The Open Championship

IT was sad to read that Seve Ballesteros will not be playing at St Andrews in The Open Champions’ Challenge.

There would not have been a dry eye in the Scottish town, or among those watching on television, if he had competed in the event.

The Daily Telegraph also ran a very moving interview with him where he was reported as saying: “You know, for everything in life, there is always a beginning and there is always an end. This is the tough part, the most difficult thing, when you see that it is coming: the end.”

Let us hope that the light is not fading from this charismatic golfer.

The Open Champions’ Challenge will be played next Wednesday, it is being staged a day before the 150th Anniversary Open Championship.

For the Challenge each team will have a captain. The captains of the seven teams are the most senior competitors, Peter Thomson, whose team of Tiger Woods, Sir Nick Faldo and Mark Calcavecchia boast a total of 12 Open Champioships between them. Thomson will not play because of medical reasons.

The Open Champions’ Challenge will be played over holes 1, 2, 17 and 18 of The Old Course.

This year’s Open will be played from Thursday, with the Claret Jug being presented on Sunday evening.

The winner this year will receive £850,000, which compares with the last three years when the champion has collected £750,000.

“The Open Championship sits at the forefront of world golf and it is appropriate that our prize fund reflects that position in the game,” said the R&A’s chief executive, Peter Dawson.