John Huggan: The Huggys

Published on Saturday 26 December 2009 20:14

IN THIS, the season of goodwill to all and sundry etc etc, it is somehow appropriate that some extra special giving and receiving takes place alongside the traditional swapping of presents on Christmas Day.

Yes folks, it's Huggy time again, golf's annual descent into the sack of goodies – and baddies – that have entertained and, dare one say it, appalled us all over the last 12 months.

2009, of course, did not let us down. Indeed, after a slow start, the year built to something of an unprecedented crescendo. Much went on, ahem, behind the scenes and some of it even took place away from Tiger's driveway and multiple boudoirs. So here they are, the great, the good and the goofy events that took the Huggy committee's fancy this year. Maestro, the envelopes please.

MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE

Although entranced by the 71 holes that old codger Tom Watson played all but perfectly at Turnberry during the Open Championship, the Huggy committee – a gender-neutral bunch – is duty-bound to acknowledge the amazing efforts of our own Catriona Matthew at the Women's British Open. Only a few weeks after giving birth to second daughter Sophie, North Berwick's finest romped to victory at Royal Lytham and in so doing became the first Scot to win a major title. "Supermum" indeed.

There was a hole-in-one. There were – especially on the back nine in the third round – putts holed from all over the place. Heavens, the normally stoic "Beany" was even seen to smile broadly at one point. What a week it was, and well deserving of a Huggy.

BEST USE OF CELEBRITY

Inexplicably to those of his professional colleagues who prefer (much) warmer climes, Paul Lawrie has spent all of his days in Aberdeen. He is, in fact, a bit of a bore on the subject of his birthplace, extolling its various virtues to anyone prepared to listen.

But the 1999 Open champion doesn't just pay his share of the taxes that help keep the gritters on the roads up there in the North-east, he contributes to the society in which he lives in other important ways. Most notably, of course, he runs his own junior foundation aimed at introducing as many children as possible to the game that has given him so much. And it's working. So far thousands of kids have been exposed to golf through Lawrie's sterling efforts. It is the perfect use of high-profile status, one so many of his fellow pros would do well to emulate. He more than merits his ascent into the Huggy Hall of Fame.

GOLF STABLE OF THE YEAR

Quite apart from the continuing presence of Lawrie in his hometown, 2009 was a golfing year to remember for the Granite City of Aberdeen.

First there was the unprecedented feat of a young Hazelhead member by the name of David Law, winner of first the Scottish Boys Championship then the Scottish Amateur title. Never before has anyone lifted both trophies in the same calendar year. Then, just last week, the former US Amateur champion and honorary member of Royal Aberdeen, Richie Ramsay, added to his increasingly impressive CV with victory in the South African Open. And let's not forget "Australian" Michael Sim, a loon by blood, even if his accent contains more cobbers than cabers. 2010 promises much for the 25-year-old who is, at least for the moment, the only Scottish-born golfer ranked in the world's top-50 players.

And all of them hail from Aberdeen. Who would have thunk it?

BEST VICTORY CELEBRATION

The striking Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff take-off by Lee Westwood in the immediate wake of his Dubai World Championship win is a worthy contender in this category. Then there was Rory McIlroy's expression of relief/ecstasy at the Dubai Desert Classic. And YE Yang's novel elevation of his golf bag following what was one of the shots of the year at the USPGA Championship also came under the Huggy committee's microscope.

But the winner has to be the completely out of control reaction of the Molinari brothers to their victory at the World Cup in China. Totally spontaneous joy is hard to beat and for that the stereotypically excitable Italians are clear winners of this prestigious Huggy. Have they stopped running yet?

BIGGEST DOPE OF THE YEAR

Ah, Carolyn Bivens – where to begin when assessing the contribution of the now-former commissioner of the LPGA Tour? There were so many moments of madness. Who, by way of example, can forget the borderline racist edict that the many Korean players on the world's biggest female circuit should learn English or face suspension?

But it is for one of her last public utterances that the unlamented Bivens receives her Huggy. Asked about the latest craze to hit the game, Twittering, the BDOTY was moved to comment that she would "love it" if players Twittered during rounds. "The new media is very important to the growth of golf and we view it as a positive, a tool to be used," she gushed.

It isn't entirely clear whether or not this further descent into insanity is what eventually cost Bivens her job, but at the Huggy committee coincidences are viewed with the greatest suspicion. She won't be back.

"WE CAN BE BOUGHT – JUST ASK"

No, this category has nothing to do with Tiger or any of his many female chums. No, in a closely run contest that has already, almost a year before the matches take place at Celtic Manor, seen the pair of them make compensated appearances all over the globe, this tacky little Huggy goes jointly to Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin.

Really, there has been virtually no escape from the men who will lead Europe and the United States into the biennial battle come next September. They even showed up, inexplicably, at the World Match Play Championship in Spain, where Monty was overheard to comment, "I only came because he (Pavin] did."

Just about the only thing this highly motivated duo have yet to attend is the opening of the proverbial envelope. Can only be a matter of time though.

PAR OF THE YEAR

Not exactly known for his propensity to stray from the world's fairways – he is routinely in the top-five for driving accuracy on the European Tour – Australian Peter O'Malley is nevertheless the recipient of this highly coveted Huggy.

It went like this. After driving into the fairway at what is normally the par-5 sixth hole at Kingston Heath during the Australian Masters, the former Scottish Open champion blocked his second shot into a bunker maybe 50 yards short and right of the green. He then thinned his recovery into thick bushes behind the putting surface. A drop under penalty followed, which left Pom (surely the most ironic nickname for any Aussie) with a blind pitch over said bushes. He, of course, holed it. On the fly, no less. What a Huggy.

NEANDERTHALS OF THE YEAR

Another joint award, this time for services to the 19th century, goes to the "gentlemen" of the Portmarnock Golf Club outside Dublin and the dopes populating the Irish Supreme Court.

Given the chance to banish forever the blind prejudice that alienates so many right-thinking people from golf, their lordships voted to allow the misogynists to continue their wallowing in their all-maleness. Given the chance to do so much good for the oh-so stuffy image of the greatest game, they blew it. Given the chance to forever bring sanity instead of madness to one of the Emerald Isle's best courses, they opted out. And for all of that they get a Huggy.

BIGGEST POINT-MISSERS

David Merriman never played the main tour, either at home in Australia or anywhere else. The man from Sydney never was quite good enough to make it out there with the big boys. But that all changed when he turned 50 and ventured out onto the European Seniors Tour.

Since winning the qualifying school at the end of 2006, Merriman has amassed more than ?280,000 in prize money and more than once come close to recording what would be an enormously popular maiden victory. Even more than that, however, he is in so many ways the model professional. After every event – that's every event – the 55-year old pens a letter of thanks to the sponsors for enabling him to follow his long-held dream of playing golf for a living.

Which brings us to the season- ending OKI Castellon Senior Tour Championship last month. After competing in the pre-tournament pro-am, Merriman spent around 90 minutes lunching and chatting with his team. He then repaired to the practice green for some work with the shortest club in his bag. Unfortunately, in so doing he inadvertently missed the pro-am prize giving. He and his companions had finished third, making his attendance mandatory, so Merriman was fined 500 by the European Tour.

Point-missing on such a grand scale cannot go unrewarded. The Huggy will surely look nice in the tour's trophy cabinet at Wentworth.