New Zealander Sir Bob Charles, with grandson James caddying, walked along the middle of the fairway quietly acknowledging the cheers and applause of an admiring gallery.
It seems incredible that South African Player won his first Open in 1959.
The Player-Charles team never had a chance of winning and finished last in an event that marked the beginning of Open week.
The team comprised the two 86-year-olds, Sandy Lyle at 64 and Paralympian Monique Kalkman. Paralysed by cancer at the age of 14, Kalkman plays golf with an elaborate electric golf cart and swings at the ball with the club held in her right hand only. She flies the ball about 100m in an amazing display of courage and dexterity.
Inexplicably, the R&A made her, and seniors like Player and Charles, play off the back tees against the stars of world golf. They had no chance of being competitive, but they uncomplainingly made the most of the four-hole event.
The winning team at 6-under comprised Sir Nick Faldo, John Daly, Zach Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen. Team Woods comprising Rory McIlroy, Tiger, Lee Trevino and Georgia Hall, came second-equal.
The results were academic with the large galleries enjoying the parade of stars past and present.
There were some notable absences from the celebration — Greg Norman had been requested to stay away by the R&A, and Phil Mickelson elected to attend neither the Celebration nor Tuesday night’s Champions Dinner.
Mickelson is playing in the British Open itself and was observed practising some distance apart from his fellow golfers.
Players such as Woods and McIlroy have come out so strongly against LIV Golf that Mickelson might have decided to avoid an extremely uncomfortable dinner.
Charles struck his best drive of the day off the 18th tee, well over Grannie Clark’s Wynd, and Player was not too far behind.
They both struck their second shots sweetly to within 4.5m of the flag and Charles lipped out for his birdie. They acknowledged the crowd’s applause and walked quietly off to the clubhouse.
The two champions are the perfect example that not all in golf revolves around the size of the pay cheques.
Was this a final farewell from the two old friends to St Andrews, or will they return as a pair of sprightly 91-year-olds to the British Open n 2027?
Gary Player and Sir Bob Charles, both 86, demonstrated this week that golf is, indeed, the game for life.
By Geoff Saunders
