Time was when speed was in vogue

During a visit to Royal Dublin a few years ago, I happened to be in the vicinity of the first tee at midday when Christy O'Connor set off on a round with his son Peter. Needless to remark, both hit good drives and then set off briskly down the fairway.

I then departed the scene and it was 2.20 p.m. when I returned once more to the area of the first tee. On looking towards the infamous "Garden" which flanks the right-hand side of the 18th fairway, I saw two figures rounding the corner towards the final green. The O'Connors were about to complete their round, well inside two and a half hours. And I later discovered that Christy shot 70 and Peter had a 75.

Memories of the incident were prompted by recent pronouncements from the captain of the Royal and Ancient, Sandy Mathewson, regarding slow play, which he is mounting a crusade against during his year in office. With admirable directness, the Scot considers it rank bad manners for players to take more than three and a half hours to complete a round.

"That round with Peter wouldn't have been unusual for me," said O'Connor, who celebrated his 73rd birthday on December 21st. "In fact I would still expect to play a two-ball in about two hours 45 minutes and I regularly play fourballs with Royal Dublin members in less than four hours."

O'Connor went on to recall a famous round he had with the black American, Lee Elder, in the Dunlop Masters at St Pierre in the early 1970s. "We were first off the tee and I remember asking Lee how he liked to play," said the venerable Christy. "He replied that he liked to get on with it. So we did."

In fact they progressed at such a pace as to draw a reprimand from the PGA - for being too quick. "But the quality of our golf didn't suffer," insisted O'Connor. "I parred the short 18th for a 68 and Lee had a 69. And we completed the round in two and a quarter hours.

"The biggest factor in slowing down play in the professional game was when they stopped having 36 holes in one day. Before that, if we didn't play smartly there wouldn't be time for a snack between rounds. And prize money shouldn't be an excuse. I played for big money, but it didn't slow me down."

Was there a solution? "I don't know about amateurs, but penalty strokes in the only way you can hurt a pro," he replied. Meanwhile, former Irish amateur international Barry Reddan, whose "L'escargot" sweater was reckoned to reflect the pace of his play, claims that he would be positively fast by current standards.

"The problem is that newcomers are getting into the game without learning about etiquette," he said. "I would like to see the GUI giving a lead on the issue." Meanwhile, it would seem that the R and A captain is destined to plough a lonely furrow.

`Tiger Woods has made more cash in one year than I made in my entire career on the regular tour in America."

- Gary Player, winner of 21 USPGA Tour titles, including six major championships (3 US Masters, 2 USPGA, 1 US Open).

At the beginning of a new golfing year, it is inter- esting to note that nobody has broken into the elite group of 20 players with five or more major titles to their name, since 1992. That was when Nick Faldo cap- tured his third British Open title at Muirfield.

By doing so, Faldo matched the achievement of contempo- rary Seve Ballesteros, as an- other leading European in the professional list. And he later edged clear of the Spaniard by winning a third Masters title in 1996.

The leading winners of professional major titles are: 18 Jack Nicklaus (3 British Open, 4 US Open, 6 US Masters, 5 USPGA); 11 Walter Hagen (4 British Open, 2 US Open, 5 USPGA); 9 Ben Hogan (1 British Open, 4 US Open, 2 Masters, 2 USPGA), Gary Player (3 British Open, 1 US Open, 3 Masters, 2 USPGA); 8 Tom Watson (5 British Open, 1 US Open, 2 Masters); 7 Bobby Jones (3 British Open, 4 US Open), Gene Sarazen (1 British Open, 2 US Open, 1 Masters, 3 USPGA), Arnold Palmer (2 British Open, 1 US Open, 4 Masters), Sam Snead (1 British Open, 3 Masters, 3 USPGA), Harry Vardon (6 British Open, 1 US Open); 6 Lee Trevino (2 British Open, 2 US Open, 2 USPGA), Nick Faldo (3 British Open, 3 Masters); 5 Seve Ballesteros (3 British Open, 2 Masters), James Braid (5 British Open), Byron Nelson (1 US Open, 2 Masters, 2 USPGA); J H Taylor (5 British Open), Peter Thomson (5 British Open).

Of course Jones's total of major titles becomes 13, if one includes his US Amateur (5) and British Amateur (1) tri- umphs. And Britain's John Ball would move alongside Hogan and Player if one added his eight British Amateur titles with a lone British Open victory of 1890. The dramatic changes in competitive golf in recent de- cades, however, have greatly reduced the relevance of ama- teur triumphs to the extent that they can no longer be realisti- cally equated with professional victories.

Ken Brown, the former Ryder Cup player turned BSkyB golf pundit, will hardly thank the publishers of "The 19th Hole" for an intriguing little caddying item. It was submitted by a Mr J Mee of Liverpool, himself a former caddie and concerned a happening during the now defunct Cold Shield Windows tournament at Wilmslow.

According to Mr Mee: "All the Southport caddies used to meet at a transport cafe near the course for breakfast. In the first round, there were headlines in the paper about Ken Brown missing a putt and while walking off the green, he tossed his ball in the air and smashed it into the car park nearby, damaging a car. Brian Waites, his playing partner, reported him to the PGA.

"Alfie Fyles, Tom Watson's caddie, was with Ken Brown that day. The papers reported that Alfie told the PGA he had been replacing the flagstick and didn't see the incident. Loyalty to his man. Over breakfast with Alf and asked if he saw it. He replied: "It was the only short he hit off the middle of the club all day."

In a recent survey carried out for the Marriott hotel group among its guests, golf emerged as easily the most popular weekend activity. The top- 10 activities in the survey were: 1 Golf - 25.7%; 2 Travelling - 14.9%; 3 Visit beach/lake; 4 Family outings; 5 Spectator sports; 6 Exercising; 7 Outdoor sports; 8 Reading; 9 Shopping; 10 Others.

Yet another survey, this time from leading US maga zine Golf Digest which, among other things, has disturbing findings for Irish golf tourism. It suggests that we still have some way to go in this country, before seriously rivalling the Scots in product identity.

Using their Website, the magazine's survey was filled out by 2,127 readers who were asked: Where would you most like to take an all-expenses paid golf trip? The response was: Scotland 33%; Hawaii 25%; Australia 13%; Myrtle Beach 11%; Phoenix/Scotsdale 9%; Caribbean 6%; South Africa 2%; Japan 1%. Not a mention of Ireland.

Among other questions and answers were: Which of the following is most likely to happen? Tiger Woods will win the Grand Slam . . . 7%; Greg Norman will win a major . . . 79%; Ian Baker-Finch will win a tournament . . 3%; You will win the lottery . . . 11%. Who is more likely to win his first major? Phil Mickelson . . . 64%; Colin Mongomerie . . . 36%.

Which is the coolest job? Tour caddie . . . 40%; Course architect . . . 38%; Golf writer . . . 17%; Head greenkeeper . . . 5%. Finally, the Solheim Cup at Muirfield Village will result in: A, US win . . . 55%; European win . . . 16%; Don't care who wins . . . 29%.

This day in golf history . . . . On January 3rd 1988, Lennie Clements beat Ken Green, Tim Norris and Dan Pohl in a play-off for the Spalding Invitational Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. The reward was only 50,000 (dollars) but it became an important victory for this 40-year-old, who hasn't won on the USPGA Tour.

The resident of San Diego, California, is a classic journey- man who can boast 2.18 million (dollars) in tour earnings yet was down at 122nd in the money list last season. And by way of proving that there are always winning opportunities, even for strugglers, Clements captured the 1982 Timex Open in France and the 1992 Greater Ozarks Open on the Nike Tour.

Teaser: A player's ball entered a rabbit hole, the mouth of which was in bounds but only about a foot from a boundary fence. The rabbit hole sloped steeply down below the fence, so that the ball came to rest beyond the boundary line. What is the ruling?

Answer: Whether or not a ball is out of bounds depends on where it lies in relation to the boundary of the course and this must be measured vertically upwards or downwards. In the case cited, the ball was lying out of bounds and Rule 27-1 applies. Relief could not be obtained under Rule 25-1, i.e. from a hole made by a burrowing animal.