Ewen Murray celebrates Irish golf and remembers friend and former colleague Alex Hay.
Ewen celebrates Irish golf and says farewell to friend Alex Hay
It has been an interesting month with so much happening in the golfing world, the highlight being the win of Darren Clarke at Royal St.George's.
Reading your replies last week confirmed that the majority of you thought Darren was the people's champion, but you know what sport is about and you are only as good as your last performance.
No-one will know that more than the Open champion as he gets set for what will be a celebration of Irish golf at the delightfully-named Killarney Golf and Fishing Club this week.
Padraig Harrington was the runner up to Ross Fisher last year and he will be rejuvenated by Clarke's victory. While Darren and Rory McIlroy are flavour of the month, one must not forget that Padraig has three majors to his name.
Lately he has failed to find his best form and slipped out of the world's top 50. Padraig is a tinkerer and at times he is his own worst enemy, but if he listens to his knowledgeable coach, Bob Torrance, he can win another major.
Too often he is listening to all sorts and drifting away from what made him successful. Bob has all the answers to his questions - the veteran Scot has not lost that ability.
Graeme McDowell and Rory make up the Irish quartet and I suspect every golfer in Ireland that can find the time, will make the pilgrimage to Killarney to see their champions. It should be quite a week.
Spat
I was a little disappointed to read about the spat between Steve Williams and Tiger Woods after their 'divorce'.
They have been together for 12 years, which is an extraordinarily long time for a caddie and a player. Moreover, they have enjoyed 13 major victories in that time. Tiger produced golf like we have never seen before and without a doubt, Steve played a huge part in those wins.
Relationships on the course come and go and what a pity this amazing partnership did not end in hugs and handshakes.
I admire both of them and I hope each of their careers continue to flourish.
Respect
On a sad note, the golfing world has said goodbye to one of the most talented professional golfers in Britain.
Alex Hay, for so long the drive behind Woburn Golf Club's success, passed away after a short battle with cancer.
I was privileged to work alongside Alex in 1992 at the European Sports Network. We would cover the European golf in the afternoon and then welcome viewers to the PGA Tour in the evening just before the birth of Sky Sports.
We had a wonderful working relationship which was based on respect. We became friends a long time before that when Alex would help me with my game during my time on tour after I lost my father and coach at a young age to the same illness.
He was a brilliant teacher which was just one of his many talents. A wonderful artist, who would draw his own illustrations in coaching manuals, Alex was a gifted after-dinner speaker and businessman and much of Woburn's rise to the upper echelons of golf clubs in our country was down to his knowledge of everything in the game.
His retirement from the BBC came too soon and they missed his all-round ability from the day he left their commentary team.
I will miss him and the fabulous Musselburgh humour that at times had me in stitches. His gifts were not just confined to golf; he was a wonderful father to his children and husband to Anne. My thoughts are with them.
Gem
Last week was an emotional one for me returning to Walton Heath, where I spent 16 years as assistant pro and tournament professional.
Walton is one of England's gems and when the club was awarded the Senior Open two years ago, work began to make it a week to remember. Simon Chapman and his team did a fine job and despite some heavy rain the week before, Walton Heath never looked better.
It is 30 years since the Ryder Cup was played there and they were rewarded with a fine championship. Like three decades ago, it was dominated by the Americans. You could only stand back and admire the quality of the golf they produced while in the autumn of their careers.
Tom Watson never fails to amaze me: 61 and playing some of the best golf of his life.
Others put in fine performances and in the end Russ Cochrane was a worthy winner at 12 under.
The players fill you with enthusiasm and make you realise what a great game this is. For as long as we are healthy, we can play.
Champion
Well, I'd best get my bag packed for the Emerald Isle and for the next two weeks when Sky Sports take you across the pond again for the Bridgestone Invitational and the final major of the year, the USPGA Championship.
Hunter Mahan defends at the Firestone Club amid rumours that Tiger's return is imminent but the real question is whether our boys win another major in the States?
It is ten years since David Toms won at the Atlanta Athletic Club in a marvellous shoot-out with Phil Mickelson.
American players fared better at the Open and with the next major, eight months away, they will be determined to turn the tables in Atlanta. It's a beautiful course with two cracking finishing holes.
After the Masters, US Open and Open, the PGA has a lot to live up to, but I'm sure it will deliver as these are exciting times in the sport.
I'm looking forward to meeting up with the 'Champion Golfer of the Year' in Ireland. No doubt there will be a big bear hug (ouch!) and a chat about all that has happened in the last ten days.
Darren has had the number 60 on his golf ball during the past few years. That came about after his round of 60 at the K Club in the European Open. A little birdie tells me that has been changed to the number 140 after winning 140th Open Championship. I think we can allow him that, don't you?
I hope you're ready Ireland, this could be a week to remember for a long time.
