Quite simply, you need to remember where you were when the final round of The Open in 2016 was being played. If, for some reason, you didn't get to watch it then let that be a lesson to you - you never know when pure magic will turn up in sport.
In hindsight, was it such a surprise that Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson put on such a show for us? They are both prodigious strikers of a golf ball and attacking golfers at heart, so given the situation was it not bound to result in a shootout? What really helped was the weather calming down, seemingly deliberately, to make it possible.
The best way for us to think of how good they were is to imagine playing Royal St George's (for those of us who have been lucky enough to play there) off the back tees and to be good enough to make at least one birdie every two holes - each.
Even in calmer weather it seems almost impossible if you've played there. The standard was staggering and shows just how good the top players are when it all goes off in that kind of situation.
Most of the pundits wanted to recall the 'duel in the sun' between Nicklaus and Watson in 1977, but I also remember Seve and Nick Price doing something similar in '88. It may well be another 20 years or so before we see the like again.
I lost count of the number of short putts Rory McIlroy missed in his T5 finish, almost exclusively to the right of the hole as he holds the putter off through impact. If he could only sort that out he would surely be world number one again. However, the unlikely star of the week was Andrew 'Beef' Johnston. In just a few short months he's gone from almost complete obscurity to international fame. I can't wait to hear the Americans calling out 'Beef' at the USPGA. I hope he's enjoying it - I certainly would be.
Back home we had a busy week leading up to our Captain's Charity Day on Saturday. A fantastic day was had by everyone as the weather turned up right on cue. A face painter and a singer kept everyone entertained (particularly all the men present!) and a wonderful barbecue was kept going by captain Paul Robertson, vice Peter Thomason and a host of helpers. In all more than £2,000 was raised on the day which is a fantastic sum and huge thank you should be sent out to everyone who helped and who contributed to the sum raised. Lord knows who won the golf but frankly it doesn't really matter on such a great day.
With the majority of children breaking up from school this week for their summer holidays, it is the perfect time to let you know about the Summer Golf Camps taking place at Chestfield in the coming weeks. Stevie and Simon will be running these camps, which will be a great way for your child to learn to play golf whilst having fun at the same time. Here are the dates:
- Wed 27 Jul
- Wed 10 Aug
- Wed 31 Aug
Each camp will take place between 10:00am and 3:00pm, at a cost of £30 each (including lunch). So if you'd like to book your child a space, please get in touch here.
