In October at The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, a new Old Tom Morris sculpture was dedicated. Among those attending the ceremony, from left: 1985 British Open champion Sandy Lyle; Ronald Sandford, sculpture project chair; Sheila Walker, great-great granddaughter of Old Tom Morris; and historian Roger McStravick. Photo courtesy of Roger McStravick.
Golf Place. Sounds about right for the road to showcase this legend.
In October, St. Andrews held an official ceremony to display their new Old Tom Morris statue in a spot offering a view of the 18th green, 18th fairway, and shop and house of legendary greenkeeper and four-time British Open champion Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland.
This moment had been years in the making by the Old Tom Statue Project, led by townspeople in Fife, Scotland, home of The Old Course at St. Andrews. Project Chairman Ronald Sandford was a visionary in bringing the statue by sculptor David Annand to fruition after seeing a statue of Morris at a museum in Fife in 2015.
“Half in jest I said to my playing partners, ‘We need a statue like this in St. Andrews.’ I was aware of the splendid statue of Tom Morris your (GCSAA) association generously gifted to the R&A World Golf Museum in 2002,” Sandford tells GCM.
The sculpture’s designer, Brad Pearson, was a superintendent at the time at Holdrege Country Club in Nebraska. An identical statue is located outside of GCSAA Headquarters in Lawrence, Kan. Pearson, who passed away in 2019, sculpted the statue for GCSAA’s 75th anniversary in 2001.
As for the new Old Tom Morris sculpture, one interesting tidbit is that the path to the sculpture describes highlights of Morris’ life on every fourth paving stone. On the day of the unveiling, Sheila Walker, the great-great granddaughter of Morris, was present for the ceremony. For several years, Walker has lived above The Old Course Shop.
Overlooking the scene that day for the statue unveiling, Sandford says he was beaming. “The sun was shining, and a sizeable, enthusiastic throng gathered to enjoy a historic, memorable occasion,” he says. “The applause from the crowd when the magnificent statue was revealed was a matter for great pride and satisfaction.”
Sandford is quite a fan of all that Morris, who passed away in 1908, achieved in his life and career. “Tom Morris, the colossus of golf, is embedded in the very fabric of St. Andrews, and I would contend that without his enduring influence it is questionable whether St. Andrews would be rightly recognized today as the Home of Golf,” Sandford says.
On an unfortunate note, recent published reports indicated part of the statue was vandalized earlier this month. The clubhead was part of the damage. Charities and private donations have helped pay for the sculpture. Donations are still being accepted on the project's GoFundMe page.
Howard Richman is GCM’s associate editor.