A fairway to judge personality

Published on Saturday 23 February 2008 18:36

FOR an intimate peek into the true character of a friend or acquaintance, there is nothing better than nine holes of golf. Any temperamental foibles are immediately exposed by the game that is, so the old saying goes, a metaphor for life.

And nowhere is that more true than in the match-play golf we have been watching from America over the last few days. Head-to-head – especially with someone you may not particularly care for – almost every imaginable human strength, weakness and indulgence, your's and his, is soon out in the open.

Over the years there have been many revealing examples of all kinds of behaviour at every level. Even the so-called stars are far from immune. Here are ten of the most memorable incidents:

1 With the overall match tied, the final game in the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale arrived at the final green all square. America's Jack Nicklaus had a five-foot putt for a four. His British opponent, Tony Jacklin, was maybe half that distance from the cup, having played the same number of strokes.

Nicklaus made his putt, dead centre, then bent over and picked up Jacklin's marker. "I don't think you would have missed that putt," said the Golden Bear, "but I wasn't about to give you the opportunity."

The verdict: If Nicklaus isn't the greatest sportsman golf has ever seen, who the hell is?

2 All square after 36 holes of their second-round match in the 1968 World Match Play Championship at Wentworth, Gary Player and Tony Jacklin were prevented from continuing by darkness. The next day was a washout, so 36 hours had passed before they eventually reconvened on the first tee.

Player, after a poor drive, took three shots to reach the putting surface, his approach finishing maybe 12 feet from the cup. Jacklin was on in two, about 30 feet away, but left his putt five feet short.

Player's putt at first looked as if it may miss, but a late break took it into the hole. At which point, claiming to have "heard" a comment from a spectator, Player proceeded to lecture the crowd.

"You said 'miss it' didn't you?" he said loudly. "Why would you do that? What is the reason for that?"

On and on he went, for at least a couple of minutes. Eventually, Jacklin was allowed to putt. Surprise, surprise, he missed.

The verdict: Player likes to win; it doesn't matter how.

3 On the first morning of the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island, the foursomes match between Chip Beck and Paul Azinger of the United States and Europe's Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal came to a halt on the 10th tee. Three holes earlier, the Spaniards had noticed that the Americans were using balls of different compressions, depending on the hole and the direction of the wind. They thought this might be a breach of the match rules.

At first, Azinger indignantly denied any wrongdoing. Then, when it became clear that there would be no penalty on holes already completed, the man who will captain his country at Valhalla later this year admitted: "Yes, we did it."

The verdict: Azinger speak with forked tongue, a fact current European skipper Nick Faldo would do well to remember.

4 In the opening round of the 1981 Amateur Championship at St Andrews, a young Scottish lad by the name of Huggan was drawn to play American Dick Siderowf. Twice a winner of the event, Siderowf was a bit of a star at the time. Huggan wasn't.

On the first tee, Siderowf said nothing. All the way round that trend continued – not a word passed Siderowf's lips. When the match ended on the 16th green, Huggan was four under par and more than a little irritated by his opponent's lack of manners. "Thanks for the game Dick," he said, as they shook hands. "And enjoy your flight."

The verdict: Intimidation only works if you play well.

5 All square with Scotland's David James on the final hole of their quarter-final match in the 1985 Amateur Championship at Royal Dornoch, Englishman Peter Baker was addressing his approach shot when the ball moved. No-one else saw it move, but Baker – only 17 at the time – called a shot on himself and, minutes later, lost the match.

The verdict: Always root for Peter Baker, one of golf's good guys.

6 Right after America's Justin Leonard holed a monster putt across the Country Club's 17th green, a good number of the former Open Champion's 1999 Ryder Cup team-mates stampeded across the putting surface in celebration. Unfortunately, the hole wasn't yet over; Jose Maria Olazabal, still had a putt for a half.

Eventually, the Spaniard was allowed to putt. He missed, albeit narrowly, to the surprise of few. It was, surely, the biennial contest's lowest ever moment.

The verdict: Enthusiasm is no excuse for poor etiquette.

7 Six shots ahead after three rounds of the 1996 Masters, Greg Norman eventually lost the title by five, to his final-round playing partner, Nick Faldo. Norman's was a painful exhibition of how not to play golf under pressure. He did everything wrong. He swung too quickly. He swung too slowly. He made bad decisions. Faldo, however, filleted his opponent with a master-class display of controlled golf.

The verdict: Under pressure, the cold fish tends to play better than the hot-blooded he-man.

8 One up on Seve Ballesteros with one hole to play in the 1989 Ryder Cup at the Belfry, Paul Azinger hooked his drive into the water. He then dropped his ball in a place no-one had previously dropped a ball – nor has anyone since – and smashed a three-wood into a greenside bunker.

Seve, after finding the fairway from the tee, dumped his approach in the pond and made a five. But so did Azinger, getting up and down from the bunker for a half and a one-hole win.

The verdict: Azinger is worth keeping a close eye on (see 3).

9 During the 2000 Solheim Cup at Loch Lomond, a four-ball match between Annika Sorenstam and Janice Moodie of Europe and Americans Pat Hurst and Kelly Robbins burst into life. After watching Sorenstam chip in for a birdie at the 13th hole, the American pair asked for the shot to be replayed, never mind their previous tacit acceptance that the Swede could play up, even if a US ball was farthest from the hole.

In tears, Sorenstam missed her second attempt, the Americans won the hole and, later, the match.

The verdict: Annika cries too easily and American ladies take no prisoners.

10 One shot ahead of Jack Nicklaus with one hole to play in the 1977 Open at Turnberry, Tom Watson struck his second shot to two feet. Right after Nicklaus holed from 40 feet for a birdie, Watson followed him in to win by that single shot. The pair then walked off the green with an arm around each other's shoulders. It was the perfect scene, epitomising everything that golf should be about: competition and camaraderie.

The verdict: Where have you gone Jack and Tom?