Excitement and Excellence at the St Andrews Open!

Amid the stunning setup for the upcoming AIG Women’s Open Golf, the St Andrews Open 4* event captivated beach volleyball enthusiasts with its intense competition and picturesque surroundings. The tournament was oversubscribed for the first time in the event's history, with the top 16 ranked teams battling it out in fabulous weather conditions over the weekend.

In the women’s competition, defending champions Mel Coutts and Lynne Beattie, along with the pairs Wallace/Palmer, Tussis/Berstautaite, and Balysevaite/Morgan, showcased their prowess, smoothly advancing through the pool stages on Saturday and securing spots in the quarter-finals on Sunday. The quarter-finals featured some nail-biting moments, particularly the match between Gabi Balysevaite/Beth Morgan and Shona Fraser/Jessica Looije, which went to three sets before Fraser/Looije conceded 15-10.

The semi-finals saw Beattie and Coutts defeating Balysevaite and Morgan with scores of 21-16 and 21-12. In the second semi-final, the 3rd seeds Lorena Tussis and Gerda Berstautaite triumphed over Mhairi Wallace and Vicky Palmer in a three-set thriller, 12-21, 21-10, 15-8.

The final was a spectacular display of skill and determination. Despite gusty winds, Beattie and Coutts managed to pull away towards the end of the first set and carried their momentum into the second, winning 21-17, 21-12. Wallace and Palmer secured the bronze medal by defeating Balysevaite/Morgan 21-19, 21-16.

The men’s event saw pool play largely following the seeding, except for a notable upset where top seeds from Northern Ireland were defeated by Lewis Fenech and Ivo Dobra, who proceeded straight to the quarter-finals. Joining them were pool winners Bunton/Harsum, Scott/Fleming, and Chau/Yeung. The playoff matches were particularly exciting, with brothers Chris and Dave Mexson narrowly losing to Mike Banda and Jokubas Kuprys 21-16, 15-21, 15-13. Another close match featured local brothers Murray and Keir Paterson edging out Lenard Sobieracki and Nico Stougiannos 21-18, 25-23.

The semi-finals saw Chau and Yeung overcoming Fenech and Dobra in a thrilling three-set match, while Bunton and Harsum defeated the Northern Irish duo Scott and Fleming. Throughout the tournament, Lewis Bunton and Bailey Harsum impressed with their controlled play, even as the wind conditions became increasingly challenging. They clinched the gold medal by defeating Chau and Yeung 21-15, 21-17, without dropping a single set all weekend—a fantastic performance from two promising young talents.

Alongside the 4* event, the tournament featured a men’s and women’s 2* competition on Saturday and a 1* mixed event on Sunday, ensuring a weekend packed with beach volleyball action. The local spectators were thoroughly intrigued, and the finals drew a good number of enthusiastic onlookers.

The event was beautifully documented by Lynne Marshall from volleyballphotos.co.uk, who captured some stunning moments. A special thanks to the sponsor, Dook Cafe, for their support, and to all the participants, volunteers, and organizers who made this event a resounding success.