Rory McIlroy is playing big in the first round of the British Open, but a shot from the Northern Irishman caused puzzled looks from the spectators. On the fifth hole of the St. Andrews Old Course, McIlroy teed off with the driver and managed a picture-perfect trajectory. After a scant 260 meters, his ball tithed up twice and ultimately hit a green plastic bucket in the middle of the fairway. This bucket, however, is not what is unusual, but what is hidden underneath.
What are the odds on that??#The150thOpen pic.twitter.com/b61kS8Iq2M
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 14, 2022
What Tom Morris has to do with the green buckets.
The covers are scattered throughout the Old Course and cover the old boundary stones of the original golf course at St. Andrews. The covers are intended to protect these contemporary witnesses from the harsh Scottish weather. But the covers also provide protection when it comes to golf’s long hitters.
If you take a closer look at the stones, some of which are heavily weathered, you will find a “G” on one side and a “C” on the other. The letters indicate the former boundary of the course, with “G” standing for Golf Club and the “C” for Common Ground. True, the stones have been obsolete since Old Tom Morris expanded the course to 18 holes in the 1800s. However, the historical significance of the small hazards means that they are still valued in the overall appearance of the course today.
And Rory McIlroy is not the only player who has already been bothered by the unusual obstacles in the middle of the fairways. A boundary stone also awaits golfers on the 7th hole, as well as scattered throughout the golf club’s grounds. A legendary story about the stones occurred in 2010 during the British Open. There Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson all played unerringly on the stone of the 5th hole. And even as an immovable obstacle, the stones come into play more often when a player plays just off or in front of it. As happened to Victor Hovland just one flight ahead of McIlroy.
In the end, McIlroy still managed a great score despite the hit and the resulting much shorter tee shot. He placed the second shot safely and left the 5th hole with a birdie.
The stone that Rory just bounced off is one of the March Stones on the Old Course. They mark the original boundary of the course. There’s a “G” on one side of each of them. If you saw the G, you’re standing on the golf course side of the boundary. pic.twitter.com/dW9GP6Q3qU — Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) July 14, 2022