CHRIS GILMOUR: Tiger’s roar good for the fortunes of world golf

Thanks to the generosity of a longstanding friend, I was privileged enough to attend and enjoy the hospitality of the penultimate day of the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie in Scotland. Frequently and erroneously referred to as the British Open, it is universally regarded as the premier event on the international golfing calendar alongside the US Masters, US Open and US PGA. I previously attended in 1964 at St Andrew’s, and in 1972 and 1980 at Muirfield. As usual, this classic old golf course kept the best for last, with the wind blowing just enough to trouble the seasoned campaigners. This event saw Francesco Molinari winning Italy’s first Open Championship, but for me it was more about the return of Tiger Woods to top golf. At one point on both Saturday and Sunday he was out in the lead but couldn’t quite hold on to it. At age 42, he doesn’t have many more major titles left in him, so it was hugely disappointing to his worldwide following that he faded towards the end. His f...