150th Open: St Andrews public procession to celebrate golfing greats

Nicklaus will lead a public procession through the streets of St Andrews to say thank you to the town after the Honorary Citizenship ceremony in Younger Hall on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 12.

He’ll be accompanied by fellow golfing greats Lee Trevino, Sir Bob Charles, Sandy Lyle, Catriona Matthew and José María Olazábal, who are all being awarded honorary degrees by the University of St Andrews in the same ceremony.

Dr Nicklaus, who is already an honorary graduate, will be the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of St Andrews since Bobby Jones in 1958. He will be one of only three US citizens to have received this honour, the other being Benjamin Franklin in 1759. Nicklaus has 18 Majors to his name and won The Open twice at St Andrews. He played his last Open in 2005 on the Old Course.

Well-known St Andrews golfer John Devlin will give a speech of tribute to Jack on behalf of the town, and honorary citizenship will be bestowed in the form of a scroll presented by the Provost of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council.

The Honorary Citizenship and Golf Graduation Ceremony takes place at 1pm in Younger Hall.

When it concludes, between approximately 2.15 and 2.30pm, Jack and his fellow VIPs will process, led by a piper, along North Street, down Murray Park, and along a section of The Scores to St Salvator’s Quad.

Tickets for the ceremony itself are many times oversubscribed, but arrangements have been made to livestream proceedings to the University’s Buchanan Lecture Theatre in Union Street for anyone unable to secure a ticket.

In the event that spaces become available in Younger Hall on the day, these will be offered to people in the livestream event at the Buchanan.

The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council and the University of St Andrews are working closely with colleagues in Police Scotland to ensure as many people who wish have a chance to attend the ceremony, watch a livestream, or witness the procession.