The oldest major championship has taken a step into the modern world by using a technological feature that British Open organizers hope will bring to life one of the most storied walks in golf.
Spidercam - that's a camera, not a super hero - was used in golf for the first time at Royal Portrush on Thursday. It's a camera suspended above the 18th green using four pylons about 25 meters high, giving TV viewers unique views of the closing hole and its undulations.
Held in a resting position high to the back of the green for approach shots, Spidercam swoops down as the players make their walk to the green and hovers just above them as they make their putts.
"It's pretty cool the way it can move and do all those swings," said Northern Irish golfer Tom McKibbin, who went out at 6:35 a.m. local time in the first group of the day with Nicolai Hojgaard and Padraig Harrington.
They were the first players to experience in competition the technology which reportedly cost the RA 300,000 pounds 400,000 to install.