Stacy Lewis will have one eye on the Home of Golf this week as she competes in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Michigan. As one of only two female professionals to ever win on the Old Course, with Lorena Ochoa being the first in 2007, Lewis considers it to be “the coolest place” in golf.
Lewis, of course, won the 2013 AIG Women’s British Open at St. Andrews and, in 2008, became the first player to go 5-0 in the Curtis Cup over the Old Course. That week also started a special relationship between the Lewis family and the famed Dunvegan Hotel, which used to be owned by Texas native Jack Willoughby and his wife Sheena, a native Scot.
Ochoa’s celebration in 2007 was at the Dunvegan as was Lewis’ in 2013, though hers was more low-key back in the Claret Jug Restaurant with close friends and family. They watched a replay of the last three holes on television and ate pizza.
When the Women’s British went to Kingsbarns in 2017, Lewis again stayed at the Dunvegan. Last year, in between quarantine bubbles for the Scottish and British, she stopped by the famous pub with longtime caddie Travis Wilson. They walked around the 18th and reminisced.
“It truly is, it’s my favorite place,” said Lewis. “Any opportunity I have I’m going to stop back through there.”
Which is why 37-year-old Lewis, a two-time major winner and former No. 1, was disappointed not to have been invited back this week for the 150th celebration of the men’s Open Championship. On Monday, the R&A Celebration of Champions included Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino and Rory McIlroy playing a four-hole loop around the Old Course. In all, there were 38 former R&A champions, including four LPGA players: Georgia Hall, Catriona Matthew, Laura Davies and Anna Nordqvist.
When Lewis won over the Old Course, she birdied the last two holes, including a spectacular 5-iron on the Road Hole that flew low and chased up the hill to 4 feet.
The women return to the Old Course in 2024, and for many players on the LPGA, like Lewis’ partner this week, Maria Fassi, it will be their first time on golf’s sacred ground. The men’s British Open has been staged at the Old Course 29 times, the first coming in 1873.
“I think the players will see how special it is,” said Lewis of what’s to come. “I just think we’ve only had two female winners there. Lorena and I are the only ones that have won at St. Andrews included with the list of all these guys.
“The tour is going there to add another winner to that list, so I think just that opportunity for the women is huge. We have an awesome opportunity at Muirfield this summer. So just the investment across the board, we’re giving our players lots of great opportunity to do things that have never been done.”
