Incredible moment golfer takes shot from outside St Andrews pub that lands on 18th green at the Old Course – as authorities slam 'irresponsible and reckless' act

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This is the extraordinary moment a golfer managed to hit a shot from the street in St Andrews over a row of houses and onto the 18th green of the Old Course.

Wyatt Messmer posted the footage of the trick known as the ‘Dunvegan Shot’ after the famous hotel, which was taken from the corner of Golf Place and North Street.

His video on Instagram, which has received nearly 10,000 likes since it was posted on May 30, shows him connecting with the shot cleanly on the wet pavement.

The golfer then excitedly shouts ‘that’s right at it, that’s right at it’ before he runs after the ball and spots it on the green, pointing and saying: ‘Just over the back.’

But St Andrews Links Trust has since condemned the ‘irresponsible and reckless’ act, saying it demonstrated ‘disregard for the safety of both public and property.’

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Wyatt Messmer hits the 'Dunvegan Shot' which is named after the famous hotel in St Andrews

Wyatt Messmer hits the ‘Dunvegan Shot’ which is named after the famous hotel in St Andrews

Speaking about the shot, Mr Messmer told The Courier: ‘I am confident in my game, I hit the shot first try.

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‘I’d imagine Old Tom Morris, or whoever had the boldness to play golf within 200 yards of a building, was spoken about in a similar light when he first pioneered the game.

‘Part of me wonders what would’ve happened if I had not hit a perfect shot, but I guess we will never know.’

He added that the strike was ‘arguably very similar’ to the 17th tee shot on the Old Course.

But Robin Lawson, Conservative councillor for the St Andrews ward, highlighted the ‘potential dangers’ of the stunt, saying the consequences could be ‘awful’.

He added: ‘Lots could go wrong and even if you hit a perfect shot there’s still the chance of hitting someone on the green.

Wyatt Messmer points at his golf ball on the 18th hole of the Old Course in St Andrews

Wyatt Messmer points at his golf ball on the 18th hole of the Old Course in St Andrews

The ball can be seen on the green at St Andrews after the ¿Dunvegan Shot¿ by Wyatt Messmer

The ball can be seen on the green at St Andrews after the ‘Dunvegan Shot’ by Wyatt Messmer

‘It’s certainly not something I condone and it’s best to keep golf to the golf course.’

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Mr Messmer’s shot also attracted scorn on social media in the comments next to the video, with one person saying: ‘Not very clever if it had hit someone.’

Another added: ‘Imagine taking a lovely stroll on the path between the green and boing an egg appears on side your head.’

A spokesman for St Andrews Links Trust said: ‘This is an irresponsible and reckless act which shows disregard for the safety of both public and property.

‘This kind of behaviour is not welcome at the Home of Golf and we would discourage anyone from repeating it.’

Australian golfer Harrison Crowe first performed the ‘Dunvegan Shot’ on video in 2022 in a YouTube clip that has been viewed more than 350,000 times.

However it has also been claimed that South African golfer Ernie Els once did it outside the hotel in the early hours of one morning.





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