Dunmurry golfers get in the thick of the action at the Open Championship

Peter and Andrew Morgan, members of Dunmurry Golf Club, got inside the ropes on the Old Course at St Andrews, caryying the scoreboards for some of the world’s top golfers.

American Zach Johnson ended up coming out on top of one of the closest contested Open Championships ever and the local brothers were a part of the show.

“It was only on the Sunday that we really got to experience the crowds because we were assigned to some big players,” said Andrew.

“I got Ricky Fowler on the Sunday Peter was carrying the board for Henrik Stenson and Jamie Donaldson.

“It was different for the first couple of rounds because the groups we were assigned to didn’t have all that much of a crowd out watching them.

“I still got to follow the American amateur Jordan Niebrugge though, who ended up winning the silver medal. He played really well.”

The local lads didn’t go home empty handed either, eventually getting to pick up a souvenir from the players.

Andrew said: “We didn’t really talk to the players much when we were out on the course.

“We stayed away from them during the rounds, walking a good bit behind along with other people such as the bunker rakers.

“We only spoke to the players a little bit at the end of their rounds.

“We just wished them good luck for the next day and got some souvenirs and things, which was great.

“We managed to get signed balls from Ricky Fowler and Henrik Stenson, two of the biggest names out there.

“Then we got to watch a bit more of the golf after we finished our rounds as well. Our dad was doing marshall with the New Club at the second and the 17th so he was always finished later than us.

“That gave us some time to go and watch whoever we wanted to.”

The pair, and father Malcolm, would have known their way around St Andrew’s, all three members of the New Club. They make the trip over to the village every year to play at the home of golf and usually encorporate a trip to the Open, although this is the first time they got involved.

“Anyone can apply to do it and then people are drawn from there. We both happened to get selected to do it,” concluded Andrew.