After my dad was diagnosed with blood cancer, his lifelong dream of playing the Old Course at St Andrews could no longer wait. I became determined to fulfill his final wish. As a worst-case scenario, he gave me one unforgettable instruction: take his ashes to Scotland and spread them over the Old Course.

Hoping to share the kind of round that had connected our family for decades, my dad, my son, my brother, and I traveled to St Andrews — only to discover that securing one of the most coveted tee times in golf would be far from easy.

We entered the daily ballot, St Andrews’ lottery system for tee times, but the Old Course was completely booked. Five failed ballots later, our chances were fading fast.

Dad’s response was simple: he was not leaving Scotland until he played the most famous course in the world and the birthplace of the game he loved.

Drawing on 20 years as a caddie, I take readers inside the relentless pursuit of an almost impossible tee time, while weaving in stories from the caddie yard, the history of legendary players who faced these same iconic holes, and the deeper reason golf means so much to so many.

At its heart, St. Andrews Four Ballers is about more than one round of golf. It is about fathers and sons, time, legacy, and the unique bonds the game forges across generations.