the
way people consume
content. This is
something they have
unfortunately not
recognized and the
people who run the
sport have, leading to
a seminal moment in
the broadcasting
history of the game.
Shortly after the
unveiling of Sky Sports
Golf at the 2017 Open
Championship, the
PGA of America
announced that they
were not renewing their
contract with Sky to
show the PGA
Championship, as they
looked to go in a
different direction to
grow their audience.
The 2017 PGA, the 99 th
edition of the storied
major, was shown in
the UK on BBC,
GiveMeSport on
Facebook and Twitter.
Then in 2018, for the
100 th PGA
Championship, Eleven
Sports entered the
equation, launching
their online-only service
with the golfing major.
But something much
bigger was to follow.
Following the
announcement that
Discovery and the PGA
Tour were entering into
an international
distribution partnership
in July they revealed
GOLFTV, powered by
the PGA TOUR, the
distinctive brand for the
destination that will
unite the community of
golf fans around the
world.
The brand will underpin
the new live and ondemand
international
video streaming
service, which will
launch globally outside
the United States on 1st
January 2019.
GOLFTV will offer fans a
one-stop destination to
access the widest
range of golf content.
With a growing
portfolio of content, it
will feature many of the
sport’s most exciting
moments, superstar
players and
tournaments on every
screen and device.

Serving golf fans with
an enhanced
experience to both
entertain and inform,
GOLFTV will present
more than 2,000 hours
of live action each
year as well as
extensive premium
content on-demand.
Live coverage* will
include the six Tours
operating under the
PGA TOUR umbrella
and nearly 150
tournaments annually –
including THE PLAYERS
Championship, the
FedExCup Playoffs and
the Presidents Cup.
Alex Kaplan, President
and General Manager,
Discovery Golf, said:
“Our long-term goal is
to create a must-have
experience that truly
enhances the way
global fans watch, play
and engage with the
game every day.
Unveiling the new
GOLFTV brand is an
exciting next step in our
journey.
“Building on Discovery’s
heritage of real-life
storytelling and directto-consumer
platform
experience, we’ve
already established a
world-class GOLFTV
team. With work well
underway, our carefully
considered plans will
allow us to continually
enhance GOLFTV as
we roll-out and further
develop the product.”
The launch of the
GOLFTV brand follows
the pioneering
strategic alliance
between Discovery
and the PGA TOUR,
announced in June. In
addition to the GOLFTV
service, the 12-year
alliance will manage
the PGA TOUR’s
international multiplatform
rights
including linear TV
rights.
Discovery is already
working to execute on
a robust distribution
and broadcast partner
strategy for the
portfolio, optimizing
reach across free-toair,
pay-TV and digital,
and will explore
partnering with existing
PGA TOUR and golf
broadcasters to
continue to grow the
game. Live PGA TOUR
coverage will become
available via GOLFTV in
line with the market-bymarket
rights activation
date
This does not currently
impact upon the main
live coverage of the
PGA Tour in the UK, as
Sky are the rights
holders for the PGA
Tour until the end of
2021. However, the
additional live
coverage Sky provided
via PGA Tour Live’s
featured groups and
bonus coverage will
disappear with
immediate effect.
Then in December
came news which,
whilst not as eyecatching
as the PGA
Tour deal, could bring
an end to live golf on
Sky Sports and change
the golf broadcasting
landscape forever in
this country.
Discovery and the
European Tour have
announced a new
partnership that will see
GOLFTV continue to
expand its portfolio and
move towards
becoming the
established ‘digital
home of golf’ for fans
around the world.
The wide-ranging
agreement includes
international multiplatform
live rights, in
selected territories,* to
all European Tour
events and the next
two Ryder Cups**, as
well as Discovery
collaborating to further
grow the European
Tour’s digital platforms,
showcasing the Tour’s
innovative content
worldwide.
The partnership will
bring coverage of the
European Tour and
Ryder Cup together

under GOLFTV, the
global live and ondemand
video
streaming service
launching in January
2019. Fans will be able
to follow all the world’s
greatest players, week
in and week out, with a
growing portfolio of
content that will make
GOLFTV an unmissable
destination for golf
entertainment
worldwide.
GOLFTV will carry more
than 40 European Tour
events per year starting
in January*. These
events will include:
Every Race to Dubai
event throughout the
season.
All Rolex Series events,
including the Abu
Dhabi HSBC
Championship, Dubai
Duty Free Irish Open,
Aberdeen Standard
investments Scottish
Open, BMW PGA
Championship, Italian
Open, Turkish Airlines
Open, Nedbank Golf
Challenge and seasonending
DP World Tour
Championship, Dubai.
All World Golf
Championships
(WGC)events,
including the Mexico
Championship, the Dell
Technologies Match
Play, the FedEx St. Jude
Invitational and HSBC
Champions.
Golf Sixes and the Hero
Challenge.
The European
Challenge Tour and
Staysure Tour.
Following Team
Europe’s victory in Paris
in September, live
coverage of the next
two Ryder Cups from
Whistling Straits,
Wisconsin, in 2020 and
Marco Simone Golf &
Country Club, Italy, in
2022 will be available
to fans in selected
territories through
GOLFTV.
Sky signed a new deal
with the European Tour
in September, to run
until the end of 2022,
and includes the next
two Ryder Cups, but
after that it looks
increasingly certain
that their focus will fall
upon Premier League
football.
Alex Kaplan, President
and General Manager,
Discovery Golf, said:
“Welcoming the
European Tour and The
Ryder Cup into the
GOLFTV world is a
significant step in our
journey to becoming a
premier global
destination for golf
entertainment. To offer
fans the chance to
watch some of the
biggest tournaments of
the year week in and
week out, featuring the
world’s greatest players
and their national
heroes, is the perfect
foundation of musthave
content that fans
can’t live without.”
“To become the true
‘digital home of golf,’
we know we must think
differently and go
further than anything
that has been done
before,” Kaplan
continued.
“Forging a deeper
relationship with the
European Tour to help
develop and grow its
digital assets is a
perfect example of
that, and it highlights
our long-term aim to
build a true ecosystem
around golf, leveraging
Discovery’s global
presence and expertise
to achieve this at
scale.”
Keith Pelley, Chief
Executive, European
Tour, said: “Discovery
has a very a strong
vision for GOLFTV as a
multi-platform
destination for golf and
we are delighted to be
combining our global
reach in 2019.
“Our partnership with
Discovery, combined
with our other
broadcast deals,

means that every fan in
every territory will now
be able to watch the
European Tour. This
new partnership is
therefore an exciting
move for us, allowing us
to showcase the stars
of the European Tour
and our innovative
content to a new
audience,” Pelley
concluded.
For Pelley this is another
landmark in
revolutionizing the
European Tour and the
way it is seen in the UK,
Europe and around the
world.
It brings the Tour onto
the same platform as
the PGA Tour, and has
the potential to drive
sponsors to the tour like
never before.
Moving beyond a
traditional rights
agreement, Discovery
will partner with the
European Tour on the
operations of its digital
platforms from 2019.
Leveraging Discovery’s
proven record in
maximizing multiplatform
engagement
and commercialization
around the world’s
biggest and most
watched sports events,
the partners will work
together to grow the
European Tour’s digital
assets, including the
global website, the
European Tour apps,
and exploration of new
local websites and
local European Tour
social media accounts,
helping to showcase
the Tour’s innovative
digital content to a
global audience.
Discovery will focus on
developing and
optimizing key aspects
of the European Tour
digital operation, such
as technology,
monetization and
advertising.
The European Tour will
continue to provide
content and editorial
services for the digital
platforms, and service
its existing news and
media clients.
The final part of the
announcement could
be massive for the
exposure of the game.
Under the agreement,
Discovery will also
have the ability to
sublicense TV and
digital coverage, in the
markets for which it
holds exclusive rights,
as part of a broader
strategy to grow
viewership of the
European Tour.
Pelley has previously
stated his desire to
upgrade the offering
from European Tour
productions, and to
make the tour more
visible, whilst at the
same time being
magnanimous about
Sky Sports coverage of
the European Tour.
This partnership makes
it very possible for the
European Tour to return
to free-to-air television
in the UK on a large
scale for the first time in
decades, perhaps in a
bigger way than ever
before.
It also doesn’t
necessarily have to be
BBC which is the freeto-air
sub-licensee. If
Pelley is looking to
maximise
commercialization of
the tour, then the likes
of ITV and Channel 4
could very well enter
the market.
GOLFTV also has
announced an
exclusive deal with
Tiger Woods to provide
unique content
featuring the 14-time
major champion and
former world number
one.
Among the plans,
Woods and GOLFTV
are collaborating to
develop weekly
practice and
instructional videos to
improve your game;
Exclusive access into
Tiger’s preparation
routines; Behind-the-

scenes access before
and after PGA TOUR
rounds and Unique &
exclusive post-round
commentary.
With three enormous
deals in place, and the
global footprint to
achieve their goals,
there appears to be no
stopping GOLFTV from
becoming the ultimate,
global home of golf on
all platforms.
That is the key word –
PLATFORM.
This is, primarily, about
the ways in which we
consume content, and
that is changing
rapidly. Simply, the
screen is getting
smaller.
This is something
Discovery, through
Eurosport, has
recognized and acted
upon in a much
quicker fashion than
Sky. It is far easier to
subscribe to and watch
Eurosport Player on
your phone than it is
Sky via Sky Mobile TV.
Eurosport Player is also
available via Amazon
Prime. This makes it
much more accessible
to a wider audience.
And there is another
key to why Discovery
have made such gains
in the sport so quickly.
ATTITUDE.
Discovery and
Eurosport are not
obsessed by exclusivity.
Sky’s business model is
broken.
The last couple of years
has seen their once
great relationship with
Augusta National and
The Masters sour. All
because Sky want
exclusive live coverage
of all four days of The
Masters.
They believe, perhaps
with some justification,
that the vast sums and
hours they put in to
producing the great
coverage of the event,
they deserve to have it
exclusively.
However, this shows a
distinct lack of trust in
their own subscribers.
They are worried that if
all four days are shown
on BBC then their
viewing figures will dip.
Speaking as someone
who appreciates great
coverage of a golf
event, I can guarantee
that I would never
watch BBC’s coverage
over Sky’s. As a
subscriber I would
always watch their
coverage.
But it is this apparent
fear of losing viewers
which could, and likely
will, see Sky lose it all in
2022.
Discovery acquired the
rights to the Olympic
Games but is
completely open to
sub-licensing coverage
to BBC. Eurosport held
the rights to most Tennis
but was completely
open to sub-licensing it
to BBC. And it goes on.
BT Sport enjoy the same
relationship with other
sports and BBC too.
Legislation from
government ended
Sky’s monopoly on
coverage of the
Premier League, for the
better. I say that not
because I am anti-Sky, I
am the most pro-Sky
person you will meet,
but it is positive for any
sport to be seen by as
many eyes as possible.
The thought that Sky
would consider sublicensing
golf back
from GOLFTV is
laughable, it simply will
not happen.
Another reason for this
is they are stripping
down their rights profile
in order to make a
significant bid to regain
live UEFA Champions
League Football. They
have also just agreed a
huge deal with F1 and
a vastly increased deal
with the Football
League.
Something had to give.

With the loss of both
the PGA Tour and
European Tour virtually
secured, it is now
predictable that the
2021 US Open and 2021
Open will be the last
majors shown on Sky.
Both the USGA and
R&A will want to be
part of the worldwide
rollout of GOLFTV, and
it makes perfect sense
for the majors to follow
the tours to the
network.
For GOLFTV to become
a true home of golf it
would have to acquire
the LPGA and women’s
Majors, and surely
nobody would put it
past them. This
however should not be
seen as a negative
move for the game, as
previously stated, it
gives a great
opportunity for golf to
return to free-to-air
television in the UK.
Perhaps in as little as
five years we could see
The Masters, PGA, US
Open, The Open, World
Golf Championships,
PGA Tour FedEx Cup,
European Tour Rolex
Series, the Women’s
Majors and the Ryder
Cup on BBC, ITV or
even Channel 4.
Sky have done some
tremendous things for
the visibility of golf in
the UK, showing more
golf than any network
in the world, becoming
the first network in the
world to broadcast the
Ryder Cup in its entirety
and many other
innovations.
After 25 years as the
home of golf on UK
television though it is
perhaps time a new
network put its weight
behind the sport, one
which doesn’t have to
bid for Premier League
football and can
commit to the sport we
all love. The youngster
of today, even the 35-
year-old adult,
consumes the vast
majority of their
content on a laptop,
tablet or mobile phone.
Discovery are set to
utilize that on the
greatest scale we have
ever seen in sport, and
with Tennis now almost
exclusively on Amazon
Prime it seems only
logical that another
sport which uses the
term “GRAND SLAM”
would follow suit.
After years of
debate as to
whether golf is
suffering from a lack
of exposure, and
searching for
answers, perhaps
this is GOLF’S
GREATEST
DISCOVERY.

A C E N T U R Y O F M E M O R I E S AT
P E B B L E

B E A C H
C O M I N G I N
2 0 1 9

C O M I N G I N
2 0 1 9

100 YEARS OF
GOLF
AT GLENEAGLES

THE MECCA

C O M I N G I N
2 0 1 9

INTERIORS
YOGA

LIFESTYLE
BEAUTY
FOOD&DRINK

The Beauty of

BY AILEEN WALLACE-EDGAR

The signs are all around us
that winter is well and truly
here, and we aren’t talking
about the shorter days and
trees becoming bare. Think
tighter skin, chapped lips and
rough skin on the hands and
feet.
These common symptoms of a
skin well and truly in the grip
of winter are easy to combat
though, and the quicker you
begin the sooner you will have
that gorgeous, party ready
skin!
One of the main
concerns my clients
have during winter is
that their skin looks dull
and feels tight. It is
important to remember
that what works for you
in the summer months
may not be the most
suitable for you in the
winter.
Just like your wardrobe
we need to tweak
things seasonally. Your
skin care specialist is
the best person to
discuss individual needs
with but here are the
usual suspects when
treating winter skin.
Firstly look at what’s
being used. If your
desperately reaching
for your moisturiser after
cleansing its probable
that your skin barrier is
disrupted. I would
suggest switching to a
more hydrating
cleansing lotion. Lotion
based cleansers will
always be more
hydrating than gel
washes. Look for
ingredients like
hydrolysed oats which
lock in moisture to the
skin.
Many skincare ranges
have hydrating
serums which can be
amazing for helping
winter skin. My
favourite hydrating
ingredient is Hyaluronic
Acid which, while
sounding scary,
actually holds up to
10,000 times its weight
in moisture.
Which makes it the
perfect underwear for
your moisturiser. Pop it
on before your
moisturiser and then
top off the daily routine
with your SPF. Yup, you
read that correctly, SPF.
Its not just for when the
sun is beating down
and toasting our skin.
Use it in winter as an
added barrier to
central heating and
biting North Easterly
winds. Many
sunscreens now include
ingredients like Vitamin
E which is renowned for
its moisturising and
protecting abilities.
Remember your SPF
should be used like a
jacket so it should be
applied after all your
serums and moisturiser.
Your SPF can also be
used to treat dry
chapped lips and
hands but I personally
prefer Dr Paw Paw
Original Balm.
Suitable for
using on the
hands, face and lips
it provides relief for dry

irritated skin. You can
even use it on your feet
to treat cracked heels!
Just pop it on and then
some socks over it
before bed and wake
up to softer skin on the
feet. How does it work?
Its key ingredient
Pawpaw contains lots
of Vitamin C and B
which helps aid skin
repair and adds
moisture.
Teamed with another
important ingredient,
Aloe Barbadenis Leaf
Juice, it retains and
restores moisture to lips
and skin.
We swear by it in salon
to treat dry, cracked
hands and feet. But
remember a little goes
a long, long way!
Winter is also a great
time to address your
professional skin
treatment regime. The
lack of strong UV rays
mean it can be an
ideal time to have a
course of mild peels.
These peels are super
mild but super effective
at addressing ageing
concerns as they work
to boost the production
of collagen which is
responsible for firm tight
skin and reducing
wrinkles.
My top-rated mild peel
is from Environ Skincare.
Designed by plastic
surgeon Dr Des
Fernandes these peels
are mild enough to
have one a week but
effective enough to
reduce wrinkles and
lines.
If you are more
concerned with
problematic skin never
fret as these peels are
great for treating
bacterial issues on the
skin and minimising
scarring from
breakouts.

So, while winter can play havoc with our skin it doesn’t
have to. The key is to be prepared to tweak what has
been a trusted routine all summer long.

Coorie In with our

STYLING TIPS
BY TRACY SMITH

When the book ‘How to Hygge’
came out two years ago it
took the world by storm which
made me realise that the
Scottish term to ‘Coorie ’ was
very similar to Hygge.
The word means to snuggle in
or cuddle in. There has now
been a book published by
Gabriella Bennet called The
Art of Coorie. This book looks
at how in Scotland we like to
embrace the outdoors and
return home to snuggle in
front of a fire with a hot
drink or maybe even a whisky
and to live a much quieter
life.
from their own sheep
and others around Mull
which reflect the
natural colour of their
fleeces. The also like to
use a mix of old and
new patterns to
produce bespoke
fabrics for their
customers
With this in mind I
thought I would take a
look at some home
accessories to help you
‘Coorie In’ this winter.
There are so many
great textile designers
in Scotland and we are
very lucky to have
some great weavers still
going strong. I recently
visited Ardalanish Isle
of Mull Weavers and
had a look around their
small artisan mill.
They have two looms
and produce yarns

Marii Helena designs
the most gorgeous
fabric and wallpapers
based on Scottish
landscapes. Her
designs are heavily
patterned and are
great for introducing
another layer to your
interiors. It Is important
not to be frightened of
patterns and colours
when designing rooms
and Mairi’s designs are
one way of introducing
both to your design
scheme.
I have chosen some
muted tones for this
article but if you visit
Mairi’s website you will
see that the Scottish
landscape has inspired
her to create some
beautiful designs.

Another mill I have
visited is Loch Carron
they produce the most
beautiful lambswool
throws and blankets
which are perfect for
snuggling into on a
cold winters’ night.
These can be used at
the end of a bed for
styling, over a chair or
on a sofa.

Of course you cannot
Coorie without a
candle and again we
have some wonderful
candle makers in
Scotland. Jo
Macfarlane candles
based in Anstruther is
just one option, you
can even go to one of
her candle making
workshops and create
your own.
I love her candle called
Haar which if you live
on the East Coast of
Scotland you will know
this term well, it means
the low mist that rolls in
from the North Sea. The
fragrance will fill your
room to give a feeling
of well being, also
candle light is a great
way of creating
ambient light to a
room.
As we approach the
end of the year we are
also starting to think
about Hogmanay -
New Years Eve. This
used to be a huge
night in Scotland where
you would stay up for
the bells to welcome in
the new year, you
would then go first
footing around the
streets and the first
person over the door to
bring you luck for the
year had to be tall,
dark and handsome.
They would usually
bring a dram, a lump of
coal and a piece of
cake, usually clootie
dumpling.
The coal represents
long and healthy life
and is where the term -
‘Lang May Yer lum
Reak’ comes from.
Of course it would not
be New Year without
singing ‘Auld Lang
Syne’ by the Scottish
Bard Robert Burns.
Local ceramic designer
Susan McGill Designs
incorporates his words
in her designs. Her trays
,tea towels and art are
a great gift to take to a
new year party or
remind someone of
their Scottish Heritage.

So that’s a quick look at some ways of
bringing Coorie into your home this Winter.
Remember that just as you layer up in winter
clothes you can do the same with interiors
and add in additional accessories. Always try
to stick to three colours and that will avoid
anything looking mismatched. As William
Morris would say ‘have nothing in your house
that you do not know to be useful or believe
to be beautiful’.
2018 has been another busy year for us.
If you are looking to update your home in
2019 please get in touch with us.
www.interiorsbytracysmith.co.uk.

As I sit here writing in my woolly
jumper and socks next to the fire,
I find myself amazed at how fast
this year has flown in.
Here we are, once
again wrapped in our
winter coats and
scarves preparing for
the holidays but we
must remember to take
time for ourselves
amongst the madness.
Winter is a time for
reflection, rest and
contemplation as
nature and hibernating
animals retreat to
conserve resources
through the frosty cold
days and long dark
nights.
The energy of winter is
very slow and ‘Yin’
compared to the
active ‘Yang’ energy
of summer and your
exercise routine should
reflect this ebb and
flow of nature.
Yin yoga is a much
slower practice which
allows for gentle but
effective stretching into
connective tissues by
remaining in a posture
(often supported by
blocks, cusions,
blankets etc) for 2-5
minutes.
This passive stretching
gives time for the body
to relax and the mind
to clear which can be
a great way to
alleviate stress and find
some peace in
between the Christmas
shopping and mince
pie cooking!
Have a look below for
a few simple Yin Yoga
postures and don’t
forget to include a
savasana, no matter
how short your practise
is.
Slowing down the
pace to conserve
energy and safely
stretch joints and
muscles can play an
important part in both
physical and mental
wellbeing at this time of
year and at the studio,
our Yin yoga classes
are especially popular
in winter.

I hope everyone can look back over
2018 with a smile and sense of
achievement.
Have a fantastic holiday season and I
wish everyone the very best for 2019.

Sunday Lunch by the

Seashore
THE SEAFOOD RISTORANTE
BY MATT HOOPER

Winter in St Andrews can be
wild, with the wind and
sometimes the rain, and this
woolly-hat weather can be
dramatic, especially by the
seashore.
But there aren’t many
better activities to do in
St Andrews during the
colder months than a
brisk walk along West
Sands.
It well and truly blows
the cobwebs away
and makes you
appreciate a cosy
evening by the fire.
It also builds an
appetite and readies
you for a sumptuous
roast. In a town which is
now renowned for its
dining options it is sadly
lacking in the Sunday
Roast department.
This gap in the market
has now been filled.
Gloriously,
Introducing The
Seafood Ristorante.
The architecture in St
Andrews is largely
Victorian and
Edwardian, and when
a modern building is
constructed it
invariably causes
commotion among the
locals. The Café at the
British Golf Museum
and the Links
Clubhouse are two
such examples which
saw many St Andreans
get their knickers in a
twist about
‘compromising’ the
view.
Tucked behind the
British Golf Museum
and adjacent to the St
Andrews Aquarium, in
the shadow of the
magnificent houses of
The Scores is the unique
Seafood Ristorante.
Opened as The
Seafood Restaurant by
Tim Butler in 2003, it was
purchased by 22-yearold
entrepreneur
Stefano Pieraccini.
Stefano is the son of
Adrian, former owner of
the Rocca Restaurant
at the Rusacks Hotel,
and family invested
over £100,000 into the
business to boost the
number of covers to 80
and to increase staffing
to around 30.
After a short closure for
refurbishment, the
restaurant reopened as
The Seafood Ristorante,
serving seafood with an
Italian twist.
The shape and look of
the building did not
change during the
refurbishment, and
hence, as someone
until this review had
never stepped foot
inside, I had not
changed my
expectations.
I had thoughts that
being in the restaurant I
would feel ‘exposed’ or
‘cold’ and ‘soulless’.
The reality was nothing
like that, and the
refurbishment has
made it feel intimate,
comfortable, fun and
relaxed.
The new layout has
made best use of the
building’s floor space
and the furniture is
comfortable. Whilst I
am certain dining here
during the summer is
spectacular, with a
sunny day and a flat
calm sea I have to say
that on a winter’s day
this was a dramatic
experience with the
tide rushing in and the
waves crashing against
the rocks.
This made the
experience a little like
being on a ship in the
ocean, which just
added to the image of
this being the best
seafood restaurant in
Scotland.
A highly talented team
is led by head chef,
Davy Aspin, who
previously worked with
Gordon Ramsey. The
Michelin Star chef also
ran the kitchen at the

Rocca Restaurant at
the Rusacks Hotel.
They launched the
Bollinger Sunday Lunch
menu in October and
we visited on
Remembrance
Sunday, 11 November,
We were given a warm
welcome by Stefano
and his team and the
service throughout was
first class, without being
overbearing.
We were seated at a
sea-facing table and
began with a glass of
Bollinger Champagne
and Home Baked
Bread & Cicchetti to
share. This gave us the
opportunity to peruse
the menu.
On the subject of
champagne, I have
had an interesting
experience with it in
the past. When I
worked at the New
Golf Club we had a
grand reopening
following refurbishment
of the clubhouse after
the fire which forced
closure and
refurbishment in 2016.
We provided
champagne for those
attending, and with a
full tray left over at the
end of the night me
and two colleagues sat
down at the end of a
hard night’s work for a
sip.
Somehow my
colleagues had just six
of the eighteen glasses
between them, leaving
the remaining twelve
for me. Yes, I am sure
you can guess what
happened next. When
we left the club and
went out into the rather
fresh air, I almost
instantly threw up what
I had drunk, at the
entrance to the club.
I received a large
amount of stick from
my “more
experienced”
colleague, and very
little sympathy!
Thankfully this time it
was one glass and no
‘accidents’ on this
occasion!
To start my companion
for the meal had House
Smoked Salmon & East
Neuk Crab served with
caviar and sour cream
bilini's. This tasty, meltin-the-mouth
dish
tickled her taste buds.
I had the Shetland
Mussels served with a
white wine and garlic
cream sauce.
British Mussels are at
their most succulent
during the winter
months, and these
were certainly no
exception! However, I
would say for a starter
portion there were a
few too many, I
couldn’t finish the dish,
but this is a minor point.
Following our Bollinger
Champagne, I had a
bottle of Bright Spark
IPA and my
companion had a glass
of Castel Firmian
Sauvignon Blanc from
Trentino in Italy. Now,
following from my
champagne story my
companion will be
reminded to in future
bring her pillow as
afternoon drinking
makes her a little tired!
For mains I went for the
Roast Rib of Scotch
Beef served with a
Yorkshire Pudding,
Cauliflower with a
cheese and white wine
sauce, Broccoli and a
sweet gravy sauce.
This was the
embodiment of a good
Sunday roast, but
served with a modern
twist. The portion size
complimented the
slightly larger starter
and left me feeling all
warm and relaxed.
My companion had
the Scrabster Plaice
served with"potted
shrimps", sprouting
broccoli and blade
mace. This was a

delicate dish and the
shrimps were tasty and
full of flavour.
The mains left us feeling
full and satisfied, but I
couldn’t resist a
pudding, to complete
a perfect experience. It
leapt out at me from
the menu, mainly
because so few places
do it anymore. Bread
and Butter Pudding.
Review by Matt Hooper
accompanied by
Claire Campbell with
thanks to James
Cantlie.
But this wasn’t any
ordinary Bread and
Butter pudding. This
was exquisite and
delightful. The sweet
toffee top melts in the
mouth and the
poached apricot and
clotted cream
complimented it
splendidly.
Splendid! I got it in, it’s
a word I have become
renowned for using,
and gives my friend a
good laugh. But its too
true, the Seafood
Ristorante is Splendid.
For those who got their
knickers in a twist about
a new building in an
ancient town, I suggest
you put them on your
head, as your opinion is
pants! The Seafood
Ristorante is a perfect
place to enjoy a
splendid Sunday
afternoon! Oops there
it is again! Splendid!

Sunday Lunch Menu
£29.50 - 2 courses £35 - 3 courses
12:30 - 15:00
Home Baked Bread & Cicchetti to share & Glass of Bollinger Champagne*
Additional Oysters 3.5each
Starters
Smoked Haddock & Clam Chowder, pancetta & sweetcorn
House Smoked Salmon & East Neuk Crab, caviar, sour cream, bilini's
Shetland Mussels, white wine, garlic, cream
Coarse Pate of Scottish Game, foie gras, Agen prunes, sage
Crown Prince Pumpkin Agnolotti, ricotta, pine nuts, sage
Mains
Roast Rib of Scotch Beef "all the trimmings"
Shetland Cod, glazed chicken wings, girolles, coco beans
Scrabster Plaice, "potted shrimps", sprouting broccoli, blade mace
"Classic Fish Pie", fennel, anchovy, preserved lemon
Wild Mushroom, Leek & Anster Torte, salt baked celeriac, shaved porcini
"Puddings"
Bitter Chocolate Fondant "oranges & Grand Marnier"
Bread & Butter Pudding "Paul Heathcote" poached apricot & clotted cream
Apple Tart Tatin (to share for 2 & must be pre-ordered) vanilla ice cream,
butterscotch sauce
Selection of Ice Cream & Sorbets
Scottish & Italian Cheese Selection (£2.50 supplement)
acacia honey
Menu available from Sunday 28th October. Please notify us in advance of
any allergies or dietary requirements.
* = complimentary glass of Bollinger for reservations made in advance and
over the age of 18.

ST ANDREWS REMEMBERS
A ST ANDREWS CHRISTMAS

MORE

St Andrews Remembers

The Fallen

On Sunday 11 November St
Andrews remembered the fallen
and marked 100 years since the
end of World War 1.
They did so with the
traditional parade of
the armed forces from
Holy Trinity Church to
the War Memorial at
the Cathedral.
The parade, featuring
each of the local
regiments in the Army,
Navy and RAF, along
with family members,
MPs and
representatives of
several local
organisations, started
on Church Street and
took a route via Market
Street, Union Street and
North Street to its final
destination.
The parade was led by
the St Andrews City
Pipe Band.
Representatives from
each regiment and the
local organisations
present then laid
wreaths around the St
Andrews War Memorial.
They were joined by
pupils from Madras
College and St
Leonards School.
Around 200 people
joined the parade in
walking through the
streets of St Andrews,
and most stayed to
observe the formal part
of the event at the
memorial.
This was the first time
that I had attended the
parade, and it was an
impactful event to walk
through the ancient
streets of St Andrews
and pay respects to
those who died to
keep us free from the
terrors of the enemy.

St Andrews also took part in
Danny Boyle’s nationwide event –
PAGES OF THE SEA – a first of its
kind, national beach sculpture
event staged at numerous beaches
across the UK.
Volunteers were on
West Sands at sunrise to
begin sculpting the
image of suffragette Dr
Elsie Inglis into the sand.
Then from 12pm
hundreds of members
of the public
congregated on the
beach to see it and
carve their own
sculptures of a Tommy
into the beach,
As the tide came in it
washed away the
image of Elsie Inglis, as
a final goodbye to a
woman who played
her part in the war
effort.
Elsie Inglis was an
avowed suffragist and
ally of campaigner
Millicent Fawcett, who
combined her medical
background with a
yearning for social
justice. Born in Naini,
India, she came to
Scotland with her
parents when still
young. Inglis trained as
a surgeon in Edinburgh
and Glasgow, at first
seeking to improve
facilities and
healthcare for women.
In 1901, she founded a
maternity hospital for
the poor in Edinburgh –
The Hospice – staffed
only by women.
At the outbreak of war,
she was instrumental in
setting up the Scottish
Women’s Hospitals for
Foreign Service
Committee, a body
funded by the suffrage
movement to provide
all-female care.
Rebuffed by Great
Britain’s War Office,
which told her to “go
home and sit still”,
Inglis’s help was
accepted by the
French, who sent her
unit first to Serbia,
where she was
instrumental in
improving hygiene to
reduce epidemics such
as typhus. Despite
being captured and
repatriated in 1915,
Inglis then went to work
in Russia before she
was diagnosed with a
terminal illness and
returned to Britain in
November 1917. She
passed away the day
after she arrived home.
A specially
commissioned poem
by Carol Ann Duffy was
made available for the
public to read during
the event.

A
S T A N D R E W S
C H R I S T M A S

ST ANDREWS
A COMFORT BLANKET FOR
THE HAPLESS GOLFER
BY ROGER MCSTRAVICK
£9.99
TOPPING AND COMPANY
A Golfer’s
Christmas
Stocking
OLD COURSE ST ANDREWS
WINTER BEANIE GIFT SET
£55.99
THE PRO SHOP

CHRISTMAS TREE BAUBLES
TEE PLAQUE OLD COURSE
BONKERS ORIGINAL GIFTS
£300.00
ST ANDREWS LINKS
STAY & PLAY ONE
ROUND
£180.00
FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS
CLASSIC SPA DAY
£180.00
OLD COURSE HOTEL
KOHLER SPA
12 GINS OF CHRISTMAS
£50.00
EDEN MILL

THE ADAMSON
Arguably St Andrews’ most renowned restaurant is
offering a classic Christmas menu which is
affordable and is sure to be popular with many
Lunch Monday – Thursday
£16.95/£19.95
Dinner Monday – Thursday
£22.95/£25.95
All day Friday – Sunday
£25.95/£29.95
Christmas menu runs until 24 December

T HE B E S T
P L A C E S T O E A T
O U T O V E R C H R I S T M A S
I N S T A N D R E W S
KINNETTLES
If you fancy treating yourself and friends or family
to an exquisite dining experience this Christmas,
then look no further than 127 North Street.
Lunch 2 courses £24.95 / 3 courses £29.95
Dinner 2 courses £34.95 / 3 courses £39.95
Christmas menu runs until 24 December
MITCHELL AND CO.
Mitchell and Co. is the place to be this Festive
season, as one of the few St Andrews restaurants
to open on Christmas Day offers a variety of
festive dining options.
Their Festive Fayre Menu runs throughout December
and is priced at £24.95
Christmas Day dining is £39.95
DOLL’S HOUSE
The Doll’s House is open throughout the festive
season including Christmas Day. This most
central of St Andrews restaurants sits in the
shadow of Holy Trinity Church.
Festive lunch £16.95
Festive dinner £19.95
Christmas Day £45.95

T HE B E S T
S H O P S F O R T H A T
C H R I S T M A S G I F T
I N S T A N D R E W S
BONKERS
BONKERS is a unique gift shop located on the corner
of Church Street and Market Street, selling cards, soft
toys, stationery, jewellery and personal accessories.
You are sure to find a quirky stocking filler in this
popular store.
TASTE OF SCOTLAND
TASTE OF SCOTLAND has opened both a liquor store and a gift
shop in Market Street over the last two years, and both could be
options for you to get that last-minute gift for a loved one.
FARMORE INTERIORS
Whether it is something for the home or for your Christmas tree, or
a little nugget for a family member, old or young, FARMORE
INTERIORS is a Christmas wonderland and a must visit for that
unique gift this year.
TOPPING AND COMPANY
If it is a book you are after, then you are sure to find it in St
Andrews’ most popular and well-stocked bookstore. TOPPING
AND COMPANY are located on Greyfriars Gardens.

T HE B E S T
A C T I V I T I E S F O R
T H E F E S T I V E S E A S O N
I N S T A N D R E W S
GO FOR A WALK
See our best Walks on page 309
EAT AND DRINK OUT
See our Best Places to eat out on page 301
GO TO THE CINEMA
NPH Cinema has all the latest blockbuster releases over the
Festive season for you and your family and friends. Check the
website for more details.
GO TO THE THEATRE
Pantomime season is underway and this year it is Sleeping Beauty
at the Byre Theatre. This year’s spectacular is proving to be very
popular and tickets are selling fast.
FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS
SKATING RINK
The Skating Rink at the Fairmont St Andrews returns for a
second year. Open to hotel residents and the public, the
rink is by reservation only. Check out Facebook for more
details.

T HE B E S T
W I N T E R W A L K S
I N S T A N D R E W S
THE HARBOUR TO THE SCORES
This walk takes in most of St Andrews’ historic landmarks and
both of its remarkable beaches. Starting at the ancient pier
you walk up the steep incline to the Cathedral before taking
the path along the cliff edge to the Castle, then along the
Scores passing the St Salvator’s Hall.
With West Sands now in sight you have the magnificent
Martyrs Monument ahead of you, along with the R&A
Clubhouse and British Golf Museum. To your right you have
the Aquarium and your left the splendid architecture of
Gillespie Terrace, the Scores Hotel and the iconic Hamilton
Grand.
Take a seat on one of the benches and take a few minutes
to take in the splendour of the view down West Sands.
LADE BRAES
Lade Braes is the ultimate place in St Andrews to take in
each season, from spring to summer, and autumn to winter,
this oasis in the middle of urban sprawl is in many ways St
Andrews’ hidden gem.
This walk takes you from central St Andrews to suburban St
Andrews, you can even forget you are in St Andrews at all!

T HE B E S T
C H R I S T M A S
D E C O R A T I O N S
I N S T A N D R E W S
THE OLD COURSE HOTEL
The Old Course Hotel’s Christmas Decorations are
unparalleled in St Andrews, and a true winter wonderland
awaits any visitor to the world-famous resort.
THE SAINT BAR AND KITCHEN
Its bar frontage is like the entrance to Santa’s Grotto,
enticing you to go in and see what presents are in store.
FARMORE INTERIORS
If there is one shop window you have to see, and one shop
you have to go in just for the festive feel, it is Farmore
Interiors, on South Street

The BELL’s
are ringing out for

WHY BELL STREET IS THE ULTIMATE
LOCATION FOR YOUR FESTIVE VISIT TO
ST ANDREWS
BY MATT HOOPER

Christmas time is
always a busy period
for our shops, bars and
restaurants and if you
are in St Andrews
during the festive
period there perhaps
isn’t a better
destination to spend a
day in than Bell Street.
Situated in the heart of
the town Bell Street has
the complete
collection of facilities,
shops, bars and
restaurants to make it
the perfect festive day.
You’ll begin your day
with Breakfast at the
popular GORGEOUS
Café. Gorgeous is an
independent, 1940’s
style café with upstairs
seating and opens at
9am (10am Sunday).
The café is renowned
for its tea, so why not
start off the day with a
traditional Scottish
breakfast and a cup of
tea to get you ready
for your festive
adventure.
“The London Fog tea
latte was delicious and
warming on a cold
morning. The bacon roll
and mixed berry white
chocolate scones were
good too. Great price
point too. Thumbs up!”
says a reviewer on
TripAdvisor.
This morning you will
enjoy a festive
pampering, with a
Swedish full body
massage at FRESH
LOOKS, just next door
to Gorgeous.
The massage will relax
you and prepare you
for your “retail therapy”
later in the day. Then
you’ll head across the
road to BOBBI BROWN
and to JO MALONE
LONDON to purchase
those beauty items you
need for gifts or just for
yourself.
Whether it be the latest
makeup or nail product
from Bobbi Brown or
that must-have
fragrance or scented
candle from Jo
Malone, both are a
must-visit in your festive
day on Bell Street.
Now you have begun
your shopping for
Christmas on Bell Street
it’s time to find that
special gift for a loved
one, and what better
than Jewellery?
MATTHEW M
HENDERSON have been
established since 1937.
While specialising in all
types of jewellery, they
also offer an excellent
repair service. Whether
you are looking for
rings, necklaces or
pendants, they are
certainly worth a visit.
As well as providing a
reliable service, theiir
skilled jewellery experts
are able to offer
professional advice, if
required. With a wide
variety of rings,
necklaces, watches
and gift items, you will
be spoilt for choice.
With it being winter it
may be high on your list
to get someone, or
yourself, something
cosy to wear.
PITLOCHRY OF
SCOTLAND (part of
Edinburgh Woollen Mill)

sell a wide variety of
coats, jackets, knits and
undergarments to keep
you warm during the
colder months. They
also have a wellstocked
gift
department which you
could find something
that catches your eye.
It’s now approaching
12 noon and its
lunchtime, and its high
time you paid your first
visit of the day to
AIKMANS.
Aikmans Bar is a local
institution of renown, in
the same ilk as The Keys
or the Jigger Inn, and
for many it is a must visit
on their trip to St
Andrews.
An old-style bar with a
cellar bar too, Aikmans
offers inexpensive food
options and a wide
selection of beers and
spirits from across
Europe. This winter it is
the perfect place for a
hot bowl of soup and
some crusty bread to
set up the afternoon
ahead.
After a couple of hours,
a couple of nips of
whisky and your hot
soup it is time to pop
across the road and
place your order for
your Christmas Turkey
at MINICK OF ST
ANDREWS.
This artisan butcher has
six stores across Fife, but
its flagship is on Bell
Street. They take
immense pride in
supplying some of the
very best locally
sourced Scottish
produce. They achieve
this by Stuart Minick
visiting farms in person
and handpicking the
best livestock
available.
Their butchers love their
work, and train
apprentices from
scratch to preserve
techniques and
traditions handed
down over
generations. For top
quality, affordable
meat this Christmas,
pop and see them.
Once you have placed
your order its time to
carry on shopping for
that gift for your loved
ones, with clothing high
on the agenda.
JOULES, CREW
CLOTHING and JACK
WILLS provide
contemporary options
for all.
Now if you are after a
bargain to complete
your list, then look no
further than the charity
shops. You will be
helping someone in
need in the process!
For that good book at
bedtime, or even a
coffee-table classic,
the charity shops of St
Andrews sometimes
provide the shopper
with a little nugget, a
novel or reference
book which may have
originally cost over £40
can be picked up for
as little as a few
pounds. Recently on
an impromptu visit to
BARNARDO’S BOOK
STORE I picked up two

volumes of PLANET
GOLF for £7 each,
making a saving of £46.
At BRITISH HEART
FOUNDATION I also
spotted a superb winter
coat for £12, making a
saving of over £50.
Many of the charity
shops are ideal for
picking up that lastminute
Christmas gift,
or decorations for the
house, office or
workplace.
Along with making a
significant saving, every
purchase is helping
someone in need this
Christmas. Whether it is
the ill child in desperate
need of treatment and
support, or the
malnourished person
from a war-torn,
poverty-stricken nation
in Africa, by buying
that Christmas gift from
a St Andrews charity
shop you are helping to
provide an even
greater Christmas gift
to someone else less
fortunate somewhere
else in the world.
If you still are in search
of a special gift for
someone this
Christmas, then you
must pop in to THE
HALCYON. The Halcyon
are picture framers and
stockists of Annie Sloan
paints. Interiors, gifts
and Jewellery. Inspired
by Scandi neutrals and
rustic industrial style.
OLIVER BONAS is an
independent British
Lifestyle store, and
offers gifts, jewellery,
clothing and
accessories, and is
another store on Bell
Street you must visit on
your festive day in St
Andrews.
If you are after
something to keep a
young one warm this
winter, then ALPACA
LINKS is the perfect
place to find it. Alpaca
Links features the best
of alpaca clothing and
accessories so soft and
warm and
natural
eco-friendly
Amazonian
jewellery.
There is one
more item
you may
want to
purchase
for
Christmas
on your
festive day
out in Bell
Street –
WINE!
ST ANDREWS
WINE
COMPANY
must be
your
destination for wines
from across the globe,
as well as a wide
selection of beers and
spirits.
Peter Wood and his
knowledgeable staff
will be able to guide
you in the right
direction. With your
Christmas shopping
done its time to look
towards next summer,
so why not pop in to
THOMAS COOK and
get a load of brochures
to Perouse over the
left-over Turkey on
Boxing Day.
After a busy day
shopping, relaxing and
walking Bell Street it is
time for dinner and an
evening of drinks and
live music.

MOZZA is your
destination for dinner,
and some Neapolitan
pizza, this is no ordinary
pizza. The real deal
comes from Naples,
the best taste, the best
flavour and the perfect
fusion of ingredients. At
MOZZA we only make
the finest Neapolitan
pizza. Wood fired my
skilled Pizzaiolo, every
pizza is cooked to
perfection in just 60
passionate seconds.
Once you are feeling
all full and cosy it is time
to conclude your day
in Bell Street with a few
drinks and some live
music. Aikmans has a
wide variety of live
music on offer
throughout the week
including jazz, blues
and folk music.
This most traditional of
St Andrews bars is busy
and bustling during the
evening, with a mix of
locals, students and
visitors from out of town
and across the world.
And it happens to be
right next to the taxi
rank for when you are
wanting to bring your
festive day to an end!
So, if you are paying a
visit to St Andrews this
Christmas, then there’s
no doubt the BELL’s are
ringing out for
Christmas on BELL
STREET.