2000 OPEN Past Champions Challenge

The four-hole "Champions' Challenge" on the Old Course at St Andrews. The special one-off event, which only former Open champions were permitted to take part in, was staged as a curtain-raiser for the Millennium Open. In all 22 players, ranging from 88-year-old Sam Snead to last year's winner Paul Lawrie, took part in an emotional evening's action, played out in front of huge galleries at the Old Course. Lawrie had been an injury doubt but was passed fit for this event helping to raise £40,000 for charity. Team one claimed two birdies and two pars on the four holes played and remained at the top of the leaderboard from start to finish for this charity event. Team two, which included the irrepressible Jack Nicklaus, finished on one under par, as did team four and five. Snead, winner of The Open in 1946, received a marvellous reception and was happy with his day out in Scotland, as well as his team's score of 1 under. "To play these guys - they hit it a mile," Snead said. Thousands of golfing fans were blessed with warm sunshine and an array of golfing legends providing a wonderful light-hearted warm-up to the more tense proceedings starting on Thursday. Poor quality part recording from VHS.