The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Revenge on stars
in the only group out earlier in the day than Louis.
The only question left after that was the South African’s resolve, and it proved unflappable. He shot 69 and coasted to a 71 on the final day with no-one visible in his rear-view mirror.
Seven shots was the margin in the end, and although Louis was a surprise winner at the time, the big surprise now is that he hasn’t gone on to win more.
Rory rallied for a 69 and 68 to – this is often forgotten – finish tied for third. It’s still his only Open at the Old Course, after his famous football fives accident in 2015.
For Woods, the spell he had over the Old Course was gone. He had 10 three putts through three rounds and although that improved on the final day, he finished T23. In 2015, when the weather was even worse, he missed the cut.
It was not an especially memorable Open – possibly the least exciting in competitive terms of all the 31 I’ve covered. But one memory will always stick with me, and it was at the very first shot of the championship.
The 1999 champion Paul Lawrie was chosen for the opening tee shot – the first time the R&A turned the first hit into the early Thursday morning ceremonial/celebration it is now.
It was a cool, drizzly morning, but there was a large group of support there for Paul. They were his family, obviously, long-time supporters and fellow pros, but also a special presence – his coach and mentor, Adam Hunter.
Adam, himself a European Tour winner in his time, had been fighting leukaemia for a year and was weakened by invasive treatment.
Yet well-wrapped against the July cool, he wanted to be there for Paul on the first morning, and he managed to walk the whole front nine. He tragically succumbed to his illness a year later, just 48.
That moment – a little Scottish golfing community wandering the home links on an evocative first morning of the Open – is what I’ll always remember about the 2010 championship.