Old Tom Morris statue at St Andrews vandalised for second time in four months

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For the second time in four months, vandals have struck the statue of Old Tom Morris in St Andrews, Scotland.

The life-sized bronze figure, unveiled last October amid great ceremony, stands proudly on Bow Butts—the historic grassy bank behind the Royal & Ancient Golf Club’s imposing Victorian clubhouse. It seemed the perfect spot for the “Grand Old Man of Golf” to gaze down the hallowed 18th fairway of the Old Course, a path he walked countless times during his tenure as Keeper of the Greens and club professional.

The statue, crafted by renowned sculptor David Annand, has now suffered repeated damage to its period-accurate golf club. In November, vandals snapped the clubhead of the hickory-shafted implement. It was repaired shortly after. In this latest incident, St. Andrews historian Roger McStravick reports finding the club broken again, with shattered glass from bottles strewn around the memorial’s granite base.

At the statue’s dedication ceremony, which coincided with the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and drew luminaries from across the golf world, McStravick had noted poignantly, “The sculpture has a lovely finish to it. It fits. And it feels like Old Tom has come home.”

The memorial represents nearly a decade of meticulous planning and fundraising from the Old Tom Statue Project Group, led by local historians and golf enthusiasts. Though initially planned for unveiling at the historic 150th Open Championship in 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its realisation. Finally, in late 2023, after extensive consultations with heritage experts and local residents, the Fife Council approved its placement on The Scores embankment, a location chosen for its visibility and historical significance.