Toro gear leads to 'best ever' Open

The R&A may have battled with the elements at this year’s Open but, despite the unrelenting rain and wind, the aesthetics and playability of St Andrews Links’ historic Old Course received high praise from many of the championship’s players.

The beautifully presented course, which provided a demanding yet unique test for the world’s very best golfers, was prepared using all-Toro irrigation and equipment, including greens, fairway and rough mowers, and utility vehicles.

St Andrews’ director of greenkeeping, Gordon Moir, said the Toro equipment allowed his 65-strong greenkeeping team to achieve the best possible conditions for what was the
29th time the Open took place at the world’s most famous Links.

Crews spent months preparing for the event with the help of Toro products from distributor Lely UK. And, following the concluding round,
in which Zach Johnson took the Champion Golfer of the Year title, it was agreed taht the hard work had paid off.

“The R&A told us many players said the course was the best they’d ever seen it,” said Moir.

This was a great testament to the equipment St Andrews Links has on-board, he added.

“All our Toros performed fantastically well prior to and throughout the tournament, giving us that reliably precise finish an event like The Open demands,” said Moir. “Our Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers were a particular favourite, resulting in a superb cut and finish on the fairways.”

As well as getting a good result equipment-wise, Moir expressed his appreciation for the support received from both Toro and Lely. “We had a couple of Toro service engineers from Lely on-hand throughout the tournament, who sharpened and handled machine maintenance. This support really was a huge help, taking some of the pressure off our own workshop staff.”

Toro also supplied St Andrews’ greenkeeping team with a brand new uniform especially for the championship. “As our official supplier, Toro has provided mowing equipment to the course for 15 years, throughout which they’ve supported us through many an event,” said Moir. “We’re very grateful for their continued support during the Open, and the new uniform was a great addition.”

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