Was TRYING to keep this to Professional Stories but that works
I was at a conference in the US - Golf Day - Texas Scramble - they also had some silly rules whereby you had a piece of string you bought (up to 2 feet) and could move your ball BACKWARDS if you had enough string (then cut off that amount.
On a Par 3 I fluked my Tee Shot about 8 inches past the hole, one of the team walks up, cuts off a piece of string and declares I had a hole in one. I called him Bullshit.
Finished the round report the issue and the Pro says - Yep Official Hole in One. I got my name engraved on a Board, a whole heap of Golf stuff and a $400 bill for the drinks for about 100 people in the tournament.
My brother bought a Golf - his first car - probably around 1989. A dream come true for the young man. Until it turned out to be a pile of shit and he’d been ripped off. My dad shouted at him. Not such a happy Golf story.
Since the Thomas Bjorn re-design 10+ years ago the 2nd hole Tee Box is up tight with the bank on your right by the Road. Prevailing wind is from the left. Absolutely Taylor Made for a Slice, a thwump and a kerassh.
Allegedly. Never heard of it happening honest. I never Slice a drive.
(The 15th plays the other direction - towards AUH) and the tee box is further “inland” it is a hell of a shot to get a drive onto the bank now let alone into the road… But a perfectly nailed downwind once in a lifetime 180 yard carry Snap Hook will do it.)
It is also (allegedly) possible to hit a Dubai Metro Train on the Par 5 4th off the Tee. Nope never known that happen
Meanwhile HSBC & IMG are crapping themselves, their $6 million investment in appearance money to have Dustin Johnson Ricky Fowler & Rory all facing off together this weekend is looking dodgy.
Rory has tweaked a joint in his back and has flown back home (here) from SA straight in for an MRI Scan.
Obviously because he knows he will be working with me, his deal with the Omega Dubai Desert Classic is MUCH less than those start-up wanabees up the road have to pay him
Allegedly
Oh and Yes, Rory & JP live here in Dubai now. As does Rafa and his WIFE
Meanwhile HSBC & IMG are crapping themselves, their $6 million investment in appearance money to have Dustin Johnson Ricky Fowler & Rory all facing off together this weekend is looking dodgy.
Rory has tweaked a joint in his back and has flown back home (here) from SA straight in for an MRI Scan.
Obviously because he knows he will be working with me, his deal with the Omega Dubai Desert Classic is MUCH less than those start-up wanabees up the road have to pay him
Allegedly
Oh and Yes, Rory & JP live here in Dubai now. As does Rafa and his WIFE
Benitez?
And why WIFE not wife? Anything we should be told?
Rory spent too much time playing with his balls over the Christmas period and has cracked one off his ribs
Stress Fracture
FWIW (ITK info) the boys down the road paid him about the asking price for Fonte to play down there. The boys up here paid him about a Steven Davis for the same 3 year contract.
More interestingly and a WORLD EXCLUSIVE here…
Steress Fractures of the Rib can ONLY be treated by rest. Coming back too soon starts the problem off again - you can’t play through the pain so to speak.
NORMAL healing time can be 3 to 6 MONTHS.
Which could put Rory out of the Masters and upset a shit load of other spectators & sponsors.
Will have to go and have a beer with his Caddy to get the full low down (he’s been invited to Barasti to watch the scousehampton game
Some small news but will have a big impact next year are the changes to the Qualification Process for the Ryder Cup for “Team Europe”
In September we got royally roasted in the US, sme of that was down to the fact that players in great end of season form - like Alex Noren didn’t get picked, and people who had been shit since April (Danny Willett) did play.
Also players like Russel Knox - a Scot who plays in the US could now get selected automatically. (Although pretty certain that the Tour will find a way of keeping Paul Casey away from the event no matter what)
More about the whole Rolex Series and stuff in the weeks to come
In addition to the change to the Tour’s membership regulations, the Tournament Committee also approved three important changes to the qualification process for Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup team.
Firstly, there will be a greater weighting for points earned in tournaments in the latter stages of the process to help ensure the European Team reflects those players in form nearer the time of The Ryder Cup itself.
Race to Dubai points and World Ranking points earned in these tournaments will be multiplied by 1.5 for the two respective qualification lists with the first counting event to benefit from this increased weighting in the 2018 season being the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Just so you are aware, it won’t take place for 19 months or so but Paris 2018 is starting to wind up into action. Getting Tickets for a U2 gig is easier than getting them for the RC but it does help if you pre-register (IF you cannot blag a Corporate)
While we are on the subject, there are actually a group of Saints Fans (besides me) who have worked at Tournaments as Volunteers - the boys are all retured and RyanAir across Europe for weekends to some of the most Picturesque events (at their own cost)
At the end of the day a Ticket is about 500 quid. Volunteering you work half a day watch golf half a day and only pay for your travel/accomodation
There was of course a Saints Shirt on the 18th Green in the middle of that celebration back in 2014. Working damned hard to make sure it is there again next year
Bernard. What a truly lovely man. 78 years young, the Desert Classic week after next will be his last.
What this story doesn’t say is that each year, the players give him signed “stuff” that he then auctions for Charity for a Childress Hospice up near his home of Sheffield. Some of the boys have gone along to add support and to date he’s raised over £169,000.
As part of my duties at DP World I’ve had to take on the Mantle of 1st Tee meeter greeter & comedy act, but would never dream of trying to emulate him, and his knowledge of the names of the wives kids girlfriends (& boyfriends) of every player.
So nice that his story is being told. And fark me, this tells me that this is MY 20th year.