Sam Snead rolls back the years

The years were swept away today when a gallery of Open champions competed in a four-hole team competition over the Old Course at St Andrews. Fifty-four years after winning in his one and only Open appearance, legend Sam Snead stood in front of the Royal and Ancient clubhouse and drove down the first. The 88-year-old, who has trouble with his sight and hearing, had no trouble splitting the fairway with a swing that is considered the best ever seen.

But if Snead was perfection, Australian Ian Baker-Finch's personal nightmare on a golf course continued. The 1991 winner gave up competitive golf when his magical game deserted him. The last time he played here in the 1995 Open, he saw his drive on the first rush across one of the world's widest fairways and run into the road and out of bounds. Today he could only look in horror as this time his drive soared to the right, over the thousands of spectators who were lined three deep down the fairway to finish on the lawn of one of the hospitality tents.

Even Jack Nicklaus had bother. He sliced his drive on 18 onto the road and out of bounds. Taking a second ball, he unleashed a vicious drive that finished only a few feet short of the green 357 yards away.

But for nearly 35,000 people packed around the four holes, it was the unique opportunity to see the living greats who were part of Open history rather than the quality of the golf. Five-time winner Peter Thomson of Australia, South Africa's Gary Player, one of only four players to have ever won all four Majors, Argentina's Roberto de Vicenzo, winner in 1967 in Hoylake, Lee Trevino, Tony Jacklin and left-handed Bob Charles who won the Open 37 years ago all showed they could still play.

"It was a lot of fun and to be paired with Peter Thomson, a five time Open champion was great," enthused 1998 winner Mark O'Meara. For de Vicenzo it was a unique event. "I have never played in front of so many spectators in my life," he joked.

Snead was just as delighted. "That was something, to play with these guys," said Snead. "You have to know this course to play it. I had two good eyes back then, but the eyes are not that good anymore. I was just guessing when I drew the club back. "I will be leaving early in the morning and I will be back in West Virginia watching these guys on television."

With a gentle breeze and bright sunshine, the only cloud on the day was the absence of Arnold Palmer, who rescued the Open from extinction in 1961 when he came over and encouraged other American players to make the trip over the Atlantic. Palmer had wanted not only to play the four-hole exhibition but also the Championship proper. But the R&A refused to bend the rules and turned down his request so Palmer stayed back home in America.

"We bent them before for him, but we didn't feel we could do it again," said Peter Dawson, the R&A secretary who took over last September from Sir Michael Bonallack. The rule which states that past winners are exempt until they are 65 was altered in 1995 to "65 and under" so that Palmer could compete at St Andrews then.

Sam Snead, Justin Leonard, Nick Faldo & Ian Baker Finch stand on the bridge at the 18th. Allsport

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