One thing I am not is a betting man on the golf course. I have never been nor ever will be. I like to enjoy my golf.
Anyway, I heard two very interesting betting stories yesterday from my new chum Bill.
He had friends who were playing a game at Sunningdale and the chap on the first tee intimated that they should play for ‘five, five and five’. All very well his friend thought and proceeded to win the game. In the clubhouse he was handed a cheque for fifteen thousand quid. He said he couldn’t tell his wife as she would have been mortified.
Bill also knew Tip Anderson, Arnold Palmer’s legendary caddie, as he used to drink in the Links Bar and was honorary captain of the Madras RFC darts team. Seemingly Tip had intimated that Tony Lema would win the forthcoming Open in St Andrews. Bill had never heard of Tony Lema like most people at that time. Anyway, Bill had seemingly then drawn Tony Lema in the office sweep.
Now to add to this bizarre situation Bill was visiting his father in a pub in Gala and there was this old chap, with cleft lip, who sold the local rag in the pub. It was customary to buy the chap a half pint. Anyway on doing so the guy recommended a tip in the big horse race at Ascot that weekend.
So Bill, for some outlandish reason as he was not really a gambler, put on a two quid double on Lema and the Gala pub horse tip (remember this was 1964).
And of course it came in! And he was able to buy a very nice second hand sports car on the back of it.
Of course I am a less fortunate, inspired and successful gambler than that. My Gold Cup and Grand National horses, Bachasson and Blacklion falling at the first.
Now I wonder what the odds would have been on that double and if anyone would have bought into it?