(The recent storms, and those from days gone by, provide the theme this week. Also, a new ‘regular feature’ is launched and in doing so golf101 pays homage to one of the Europe’s finest golfers.)
It's fair to say that the publication of this post was hampered by Storm Eunice.
No electricity for three days also meant no internet, and no blog.
And although this week's subject matter was decided long before the storm blew, it just so happens that adverse weather definitely features in the legend of one of golf101.co.uk’s favourite golfers.
Who are we talking about?
The answer lies within the following stats...
Interesting fact no #1:
Since its inception in1860 only 16 men have successfully defended the British Open.
Interesting fact no #2:
A total of 20 men have won multiple majors in the same year.
The number of men to have accomplished both…seven.
The first six to do it were; Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.
And the last man making up this ‘magnificent seven’?
Padraig (Paddy) Peter Harrington
Our hero Paddy won the Open in 2007 beating Sergio Garcia in a four hole play-off at Carnoustie.
In 2008 he retained the Claret Jug in horrendous conditions at Royal Birkdale.
And for good measure, three weeks later he won the US PGA at Oakland Hills Country Club, Michigan.
Harrington boasts a pretty serious overall career record too.
He has 35 tour victories, including those three majors, and, at 50 years old, is still a competitive presence on the DP World Tour. (Current DP World Tour ranking is 22 at the time of writing).
Now I’ve not met Harrington, but I’ve seen him interviewed a few times. I've seen him play a couple of times too, and I've also watched him talk about his golfing success in the excellent 'Chronicles of a Champion Golfer' series.
And, despite his highly impressive CV, from what I’ve watched I’ve surmised the following.
Padraig can’t quite believe his name sits alongside such illustrious company.
A talented sportsman undoubtedly, but not blessed with the ferocious strength, sublime style or wizardry of shot making of the other 'greats' boasting these twin achievements in the majors.
By his own admission, he wasn’t touched with the golfing genius stick.
“I wasn’t a pretty golfer that’s for sure. If you looked at me on the golf course, you’d never think I was shooting the scores I was shooting”.
“When I think about myself as a golfer, I’m not the guy you look at and think ‘Wow, he’s destined to be the greatest player of all time’. I’m the guy who had to learn it, figure it out, work it out. The talent I have is the stuff behind the scenes”.
And I think 'behind the scenes' is where Paddy has at least two super-powers he can draw upon:
(1) A world class work ethic, and
(2) An insatiable appetite for imaginative, and sometimes downright whacky, practice.
Not the most ‘Hollywood’ of characteristics perhaps, but both traits from which the amateur golfer can draw inspiration.
Most of us will accept that you can’t learn the supreme confidence of Hagen or Trevino, the swashbuckling style of Palmer or Woods, the otherworldly precision and grace of Jones, or the unerring iron play or Watson.
But we can all probably devote a little time to working on our golf swing.
And this is the landscape in which Padraig’s ‘genius’ shines brightest.
The guy will take any and all steps necessary to stay at the top of his game, no matter how unconventional, or (seemingly) ludicrous the methodology.
“I often wonder where my obsession with practice came from”
“I love it (practice). I do have issues with it, there’s no doubt about it”.
“I have no shame, no embarrassment. I don’t care what I do in front of anybody. If it’s going to make me a better player it doesn’t matter.”
And so, inspired by P.P. Harrington, the ultimate ambassador of practice, golf101.co.uk will be adding a regular feature: 'Textbook Harrington'.
Look out for a celebration of the more unconventional, outlandish and humorous practice ideas from professional and amateur golf in the weeks and months ahead...
Now, back to those storms, past and present...
The first involves our man Paddy...
Storm #1: The 2008 Open - Royal Birkdale. (137th Open - Royal Birkdale (2008) | Flashback)
The course, and the field were battered by high winds for the first three days.
And no-one was more surprised than the man himself, 53 year old Greg Norman, who held the 54 hole lead. His three round score of +2 was the highest to lead The Open in over two decades.
Norman had arrived at Royal Birkdale having just finished his honeymoon to tennis legend Chris Evert. He was only half- joking when he told the press "I'm playing more tennis than golf these days".
Harrington, the defending champion, injured himself (in practice) on the eve of the tournament.
"In my infinite wisdom, (whilst practicing) I decided a one handed 'Happy Gilmour' against the bag was a good idea!"
Consequently he turned up with a wrist injury so serious it seemed unlikely he would even get through two rounds of golf.
The weather was foul and the rough long, heavy and punishing. But it was hacking out of the rough early in his first round that provided Harrington with all the reassurance he needed. There was no adverse reaction from his injured wrist.
With confidence restored in the execution of his swing, the grafter then went to work. Over the first three days he ground out scores that put him in the final pairing with Norman on Sunday.
Norman's challenge wilted on the front nine of that final round, while Harrington's golf increasingly scaled the heights. His second shot into the par 5 17th hole set up an eagle that made his retention of the Claret Jug a formality. Harrington has often been quoted as saying it was the best shot of his career.
He'd stumbled across the line at Carnoustie in 2007. His double bogey at the last hole, preceding a reprieve when Garcia lipped out for par a few minutes later, before finally winning in a four hole play-off.
At Birkdale he finished in the style and manner of a champion golfer, and whether he can quite believe it, he deserves his place amongst the 'magnificent seven'.
Storm #2: The 1938 Open - Royal St George's, Sandwich.
In last week's blog I mentioned a recent purchase of second hand golf books.
The author of one of them - 'Golf's No Mystery!' - is the 1938 Open Champion - Reginald Whitcombe.
The book's Forward records this about his Open triumph:
The victory of Whitcombe in the Open Championship of 1938 at Sandwich was accomplished in the most testing conditions ever known. A gale of great force swept across the course so that the least error brought disaster, and thirty-six holes in a day was a tremendous test of stamina. Only a man thoroughly fit physically, and possessed of the soundest of golfing methods could prevail. At forty years of age, Whitcombe was the man.
After two rounds the half way leaders were on level par. Whitcombe triumphed at the end of the final round with a tally of +15.
It remains the worst winning score in the history of the Championship.
(Cyril Tolley, who had a second round 68, cleared the water at the 14th only to see the ball blown back off the fairway into the hazard. He finished on 37 over par).
Of Whitcombe's win The Times wrote: 'No man has ever won under more testing conditions".
Storm #3: War in Ukraine
As the storm cloud's swirl around Eastern Europe the situation in Ukraine is increasingly bleak.
Diplomacy has failed to avert an invasion, which sanctions, however punitive, can't undo.
Let's all hope that this situation is over quickly and Russia recognises that the cost of continuing this madness is simply too high. It already is from a humanitarian perspective.
Going forward, and on a lighter note, there may be a way to guarantee this type of incursion is never again repeated.
All countries simply need to sign a treaty that has but one exigent clause.
Before being able to wage war on another country, any despot, so inclined, must, immediately prior to mobilising armed forces, play 18 holes of wind buffeting golf at Eastbourne Downs.
This to be followed by the consumption of a pint of Guiness and a club sandwich.
As fellow 'Downs' members will testify, after completing that trio, you've barely got the energy to make it to the car park and head home for an afternoon nap.
There's no-one alive that could finish all three and still feel like invading another sovereign state.