'Trailblazer' Sandy Lyle handed huge St Andrews honour as two-time major winner takes on new role

The two-time major winner, who has a strong connection with the Fife town, has been appointed to the important post by the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation.

Set up in 1999, the foundation’s purpose is to “conserve, improve, and develop the historic character of the town of St Andrews for the benefit of the public”.

Funding comes from an annual auction of golf packages for four people and from the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation, the charitable wing of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Each year an amateur place in the DP World Tour event is auctioned, the proceeds from which are awarded to the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation.

Announcing Lyle’s appointment, a post read: “Sandy is one of the greatest golfers Scotland has ever produced, with a career full of historic achievements, including The Open and The Masters in 1988, when he became the first British golfer to win at Augusta, sealed with one of the most iconic bunker shots in golfing history.

Lyle hailed as ‘trailblazer and proud ambassador for Scottish golf’

“Sandy is a trailblazer and a proud ambassador for Scottish golf. We are delighted to welcome him to the foundation as our honorary president.”

Lyle is an honorary member of The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, having been granted that honour alongside Nick Faldo in 2015.

More recently, the World Golf Hall of Fame member attended the unveiling of a statue of his fellow Open champion, Old Tom Morris, in St Andrews in 2024.

“The main reason I’m here is for Tom Morris, who was a remarkable man, and this statue is going to be here for hundreds of years’ time, so it was nice to be part of it,” said Lyle.

“Even if I wasn’t an Open champion, knowing what he did in the game of golf - like a Jack Nicklaus - I’d like to have been here and it is probably long overdue.”