When renowned sports broadcaster Hazel Irvine returned to her birthplace of St Andrews to receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from St Andrews University, it was a poignant homecoming that brought her life “full circle”.
Watched by her proud dad, this latest recognition caps a glittering career in sports broadcasting that has spanned the Olympics, Wimbledon, World Cups, and, of course, golf.
Yet for Hazel, it all began in St Andrews, where her love of sport and storytelling was shaped by her surroundings, her university years, and even her view from Hamilton Hall.
Hazel’s voice has been synonymous with world-class sport for decades, guiding audiences through some of the most iconic moments in modern athletic history.
From anchoring the BBC’s coverage of The Open Championship to bringing the 2024 Olympics and UK Snooker Championship to life for millions of viewers, she has blended professional expertise with warmth and precision.
But in an interview with The Courier, Hazel, now 59, laughs that her first unofficial brush with golf commentary was far from conventional.
Hazel Irvine recalls St Andrews room with a view – and early golf ‘commentary’
“In my final year at St Andrews University, I had a room in Hamilton Hall, number 91, which overlooked the 18th hole of the Old Course,” she recalls.
“I put my desk by the window, intending to study, but I quickly realised it was impossible.
“I spent my time watching the fashions coming up the 18th and muttering to myself, ‘short – into the Valley of Sin, short – into the Valley of Sin’!
“I had to move and retreat to the library for the rest of the academic year!”
This informal commentary may not have been the polished professionalism for which she is now known, but it planted the seed.
Her final year coincided with the inaugural 1985 Dunhill Cup, which brought legends like Sandy Lyle to St Andrews, just months after he had won The Open at Royal St George’s.
“We hung out a banner saying, ‘Come on Sandy!’ from our window,” she recalls fondly.
“The atmosphere was electric. Just brilliant memories. I don’t know how many students were crammed into my room just to get a good view.”
Hazel Irvine enjoyed St Andrews University life – and the call of the golf links
Born in the old Craigtoun Hospital outside St Andrews (now the site of the Duke’s golf course), Hazel spent the first four years of her life in Glenrothes, before her family moved to Cardross in the west.
But returning to St Andrews as a 17-year-old student was a natural choice.
Hazel’s time at St Andrews University (1982–1986) was a delicate balancing act between academic rigour and her burgeoning passion for sport.
She initially pursued joint honours in English and art history but eventually focused on art history, a subject that still captivates her.
But academia was just one part of Hazel’s university experience.
A keen athlete, who made lifelong friends at St Andrews, she immersed herself in the Athletic Union, playing netball, golf, and even organising golfing holidays for the university.
The proximity of the Old Course and the chance to play its legendary holes cemented her lifelong love affair with the sport.
“I worked hard during the academic year to earn exemptions from exams, which gave me extra time to play golf,” she laughs. “It felt like a reward.”
How did Hazel Irvine’s career take flight?
Although Hazel’s passion for sport was evident, her entry into broadcasting was less direct.
Inspired by the sporting endeavours at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which she watched as a child, Hazel was drawn to the stories of sport.
That and being a “jack of all trades” when it came to playing, she knew she was never going to be a medal winner.
But she says broadcasting was probably the next best thing.
After university, Hazel began working at Radio Clyde before moving into television with STV’s Scotsport.
Inspired by “trailblazing” sports reporter Sally McNair, Hazel never saw being female as a hindrance – just “part of the challenge”.
Her talents quickly caught the attention of national broadcasters, and she joined the BBC, becoming a mainstay of sports coverage.
Hazel Irvine has special memories of Jim McLean and Dundee United
Among her early assignments were football reporting trips to Dens Park and Tannadice.
She has particularly fond memories of the unique rapport she struck up with legendary Dundee United manager Jim McLean.
“Jim could be volcanic,” Hazel admits, “but he was also incredibly insightful and generous with his time.”
Her documentary, Don’t Show Me Smiling, offered a rare glimpse into McLean’s reflective side.
She really enjoyed doing the more in-depth piece.
But one particularly poignant memory stands out,
“I remember when we were talking about the UEFA Cup Final, when it came to that second leg (against Gothenburg in 1987),” she says.
“Jim said the trophy itself was in the boardroom, and I said, ‘Well, do you have any memories of it?’
“He said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got one big regret. I didn’t touch it’.
“I mean he was ridiculously superstitious. Most football people were.
“But I always thought that was really poignant. I understand why he didn’t touch it. But in a way, I wish he had, you know.”
Hazel also has fond memories of McLean’s successor Ivan Golac, and Dundee United’s “hugely moving” Scottish Cup win in 1994 after years of trying.
What was it like for Hazel Irvine returning to St Andrews as a broadcaster?
Hazel’s connection to St Andrews deepened as her career brought her back to the town for The Open and other major tournaments.
“When I anchored The Open for the first time in 2010, it was extra special,” she recalls.
“We had our studio, which was the old ‘silver bullet’ studio, just beyond Grannie Clark’s Wynd.
“We looked right up The Scores back towards the clubhouse, and knowing every nook and cranny of those streets, it was like my whole life coalescing.
“I think it just gave me a great comfort and confidence, being the anchor.”
Hazel also covered significant moments like Lorena Ochoa’s victory at the 2007 Women’s British Open, the first professional event on the Old Course for women.
It dawned on her at her last, the 2015 Open, that St Andrews winners don’t’ just win trophies – they become part of the history of such an “incredible” place.
A year of accolades for Hazel Irvine
The St Andrews honorary degree is one of several recognitions for Hazel in recent months, including an MBE for services to sport and broadcasting and a BAFTA Scotland Lifetime Achievement Award.
It was a “fantastic honour” to become a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club after they admitted women almost a decade ago.
She’s spoken out on the possibility that the World Snooker Championship might leave the Crucible in Sheffield.
However, as Hazel prepared to step back onto the stage at the Younger Hall this week, it was extra poignant having her dad there.
“My mum was around when I graduated in 1986, but she passed away a few years ago now,” she reflects.
“So to have my dad here is very important to me. That we can both go back all these years later and have some good memories of when she (my mum) was there as well.”
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