Golf Central

On this day, in 1991, the ‘War on the Shore’ Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island came to an agonising close for Europe and Bernhard Langer, who slid a six-foot putt past the hole and allowed Hale Irwin to scrape out a halve, giving the US side a 14½-to-13½ victory.

That little miss led to a long up-and-down battle with the yips for the unfortunate Langer, plus the equally unfortunate proliferation of long and belly putters worldwide.

Also on this day in 1946, the little ball-striking legend Ben Hogan won No. 12 of his 13 PGA Tour titles that year by taking the Dallas Invitational in his home state of Texas. Hogan explained himself thus: “When I'm hitting the ball where I want, hard and crisply, it's a joy that very few people experience.” Do you think so, Ben?

Eight years later, New York Giants centerfielder Willie Mays made what is still regarded as one of the finest catches in baseball history, running for what appeared to be miles to track down a 450-foot drive by Cleveland’s Vic Wertz in the 1954 World Series.

Pope John Paul I, who was known as the "Smiling Pope", didn’t have much chance to light up the halls of the Vatican with his beaming mug, because he died of a heart attack while reading in bed on this day in 1978, after a mere 33-day papal reign.

Shorter memories will recall that on Sept. 29, 2006, the creepy Republican Congressman Mark Foley resigned from office after he was busted for sending naughty emails and IMs to young male pages in the US House.

And it’s Ois Guade zu Deim Geburdstog! as they say in Langer's native Bavaria to God-bothering golf pro Kermit Zarley (66), best known for being on the final biography page in the PGA and Senior PGA Tour media guides for most of 18 years; “Great Balls of Fire” to rock and roll piano pioneer Jerry Lee “The Killer” Lewis, who celebrates his 72nd at his ranch in Mississippi; bravo to Frenchy jazz violin man Jean-Luc Ponty (65); and va-va-voom to former Swedish pin-up Anita Ekberg (76). Admiral Horatio Nelson would have had another birthday celebration with Lady Hamilton had he been a little less heroic at Trafalgar in 1805.