Golf: ‘Diamond’ Hume tribute

LOTHIANS golf has been 
saddened by the death of 
Jimmy Hume, the former 
Gullane professional who was once amongst the halfway
 leaders behind Jack Nicklaus in The Open.

Hume, who was succeeded at the East Lothian club in 2003 by Alasdair Good, coached Scottish No. 1 Catriona Matthew in the early stages of her career. He was also a big influence on Lesley Nicholson, another East Lothian player who became a Scottish amateur star before having a crack at the professional ranks.

Now reinstated to the amateur game, Nicholson led the tributes to Hume, saying: “Jimmy was my first coach and was an absolute diamond with a brilliant sense of humour.

“He kept it simple. I remember the time I was hitting it badly and he said, ‘Well queenie you’re not leaving here until you start hitting it out the sweet spot – even if there is blood dripping down your shafts’. Within three shots he had me bursting it!”

Scottish men’s captain and former SGU Golfer of the Year Scott Knowles described Hume as a “great guy”.

Andrew Doctor, an East Lothian stalwart, added: “I played a medal last year with him and he still had a very good short game. He was fun to play with.”

Hume’s moment in the Open spotlight came at Royal Birkdale in 1967, when he opened with a 69 to lie in joint-second behind Englishman Lionel Platts.

He was still just a shot off the halfway lead, held by Nicklaus, before dropping back over the final two rounds to finish in joint-29th behind Roberto de Vicenzo.