She’s seen a fair amount since golf was first played here in the 15th Century. She has watched quietly in this corner of Scotland as the Enlightenment came and went, the American and French Revolutions unfolded, and World War I and II ravaged humanity. People were playing golf here before they could even photograph it.
And she’s seen a few good golfers too. The great Old Tom Morris looked after her for many years. Seve Ballesteros made the fist-pump famous on her 18th green long before Tiger Woods did it. Woods then joined the Grand Slam club here. Gary Player slept on her dunes as a young rising star before he built one of the greatest careers in the game. And Jack Nicklaus said a tearful goodbye to the game on her most famous little bridge.
On Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a 23-year-old South African named Casey Jarvis might just have caught her eye as well. He arrived earlier in the week with whispers from far-flung South Africa of being a rising young star in the game. She’d heard such rumours before. She would’ve remembered how in the late 1800s, Young Tom Morris was a new star in the game – winning four consecutive Opens before the age of 21. Not on her fairways, mind you. But she’s never been jealous like that.
But there was something about this young South African that caught her eye. He bounded around her fairways with a youthful energy on the Saturday of this championship, playing such creative golf worthy of the links name. She was particularly intrigued at how he took the one key aspect of the challenge here – a left to right wind – and managed it so well. Even though it’s exactly this particular wind that he sometimes struggles with. But if anything, she’s always loved those who take the time to learn about her and understand her.
And she watched another final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday where this young South African gave his best, only to come up two shots short and finish second. But she loved how he handled that, especially how he waited patiently for the winner – Adrian Meronk – to receive his trophy and congratulations before going over to shake his hand.
If she could, she would remind him that she’s seen a few golfers finish second on her 18th green – Bobby Locke, Ernie Els, Payne Stewart, Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
After Jarvis finished tied sixth in this year’s Open, she would also remind him that she will be hosting the Open on her fairways in 2027. And that she’ll be looking out for him there too.
The young South African with a genuine smile, who plays with all of his heart.