Thought for the Day
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy
Putting it in perspective
You have possibly never heard of Erica Blasberg but her memorial service is being held this coming Wednesday, May 19, and will no doubt be attended by a number of LPGA golfers, for Erica was a member of that Tour since 2004. This was her sixth season as a pro golfer but she only managed one victory, and that was on the Duramed Futures Tour. Because of her outstanding amateur record, great things were expected of a young woman (she died aged 25) who was both admired for her ability to play golf, and liked for her courtesy, charm and thoughtfulness, although some have suggested she could be introspective and difficult to truly get to know.
The cause of her death is still uncertain but her tragedy is made all the more heart-breaking because there is at least a likelihood that she took her own life, possibly because the promise suggested by her outstanding amateur record was never realised in the pro game. I once chatted to a golfer who had taken the decision to leave one of our satellite Tours and felt emboldened enough to ask him, in effect: ‘What’s it like to be supremely gifted but to realise you will never quite make it?’
‘It’s absolutely bloody awful,’ he replied. ‘I know I can play this game but if I miss, rather than make, a couple of 6-10 footers a round, that’s the difference between success and failure.’
If that was the case for Erica, we can only hope that she has now found some peace.
The honourable thing
Staying with the distaff side of the game, Yuko Mitsuka is a Japanese pro of whom you may also have not heard but her behaviour, in part at least, should be an object lesson to us all. Two weeks ago, while competing in the World Ladies Championship, she was penalised for slow play and was so angry that she stormed off the course, only to be slapped with a fine of £14,400 – the biggest penalty ever imposed by the Japanese LPGA Tour. Ms Mitsuka was so ashamed of herself that in an act of contrition she has voluntarily withdrawn from her next 11 events, eight domestic and three overseas.
Some commentators have suggested that she decided to jump before she was pushed – that she in effect anticipated severe retribution from her Tour and chose to pre-empt any punishment it might mete out. I would rather believe that she originally acted in haste, had time to repent at leisure at felt she had no moral choice but to do the honourable thing.
A good old ‘un
And for a final word on wimmin, can we raise a toast to Laura Davies, one of my favourite golfers in the world, who has just notched up her 40th Ladies European Tour title with victory in the Ladies German Open, at the age of 46. It’s Laura’s 78th win around the world and she won in great style, shooting 68 in wet and windy conditions. Laura has always been so much more rounded than most of her peers, taking unashamed delight in gambling, fast cars and the occasional wee dram. In consequence, her mood and behaviour isn’t inextricably yoked to her fortunes on the course and she has always been able to treat those twin imposters of triumph and disaster just the same.
We all of us have particular golfers whose fortunes, for whatever idiosyncratic or quirky reason, we follow a little more closely than others, and Laura is definitely one of mine so seeing her triumph once again is always cause for celebration.
15 years too late
Another winner at the weekend, this time on the US Champions Tour (what we are now contractually obliged to call the Seniors Tour) is Dan Forsman, who I remember for the most personal of reasons. Back in the early 90s he was playing so well on the final day of the Masters that he briefly took the lead. Watching at home on TV, with a magazine to edit, I already had my headline for our Masters coverage – Steely Dan.
Of course, the big girl’s blouse dumped his tee shot into Rae’s Creek at the 12th and I was obliged to come up with another headline. I can’t remember what it was, but I know it wasn’t half as good (and I’m still waiting for a chance to use Steely Dan).
But if you think your life is tough
One of Tiger Woods’ many paramours, the porn actress Joslyn James, is planning to cash in on her brief moment of celebrity by making a movie about her relationship with Tiger, called ‘The Eleventh Hole’. James will both produce and star in the film, which promises ‘never-before-told’ intimate details of the relationship between the actress and golfer.
Oh Tiger, will it never end?
Quote of the Week
The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody would put a flagstick on top.
Pete Dye