Experiencing frosts, hail and copious rain here in the UK made it all the more heart-warming to witness last week’s golf from North Carolina and Florida.  Not only did we get to enjoy the sight of sundrenched courses, we were also able to get wrapped up in Rory’s first win for eighteen months as well as in the high drama of the 48th Walker Cup at oh-so-scary Seminole.

Let’s start with the Walker Cup – or Walkover Cup – as some rather unkind journalists dubbed it.  The GB&I team, so ably captained by Stuart Wilson, was not given much of a prayer by many commentators, but no one seemed to have told the away team that they weren’t supposed to be able to contend with the powerful, high-ranked American side.  With both teams ravaged by sickness and reserves having to be called into play, this became a war of attrition for the contestants in what will surely be remembered as the most physically and mentally demanding match in the series.

Seminole in its awful loveliness was a PhD of an examination paper with absolute precision required to hit and hold putting surfaces reputed to be running at 14 on the stimp.  At least at Augusta National you can often hold the heavily sectioned greens – you just won’t be that near the pin; but at Seminole you could be swept away into a treacherous bunker from which, sometimes, there was no escape.  It was riveting stuff and mentally challenging as a viewer, never mind a player.  It was awe-inspiring to see these amateur players cope with all that was thrown at them and the 14-12 scoreline in favour of the US side was indicative of just how good a tussle it was.

It was also refreshing to have a high level match that is definitely a sprint and not a marathon, as the rest of the top events tend to be and the pace of play, particularly from the players from this side of the Atlantic, was a joy.  I suppose it was unfortunate that the very first shot I saw of the whole contest was a poor bunker shot by an American player.  His reaction was to spit on the ground, hence he was referred to in this household from that point on as “the spitter”.  Ah well, I suppose if the No 1 ranked player in the world is unchecked in that behaviour we must expect others to follow suit.  I wish they wouldn’t though.

A little further north on the US eastern seaboard is the lovely and challenging Quail Hollow golf course in Charlotte, North Carolina, an opinion obviously shared by Rory McIlroy who notched up his third victory there on Sunday.  He loves the place but what he learned was that he loves, and needs, the noise and vibe of the spectators more than he realised.  Expect his post-pandemic performances to be much improved.

“I thought I’d like the peace and quiet when we returned but I missed the crowds,” he said. “I feed off the energy so much. I’m certainly glad that the crowds were back and I’m glad that I was able to get the job done in an atmosphere like that today. And I’m excited going forward now that we get to play in front of crowds like that. It was just an awesome experience to feel that again over the weekend.”

Pete Cowen, with whom Rory is now working, has made an immediate impact, encouraging a change of shot shape off the tee from a draw to a power fade.  It’ll take a while to bed down but validation of the work they are doing together will be a tremendous tonic for the Irishman and his trademark jaunty step is back out there on display for all to see.  Nice timing with three majors coming up in the next eight weeks or so.

News comes that the first of those majors, the PGA Championship, which is played over Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course and where Rory notched up one of his four major victories, will be a stern test of 7876 yards.  That is the longest course in major championship history and it makes me wonder where it’ll all end.  Seemingly the major defence against equipment that allows players in their 70s like Tom Watson to continue hitting the ball as far as when in his prime is to build greens with an abundance of sections and slopes and then shave them to within an inch of their lives.  That sort of approach necessitates skill in two departments alone – sheer brute force for driving and silky skills around the green.  We are in danger of completely losing the nuances of shot-making through the bag.  Varying trajectories, shaping the ball, half and three quarter shots are all in the endangered species category nowadays and the game is not improved because of it.  Somebody, please DO something!

It looks like my sorties to the US for the men’s majors are a non-starter for the second consecutive year but hope springs eternal that the Ryder Cup may signal a return of normal duties.  We shall see, but in the meantime I’m happy to unashamedly cheer my favourites on from the sidelines without the slightest responsibility to impartiality.  Good to know that some clouds do have a silver lining.

I’m a bit annoyed – well, much more than annoyed but I’m trying hard to moderate my language and reduce the number of swear words used per sentence, especially in the blog.  There’s a tournament this week at The Belfry, not too far down the road from here and it’s really frustrating not to be able to go – we’re not out of the COVID woods yet, so golf in this neck of the woods is still off limits to spectators.

The Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, in support of Prostate Cancer UK, which started on Wednesday, is one of those events that would be worth watching.  Willett, the Masters champion from Sheffield, is playing; Martin Kaymer, the US PGA and Open champion from  Dusseldorf, who has lost his way, was there for 36 holes; and the talented young Scots Calum Hill and Robert MacIntyre are sharing the halfway lead with Englishman Richard Bland, who is 48 years old, playing in his 478th European Tour event and eyeing up the over-50s tour.

“It would mean everything [to win], especially at my age,” Bland said. “The chances are probably going to come fewer and farther between – that’s not being negative, that’s just being pretty realistic.  I’m going to try and go out there and not think about it too much.  The old cliche, just one shot at a time as best I can.”

The Brabazon course, scene of four compelling Ryder Cups, is still proving a proper test for some of the best, even in these days of smash and gouge. The three leaders are only 7 under par so far and Bland was understandably delighted to have played two days without a bogey.  “That’s extra special,” he said.  “It doesn’t happen very often, especially round here where there are four or five holes that can really catch you out.

“You really have to stand up and hit a proper golf shot even just to make par, so I’m really happy with the way I’ve played.  I think I’ve only missed four fairways in two rounds and they were not by a lot, so my greens in regulation stats are pretty high as well.”

Good to see that a place that started out as a load of old potato fields and was probably too immature a course to deserve its first Ryder Cup or two has matured beautifully and proved a proper test of nerve and shot-making.  It’s a great venue and is full of memories – such laughs with Helen and Colm Smith, who always stayed with us; having an open house for our AGW colleagues, friends and neighbours – there were some memorable encounters and robust exchanges of views; the brother-in-law with me shaking the St Giles Hospice collecting tins on the temporary bridge connecting the car parks with the course (not sure we were quite legal but we did well); great times.

The Sky guys were reminiscing about it all and reminding Ken Brown, who was out on the course, of some of his finest moments.  Ken had a slightly dodgy start to his Ryder Cup career but he won two out of four points, including his singles against the formidable Raymond Floyd, in the near-miss at PGA National in Florida in 1983.  That’s when the incomparable Seve told his downcast teammates that they’d as good as won (it was 14 1/2 – 13 1/2 to the USA and Jack Nicklaus, the US captain, kissed the turf in relief).

“Next time, we beat them,” Seve said, only beat started with an F and ended with a K, with two asterisks in between….

He was right.  Back at the Belfry in 1985 it was Europe 16 1/2 – USA 11 1/2 and in the foursomes on the second afternoon, Ken and Bernhard Langer beat Ray Floyd and Lanny Wadkins, two of the toughest, most dogged competitors ever, by 3 and 2.

It’s ten years since Seve died, far, far too young but he was a force of nature and none of us who met him and knew him will ever forget him.  Dave’s book is a wonderful tribute and brings to life Seve’s charisma, charm and sheer brilliance.  He wasn’t perfect, on or off the course but….

There are lots of Walker Cuppers who go on to become Ryder Cuppers and no doubt there’ll be a few of this year’s stars at Seminole who train on to even greater things as professionals.  I wanted Maureen to get us a game there with Gerry McIlroy, Rory’s father, who’s a member but it didn’t take too long looking at those fearsome greens and bunkers to disabuse us both of that notion.  We’re old enough and wise enough to know when we’re beaten….

It’s a bit harsh to call GB and I’s valiant effort a BBU (brave but unavailing) because both teams did wonderfully well to play such good golf in difficult circumstances – following the pandemic protocols, then having to cope with a nasty gastrointestinal bug that floored almost everyone, then taking on Seminole in a weakened state (the players not the course)…..They were all heroes.

There’s usually nothing remotely heroic about my golf but on Tuesday we were a couple of holes from home when the heavens opened and there was thunder, lightning, hail and torrential rain.  Aaaaagh.  What to do?  What exactly is the correct procedure?  Do we leave the clubs and dive in to the nearest bunker?  Or just trundle in to the clubhouse with all our gear?   After all, most brollies are fibreglass now, aren’t they?

As it happened, we were not far from the greenkeepers’ shed (bigger and posher, so perhaps just a structure), so we legged it to shelter and waited until the weather had calmed down a bit.  Two of us had half decent scores so we finished out on the 17th and played the last with the rain tipping down…….Madness.