The Old Course at St Andrews is not only the most iconic golf course in the world, it’s also the oldest. It has seen more than 13,000 professional rounds on it and the list of golfers that have won on the Old Course consists of the greatest golfers to ever play the game.
Despite its rich history, Ross Fisher managed to do something Sunday that had never been done on the Old Course before.
Fisher shot a 61 Sunday in the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, setting a new course record for the Old Course. Fisher even flirted with the first ever 59 in European Tour history before settling for the 61.
After opening with a par, Fisher birdied seven of his next eight holes to go out in 29. He added another four birdies in a row on holes 12-15 before closing with three straight pars.
The previous course record was a 62 by Curtis Strange at the 1987 Dunhill Links and matched by Brian Davis in 2003. When the course was lengthened in 2010 in advance of the course hosting the Open Championship those course records were thrown out. Since then, Rory Mallory recored a 62 in 2010 and six players shot 62s at the Dunhill from 2012-2016.
While Fisher hasn’t recored a win on the European Tour, he has had some success this season. In addition to Sunday’s 61, Fisher tied for third at the WGC-Mexico Championship and made the quarterfinals of the WGC-Dell Match Play.
It’s the end of the world… 59 will be coming soon to St Andrews. We need to reign it in. Less porridge for these golfers. Less R&D from these manufacturers. More legal limits from the old guys in the clubhouse beside where Fisher holed out on the final green.