thelastword MULLIGAN
Golf’s Man in the Rough
That was some round by Jim Furyk! The 43 year old American completed
his second round at the BMW Championship in Illinois in just 59 strokes to equal the record for the lowest 18-hole score in PGA Tour history. For the record, he joins Stuart Appleby
(AUS), Paul Goydos (USA), David Duval (USA), Chip Beck (USA) and Al Geiberger (USA) as just the sixth player to finish with a sub 60 round in a PGA Tour event. But for three putting the 5th, he would
be up there on his own with a mind blowing 58! We mere mortals can only wonder
what it must feel like to break 60! The only surprising thing is the absence
of one of the all-time greats from the list – not a Palmer, Player, Nicklaus or a Woods in sight. In fact, whilst Furyk was having the
round of his life, Tiger Woods was being penalised two strokes at the first aſter an eagle eyed television producer spotted that his ball moved as he picked away some twigs from behind it. The PGA official who ruled on the two
point penalty was the aptly named Slugger White. No arguing with him then! Actually, this was the third rules
violation in 2013 for Woods – aſter similar penalties were incurred in Abu Dhabi and at the US Masters when he took an improper drop aſter his wedge into the 15th green hit the pinand ended up in the water. There is something oddly reassuring
about all this! The countdown to the 2014 Ryder Cup
has begun with the announcement that James Nesbitt, Ruud Gullitt and Alan Hansen have all been appointed as ambassadors for next year’s competition at Gleneagles. I am sure they will be excellent appointees. However, also appointed ambassadors
are Jodie Kidd and Marvin Humes of JLS. I am sure both are really nice people,
but surely more appropriate Ryder Cup ambassadors could have been found than Ms Kidd and Mr Humes? And whilst on the subject of the Ryder
Cup, I am sure everyone connected with our sport will be wishing a speedy and full recovery for former Ryder Cup Captain Bernard Gallacher. The 64 year old Scot suffered a major heart attack at the end of August as he was about to speak at a function in Aberdeen. Having been told that he cannot drive
for six months and should not play golf for four, he quipped in typical Gallacher style: “It’s not too big a hardship. Winter is coming!” Slightly belated congratulations to
Europe’s women who won their first Solheim Cup on American soil in Colorada last month. I wonder if the European team had to
put up with shouts of ‘Get in the hole’ that seem to accompany every shot played on American soil – even when a player tees off on a par 5. Is it only me who finds this really
annoying? Happy Hacking! 30 SGBGOLF
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