The tragic reason pros are wearing black ribbons at the Scottish Open
Shane Lowry was one player wearing a ribbon Saturday.
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During this week’s Genesis Scottish Open, several pros are honoring the life of a late St. Andrews golf instructor and DP World Tour player.
Longtime St. Andrews Indoor Golf Centre instructor Bill McColl had a medical emergency while driving to work Monday and died in a two-car crash, according to Sports Illustrated. He was 66.
The accident happened on the Links Crescent, very close to the Old Course, and resulted in an emergency helicopter landing on the 18th fairway and halting public play at the course for about an hour.
McColl was a 14-year member of the European Tour and played in seven major championships, with his best finish coming as a T23 at the 1980 Open Championship. He also won the 1984 Ivory Coast Open on the Safari Circuit (now part of the European Challenge Tour).
At the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, PGA Tour and DP World Tour officials left a note and ribbons in the players’ lockerroom to honor McColl’s memory, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Bill McColl, the former DP World Tour member and well-known face in Scottish golf, unexpectedly passed away this week on his way to give a golf lesson in St Andrews,” the note read. “Please take a black ribbon if you wish, as a mark of respect for Bill.”
Several European pros such as Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry were seen wearing the ribbons during Saturday’s third round. Some American players like Sam Ryder and Kurt Kitayama also donned them to pay their respects.
It’s common practice in professional golf for pros to honor the loss of members of the golf community with ribbons or pins on their hats. It last happened last month at the Rocket Mortgage Classic when players donned red pins in honor of Nick Gilbert, the son of Rocket Mortgage founder Dan Gilbert, who died in May.
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