By Ralph Barnett at the Open

SOUTH AFRICAN teenager Willie Gerber-Smit found himself the envy of the entire crowd at the Open yesterday when his quick thinking earned him a coveted souvenir of his first-ever visit to the event.

South African Willie (14) was one the the many thronging the public spectator area next to the first tee at 2.21pm—all expecting the world’s most famous player to hit his usual confident drive.

However, Tiger Woods’ shot from the tee went adrift and— instead of going “straight down the middle,”—whistled over the heads of the spectators and splashed out of bounds in the Barry Burn.

While the vast majority of the stunned spectators stared in disbelief at what they had just witnessed, young Willie and his companions sprinted to the water’s edge and searched for Tiger’s trademark No 1 Nike golf ball.

Spotting it being carried downstream by the swift-flowing burn, Willie barely hesitated before jumping into the water to retrieve his prize—much to the amusement and envy of those too reserved to seize the moment.

Willie—a Tiger Woods fan from the top of his TW-branded hat to the soles of his training shoes—held his souvenir aloft as he climbed out of the burn to be immediately confronted by an R&A rules official who demanded he explain the circumstances of his discovery.

Having been assured that the ball had, indeed, been submerged in the burn and not picked up from the grass within the playing area, the official went on her way to inform Mr Woods he would have to replay the tee shot with a new ball.

Willie, who was briefly concerned his find would be taken from him, was almost overcome that he would be allowed to keep it after all and—all the time keeping a tight hold on it—proudly showed it to all those who wanted to see it.

Once he had recovered his composure, Willie said, “I’m one of Tiger Woods’ biggest fans and this is just amazing—absolutely crazy.

“I’m going to have the ball put in a frame and display it in my room as a reminder of the day I jumped into the burn at the Open in Carnoustie and came home with Tiger Woods’ golf ball.”

Willie was in Carnoustie as part of a group organised by US Junior Tours, and his American tour manager K. P. Harris said, “If anyone deserved to get Tiger’s ball it was him.

“He’s a massive fan, and we could hardly get him out of the merchandise shop because he was stopping and looking at everything that had Tiger’s name or picture on it.

“He wanted to buy everything associated with the man, and then he ends up getting something that money couldn’t buy.

“You couldn’t make this up!”