138th Open Chmpionship 18 July 2009
Endeavour, as some of you will know, is the first name of Inspector Morse of book and tv fame – I like what it stands for. As many of you will also know I have a peculiar devotion to watching golf on tv and, although at the moment I have to ration it, I did indulge in some of the Open Championship from Turnberry today = Oh. My. God. Basically, 59 year old Tom Watson is in the lead – he is the oldest man ever to lead the Open, let alone the oldest man to lead the Open into its final day (by some years). He still has his genial smile of yore and wonderfully easy swing and he’s still dapper, though the colours of his gear are a tad more muted. What I love is that he is total proof that if you can, you should – in fact, I wonder if you MUST! I hope he wins tomorrow and makes a mark for all of those who are getting on but still as good, if not getting better, at what they do! Tom Watson is an inspiration – you gotta have great time for that.
And Turnberry is a Links course which means it is by the sea, rough, windy and a nightmare if you go off fairway. When we holidayed as kids we did so by Strandhill in Sligo, which has its own Links course and I like the challenge you face on one of those. Strandhill is, as it happens, the only course I have ever played on and very bad I was too – I have no proper co-ordination for such things – but I LOVE that good walk wasted as it was once called (I also disagree that it is). Some day I’d like to get a game of golf together but when I do I suspect I will do nothing else and need to win the lottery to fund my new lifestyle…well, it COULD be me (apparently)
Kinda opens up the whole debate about retiring again – I think it should be optional. I also think most people deserve to give up if they want and take their pension after a lifetime’s work BUT if some people want to continue and there’s no health and safety issue with that LET THEM. One tiny thing – I do realise Tom Watson is only 59 but in sporting terms I guess types might think that a sorta ‘retirementy’ age…clearly not so…
All of the above is easy for me to say, of course, from my recent parking in the early 40s…where I shall be for some time…
