This is the moment a huge marquee was lifted off the ground and smashed into bits as Storm Ali whipped its way past St Andrews.
Local man Alan ‘Locky’ O’Laughlin was out walking near the Old Course at around 1pm when he noticed the large tent was starting to be moved by the powerful winds.
The 47-year-old said: “I could see the tent and it looked as though it was starting to lift so I thought ‘I’m going to start videoing this’.
“It looked like a ripple effect and it all just took off.”
Locky, who is a retired member of the armed forces, added: “I’m ex-forces so I’ve seen some things happen like this before.
“There was nobody around but I just knew it was going to go. There was nothing I could have done to stop it.”
With more tents and marquees in place ahead of next month’s tournament, the public have been asked to be careful while the wind remains strong.
TAKE CARE – ST ANDREWS OLD COURSE AREA
Police in Fife are asking the public to take care around St Andrews Old Course after reports of tents from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships site being blown about. #stormy #stormAli #staysafe
— Fife Police (@FifePolice) September 19, 2018
Storm Ali caused widespread disruption as it brought gusts of up to 100mph to parts of Tayside and Fife. Roads were closed and public transport badly affected as the storm passed through in the afternoon.
The Alfred Dunhill Links said it was confident the marquee damage would not have an impact on the event, which takes place from October 4 to 7.
