Well, well, well.  Dame Laura Davies is going to be one of Europe’s vice-captains at next year’s Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.  I confess I nearly fell over when I heard that.  And I laughed.  Laura, for whom everyone in golf should be thankful, for her skills, her personality, her longevity, her individuality, the sheer sense of fun she brought – and is still bringing – to a game that too often tries to take itself too seriously.  The same Laura who played in 12 Solheim Cups, starting at the beginning, in 1990 at Lake Nona but who year in, year out, swore that she had no interest, ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER, in ever being captain.  Not for me, she said, not my bag.

And as for being in a supporting role, as a vice-captain, dishing out bananas, nuts, sandwiches, cold towels, hand warmers, water, sympathy, advice, plasters, whatever……well, NO WAY.

And now, here she is, on Catriona Matthew’s support team, alongside fellow vice-captains Suzann Pettersen and Kathryn Imrie, saying:  “I’m delighted and honoured to have been asked to be vice-captain for the first time by Catriona.  She sent me a text message when I was doing commentary at the Ryder Cup and I thought, ‘Ah, I wonder what this will be about’.  Sure enough, she asked me if I would do it and I didn’t even have to think about it.  I want to be part of the team and I hope that I can make a positive contribution and help in any way that I can.

“The Solheim Cup has always held a very special place in my heart, right from the first one in 1990.  Many of my fondest memories have been made during the Solheim Cup and I’m hoping that this one, at Gleneagles, will be the best yet.”

DLD, like all champions, is as stubborn as all get out, so perhaps we could do worse than put Catriona in charge of the Brexit negotiations, or similar, if similar exists, given that she obviously has diplomatic skills and persuasion of the highest order.

“It really was a no brainer,” Matthew said, though she wasn’t sure that Davies would accept the offer.  “I’m delighted to have Laura alongside me on the journey to Gleneagles.  She is hugely respected by the players and has a great sense of humour, which will bring a bit of levity.  Her experience speaks for itself.  She has played in 12 Solheim Cups, on both winning teams and losing teams, she has won 87 titles around the world and been the lynchpin of the Ladies European Tour for the last 30 years.

“The players that will be in the team have such respect for her that if any of them need a question answered, they will listen to Laura.  I couldn’t ask for anything better than to have Laura, Kathryn and Suzann at my side as vice-captains and their combined experience will be a great asset for our team.”

They all have quite a job on their hands as Juli Inkster, US captain for an unprecedented third time, will be leading a team intent on winning the trophy for the third time in a row.  The good news is that Europe have never lost in Scotland.  There was the ground-breaking, golf-shattering victory at Dalmahoy in 1992, an upset of epic proportions; then the under-water win at Loch Lomond in 2000; so the pressure is on at Gleneagles.  If it’s wet, Europe should be okay.

It was pretty damp and dreich at Dalmahoy, where no one noticed as Davies and her teammates tore a multi-major American team to shreds – I exaggerate a little but not by much and at this remove it’s hard to convey just what an upset it was.  Foinavon anyone?  (Grand National 1967, odds of 100/1.)  It was in that sort of league.  Loch Lomond was just ridiculous, with delays that favoured Europe in the end and a determination by both sides to finish the contest despite conditions that really required snorkels and flippers.

Anyway, perhaps Laura has decided that she’d like to be Solheim Cup captain after all and has taken the first step over the sidelines, showing willing at last despite years of denial.  Everyone’s entitled to change their mind.  Go Laura.

At the other end of the spectrum there’s Leona Maguire, who’s at the beginning of her professional career after a glittering amateur career.  She just missed out on her LPGA card after a Q-School that took gruelling to another level and she and her twin sister Lisa will be having a go at the LET Qualifying School next month.  In the meantime Leona, who represented Ireland at the Rio Olympics, is a KPMG 20×20 ambassador, starring in an edgy ad campaign to promote the 20×20 initiative, which aims to have 20 per cent more media coverage for women in sport, 20 per cent more female participation in sport and 20 per cent more attendance at women’s events by 2020.

The twins are friends and admirers of Katie Taylor, the boxer, who lost in the quarter-finals at Rio when one of the favourites for gold but learned from that disappointment, turned professional and became a world champion.  Life and sport rarely run smoothly and Leona said, “I learned as much from how Katie handled that loss, which was probably one of the biggest moments of her career, as I learned from watching all her victories down the years.  Her class and all the hard work she has done make her an incredible role model for anybody in Ireland, not just for girls in sport but for life in general.”

I’m watching the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World T20 cricket from Antigua (where the sainted Sir Viv Richards was one of the spectators).  It was disappointing that the Windies, who’d looked dangerously good in earlier rounds, didn’t give Australia much of a game but for a while India against England was shaping up to be a much tighter affair. In the end, India didn’t have a big enough total to defend and England batted well to win by 8 wickets.  I love the intensity of the players, the commitment and concentration, the different shapes and sizes, minnows like Bangladesh and Ireland playing their hearts out, former England men’s captain Nasser Hussain and former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop commentating and critiquing without a hint of hauteur, just enjoying the contests and the cricket.

To finish, I include a picture of my mate Sue, who earlier this week sent her drive sailing over the dreaded dip at Whittington Heath’s 2nd hole.  Not so long ago she despaired of ever making the carry again but Mo gave her a brief lesson,  in the park, without a club and voila.

Sport really is for all.

 

 

 

It’s always intrigued me to observe the relationship between player and caddy.  Undoubtedly, as with any successful partnership, there is a decent sprinkling of magic in there but just what is it exactly that makes it all work?

As a player I was always firmly in the professional caddy camp, believing that a good caddy was as necessary to a player as breathing if you wanted to achieve your potential.  There was no way, surely, that a family member or buddy could possibly step up and deal with the hugely pressurised arena of competitive golf, an arena that nowadays has oodles of prize money on the line.

Well, take a look around you and let’s start with last weekend’s winners.  Lee Westwood rediscovered that winning feeling in Sun City at the Nedbank Challenge, his first victory since finishing top of the pile in Asia in 2015.  He had girlfriend and partner Helen Storey on the bag.  The last time she caddied for him, at the Made in Denmark tournament earlier in the year, he lost in a play-off.  That’s a pretty good strike rate – hope she’s on a decent percentage!

Now, shift your eyes westwards to Mexico and the Mayakoba Golf Classic where Matt Kuchar broke his own lengthy winless streak.  Local caddy David “El Tucan” Ortiz was shouldering the clubs.  “I forgot how good winning felt,” was Kuchar’s response to that most irritating, “How do you feel?” sporting question asked of any victor moments after clinching top spot.

Perhaps the common denominator between these two men is they are both in their forties, both are prolific winners (although majorless) and both have accrued decades of nous and experience, knowing how to win, no matter who is on the bag.

However, when I consider one of my favourite players, Padraig Harrington, the matter becomes a little more complex and perplexing.  (Isn’t that always the way with Padraig?)  He partnered up with brother-in-law Ronan Flood amidst a storm of criticism and in fairly short order reeled off three major victories in twelve months.  Ronan subsequently became one of the very best caddies out on tour but he wasn’t at that level when the really big prizes started rolling in for his boss.

And what about Georgia Hall, the young Englishwoman who is now ranked 7th in the world?  Her Dad takes over caddying duties from her boyfriend at two tournaments – the Solheim Cup, arguably the biggest stage of them all – and at the Women’s British Open which she won in emphatic style this summer at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s.  Her explanation for having her father on the bag is that he knows her inside out, knows her game so well and she feels entirely comfortable with him alongside her.

And what of Tommy Fleetwood with best mate Ian Finnis on the bag?  That certainly works.

Then, on the other side of the coin you have a player of the calibre of Adam Scott, who persuaded Tiger’s former bagman, Steve Williams, to come out of retirement to work for him at the majors.  Scott wanted to win a major and felt having one of the world’s best with him was important.  They subsequently won the Masters together, vindicating the Australian’s decision.  After Williams totally and finally retired Scott sought out the expertise of Fanny Sunesson, erstwhile caddy of six-time major champion Nick Faldo.  I walked a hole or two with Fanny as she made her final on-course preparations prior to a St Andrews Open one year.  To say it was an eye-opener is an understatement.  The level of detail in her work and her knowledge of the course was extraordinary and, although now no longer caddying, she is still working with current players, dispensing her knowledge and experience.  Henrik Stenson considers her an invaluable member of his team, still believing he can learn from her.

Another who feels her learning curve is trending upwards thanks to her caddy is Carlota Ciganda, the passionate Spaniard who plays on the LPGA Tour.  Her bagman is Terry McNamara, former looper to Annika Sorenstam and Ciganda unashamedly states she is learning so, so much from him.

Then there is Justin Rose, currently bouncing around between 1st and 2nd in the world rankings.  He is another with a superb career caddy on the bag.  He and Mark Fulcher, are a well-known, tried-and-tested partnership, celebrating their tenth anniversary this year.  That’s some achievement – they are in all likelihood spending more time together than they do with their wives/partners and families.  And while I’m at it….why, oh why was Fooch, the winning caddy, not given a gold medal at the Rio Olympics?  But I digress.  Fooch used to caddy for former US Women’s Open champion Alison Nicholas and has diligently worked his way to the very top of his profession over many, many years.  There is now none better.

It seems pretty obvious that one size does not fit all, as is proven by the dizzying array of partnerships on view in the winner’s circle of the world’s tours.  One of the most important factors seems to be how comfortable the player is with the caddy and the extent to which the caddy knows and can read his or her player.  Words are not always necessary between them and it seems to me that the importance of a caddy to each individual player depends on that player’s own point of view and requirement.  Those who prefer to do things themselves will surely be more likely to turn to friends and family – perhaps they have an arrogance and self-belief that they do not need anyone’s help.  This is not a criticism – these are qualities present in almost all winners and, as we have witnessed, sometimes these friends and family do become top class.  On the other hand, some players believe they want the best there is on their team and will search out top men and women accordingly.  To each their own, it would appear.

It’ll be interesting to see which path Rory takes as his buddy Harry Diamond, who has been on his bag for a year or so, is getting ready for married life.  Will Rory go down the buddy route again or search out a top-class caddy to help him stride towards those majors he so craves?  If Lee Westwood sticks with Helen Storey on the bag, perhaps Billy Foster, one of the world’s best, will become available.

Food for thought, Rory?

Do you ever think there are times when it’d be really lovely to be a fly on the wall?   For me, one of those times occurred a week or so back at the Irish Golf Tour Operators’ Association’s awards when they presented Wilma Erskine, club manager of Royal Portrush Golf Club, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Wilma’s is a name that you will hear increasingly over the next eight months as she steers the club towards hosting the Open Championship next July, returning after a gap of 61 years.  This would be a huge task for anyone, but to navigate through the extremely choppy waters of the Northern Ireland troubles to what we all envisage will be a successful staging of one of the world’s greatest sporting events is nothing short of miraculous.

I remember it was early to mid-1980s when a fresh-faced Wilma turned up at the club to take over the reins.  Needless to say, my pals and I were all delighted, if not a little astounded, that a woman – a YOUNG woman – had got the job in such a male-dominated environment.  Rumbling around in the background, however, were mutterings and harrumphings about the suitability of this girl for the job.  Wilma has since told me she was very well aware that some of the older members, who were very set in their ways, subtly let it be known that they believed she couldn’t hack it and would be gone in about six months.  Well, safe to say she outlasted them all.  Looking back, however, it was a decision of outstanding foresight on the part of the then captain and council to make the appointment, especially as there had been a couple of short tenures immediately preceding Wilma.  She didn’t let them down, but it can have been far from easy in that climate.

By the time the 1990s rolled around Wilma’s vision for the club was expanding, looking ever more outwards for opportunities to put Royal Portrush on the map.  And so a new era began for the club – a decade of cutting their teeth in the arena of staging top-class golf events.  First it was the Amateur Championship, then five successive Senior British Opens.  I’m not sure at this juncture that even in Wilma’s ambitious brain there were thoughts of one day bringing the Open itself back to Northern Ireland.  Lessons were being learned, however, experience gained and, most importantly, relationships formed and forged with some of the great shakers and movers in the game.  And you have to remember that, running alongside all of this, Wilma had to juggle the not inconsiderable task of her “day job” – running the club and keeping the members happy.  Not everyone wants the upheaval of tournament golf with the attendant time-consuming activities impacting their course and their regular weekly games.

There’s no doubt, also, that the stars were aligning out in the professional tournament arena as regards Ireland shouldering to the front and centre of the golfing consciousness.  Padraig Harrington’s three major successes, followed by Graeme McDowell’s US Open win, Darren Clarke’s Open victory and Rory’s run of four majors gave the island nine majors in a space of seven years.  Interest in these players and Irish golf was at an all time high and every one of them used their influence to support and push the idea of the Open’s return to Portrush.  They couldn’t have delivered at a better time as regards drawing the eyes of the golfing world Irelandwards.

A vital step in the whole process was to host a really large scale event and so it was that the European Tour’s Irish Open came to Portrush in 2012.  Attendance figures smashed the all-time records for a European Tour event and the television pictures beamed around the world delivered on every front.

Two years later the R&A made the announcement we could only have dreamed of – and here we are, on the cusp of staging the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush.  To say we’re all beyond excited is an understatement.  It has been a mammoth collective effort but there’s no doubt that at the heart of it all is Wilma Erskine, driving the process with tremendous energy, wit, diplomacy and a no-nonsense, can-do attitude.  She has quietened the doubters, harnessed the support of the global golf heavyweights, constantly acknowledged and praised her team and pulled it off.

She says she plans to retire after the Open – what a legacy she has created, because I’m absolutely sure this won’t be a one-off Open.  This is so much more than golf – the R&A tell us that the economic benefit to the host region is £100 million.  Mind-boggling stuff.  So, as you walk the fairways next July or watch on the telly, roaring on your favourites, you will be witnessing something very special indeed.

Whoever wins, you’ll be watching Wilma’s Open.

What a week!  Laryngitis which turned in to sinusitis; four games of golf in five days during a trip to Ireland; a visit to the Guinness factory and a performance of Cirque du Soleil.  One thing topped it all for me, however.  On Sunday Becky Morgan, a 44-year old from Abergavenny in Wales, won her maiden professional tournament after grafting on the main tours of the world for 18 years.  She captured the Hero Women’s Indian Open, a tournament she has been a faithful supporter of since its inception in 2010, by two shots from a gaggle of players, including the resurgent Solheim Cup Swede, Caroline Hedwall and Englishwoman Felicity Johnson.

For those of us whose paths have crossed with Becky over the years there will only be one reaction – sheer delight for the unassuming, low-key player with a fine line in understatement and droll humour.  Widely recognised for some time as the best player not to have won a title Becky was beginning to wonder would she ever provide that exclamation point to her career.  We spoke last year and she said, “If you’d told me before I turned pro that I would do what I’ve done, I would hardly have believed you.  But then after two very good years in 2003 and 2004 I am disappointed not to have won a tournament.  I still feel I can win but my best opportunity now would be in Europe.”  Recognising this fact prompted Becky to increase her appearances on the LET schedule which has given her one of the longest commutes to work that I know of.  She is currently living in Portland, Oregon – so that was a helluva trip back home after her victory.  It did, however, afford her the time to catch up with her social media accounts and she was thrilled to read one from the inimitable Gary Player.

We live in a world of seemingly instant success, instant stardom and instant achievement.  That is what many value these days but it’s not the only way.  Becky has had a solid, honest, hard-fought-for career, painstakingly put together over two decades with resilience and stickability at its core.  That refusal to be bested, the dogged determination to stay in the game, the steel that is relentlessly honed in the heat of battle and the lessons learned with each disappointment are the components that finally added up to this fine, fine, and oh-so-popular win.  My golfing pals and I raised a glass to the Welshwoman last week and I look forward to next year’s Women’s British Open at Woburn where we can raise a glass together – slainte Becky!

From one Welsh player to another and Amy Boulden, who is currently embroiled in a marathon tussle out at the legendary Pinehurst resort in North Carolina in a bid to gain a card on the LPGA for the 2019 season.  Earlier in the season Amy told me she was filling her schedule with as many playing opportunities as she could, including taking part in as many corporate outings as possible.  The reason was two-fold – play as much as you can and save as much as you can with a view to an assault on the qualifying process for the premier women’s tour in the world in the autumn.  Well, the time for that assault has arrived and Amy couldn’t have got off to a better start, jointly topping the field at Stage 2 Qualifying in Florida with a score of ten under par. That has advanced her to the newly minted Q-Series rolled out by the Tour this year, where, numerically at least, the odds are pretty decent.  The full field is 108 players with the top 45 and ties earning a precious LPGA card for next season.  The rest of the field will be afforded status on the secondary Symetra Tour, so it looks like Amy will be stateside next year in some capacity or other.

The marathon tussle I referred to is just that.  Two four-round, no-cut tournaments with a three-day break between the end of one and the start of another.  The score is cumulative throughout the eight rounds, a real test of skill, stamina and mental fortitude.  Friends and family at home will be following every live scoring update, as will I.  It’s a nervewracking time for all concerned but this is a big opportunity for Amy.  I wish her well.

Time for another dragon to roar.