Friends Reunited

Allow me to begin this week’s blog with a little housekeeping and tidying up of results of significant events we touched upon a couple of weeks back, BRSM – Before Rory’s Second Masters.

The first of these was the Roehampton Gold Cup which celebrated its centenary two weekends ago and, to all intents and purposes, the Roehampton Club did itself proud.  Caroline Scallon of the host club and friend and provider of news of the event sent me the following synopsis:-

“The Pro-Am went well on Friday on a decent warm and dry day.  Good time had by all and our visiting professionals so pleased to catch up with each other again.

The Gold Cup was less fortunate with the weather which was cold – with about an hour of rain and strengthening wind from 0900.  But everyone cold, wind tricky and greens fast – about 10.6.”

There’s no doubt that 36 holes in those conditions was a stern test, one which newly-minted professional Luca Thompson took in her stride.  Scores of 73 and 74 for a 147 total gave her a two-stroke victory over Annabel Fuller and Lauren Horsford and perhaps most importantly, her first win as a professional.  This is a very encouraging start for the 2025 Welsh champion whose Dad, Zac, is a PGA professional and former coach to Ian Poulter.  Shortly after the above photograph was taken Luca made a mad dash to Heathrow to catch a flight to Johannesburg to play in the Ladies’ European Tour event there.

It’ll be fun following her career.

Almost, but not quite, overshadowing the Gold Cup itself was the very special past players’ lunch with guest of honour, Scottish legend, Belle Robertson (above in the front row, third from left) celebrating her ninetieth birthday that very same day.  The club presented her with a beautiful birthday cake and Belle presented back to the club her winning prize in 1978 of a pewter claret jug, which now resides in one of the club’s memorabilia displays.

Although she would deny it Belle is a bit of a mentor to Bob MacIntyre and has played a fair bit of golf with him.  Her interest in the game is as keen as ever and, from what I hear, her skills are still pretty sharp.

From one successful Scot taking centre stage at Roehampton, let’s take a jump to yet more successful Scots who this year hoisted aloft the Mary McKenna Salver at Royal Portrush.  This was the 25th playing of a Senior Women’s International match between Scotland and Ireland and it was only the third occasion on which the visitors had won away from home.  Seems to me like the Irish hospitality was more than generous!

Shortly after her visit to Portrush the Irish golfing legend that is McKenna boarded a flight from Dublin and landed with quite a thump at Liverpool airport in order to spend a week with me and catch up on a few more pals.

We reunited with her 1974 Curtis Cup teammate, Mo Richmond (nee Walker) who had cycled the 15 miles or so to our appointed lunch meeting place.  With golf thin on all our agendas these days, Mary and I were very interested to hear that Mo had taken up sketching in her spare time, particularly in the winter.  She professed to be not particularly good at it and it took a good deal of pressing before she reluctantly showed us, on her phone, a few of her efforts.

Wow!  They were great!  And what was even more amazing, she was using some of Mary’s wonderful photographs as her subjects.  Partners in golf, partners in photography and sketching.  The connection is never lost.

Over the next few days we ventured into Wales, the land of the dragon, spending a lovely afternoon in Wrexham golf club with Pam Valentine and Lesley Brown, companions in our group at the last Curtis Cup at Sunningdale.  That last time the four of us had been together we had had to evacuate our hotel in Egham with fire alarms blaring, but with a conspicuous lack of  fire engines or, thankfully, fire.  This was a much more peaceful reunion.

With the weather set fair for our whole week and with beautiful sunny skies overhead, we simply had to turn westwards and head towards Harlech to visit Jill and Alan Edwards.  It’s arguably the most scenic spot in the country, even on the bleakest of days but it was perfectly idyllic for our trip.

There’s not much in golf that Jill hasn’t achieved – either on the playing or administrative side.  Champion of her country, captain of various international teams, including British & Irish ones, and chairman and selector at the highest of levels all added up to being awarded an MBE for her services to the sport.  Thoroughly deserved.

Meandering around the place with the mighty Mary McKenna is a total treat.  She’s like a bottle of tonic for everyone we visit and it struck me yet again how fortunate I am to know and count all these amazing people as my friends.

Next stop Lichfield, the Three Spires and one very resigned Spurs fan.