CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Phil Mickelson has played in 25 British Opens, so he didn’t look startled when a train rumbled into his field of vision as he prepared to hit his approach shot into the ninth green on Friday at the Carnoustie Golf Links.
Mickelson stepped back, reloaded and got on with his round of 69.
The railroads are a big part of the history of golf in this region that is so rich in golf history. The game, of course, predates the tracks: Golf was played in one form or another here for centuries before commercial train travel began in the 1800s.