Tuesday, July 18
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Sam Snead returned to St. Andrews on Monday for the first time in 54 years and didn't make the same mistake twice. He knew the Old Course as soon as he saw it. "The place has changed a lot," said the 88-year-old Snead, who won the 1946 British Open at St. Andrews. "You didn't have all these bleachers." Snead arrived by train for his first visit to St. Andrews, pulling alongside a course that did not appear to be well-manicured and "it did not look to me like it had ever had a machine on it." He turned to a man next to him and said, "What abandoned course is that?" "Once I got on the golf course, I respected it more each time I played it," Snead said. He'll get another crack at it Wednesday, when Snead and other past champions play a four-hole exhibition. That's four holes more -- minus the tee shot -- that Snead gets in as the honorary starter for The Masters. He got in a practice round Monday -- 1, 2, 17 and 18 -- and proclaimed himself no threat to past champions, or to Tiger Woods. "I can't see a ball land 50 yards," he said. "I have no business even hitting the golf ball, but I still love to practice." Snead also said Woods would be the man to beat this week. He first met Woods as a 6-year-old and played a couple of holes with him at an exhibition. "He could swing it hard for a little guy," he said. Long, long John?
John Daly arrived at St. Andrews on Monday and headed straight for the driving range -- and over to the Callaway Golf trailer. Daly, already the longest hitter in golf, said he will try out a new ERC driver, which is among those deemed non-conforming by the USGA because of the supposed springlike effect it generates. "I'm going mess around with one in practice," Daly said. Callaway officials said as many as 25 players could use the ERC driver, depending on who made it through qualifying. The USGA ban applies only in North America. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which governs golf in the rest of the world, plans to decide on spring-like effect in October. Good omen?
Tiger Woods will receive a Millennium Award on Tuesday that links his U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach to the U.S. Open played in 1900. Gerald Palmer Design Ltd. is handing out a 17-inch sterling silver statue of Harry Vardon, who won the 1900 U.S. Open and won a record six British Opens. The company also will give a statue to the winner of the British Open at St. Andrews. Carnoustie revisited
Fogdog.com, an online sporting goods retailer, is offering a chance for one "lucky" winner and a guest to play the 18th hole at Carnoustie with a player who knows it well -- Jean Van de Velde. The Frenchman, who made triple-bogey on the 72nd hole of the 1999 British Open and then lost in a playoff, will replay the 18th hole with the winner of the contest. Any American over 21 can enter the drawing by clicking on the contest image at Fogdog.com between now and Aug. 24. The winner and guest will also have dinner with Van de Velde as part of a five-day, four-night trip that also includes a full round at Carnoustie. Van de Velde provides editorial content for the Fogdog site, and also has his own web site -- www.allezjean.com, which means, "Go for it, Jean."
Carnoustie (not) revisited
Sergio Garcia tuned up for the British Open by setting the course record at Roxburghe with a 6-under 66 at a charity event in which he played with Prince Andrew.
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