Brud Slattery had an aversion to death-notices, which meant that his eldest son, Austin, had to keep him up to date on the status of his contemporaries. Brud also maintained an enduring fascination for the mysteries of the golf swing, to the point that he never stopped studying and experimenting. Less erudite observers called it "fiddling."
One day, Austin informed him of the death of a certain Dublin-based member of Brud's beloved Lahinch GC. His first reaction? "Oh, to think that he died without curing that slice."
It is now a little over 18 months since Brud himself shuffled off this mortal coil. Thankfully, his enormous contribution to golfing life in Lahinch as the club's long-time secretary/manager, is not forgotten.
During the South of Ireland Championship this week, it was impossible not to be drawn towards a magnificent trophy in a glass case in the clubhouse foyer. And the image was unmistakeable. Jim Connolly, the renowned local sculptor and founder of Rural Resettlement Ireland, had done a wonderful job.
Without ever having met his subject and working on photographs supplied by the Slattery family, he sculpted Brud's head out of sterling silver, two-thirds life size. A limestone plinth completes "The Brud Slattery Memorial Trophy." And they will be playing for it at Lahinch on Monday.
The likeness is remarkable, to the extent that one can instantly picture the twinkle in Brud's eyes. Austin Slattery got to know Connolly as a fellow director of Rural Settlement Ireland, which led to the commissioning of the trophy. One of the sculptor's most notable works is the statue of Eamon de Valera, outside the courthouse in Ennis.
What did Austin think of the finished product? "I love it," he replied. "In fact it is quite amazing, given that Jim never knew Brud." Visitors for the "South" readily endorsed that view.
Meanwhile, when the timesheet goes up at mid-day today, it is certain to be filled quickly by club members, anxious to honour Brud's memory by competing in the 18 holes singles competition. Heading the entries will be his four sons, Austin, Padraig, Ian and Michael, who is travelling home from England.
Brud was missed at the "South", but in Connolly's superb trophy, his memory has acquired new life.
"That was incredible, I've never had six on the trot before." Waterville's Liam Higgins on his six successive birdies in a record-equalling 63 for a share of seventh place in the Credit Suisse Senior Open last weekend.
In March 1996, almost 30 years after winning the USPGA Championship, Al Geiberger joined his son Brent and two young friends in a casual round at Sahalee CC in Seattle. On the following day, son challenged father - "The championship is coming back here in a couple of years. Let's have a deal. If I play, you'll play."
As a former champion, 60-year-old Geiberger Snr has a lifetime exemption into the championship. But his son had to qualify by making the top-70 on a special money list from last year's event at Winged Foot until next weekend. He has already earned enough.
So, in two weeks, the Geibergers will make history by becoming the first father and son to compete in the same USPGA Championship, at Sahalee. "Given the way Brent worked hard and hung in there, it's time for me to honour my obligation," said the father, who has not competed in the event since 1985. "I don't know if they'll pair us together, but we're certainly going to have fun."
Five years ago, Geiberger had an operation to have most of his large intestine removed. "In hot conditions, I dehydrate quicker and can't continue playing," he said. "But playing in cooler weather in Washington in August is something I can handle."
Christy O'Connor Snr and his former Ryder Cup partner Peter Alliss are among 19 candidates in an international ballot for inclusion in World Golf Hall of Fame. The list has been cut in half from last year's ballot when Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros were successful, while 17 others were eliminated having each polled less than five per cent of the votes.
This year's candidates are: Alliss, Isao Aoki (Japan), Neil Coles (England), Max Faulkner (England), Bernard Gallacher (Scotland), Tony Jacklin (England), Bernhard Langer (Germany), Sandy Lyle (Scotland), Graham Marsh (Australia), Kel Nagle (Australia), O'Connor, Ayako Okamoto (Japan), Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki (Japan), Dai Rees (Wales), Sam Torrance (Scotland), Flory van Donck (Belgium), Norman von Nida (Australia), Ian Woosnam (Wales).
To be successful, it is necessary to poll 75 per cent of the votes cast by an international panel of 410 of which your scribe in a member. Each candidate is awarded points on this basis: six for a major victory; four for winning the Players' Championship; three for a US or European Tour victory; two for another international win and one for "other national championship victories, Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup teams."
On that basis, O'Connor has 100 points but is comfortably outstripped by Ozaki (195), Okamoto (154), Higushi (147) and Aoki (135), largely because of their successes on the Japanese Tour. More realistically, Langer has 135 points, Coles (122), Marsh (114) and Nagle and Woosnam (104). Surprisingly, Lyle (82) and Jacklin (77) are rated below O'Connor despite each having two major titles to their credit. Interestingly, "Himself" got 43.9 per cent of the votes on the last ballot.
Billy Casper, who could be a fearsome competitor, spoke recently of the way golfing rivals feel about each other in the most intense situations. Now 67 and a devout Mormon, he will always be remembered for an astonishing comeback against Arnold Palmer in the 1966 US Open at the Olympic Club. Seven strokes behind with eight holes to play, he tied Palmer after 72 holes and went on to win a play-off the following day.
"He congratulated me and I said, `Arnie, I'm sorry'," recalled Casper, whose 51 tournament victories included two US Opens and a Masters. "But that sort of thing happens in golf and the shoe could have so easily been on the other foot." He went on: "It was interesting for me to see how things turned out with Norman and Faldo (in the 1996 Masters). When it was over, Faldo asked "Can I hug you?.
"It shows how we really feel about each other; that you really do have feelings for those other players. Looking back at that battle with Arnie, I don't think he ever thought he could lose. His target was to set a record. It was the first time I saw him really feel the pressure."
As an interesting footnote to his 46-year marriage to his wife Shirley, Casper revealed that on one of their first dates, he took her to see Glenn Ford play the part of Ben Hogan in the movie "Follow the Sun" - "just so she'd know what she was getting into."
We were standing on the practice putting green at Royal Birkdale. "I think I've got Seve," said John O'Reilly in conspiritorial tones with his hand covering his mouth. Knowing the resourcefulness of Padraig Harrington's caddie, anything was possible. Still, this required some explanation.
O'Reilly has since informed me that he has, in fact, lined up the illustrious Spaniard for the third Annual Blind Golf Challenge at Spawell on Monday, August 17th at 7.30 p.m. For the benefit of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Ballesteros will join regular participants Harrington and Paul McGinley in playing blindfolded against members of the Irish Blind Golf Society.
The organisers promise a great night's fun for a modest admission charge of £5. Further information from Paddy Coyle at (01) 8786732.
This day in golf history . . . On August 1st, 1964, Johnny Miller of San Francisco confirmed his early promise by capturing the US Junior Amateur Championship at Eugene CC. It was the first time the championship included strokeplay qualifying on site and Miller won that too, with rounds of 71 and 68 for a three-under-par total of 139.
The event was also notable for the fact that Enrique Sterling of Mexico City became the first non-American to reach the final, where he lost to Miller by 2 and 1. The newly-crowned champion was 17 at the time and, unlike youngsters such as Ronan Rafferty and Justin Rose, he waited a further five years before turning professional.
Teaser: A player is required to drop a ball. However, it is obvious that the ball, when dropped, will roll into a hazard, more than two club-lengths, etc., in which case it must be redropped and then placed under Rule 20-2c. In such a case, is it permissible to waive the dropping requirement and allow the player initially to place the ball?
Answer: No. Dropping and then re-dropping are necessary to resolve any doubt as to whether the ball will roll into a hazard, etc., and to establish the spot at which the ball must be placed, if necessary.
