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St. Andrews still packs appeal and a test through centuries

U.S golfer Tiger Woods prepares to tee off on the 7th hole during a practice round at the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday July 11, 2022. The Open Championship returns to the home of golf on July 14-17, 2022, to celebrate the 150th edition of the sport's oldest championship, which dates to 1860 and was first played at St. Andrews in 1873. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
U.S golfer Tiger Woods prepares to tee off on the 7th hole during a practice round at the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday July 11, 2022. The Open Championship returns to the home of golf on July 14-17, 2022, to celebrate the 150th edition of the sport's oldest championship, which dates to 1860 and was first played at St. Andrews in 1873. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) U.S golfer Tiger Woods prepares to tee off on the 7th hole during a practice round at the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Monday July 11, 2022. The Open Championship returns to the home of golf on July 14-17, 2022, to celebrate the 150th edition of the sport's oldest championship, which dates to 1860 and was first played at St. Andrews in 1873. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

By DOUG FERGUSON 6 min read

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) – Jack Nicklaus posed atop the Swilcan Bridge, birdied the last hole he ever played in a major championship and had no intention of ever returning to St. Andrews, not wanting anything to dilute from such a powerful ending to an incomparable career.

That was 17 years ago. And those plans changed when St. Andrews wanted to make Nicklaus an honorary citizen on occasion of the 150th British Open. The only other Americans given that distinction were Bobby Jones and Benjamin Franklin.

It was the first time Nicklaus has been to the Old Course without golf clubs, and his appreciation only seemed to deepen.

“When I came here in 1964, I couldn’t believe that St Andrews was a golf course that would still test golfers of that time,” he said Monday. “It still tests the golfers at this time. It’s a magical golf course. … And to believe the game of golf essentially started here, it just absolutely is mind-boggling to me that it still stands up to the golfers of today.”

That’s still to be determined.