Republic of Ireland
Bill’s Open Blog – Day one
Jul 12 2011 Posted in Bill's blog, Golf News by GoKartWell we arrived at Herne Bay on a sunny Sunday ready to begin our stint at The Open, our 7th Open Championship – ‘inside the ropes’.
Our flat near the front was perfect and had also not been at an extortionate price, unlike other places. To be fair to the good folk of Kent the record for extortion still lies with a caravan site in Turnberry that wanted £2,000 for 6 nights in a caravan.
We reported for our first duties, Margaret ‘stealing‘mobile phones and me on a job you can’t buy; driving the players from the clubhouse to the practice ground. Due to my previous experience I was appointed shift leader (be still my beating heart) with some delightful young students who were very keen.
There were very few players there on Sunday so we spent lot of time doing dry runs to get used to the role. A late arrival was Justin Leonard, a previous winner. The very strong European contingent was still either in Inverness or at home drying out. Such was the lack of numbers that we clocked off at 7 pm instead of 8 – after reassuring the team that their take home pay would remain at the 8 pm level. (more…)
Add a comment TweetIntroducing our man behind the ropes at the Open -
Jul 11 2011 Posted in Bill's blog, GoKart News, Golf News by GoKartEver wondered who’s the lucky so and so with the job of driving the players around at the Open?
Meet Bill Edwards, a longstanding GoKart owner who’s going to be at St. George’s the whole week ferrying players to and from the practice ground. Bill and his wife Margaret regularly ‘do’ the Open (this is their seventh) and from what he tells us looking after the players can be pretty interesting. So he’s going to keep us updated every day on who’s done what, where, when and with who. With no Tiger this year we’re on safe ground we reckon, we won’t have to edit any x-rated material.
Protocol doesn’t allow any photos, but Bill’s blog diary will keep us all in the loop. If you click the ‘get our feed’ link at the bottom of the page you’ll get the latest news sent automatically.
The Vousden column
Jul 05 2011 Posted in Golf News, Martin Vousden by GoKartThought for the Day
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak
Winning ain’t easy
The 1995 Walker Cup team, which beat the Americans 14-10 at Royal Porthcawl, featured an impressive line-up of British and Irish amateur talent. Padraig Harrington, Stephen Gallacher and David Howell have all gone on to taste considerable success in Europe and around the world, while Gary Wolstenholme is finally getting paid for his impressive talents, having joined the ranks of the European Seniors Tour. But another member of that victorious team, who was unbeaten during the competition, taking three points from a possible four, has had a slightly less stellar career. His name is Mark Foster and he has, since turning pro, recorded one European Tour victory, and that was back in 2003 when he landed the Dunhill Championship in South Africa after a six-man playoff.
Since then it has not even been a case of ‘close but no coconut’ as he has struggled to keep afloat in the turbulent waters of a Tour professional’s life – he makes plenty of cuts but rarely threatens the top of the leaderboard on a Sunday afternoon. You can imagine, therefore, that when he hits a streak of form, as he has done in recent weeks, he wants to ride it for all it’s worth but in the last fortnight he has twice led or shared the lead going into the final round, only to trip up coming down the stretch.
Two weeks ago in the BMW International Open he shot rounds of 68, 68, and 66 before a last day 72 left him tied third. And this weekend at the Alstom Open de France, three rounds of 68 were followed by a (more…)
Add a comment TweetGMac in our neck of the woods
Jul 04 2011 Posted in Golf News by GoKartRumour has it (well his own tweet) that Graeme McDowell is at St. G’s today for a quiet practice round. Looking good down there.
Helicopter footage courtesy of Mr. Andrew Cotter (just in case you thought we were utter stalkers). Where are the binoculars anyway?
Martin Vousden in an Open frame of mind
Jun 23 2011 Posted in Golf News, Martin Vousden by GoKartThought for the Day
Never accept a drink from an urologist
Youth is wasted on the young
It was Lee Trevino, inevitably, who came up with a quote that kept repeating itself in my head as I watched young Rory stroll to a stunning US Open victory. The Merry Mexican once hung on for a win in which he had led from start to finish and was congratulated on successfully implementing his strategy. He said: ‘No, my game plan was to get so far ahead that I could choke like a dog and still win.’ Rory of course, to everyone’s delight, not least my own, didn’t choke at all and in light of his experience at the Masters, that really is almost too remarkable for words. It was Ernest Hemingway who famously defined guts as being ‘grace under pressure’ and if he is to be believed then McIlroy has guts in spades.
I was reminded of another quote, which came from an American journalist in advance of the final round of the 1993 Open Championship at Royal St George’s. Greg Norman, who had had more disappointments in majors than I have had with four-foot putts, was leading going into the final round, and had people of the quality of (more…)
Add a comment TweetMartin Vousden just back from the bookies.
Jun 06 2011 Posted in Golf News, Martin Vousden by GoKartThought for the Day
Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?
If it ain’t broke, time to fix it
With the US Open due to start in just over a week it is inevitable that thoughts turn towards the likely contenders yet one name that should be mentioned but will not feature in any list of likely winners is that of Padraig Harrington. Ever since winning three majors in the space of 13 months, the last of which was the 2008 US PGA Championship, the genial, articulate and very likeable Irishman has disappeared down the world rankings quicker than Rory McIlroy can miss a four-foot putt. Since then he has struggled not only to win but to even register his name on the leaderboard and when someone of his ability and experience struggles to make the top-10 in run-of-the-mill tournaments, it is clear that he has a significant problem. And that problem, of course, is that he decided to re-build his swing. (more…)
