As we can’t watch the Masters this month, just a reminder of what we’re missing. Amen corner at Augusta. Sigh!
THE PAR 3 12th AT AUGUST NATIONAL proved critical again last year, opening the door for Tiger Woods to claim his fifth green jacket. Tiger’s par meant he tied with Francesco Molinari who double-bogeyed the hole. It was a turning point in the game. Many players in the last group found water off the tee, Molinari among them.
About the moment, Woods said: “You couldn’t have had more drama than we all had out there. Now I know why I’m balding. This stuff is hard.”
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE: In June, 1974, Bob Taylor, a Leicestershire County player made a hole-in-one at Hunstanton Golf Club 3 days in a row on the same hole.
Bob was playing in the Eastern Counties Foursomes with the Leicestershire and Rutland County golf team. This was an annual meeting of nine counties to be played over the weekend in four sessions of sixsomes golf. Each county pair played two foursome matches at the same time so were actually playing two counties at once in three balls. Simples.
Anyway, on the Friday afternoon, on the 189 yd. 16th in a practice round, Bob Taylor got out his 2-iron that he had bent to a 1-iron and punched the ball into the stiff breeze. The ball hit the apron and scampered up the green, unerringly hopping into the hole. His delighted teammates held a celebration that evening.
In the match on the following afternoon Bob again teed it up on the 16th with his rusty 6 iron and the ball duly pitched onto the green and rolled into the hole. His incredulous teammates held another celebration, and one bet Bob 25p at odds of a million to one that he wouldn’t do it again the following day. He did.
On the same hole. Probably the greatest hole-in-one feat of all time, and no mobile phones to record it! His only memento was a dozen Titleist balls from the president of the Cambridge Golf Union, and the monument that has been erected on one of the tees. He never received his winnings, hope the club waived his bar tab that weekend.
PETE COWEN: “Improving at golf is not that big a deal. I can guarantee dramatic improvement from 15 minutes a day, without even using a club. But most people won’t make the commitment. At a seminar attended recently by 500 Australian club pros. I said, “We know that exercising 15 minutes every day adds several years to our lives.
Those of you who have spent 15 minutes a day exercising over the last 10 years, raise your hands.” Not a hand went up. I said, “If you won’t commit 15 minutes to lengthening your life, what’s going to make you devote 15 minutes to golf?” The problem comes down to actually doing it.” There you are folks, nothing else to do at the moment, get those dumbbells out!
AFTER SURGERY ON HIS WRIST Tyrrell Hatton spent an enforced three month layoff drinking red wine and playing Xbox. He then went straight out and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Perhaps we don’t need to exercise after all. Tell Tommy Fleetwood to ditch his coach, the secret of winning on the PGA Tour has been resolved.
INTERVIEWED ON US TELEVISION Paul Azinger said Tommy Fleetwood had yet to prove himself, effectively claiming his European Tour victories counted for little.“You can win all you want on the European Tour but you have to win on the PGA Tour.”
Cue twitter meltdown from Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter among others. Victorious 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn said: “Bring on September.” Let’s hope it’s back to normal by then but it could well be “High Noon” at Whistling Straights.
No point putting any new gear or tips in this month, you won’t be using them anyway.
The only really useful golf tip is one given to the starter to get you out ahead of the mixed foursome.
Until next time – enjoy those re-runs on the box.
