Nick Price played the best five rounds anyone had ever managed in one event at St. Andrews and still went home a loser.
The Zimbabwe native posted scores of 67, 68, 68, 69 and 68 on the Old Course, a 20-under 340 total in the Dunhill Cup. That was five strokes better than the record shared by Mark Calcavecchia in 1989 and Fred Couples two years ago.The trouble was the Dunhill Cup is a team event. His colleagues, Tony Johnstone and Mark McNulty, both lost Sunday in Scotland's 2-1 victory in the finals.
"I'm really happy with how I played because I did it playing for my country," Price said. "I'm disappointed with the result, but not with the performance.
"We would have been sore if we'd lost and played poorly, but we didn't. We played really, really well and it means a lot to me and to all of us to do that for our country. Next year I hope to be back to see if we can win it."
Price beat Scotland's best-ranked player, Colin Montgomerie, by six strokes in the final round of the $1.5 million competition.
But, by the time he was walking up the 18th fairway, Johnstone had already lost by four to Andrew Coltart and McNulty went down by two to Sam Torrance.
"It means a lot to me to team up with these guys at St. Andrews, on the Old Course, and win for Scotland," said Coltart, who was on the team that failed to make the semifinal last year.
"It's what I've dreamed of, to win the championship. I've been coming here year after year with my father to play at St. Andrews. Now I'm here winning a title."
Coltart, who had a hole-in-one at the 178-yard 8th, shot a 5-under 67 to run away from Johnstone. Torrance edged away from McNulty at the 12th and finished with a 68.
"Rounds of 67 and 68, that's really golfing your ball," Price said of the two Scots. "We played really well but didn't come close."
The United States team of Ben Crenshaw, Peter Jacobsen and Lee Janzen failed to qualify for the semifinals after winning the first four editions of the competition.