Old Course, St. Andrews …

Italy’s Costantino Rocca returned to the Old Course at St. Andrews 23-years on to attempt to hole the miracle 65-foot putt he sank to force a play-off in the 1995 Open Championship.

Rocca needed a par at the last in the 124th Open to tie American John Daly and then after hitting his second short he proceeded to ‘duff’ his chip shot that landed short on the green in the ‘Valley of Sin’, a grassy depression the guards the left front of the 18th green.

Watching on was American John Daly and in the clubhouse with a round of 71 for a six-under par tally.

The unimaginable then happened with Rocca sending his fourth shot up out of the Valley of Sin and into the bottom of the cup for the par.

Rocca fell flat to the ground in delight, banging both arms into the turf and then covering his head as the crowd erupted in one of the biggest roars ever heard at the Old Course.

He later lost out in a play-off to the Daly but 23-years later Rocca is remembered still for ‘that’ putt.

“Every time I’ve come back since that moment is emotional”, said Rocca

“When you stand there in front of the clubhouse and look down the 18th and first hole you breathe in the real heart of golf.

“When I go to America people remember that I beat Tiger but most people remember the putt.

Costantino Rocca and the Senior Open trophy (Photo – @tourmiss)

“I never thought that coming second in a Major would be something I’d be remembered for, but I suppose I did something special that day – and it became perhaps more famous than if I’d actually won the tournament ahead of John Daly.

Wearing the same pullover and using the same putter, the now 61-year old Bergamo-born Rocca returned to the ‘Valley of Sin’, and in a first return to St. Andrews since representing Italy in the 1999 Alfred Dunhill Cup, hitting golf balls to the same flagstick position in place on that final day.

Rocca his about 20 balls but unlike 1995 he could not repeat the effort of sinking the putt

“I remember on the 18th tee I turned to my caddie and said ‘if hit driver and put the ball on the green I could make two’,” he said.

“I knew I had to make birdie but I went for the eagle because I felt positive after the shot I had played from the road at the side of 17.

“But the ball bounced on a divot and went left. So I tried to chip in and tried too hard to get it perfect, but it wasn’t in my mind to settle for par. I could only think eagle or birdie.

“When I hit the putt and saw it go in I thought someone from above must have helped me.

“When I hit the putt it was going left of the hole and I said to myself ‘it’s perfect’ as it turned towards the hole. Later in my career I did the same thing in a tournament in Japan and the locals said ‘St Andrews’ – even they remembered it. It’s a big moment in my career.”

Rocca later teed-up just after noon in a media outing to help promote July’s Senior Open Championship and being played for a first time on the famed Old Course, and in the very week following the Open Championship at Carnoustie.

What chance now organisers of the July 26th Senior Open will pair Rocca and Daly for the opening two rounds?