Paolo Quirici, winner of the World Hickory Open 2013.
Photo courtesy of www.carnoustiecountry.com.
After three days of top-class hickory golf on two historic Carnoustie golf courses, the World Hickory Open 2013 was won by Swiss golf professional Paolo Quirici.
“What a highly enjoyable event,” said Quirici, who only took up hickory golf two years ago. “It was like going back in history, providing a reminder of what golf used to be – and what golf should be. Let’s do it all again next year!”
The World Hickory Open is a two-day tournament played with hickory-shafted golf clubs and, in keeping with the ethos of the tournament, the competitors all dress in golfing outfits inspired by the golfers of the 1920s and 1930s. “This year’s World Hickory Open was played on Montrose Medal, a Carnoustie Country golf course with a golfing heritage stretching back over 450 years, which certainly added to the historic atmosphere of the event,” said Lionel Freedman, who co-founded the World Hickory Open nine years ago.
“This tournament is much more than a recreation of golf’s glory days – it’s an opportunity for some of the world’s best hickory golfers to test their skills against each other on top notch links courses,” Freedman said. “Every year, the standard of golf played in the World Hickory Open soars higher and this was certainly highlighted by this year’s tournament, which was played on a challenging course and in sometimes difficult weather conditions.”
The USA’s Deal Hudson, part of a contingent of Americans who were enjoying a “Scottish Adventure” claimed the first place Net Division honor with a net 148. He was followed closely by another Yank, Breck Speed, who carded a net 152. Speed’s score was also good enough to win him the honor for first place in the Senior Net Division. To round out the honors won by American golfers, Barry Markowitz turned in a net 159 to receive first place in the Super Senior Net Division.
The winner of the ladies competition was 18-year-old Swedish golfer Frida Rydberg, a first time competitor who had travelled to Carnoustie Country from Stockholm with her parents, who were also competing in the tournament. “It was great fun to play here,” Rydberg said. “The courses are so very different from those in Sweden.”
Despite the second round of the tournament being accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds, Mike Stevens, several times National Hickory Champion of America, had a wonderful time at the World Hickory Open. “My second day on Montrose Medal was tough – but it was still very enjoyable,” said Stevens, a golf professional in Tampa, Fla. “Playing on Montrose Medal, with its long, illustrious history, really added to the flavor of the event and made it very special.”
Paul Adams was a member of the three-strong South African team. “Montrose Medal is a superb golf course,” he said. “Playing a shot with hickory clubs is difficult enough but at Montrose, I also had to learn how to play the course, which was a huge but incredibly rewarding challenge. In addition, I loved the practice round at Ashludie, another Carnoustie gem.”
As the World Hickory Open 2013 came to a close, Freedman announced that the 2014 World Hickory Open will return to the Carnoustie area on Oct. 7-8, at Panmure Golf Course. “At this year’s tournament, the courses were in excellent condition, the facilities were first rate and our 100 hickory golfers from across the globe were given a wonderful, warm welcome. We couldn’t possibly go anywhere else next year!”
To find out more about the World Hickory Open 2014, or to download an entry form, visit www.worldhickoryopen.com.
Portions of the above report are courtesy of Wendy Glass, Carnoustie Country.
2013 WHO Winners – From left: Claire Penman, Ladies Net winner; Frida Rydberg, Ladies winner; Paolo Quirici, 2013 WHO champion; and Deal Hudson, Men’s Net winner.
Here are the winners for the several divisions:
Open
First – Paolo Quirci, Switzerland, 152
Second – Andrew Marshall, England, 157
Third – Gregor Wright, Scotland, 163
Net
First – Deal Hudson, USA, 148
Second – Breck Speed, USA, 152
Third – Geoff Bleasby, UK, 157
Ladies
First (Open) – Fryda Ryberg, Sweden, 181
First (Net) – Claire Penman, Scotland, 177
Senior Net
First – Breck Speed, USA, 152
Super Senior Net
First – Barry Markowitz, USA, 159