Letter from St. Andrews: The Old Course held its own when so many looked to blitz it 

Despite all the fears that golfers in 2022 would make a mockery of the Old Course, St. Andrews delivered another great championship

The crowd waits behind the rope during day four of The Open at the Old Course, St Andrews. Photo: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.

We had to wait seven years for the Open Championship to return to its spiritual home at the Old Course. If Tiger Woods is right (and you’d like to think his intel is pretty good), we’ll have to wait eight more years before it comes back in 2030.

According to a pretty reliable chief executive, the R&A isn’t likely to go back to the once-every-five-years visit to the Old Course in the rotation. The addition of Royal Portrush into the rota with the English Royals (Birkdale, Hoylake, Sandwich and occasionally Lytham & St. Annes) and Scotland classics (Muirfield, Troon, occasionally Carnoustie and one day Turnberry should a certain man’s name come off the marquee) has made it more crowded.