I didn’t see much of this year’s Dunhill Championship but I did witness one very interesting incident. Callum Tarren a DP player, struggling to maintain his card, hit a very good second shot into 17 on the Old but just went onto the road behind the green. I saw him whistle in the direction of the Old Course Hotel where a marshall was stationed. He asked the marshall if he could get a drop off the road. I was a bit staggered by this and said to the chap standing next to me ‘I don’t believe he just asked that. Surely he must know he can’t get a drop?’ The nice chap next to me said ‘He does know’.
It turns out that this nice chap actually knows him and was indeed having dinner that night with him. I remonstrated that this was very questionable behaviour. Not the going out to dinner thing but the fact that professional golfers are stretching rules to this extent. Seemingly if that marshall had not known this local rule then he may have given him a drop and it would be valid. Deary me. This is a bit of a sad state for professional golf to get into. The nice chap inferred that a lot of pros would have tried this on. I like to think not.
My golf is at an all time high in terms of me striking the ball and I am very excited about next season. I shall just have to be very organised with taking days off from guiding so I can play as many competitive games as possible. Bring it on.
I made a further impression upon golf history in St Andrews last week by hitting the first shot on the golf simulator when Tiger Woods’s new bar T-Squared opened, and I rather thumped it.
This means that I have made another huge mark on the golfing landscape in St Andrews, alongside bringing Tennent’s Lager back on tap into the golf mecca of a bar, the Dunvegan. I sent my video of my drive off to Tiger’s agent and I even said I could probably get him a game on the Old. I have not heard back yet.
My sobriety has extended to 4 months now so that’s a very good thing. I feel good and am swimming in the sea most days and using the University library as an alternative to having a swally. And it’s really much better.
But oh dear America. This clown in the Oval Office who thinks that all world leaders are his best friend and who manifestly blows with the wind is a huge danger to the world. The sycophancy of his Republican cohorts is despicable. A tragedy could potentially unfold and there are so so many great Americans who could suffer as a result of his stranglehold on the government.
God get me a train.