IN THE BUNKER WITH MICK THE GRIP
The Straits Course
WHISTLING STRAITS in Wisconsin, designed by Pete Dye to resemble links courses in the West of Ireland, was constructed on a former military airbase. With two miles of undulating shoreline and countless bunkers, golfers say the wind coming off Lake Michigan makes for an 'interesting game.' Most links courses offer the option of running a shot up along the sloping turf, especially if it’s played out of high fescue. Justin Rose says: “Whistling Straits is more target golf than links, the ball doesn't run there.”
Steve Stricker has had some fairways widened, to the advantage of the Americans. Fair enough, in 2018 at Le Golf National the fairways were narrowed, forcing the Americans into playing a throttled-down, precision-focused game. But a secret weapon at Whistling Straits may be the bald eagle which lives on the course. The Yanks have probably trained it to perch on the grandstand glowering down on the opposition, or soar over them dropping a greeting as they tee off.
“PEACOCK OF THE FARWAYS” Doug Sanders, who has died aged 86, was known for his smart dressing. “Everything is co-ordinated,” he would say. “My shirts, slacks, socks, even my underwear. I take six suitcases to every tournament.” Remembered in particular for missing a short putt to win The Open at St Andrews in 1970, he lost out to Jack Nicklaus in a play-off the following day. “I might have been a very rich man if I'd sunk that putt,” he would sigh. Even so, he'd come a long way from Georgia, picking cotton as a boy during the Depression. Aged 10, he caddied at a local course, attended University on a golf scholarship and turned professional in 1956. having already won the Canadian Open.
Sanders won a further 19 times on the PGA Tour and played on the 1967 US Ryder Cup team in Houston when the USA won by (cough) a rather large margin.
JUSTIN ROSE, asked about his memories of previous Ryder Cups: “The gala dinner can be nice if you're sitting with the right people – they mix the teams, so it's the calm before the storm when everyone is still quite jovial.” After more than five minutes of Patrick Reed's “joviality” one would probably be tempted to empty one's soup on his head.
Justin is to receive the 2021 PGA Tour's Payne Stewart Award, given in honour of the 11-time PGA Tour winner who died in a plane crash in 1999. The award is presented to the golfer who exemplifies character, charity and sportsmanship. The Kate and Justin Rose Foundation which provides food and books for deprived schoolchildren will receive the $300.000 donation. In 2020 Justin and his wife Kate launched the Rose Ladies Series in the UK and for many years Justin has sponsored the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship. The second English player to receive the award after Sir Nick Faldo in 2014, Justin recently gave a very diplomatic interview in Today's Golfer regarding previous Ryder Cup teams. Sir Nick is justly praised for a lot of things but probably not diplomacy.
A HOST OF HOME HOPEFULS will try to make it three English victories in a row at the BMW PGA Championship from the 9-12th September. Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton will be joined at Wentworth by 2020 Race to Dubai Champion Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter in the 3rd Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai. Along with The Two Matts (Fitzpatrick and Wallace) they will be hoping to delight the fans and impress Padraig Harrington in the final Ryder Cup countdown.
SOME REVIEWS recommend cavity irons filled with air, some prefer foam. To please everyone Taylor Made have injected their “All New” P790 irons with “Speedfoam Air” which is 69% less dense than the Speedfoam in their previous two models, apparently giving increased speed. A mere $1.299 for a 7-piece set. Will T. Made's customers go for it? If they do the Speedfoam won't be the only thing that's dense.
