Some of the European Tour’s leading golfers were confounded by old technology while they practised at the Championship course at Carnoustie ahead of last week’s Alfred Dunhill Cup.
Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh and Ian Woosnam were among a number of leading Tour golfers who achieved varying results while attempting to hit an old 1.62-inch Uniroyal Plus-6 golf ball, using a persimmon Hogan driver, off the Championship course’s sixth tee.
This group of eminent Tour players all took part in the special drive-off as part of the official ceremony organised to re-name the Championship course’s 6th hole “Hogan’s Alley” in memory of Ben Hogan’s historic Open win at the course 50 years ago. Earlier, Lawrie, the 1999 Champion at Carnoustie had also been on hand when a new plaque, situated in the middle of Hogan’s Alley was unveiled.
“We would like to thank all the professionals who took part in the ceremony,” said Willie Gardner, Vice Chairman of the Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee. “It was a lot of fun and I can‘t help but think it made them all exceedingly thankful for the new technology they have at their disposal nowadays.”
The winner of the drive-off was India’s Arjun Atwal who managed a drive of 251-yards using the old equipment. Atwal, the winner of this year’s Carlsberg Malaysian Open, out-drove Lawrie by six yards and Scott by 20 yards. Ian Woosnam and Vijay Singh produced drives of 220-yards and 219-yards but Montgomerie could only manage a drive of 203 yards, although Monty’s effort was into the fiercest of the day’s wind.
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