A final-hole birdie, a wave to the crowd – but could Lyle come again?
Former champion is not ready to quit yet, writes Richard Bath at Carnoustie
It was, without a doubt, the biggest roar of the day. The gallery had already risen to applaud Sandy Lyle as he walked down the 18th fairway towards the final green on what is almost certain to be the last of his 43 Open appearances. But when his 30-foot birdie putt rolled into the hole the place exploded in the sort of uproar generated when 300 cold, soggy and largely superannuated Scots salute one of their own.
It was an extraordinary end to another deeply ordinary 36 holes, which have unfortunately become de rigueur for the Open’s most senior statesman. Lyle’s default mood these days is Eeyorish resignation, but even he could barely restrain himself and responded with a wee jig, followed by enthusiastic high fives with playing partners Martin Kaymer and Andy Sullivan.
Finally he turned to the crowd and raised a white handkerchief to his face: whether he was wiping away a tear or using it as a makeshift white flag of surrender never became clear. Maybe it was a bit of both.
What was in no doubt, however, was the genuine affection of the crowd for this gnarled old warrior. The significance of the moment was not lost on anyone: the exemption for former winners of the Claret Jug only lasts until Lyle’s current age of 60, and with the cut significantly lower than his tally of nine over, unless he wins the Senior Open this will be his final Open appearance.
“Walking up to the green I was very light-footed,” he said. “I was on cloud nine walking down the 18th and to make birdie was extra special. It was a great way to finish the last three holes, one under. For 20 years, I don’t believe I finished below par on the last three holes.
“I’ve still got wet tissue in my pocket. I managed to stay away from crying, but there’s definitely a lump in the throat.”
For both crowd and player, it was a moment when they instinctively reflected on Lyle’s legacy. For some years now, familiarity certainly has not bred contempt in Open galleries, but his heyday is now sufficiently long ago that the weight of his achievements is not always as fully appreciated as his longevity.
It was sad but inevitable that this week the focus was not on the fact that his 1985 Open win was the first British victory at the tournament since 1969; it was not on the fact that he was the first Briton to win the Masters, that he collected three European Tour Order of Merit wins, or even the fact that his 167 weeks in the world top 10 gained him entry to golf ’s Hall of Fame.
Instead, a week that began with him taking the opening drive was all about his 43 Open appearances, which started as a 16-year-old, and 42 of which have been consecutive, a mark bettered only by Gary Player’s 46, with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson the next most prolific performers with 38 Open appearances.
Not that Lyle is accepting defeat gracefully. He will continue to play at Augusta each year, and still harbours a belief that he is not yet done with the mother of all majors.
“If I win next week [at the Senior Open], then I’ll be back again for more punishment,” he said. “There’s always a chance I could play my way back into the tournament. I will try. I won’t totally give up, although in theory it seems like it’s the last Open for me. I’ll have to work to get back in again but I have no regrets, I’ve had a good run. I’d like to beat Gary Player.”
Lyle even said he would go through qualifying the next time the Open comes back to Scotland in 2021, when the 150th Open will be played at St Andrews. “If it’s up here in Scotland, I might just give qualifying a run, but that would be it.”the Open is, he admitted, a habit he does not want to quit. “There has been frustration and there have been tears, and mostly frustration over the last sort of 15, 20 years because I know I can play better than I have done. To miss cuts in the Open is never a nice feeling and as I’ve got older it has happened more often than I was used to.
“But you’ve just got to keep a stiff upper lip. I’ve managed to keep it going for 40-odd years. It’s frustrating, but I’m quite happy.”
‘If I win next week’s Senior Open then I will be back for more punishment’